Starts Great, Peters Out

This is the second attempt at a Chicago boxed set. The first effort, CBS' "Group Portrait" from 1991 is sadly out of print. I say sadly because I'm primarily a fan of the 1969-80 recordings, with little use for what came after, save "Night and Day," "The Christmas Album" and the unreleased "Stone" (Chicago 22).

Anyway, the first disc is pretty steller, covering more tracks from "CTA" and "Chicago" than "Group Portrait." However, there are odd edits of "Beginnings," "I'm A Man" (where's the drum solo), "Time" (where's the piano intro)and "It Better End Soon" (where's the flute solo). As with "Group Portrait," the compilers left off Terry Kath's "In the Country." However, this is still the best disc in the box even with these omissions.

Disc two and we're on to "Chicago III - VII." There's more from "III" on this disc and only the Peter Cetera lead vocal tracks from "VII." However, they did included the one "VII" vocal track shared with guitar genius Terry Kath, "Wishing You Were Here." Where's "Byblos?" "Skinny Boy?" Jeez, these people LOVE Cetera! Ha, ha, ha! Instead, we get the lame studio version of the instrumental "Mogonucleosis," a Latin party tune with no solos. What about "Aire" and Kath's jazz guitar solo? Nope.

Disc three covers "VIII - Hot Streets." Too many tracks from "X" and almost none of the good ones. Way too many "Hot Streets" tracks as well. Yes, the band survived Kath's death, but that doesn't make the "Hot Steets" material good. The great tracks from that album were all included on the "Group" box, save the title cut.

Disc four is "XIII - 18" and the entry into the dark side. With group guitarist/vocalist/arranger/songwriter Terry Kath dead, the band schlumps through a disco ("Street Player") and Skynard soundalike track ("Must Have Been Crazy") track apiece from "XIII." from there it's on to the great punk rock with horns of "XIV." Good selection here ("Manipulation," Thunder and Lightning") and decent Cetera ballad ("Song for You"). The dark side enters with "16" and the pact with the devil in the form of David Foster. Huge chart success, decreasing horns, drum machines, hit singles and oh yeah.....Foster reimagines the band as bassist/vocalist Peter Cetera's backing band. They hardly play on the "16 - 18" tracks he produced as the music is so devoid of personality, Foster used an army of session cats to play most of the parts! Almost all lead vocals on the box from "16 -17" are by Cetera, of course. Somebody at Rhino REALLY loves Cetera! Oh, I said that already....

I think this era payed the bills for the band, but the music is disposable trash. I have lots of friends (including my beloved wife) who feel this was Chicago at their zenith. Sorry, I don't agree.

Halfway through disc four, Cetera jumps ship for a nosedive solo career and is replaced by bassist Jason Scheff, who can sing like Cetera when necessary. The great Bill Champlin, who joined for "16" forward (lead vocals, keys, rhythm guitar)was brought to the fore on vocals along with Scheff. Except for the "XIV" material, this disc is gag-awful.

Disc 5 is interesting as it covers "19 - Heart of Vol. 2." "19" contained the most hit singles ever found on a Chicago album, pretty much split between Jason and Bill lead vocals and pretty much all lame ballads. The box skips the two Lamm tracks from "19" of course. Why give a balanced representation of the band? "21" had a few minor wimpy ballad hits, but a sign of good things to come in Robert Lamm's "Only Time" (jazzy horn break, time signature/key changes like a REAL Chicago song). At this point, keys/vocalist Lamm is the only original vocalist still with the band, so no wonder it sounds like Chicago! "God Save the Queen" actually gives Champlin a ballsy horn powered track to sing ABOUT something: the environment.

Then the band's potential, long dorment, is FINALLY fulfilled with three tracks from the unreleased "Stone" album, kicking off with Lamm's brilliant "All the Years," about the lies of politicians throughout history. One measely track for the equally brilliant "Night and Day" big band album follows. Then it's four tracks recorded for the "Heart of" compilations. Yeah, they got air play on adult conemporary stations and yeah, the lead vocals are evenly splt amongst Lamm, Scheff and Champlin, but they are LAME, sounding like the 80's trash with the horns more prominent. They even have the drum machines back alongside the acoustic (real) drums. Go figure. A weak ending.

The DVD contains an amazing, in-their-prime performance from 1972 from Chicago's Arie Crown Theatre and a lame promo film from "13." Lambasted at the time, "13" doesn't seem all that bad in comparison to the 80's material.