Chicago - VI (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Chicago's Most Underrated Album

Odysseus | Virginia, USA | 11/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The period during which Chicago released their first eleven albums, the Terry Kath era, is generally acknowledged to be their creative zenith. For comparison purposes, I will leave out three of these albums: IV (the live album of performances of previously released songs), IX (their first greatest hits album), and XI (with which I am less familiar.)

The remaining eight albums can be grouped thus:

The Sprawling Double Album Masterpieces: CTA, II, and VII.

The Very Good Albums: V, VI, and X.

The Inconsistent Efforts: III and VIII.

As brilliant as is Chicago's recording history, they never put out a perfect record. Each of CTA, II, and VII contains far too much landmark material to have been confined to a single LP, but none of the three is without its dry stretches (sides four on CTA and II, and side one on VII.) But each of these double LPs are without doubt Chicago's greatest achievements, next to which the other Chicago records suffer by comparison. Those are the discs on which Chicago dismissed the boundaries of popular music, packing every manner of harmonic and rhythmic experimentation successfully into structures that didn't easily condense for radio play.

The fifth and sixth albums are commonly described as the ones on which Chicago abandoned the upper reaches of their jazz-rock experimentation, pursuing more digestible, simpler pop tunes. While it's true that each of the fifth and sixth records is more concise and pop-crafted than are the double-album magnum opera, they are far deeper than this description credits.

Chicago VI opens in startling fashion, with Robert Lamm's gorgeous but bitter "Critic's Choice," consisting only of Lamm's voice and piano. This establishes the album's mood. It's tuneful, but far more introspective and haunting than much of Chicago's previous work, especially than their traditional up-tempo openers.

Throughout VI, Lamm pours his heart out, expressing loneliness and disappointment in his California experience (an sensitive contrast with the amused cynicism that Steely Dan expressed on the same subject.) The song that originally opened the second side, "Something in this City Changes People," is well reputed for its graceful three-part harmony, but for this listener, the musing, brooding opening, Lamm alone on the piano, is when it inhabits its deepest, most poignant place. Lamm is not, on this album, about being a hit-maker, but rather about venting a backlog of emotion.

James Pankow's contributions to VI include the two powerhouse hits, "Just You N' Me," and "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (the latter a collaboration with Pete Cetera.) Great as these pieces are, for my money it's the lesser-known pieces that make VI one of Chicago's best records. Lamm and Pankow each contributed terrific up-tempo pieces in addition to the pieces cited above: Lamm's "Darlin' Dear" and Pankow's "What's This World Coming To." Each is irresistibly funky and good-humored.

If I had to pick a single Chicago cut to play for someone who had never heard the band, I would seriously consider "What's This World Comin' To." With a single Chicago cut, you usually have to choose between Terry Kath's vocals or Pete Cetera's. "This World" by contrast brings all of the band's great elements together. Kath, Cetera and Lamm all sing their lungs out, and the whole band stretches out together with a furious power. Your adrenaline will be pumping by the gallon by the end of the cut.

Chicago VI's first side is one of the best they ever laid down. The second side doesn't hold to the same standard, but it's a ridiculously high standard.

This edition of Chicago VI contains two bonus tracks. They are interesting, worthy additions, but not the seamless products that are many of the other cuts.

Chicago band members have reminisced about the difficulty of recording this album at high-altitude, with shortness of breath, and general disorientation. If that's true, they hid it well. The horns have rarely sounded better than they do here, and the same is true for the vocals.

Aficionados should listen to and study CTA, II, and VII before this disc. But for anyone who just wants a great single Chicago disc, this one should be strongly considered. I would buy it even before its biting, well-regarded predecessor, V. Chicago VI is one of their very best."

Simply Stated, Great Stuff

Bill Fleck | Wurtsboro, NY USA | 08/28/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I heard Rhino Records was planning to release the remastered Chicago catalogue, I was certainly pleased since the band itself seemed intent upon putting out only basic versions of their first 14 albums. So far, the Rhino collection (CTA, II, III, V) has been nothing short of excellent.CHICAGO VI is no exception. I'll grant that the sound quality is not significantly improved over the Columbia originals--proof positive of Jim Guercio's very modern production techniques. But the liner notes and the bonus tracks here are worth the 12 bucks you'll pay and then some.The gold is an added Terry Kath demo, a tune he was working on called BEYOND ALL OUR SORROWS. It's just piano and Kath vocals, and though it's not quite in finished form, it's an absolutely powerful and haunting performance ("He could've been a monster as a solo artist," Guercio has said). For Chicago fans, tracks like this are the equivilant of the Holy Grail.Good, too, is a live version of Al Green's TIRED OF BEING ALONE featuring Al himself. The tight arrangement and the afterglow chit-chat hearken back to I DON'T WANT YOUR MONEY on III.VI itself, of course, features two classics: JUST YOU N' ME and FEELIN' STRONGER EVERY DAY. Strong, too, are Kath's JENNY and the Lamm tune SOMETHING IN THIS CITY CHANGES PEOPLE. The band has fun with loose rockers like DARLIN' DEAR and WHAT'S THIS WORLD COMIN' TO? In fact, only Cetera's IN TERMS OF TWO and Lamm's HOLLYWOOD ring the dud bell.With these excellent reissues behind them, Chicago fans can only be happily anticipating what Rhino will do next."

A CLASSIC!

