A band wasted their talent: too many song Luschen and verquastes Decorative Arts

Early 70s were Chicago probably the most popular American band in their own country. Not without reason: On stage, they presented themselves reliably and playful, and the two double-LPs from this period seemed to redeem all the promises of their amazing debut album, which is worth hearing even today. Chicago looked at first glance like a powerful work, in front of virtuosity and creativity only so overflowing jazz-rock combo that dominated loose every conceivable style variants. It could be not only the student audience to impress them, even the jazz magazine "Down Beat" was worth a cover story the septet. Clearly, here was finally gifted musicians at the start that attracted attention not through drug stories and untimely demise. Three of the boys were singing, the guitarist even had a voice like Ray Charles and was equal to his instrument Jimi Hendrix. And the firm "horn section" was not about decoration since, but an integral part of the group sounds or concept. So far so good. However, it is advisable to look at this early phase in more detail. The people who are at all still remember the band, claiming indeed usually: Chicago made until 1974 really good music and then degenerated gradually experienced Schnulzen suppliers. As simple as it is not, unfortunately. I would later some mainstream number prefer to what is offered on "Chicago II" and "Chicago III" mostly. Now, where is the problem?

The fact is already in the summer of 1969 - half a year after "Chicago Transit Authority" and by numerous performances - the band went full of confidence back into the studio to record a second double album. And it happened as it had to: 67 minutes mainly weak song material, big ambitions, "demanding" suites and various texts by the slogan "We have the world what to say." Plus more sophisticated blower guitar and organ massively exiled in the second row. Shaking his head and disoriented one remains as a listener back: Since there are posts by Terry Kath as "The Road", a pure exercise in awkwardness, and "In The Country", which starts well and then to a soulful slurry of antiphonal singing and "Iiiii doooo love you "mutated next song with the charm of an extended advertising jingles like" Wake up sunshine "and" Fancy Colours "by Robert Lamm, the most prolific songwriter of the band, which also the multi-part" It Better End Soon "contributed. The piece itself seems neither to want to end up like the Vietnam War, which is denounced so vehemently in the text. Formative ingredients here are a dissonant staccato riff, a melodic reference to the Song of Germany and increasingly confused flute. I probably do not have to explain further why "The Unknown Soldier" have better withstood the Doors or "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath for decades.

After all, it created the record label, fish out from the whole jumble a few chart-compatible singles. "25 or 6 to 4" and "Make me smile" (with mounted acting gospel fervor) are all rocking earwigs, but leave a rough, rushed impression. The washed-out sound makes things even better; This unfortunately affects a large part of the album. The predecessor "CTA" sounds fine, but in this case it seems to have resorted to the new edition to the wrong source - as a "remastering" nobody needs. Who wants in spite of everything have the disc absolutely should prefer to invest the same in the expensive audio DVD. To review: More than two stars are not in it, the second is generally instrumental professional work, some passages and guitar solos in between, the nice debut "Where do we go from here" by Peter Cetera and the timeless, inspired by Bach "Colour my World "(also a hit).