Main menu
Fretplay home Submit tabs

Chicago
Chicago tabs Chicago discography

Channels
Guitar channel Bass channel Guitar videos Reviews

Message Forum
Guitar forum Bass forum Bands and artists Promote your band Recent discussions All categories

Fretplay.com

Chicago guitar tabs

CD reviews

Chicago VII

Chicago - Chicago VII Audio CD

A fair review of the Chicago "Chicago VII" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Chicago reviews here, or go back to the Chicago tabs.

Band: Chicago
Title: Chicago VII
Rating:

Release Date: 2002-11-05
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Prelude To Aire 2: Aire 3: Devil's Sweet 4: Italian From New York 5: Hanky Panky 6: Life Saver 7: Happy Man 8: (I've Been) Searchin' So Long 9: Mongonucleosis 10: Song Of The Evergreens 11: Byblos 12: Wishing You Were Here 13: Call On Me 14: Women Don't Want To Love Me 15: Skinny Boy 16: Byblos (Rehearsal)

it started slipping here
Now it's just. Well, this is where Chicago's style really began to enter into an obvious commercial direction, which is unfortunate because previously the band had something *awesome* going as far as brassy instrumental music combined with rock music goes. . . nice music.

Alright, the album isn't without its faults obviously, but there's some other things that kind of bother me. While the opening song resembles Santana, hearing Chicago attempt the same kind of music Santana popularized is just weird. It's actually a pretty decent song and I'm not really complaining about it, I just don't think it was totally appropriate for Chicago to attempt something like this.

After the opening track, the album shifts into a bunch of instrumental brass jams, some of which I could have sworn came from Chicago's fifth album. I will give the band credit here though- each instrumental jam sounds different from the other one, and sets an entirely different mood. This is a pretty welcoming kind of experimentation as far as I'm concerned. The only complaint is how most of these jams lack any kind of serious punch to really make them stand alongside the instrumental jams from the previous Chicago albums. But as far as experimenting goes, yeah, these are some pretty good jams.

"Happy Man" sounds WAY too commercial and perfectly indicates the direction Chicago was going for. I think I've heard this song a long time ago. . . in a supermarket. I never heard any Chicago song from the previous albums in a grocery store.

"I've Been Searchin' So Long" may have been the big hit, but it's so sappy and such a tender ballad that, well, it reminds me of bankteller music, haha. It's not a BAD song, it's just. . . a Bee Gees copycat at best. The same can be said for "Wishing You Were Here", but at least this song has a really good verse melody. I forgot all about "Call On Me". You'll probably recognize this song from the numerous play it got back in the day. A decent song.

Some of the other songs on the second half of the album are pretty decent too. At least the vocal melodies are really good, but overall the album, despite Chicago charging into a subtle creative groove temporarily, is most definitely not in the same category as the previous albums.
.

