Review Summary: Weary from non-stop touring, Chicago settles down, trades their ambition in at the studio door, and lays down their most consistent and polished record to date.
In late 1971, the band members of
Chicago were understandably exhausted. Over the previous two years, they had recorded three double albums and toured relentlessly; they were now superstars, and everybody wanted to see them in concert, and understandably so. They were one of the few bands at the time who had a truly unique sound and played with so much passion and energy. They also possessed more than a handful of hit singles, not easy for a progressive rock band in the early-70s. Chicago entered the Columbia Street Studios in New York on September 20th and would spend the next nine days recording their fourth studio album in about a two-and-a-half year span.
Personnel
Peter Cetera - Bass, Vocals on Tracks 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9
Terry Kath - Guitar, Vocals on Tracks 3, 4, 5 and 10
Robert Lamm - Keyboards, Vocals on Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7
Lee Loughnane - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Percussion, Background vocals
James Pankow - Trombone, Percussion, Background vocals
Walter Parazaider - Woodwinds, Percussion, Background vocals
Danny Seraphine - Drums, Congas, Bells
First off,
Chicago V is the group's first single album release, and doesn't contain any song cycles, so over the course of the recording sessions, the band could focus on perfecting each individual song.
Chicago V is also notable because of Robert Lamm's songwriting and Peter Cetera's lack thereof; eight of the ten tracks are composed solely by Lamm, while
Chicago V would be the last Chicago record not to contain any Cetera compositions until his departure in 1985. As a result of Lamm taking over the majority of the songwriting duties, many of the tracks are politically charged, most notably
Dialogue,
While the City Sleeps and
State of the Union. Despite Lamm taking over the songwriting duties, this appeared to be out of exhaustion rather than tension between band members. These guys got along very well and had great chemistry. Unlike their prog contemporaries over in England, Chicago had no personnel changes over their first five albums (their fourth album was a live album), while many of the English prog bands had constant ego clashes and turnover among band members;
King Crimson alone had twelve different band members over their first four albums. Commercially speaking,
Chicago V became the most critically acclaimed and biggest hit American album of 1972 - the album was released on July 10th of that year - reaching #1 on the charts and spending nine weeks at that position, a feat that was quite remarkable considering the diverse musical climate of the early 70s. The album also yielded two more top 40 hits to add to the group's growing resume:
Saturday in the Park (#3), the band's biggest hit up to that point, and "Dialogue" (#24).
Chicago V also marked further progression in the band's sound, as funk and soul were now being blended into Chicago's already diverse sound, as well as an acoustic piece. I can truthfully say that no band embodied the sound of early 70s American music as Chicago did. Now let's do some further analysis, shall we?
Side One opens up with
A Hit By Varese. For those who don't know, Edgard Varese was a French composer who experimented with new musical technology in the 20s and 30s, and was a huge influence on Robert Lamm. Lamm thought it would be a fitting tribute to name one of his songs after the late composer, who died in 1965. (Another musician whom Varese's works would have a profound impact on was
Frank Zappa.) The album's opening track begins with a distorted guitar sound similar to "Free Form Guitar" from
The Chicago Transit Authority, which gives way to some jazzy horns. After the verses, a sweet saxophone takes over, and from this point on, the song sounds very King Crimson-ish. The sax and the horns play very well together, and excellent drumming and guitar playing also add to the tune. The track is one of Chicago's more complex tunes, and is a strong opener for the album. Alas, the trend wouldn't continue long, as this great track is followed by
All Is Well, AOR filler if I've ever heard it. Don't get me wrong, I still like this song, but it's rather bland and boring. Let's move on, shall we?
Now That You've Gone starts off with some fantastic drumming and funky bass and guitar, soon joined by some big horns. After the first verse, the horns and drumming take over, and then the harmonious chorus starts in, driven by a crunchy guitar riff. A nice instrumental section anchored by some showy horn playing. The sax solo is a nice touch at the end of the track. Next is the impressive two-part
Dialogue, a back and forth "debate" between a political activist (Lamm) and a college student (Cetera). A favorite among the progheads in the Chicago fan base, "Dialogue" is always a show-stopper at Chicago's live performances, many times being performed as the closer, to much applause and fan fare. The second part of "Dialogue" does get a bit cheesy, with the "We Can Make It Better"..."We Can Change the World Now"..."We Can Make It Happen" chants, but an entertaining guitar solo buoyed by some impressive drumming and horns keeps it interesting, and make this an album highlight.
