Chicago (album)
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- This article is about the 1970 rock album. For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation).
| Chicago | ||
 |
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| Studio album by Chicago | ||
| Released | 26 January 1970 | |
| Recorded | August 1969, Columbia Recording Studios, New York and Hollywood | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 67:21 | |
| Label | Columbia Records | |
| Producer(s) | James William Guercio | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chicago chronology | ||
| The Chicago Transit Authority (1969) |
Chicago (1970) |
Chicago III (1971) |
Chicago is the second album by Chicago-based rock band Chicago. It was released in 1970 after the band had shortened its name from The Chicago Transit Authority after releasing their same-titled debut album the previous year.
Although the official title of the album was Chicago, it came to be known and rereleased as Chicago II, keeping it in line with the succession of roman numeral-titled albums that officially began with Chicago III in 1971.
While The Chicago Transit Authority was a success, Chicago is considered by many to be Chicago's breakthrough album, yielding a number of Top 40 hits, including "Make Me Smile" (#9), "Colour My World" (#7), and "25 Or 6 To 4" (#4). The centerpiece of the album was the thirteen-minute song cycle "Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon," which is considered one of Chicago's finest moments. In addition, guitarist Terry Kath also participated in an extended classically-styled piece in four separate songs. The politically-outspoken Robert Lamm also tackles his qualms with "It Better End Soon," another modular piece. Peter Cetera, later to play a crucial role in the band's music, donated his first song to Chicago and this album, "Where Do We Go From Here."
Released in January 1970 on Columbia Records, Chicago was an instant hit, reaching #4 in the US and #6 in the UK and has gone on to become - perhaps - the band's most revered album.
In 2002, Chicago was remastered and reissued on one CD by Rhino Records with the single versions of "Make Me Smile" and "25 or 6 to 4" as bonus tracks.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Movin' In" (James Pankow) – 4:06
- "The Road" (Terry Kath) – 3:10
- "Poem for the People" (Robert Lamm) – 5:31
- "In the Country" (Kath) – 6:34
- "Wake Up Sunshine" (Lamm) – 2:29
- "Make Me Smile" (Pankow) – 3:16
- "So Much to Say, So Much To Give" (Pankow) – 1:12
- "Anxiety's Moment" (Pankow) – 1:01
- "West Virginia Fantasies" (Pankow) – 1:34
- "Colour My World" (Pankow) – 3:01
- "To Be Free" (Pankow) – 1:15
- "Now More Than Ever" (Pankow) – 1:26
- Tracks 6–12 form the Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon suite
- "Fancy Colours" (Lamm) – 5:10
- "25 or 6 to 4" (Lamm) – 4:50
- "Prelude" (Kath/Peter Matz) – 1:10
- "A.M. Mourning" (Kath/Matz) – 2:05
- "P.M. Mourning" (Kath/Matz) – 1:58
- "Memories of Love" (Kath) – 3:59
- Tracks 15–18 form the Memories Of Love suite
- "1st Movement" (Lamm) – 2:33
- "2nd Movement" (Lamm/Walter Parazaider) – 3:41
- "3rd Movement" (Lamm/Kath) – 3:19
- "4th Movement" (Lamm) – 0:51
- Tracks 19–22 form the "It Better End Soon" suite
- "Where Do We Go From Here" (Peter Cetera) – 2:49
[edit] Bonus tracks (2002 reissue)
- "Make Me Smile (Single version)" – 2:58
- "25 or 6 to 4 (Single version)" – 2:51
[edit] Personnel
- Robert Lamm – keyboards, vocals
- Terry Kath – guitar, vocals
- Peter Cetera – bass, vocals
- Danny Seraphine – drums
- Lee Loughnane – trumpet, vocals
- James Pankow – trombone
- Walter Parazaider – woodwinds, vocals
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Billboard Pop Albums | 4 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "25 or 6 to 4" | Billboard Pop Singles | 4 |
| 1970 | "Make Me Smile" | Billboard Pop Singles | 9 |
| 1971 | "Colour My World" | Billboard Pop Singles | 7 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | April 13, 1970 |
| RIAA – USA | Platinum | August 9, 1991 |
| Chicago |
|---|
| Robert Lamm | James Pankow | Lee Loughnane | Walter Parazaider | Bill Champlin Jason Scheff | Tris Imboden | Keith Howland Terry Kath | Peter Cetera | Danny Seraphine | Laudir DeOliveira | Donnie Dacus | Chris Pinnick | Dawayne Bailey |
| Discography |
| Studio albums: The Chicago Transit Authority | Chicago | Chicago III | Chicago V | Chicago VI |Chicago VII | Chicago VIII | Chicago X | Chicago XI | Hot Streets Chicago 13 | Chicago XIV | Chicago 16 | Chicago 17 | Chicago 18 | Chicago 19 | Twenty 1 | Night & Day Big Band | Chicago XXX |
| Live albums: Chicago at Carnegie Hall | Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert |
| Compilations: Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits | Greatest Hits, Volume II | Greatest Hits 1982-1989 The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 | The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II | The Very Best of: Only the Beginning | Love Songs |
| Christmas albums: Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album | What's It Gonna Be, Santa? |
| Unreleased album: Stone of Sisyphus |
| Box sets: The Box |