A Huge Slice Of Excellent Music By Chicago
Between 1969 and this point the band had manage to tour almost consistantly but still manage to record five albums worth of innovative studio material. Chicago were not only one of the most ambitious pop bands of the 70's but one of the buisiests. And guess what:1974 rolls around and the band is dropping 15 more cuts,a whole other double albums worth when they'd already made three double sets in the past. Even so it was all to their advantage. This is easily one of the most artistically satisfying and musicianly album Chicago has made,not to mention especially rhythmic. The first five tunes,which would take up one old vinyl album find the guys all pulling their songwriting pooling together for what is basically one of the finest funk-jazz records from this era. The afro-cuban percussion and cascading horns of "Prelude To Aire" and "Aire" really put this in the vanguard of some of the jazz/funk/rock free-for-alls since the earliest days of the band. The intro to "Devil's Sweet" alone,with Walter Parazaider's flighty sax solo over those great rolling drums really bring out the sense of "darkness and light" spirituality of the song,which actually gets pretty dark from there on in and keeps it up for ten minutes. "Italian From New York",named after a funny story involving percussionist Laudir DeOliveiar features some spacy (some harsher reviewersmight see them as gimmicky) electronics over this really tight jazz-funk rhythm. "Hanky Panky" is about the perfect vehicle for Walter Parazaider,Lee Longhanne and James Pankov a chance to blow away on their horns in this swinging jazz number. The peppy pop of Peter Cetera's "Happy Man" and Terry Kath's poetic "Song Of The Evergreens" showcase how much about vocal harmonies and complex pop arrangements they'd learned from Brian Wilson by touring with The Beach Boys;there's still that jazzy touch there with Robert Lamm's Fender Rhodes coming in and out. The hit "(I've Been) Searching So Long" is one of Pankow's great reflective ballads,very jazzy and with some excellent lyrics and that extends into "Mongonucleosis",this great jazzy caribbean street parade tunes with plenty of fanfare and party shouting from the players;you can tell everyone involved was having a blast on this one. "Bydlos",another great Kath tune and sadly no-hit single that turns out to be one of Chicago's great unsung tunes,no pun intended. Either way again it has a great rhythm. "Wishing You Were Here". . . . well I've heard it a million times but hearing it in the album contexts really brings out so much more in it;one of the reason I go more for original albums rather then compilations or boxed sets,especially during this era of music. My favorite hit song here has to be "Call On Me"-it just has everything that makes this album and Chicago special;the jazziness,popcraft and the great Brazillian percussion. It's one of the favorite hits they've done in my book. The album ends with two phenomenal funk jams in "Woman Don't Want To Love Me",with it's great wah-wah intro and Robert Lamm's rocking "Skinny Boy" which ended up being the title of his first solo album coming the next year. Considering the mid 70's was also the salad days of EWF,War,Mandrill,Santana and any of the genre busting,horn packed but commercially friendly bands we all remember fondly Chicago's music on this album and during this time was very friendly to the "united funk" era in which funk,rock,jazz,pop and different latin American styles could all coexist AND be popular at the same time. And considering how Chicago learned and adapted so much from this era of music. Not only that but the fact these guys can leave the self indulgence out of their music and create something both ambitious AS WELL as warm and welcoming. This represents one of Chicago's very greatest musical achievments and you'll find yourself all the happier for having heard it!.

Good Album!
I thought they were pretty decent. I wasn't too famaliar with Chicago, so i decided to listen to this album randomly. I thought it was intersting how they tried to mix jazz in with rock. The overall mood of the album was enjoyable, but it was a tad bit outdated for me. I think this is a creative band that doesn't have as big of a name as the rolling stones or beatles, but still shouldn't get overlooked. If you a fan of classic rock or jazz music, Then i would look into buying this!.

Starting my wife off with Chicagos best...
The first time was in Madison Square Garden N. I have had the pleasure of seeing Chicago in concert twice. Y. , Terry Kath's last concert before he died of a self inflicted gun shot wound in the mouth. I was stunned to have seen him at his last concert and a few day's later to hear he was dead. Chicago went downhill after that.

The second time I saw Chicago was at the Neal Blaisdell arena in Honolulu in 2008. For this second concert, I took my wife who loved Chicago. Unfortunately, she is 17 years younger than me and only knows Chicago for their sappy love songs. Her comments when she learned I bought the tickets was , "Wow! I get to hear -enter name of sappy love song here-" and i was, Oh, God. . . I hope not!

She asked me why that comment and i told her that she had no idea who the REAL Chicago was and that I prayed that they stuck with what originally made them great, their Jazz/Rock fusion fro Chicago Transit Authority on up to Chicago 7. After that, it's all fluff.

Surprise! Chicago ROCKED! The primarily played their earlier stuff and bigger surprise, my wife walked out of the concert in awe. "I had no idea"! No babe, you had no idea and many still don't. Oh, I forgot to mention. . . I also took my eight year old son to the concert. His first concert had to be special and this was it. He may not have appreciated it that much, but when he's older, he'll know just how cool his parents were (I hope).

To me, Chicago stopped being chicago after Chicago 7, the album I consider to be their finest and one of the best albums ever.

So now, totally stunned, my wife wanted their early stuff but guess what? The only Chicago CD's you can find in stores are their "Greatest Hit's" and "Best of" albums. Arrrrgh! And that is how Chicago has finally been defined.

I was lucky to find one copy of Chicago V and I quickly shoved that on my wife's Zune. She loves it. Now it's time to completely indoctrinate her with Chicago 7. This album represents Chicago at their purest. Everything after this album, after Terry Kaths death, is a mere shadow of what the band was and what could have been. Terry was Chicago.

If you buy any Chicago albums, buy the first seven and make Chicago 7 the first purchase of these great treasures.

Time to complete my order!

By the way, I have two copies of Chicago 7 on vinyl, two items which I will never ever part with. -Koa-.

Chicago 7 CD
Delivery of the product was flawless and the product was outstanding. It was just as I thought it would be.

You can see a complete list of all Chicago discography, or go back to the Chicago tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.