Side Two opens with the impressive
While the City Sleeps. There's some urgency in the horns on this one, and the politically-charged lyrics add to the mood established by the horns and superlative guitar. Lyrically, "While the City Sleeps"is quite the opposite of "Dialogue". While "Dialogue"'s lyrics are positive and about taking action to make the world a better place, this track's lyrics focus more on conspiracy and the government's inaction when it comes to social issues. As I said before, the guitar playing is simply first-rate here, making it an album highlight. Next is the timeless
Saturday in the Park, which subtly mixes the joys of everyday life with political yearning. The piano on this track definitely sets the tone, and is probably one of the most well-known piano melodies among pop rock fans. While some fans may snub their noses at this song, you do have to admit, it's admirably catchy, and the tempo changes make the song interesting. I know I enjoy it on every listen, even if it is overplayed on AOR radio.
The next track,
State of the Union, is the album's funkiest track, with Cetera's best vocals on the album. Kath's guitar is excellent, and so is the drumming and horns. Peter Cetera's bass playing shines brightly throughout the whole album, but it simply radiates on this song. "State of the Union" is a warning song to political activists, with much more aggressive lyrics than the previous song. Perhaps Lamm was penning his displeasure with anarchist punks who are willing to do anything to "tear the system down", and hurt anyone who gets in the way.
Goodbye is next, and this song is a real treat. The horns are really sexy here, reminiscent of
Chicago II, paired with some real knock out percussion. The settles as Cetera breaks into his usual crooning, until the sax interrupts him, and brings some congas along. The percussion just pairs so well with the sax and horns on this instrumental section, a very relaxing number. Some more seductive horns take over and ease us into some standard Chicago harmonies. Lyrically, "Goodbye" is the band's send-off to Los Angeles, saying "good riddance" while also thanking the city for the memories it has created in the lives of the band members. The track has many interesting turns along the way, much like L.A.'s famous Pacific Highway, and I'll be darned if those last thirty seconds don't sound a lot like King Crimson ("Moonchild", anyone?). Since the track is called "Goodbye", you'd assume it would close the album, right? Well, unfortunately, no. That honor belongs to the Kath-penned ballad
Alma Mater, which, to be truthful, is absolutely dreadful. It's a piano and acoustic guitar driven ditty that doesn't pair too well with Kath's awful crooning. And then, when you think it can't get any worse, you hear that "Amazing Grace" style gospel choir that just makes you sick to the stomach. If you can make it through all four minutes of this one, you're a better man than I. It's like "Memories of Love" from
Chicago II all over again. Some Chicago fans think this song is beautiful. I'd prefer
dreadful as my adjective of choice. Hopefully the previous nine tracks left a good enough taste in your mouth that this dud of a closer didn't spoil your appetite. Not much of a dessert, is it?
Chicago V is a very tight album with a very clean and polished production. Listening to it now, it sounds just as crisp as it likely did when it first hit the record table in 1972. Being the super stars that they were at the time, the boys in the band were surely taking a lot of heat from management to churn out a bunch of sappy pop melodies. In the early 70s, those went over huge, just ask
Barbara Streisand. However, Chicago stayed true to their renegade roots - for the most part - and put out an album that was a win-win for all parties involved: it was their biggest selling album up to that time and cranked out a chart-topping single (management, check); it was, and still is, critically acclaimed and has lasting value as one of the band's most cherished records among both critics and fans (critics, check); but most importantly, the band was able to modify their sound to fit the differing tastes among their diverse fan base without selling themselves short and staying true to their objective of making music that pushed the boundaries, both musically and lyrically (fans, check). While some may cry that
Chicago V was the "beginning of the end", many fans appreciate
Chicago V for what it truly is: a classic.