Phineas J. Buttplug | Woodside, NY United States | 09/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't understand all of the carping about "VI". This is by far the finest single album Chicago ever released. It blends styles so perfectly and honestly. From the horn-free "Critic's Choice" to the explosive "Feeling Stronger Every Day", this is one of the few Chicago albums that hold up and sound as fresh as they did in 1973.It is also one of the few Chicago albums in which I like each and every song and can actually listen to all the way through. This is a must for all Chicago fans.Does anyone notice that James Pankow actually wrote most of the early hits? Too bad he wasn't able to contribute more hits to the catalog. His contributions began to get less and less with each album. In "VI", he contributes both major hits:Just You N'Me and "Feeling Stronger Every Day" (co-written with Peter Cetera)."

Mellow and Downbeat

Lonnie E. Holder | Columbus, Indiana, United States | 01/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At the time of Chicago VI's release Chicago was one of the most prolific rock groups in existence, churning out a number of double albums before releasing the single disk Chicago V and then this single disk album. The earlier albums were full of experimental jazz-blues-rock fusions mixed with a variety of rock and highly orchestrated instrumentals. While you might stand back and wonder whether Chicago was a group in search of itself, it was more likely that the incredible amount of talent in the group led to the eclectic variety of styles. Chicago V and Chicago VI marked a turn towards shorter compositions with less experimentation.

The opening song, "Critics' Choice," is about a favorite topic for a number of artists who sometimes feel they must pander to critics to have any musical success. I am a little surprised that Chicago would have felt this way given their highly creative and original first albums where they clearly were unconcerned by the critics. It may be that some criticisms started to sting about this time. This song is a piano solo accompanying a plaintive vocal; a mellow opening song that sets the tone for the rest of the album.

The second song, "Just You `N' Me," is an upbeat love song. The beat and hooks are somewhat pop, but the addition of horns gives this song a solid Chicago flavor. This song was released as a single with "Critics' Choice" and reached #4 in 1973. This song was also included in a couple of greatest hits collections for Chicago.

"Darlin' Dear" is a powerful rock love song with a touch of blues that stays in a lighter vein, even with the heavy music. This song is one of the more complex compositions on this album and features strong contributions from electric guitars, piano and horns. Once again Chicago proves their ability to create music in whatever style suited their needs.

The Terry Kath song "Jenny" is downbeat with blues vocals overlaying the instruments playing a rock beat. It is initially tempting to classify this song as pop, but while the flavor is there the song resists classification as pop and is closer to blues-rock.

The next song betrays its early 70s origins. "What's this World Comin' To" is a fast paced rock song with a soul flavor. Chicago's ever-present brass section is prominent throughout this James Pankow penned song. While the music is upbeat, the vocals are relatively downbeat, continuing to provide a darker tone to this album as compared to Chicago's earlier albums.

"Something in this City Changes People" is downbeat and slow. The poetic words describe the cynicism of city-dwellers and how they come to act differently from how they once were when they lived elsewhere. There are lines such as "...Everyone's my friend, they pretend..." lamenting how people will not say what they mean. Later there are lyrics that describe how people can become self-centered and egotistical, "...Egos magnified, quite unjustified..." I am assuming that this song relates some of Robert Lamm's experiences in Los Angeles, where it often seems that people create a persona that has little to do with their inner self and their true feelings. "Hollywood" is another Robert Lamm song that continues in the same vein as the previous song. The lyrics expand the theme of the previous song with lyrics such as:

Watch

What you say,

When you say it,

Someone you know,

Will betray it,

Will betray it.

"In Terms of Two" is a Peter Cetera love song. The song is typical of Peter Cetera's style, meaning pop, though the instruments used are a bit unusual. The vocals and music are competent, though generally unremarkable.

"Rediscovery" is a cleverly placed Robert Lamm song that talks about breaking out of a down mood. This funk-flavored song leads into the end of the original album, the upbeat power song "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," that is all the more powerful because of its placement at the end of a string of mellow songs. "Rediscovery" is about the search for personal meaning, relying on nature as the source. The last song continues the theme of picking up and moving on. This song is one of the best on the album and reached #9 in 1974, far less than it deserved, but competition was very stiff at that time.

This remastered album includes two bonus tracks. The first of these, "Beyond all Our Sorrows," is a Terry Kath demo that clocks in at seven minutes, easily the longest song on the CD. This raw track is mellow and strong, a haunting and emotional performance that, while in the theme of the original album, should have been placed ahead of "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" to keep the flavor of the end of the album as originally intended. In spite of its position, this song deserves to be heard and is a valuable addition.

The second track is "Tired of Being Alone," with Al Green. This track is another worthy addition to this album. The performance sounds live or informal, a soulful blues song that is in the same vein as the emotional performance of the previous song.

"Chicago VI" is emotionally downbeat. The group sounds tired and depressed, perhaps as a result of several years of intense creativity and moving to California and being overwhelmed by fame. There is a raw emotional edge to this album that hints at the group's feelings. There are some creative discontinuities, and yet, the album has some wonderful moments that provide an astute listener with a wonderful listening experience. This album may not be as polished as their earlier efforts, but has much less pop than the efforts to come.

"

Chicago at the height of their popularity?

Lonnie E. Holder | 09/23/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many artists seemed unusually inspired in 1973, doing some of their best-ever albums. This may not be the case with CHICAGO VI, but it does contain 2 of their biggest radio hits, "Just You 'N' Me" (a song that really pointed in the direction the band would increasingly follow) and "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (an incredibly uplifting tune that builds in intensity from its beginning right to its EXPLOSIVE finale). I LOVED these songs when they first came out, and still do! In addition, we have the horn section playing behind wonderfully melodic ballads ("Critics Choice") love songs ("In Terms Of Two") and even a political protest song that sounds an awful like like a Temptations tribute, right down to singing in different octaves ("What's This World Comin' To"). Pretty good for a "pop" album!"

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