j o n f

The so-called 70's "Ameriprog" "scene" has received generally unfavorable press. Many fans view the best-selling acts like Kansas and Styx as watered-down reactions to the British bands that preceded them; though I have a soft spot for the former groups, I have to agree. I think part of the problem is that the really innovative groups like the Mothers of Invention, Spirit and Chicago (Transit Authority) didn't sound all that similar to each other, making it difficult to detect a common style that might help define an American genre. If someone wanted to put together a list of bands and say "that's what American prog was all about," I'd have to agree with Joe that Chicago would be one of the first groups to consider. Heck, I'll go even further and say that the Chicago debut in particular would be a good starting point for such a list. On this double album the band displayed a fiery determination to record something really different than any other rock outfit of its time. Integrating brass and woodwind players does not push the music in as jazzy or classical direction as one might expect; many of the tunes are simply straightforward rock numbers with arrangements for those other instruments layered on top. You have to give Chicago some credit, though. They manage to squeeze in everything from the feel-good pop tune "Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?" to the extensive and overlong guitar solo "Free Form Guitar" on this album. The range of styles played really is extraordinary; I guess that's one of the benefits of making so many of their early efforts double albums. The downside is there is some real filler on Chicago Transit Authority, including a completely unnecessary cover of "I'm a Man." The follow-up record, Chicago II, would see the band at a point where they could finally fill out four sides of vinyl satisfactorily. In the 1980's, Chicago would become synonymous with some of the most cheesy, over-produced balladry ever committed to tape. I can assure curious prog listeners that there is no sign of that later band on this particular recording. I think Chicago II is stronger overall than Chicago Transit Authority, but the latter brings to the table an intensity they'd never really recapture on subsequent records. It's an essential album. review by Jon Fry — 6-21-05 —

j o e

One could make a strong argument that if a truly American strain of prog rock ever existed, Chicago's was one of the earliest examples of it. One can easily find all the trappings: the suites, the musicianship, the extended songs, time sig shifts, unexpected thematic detours. They even had the handsome popster in bassist's clothing that would later sell out to such a degree people forgot that once upon a time he was actually a pretty decent musician. The main difference, though, was that Chicago drew largely from American musical forms of expression for their inspiration, mixing the advanced harmonies of jazz, the piano-pounding chords of Beatles pop, and the spirit of soul and blues from their native city, all of it blended together in a rock context. Also unlike their contemps in Britain, their lyrics were always more transparent or else a more direct reflection of the political ideals of the counterculture, avoiding oblique sci-fi and fantasy metaphors. Three lead vocalists: the mid-tenor of Robert Lamm, who wrote most of the songs here and actually handles most of the lead vocals; the high-tenor of Peter Cetera, who would ultimately become the band's frontman during their 80s pop heyday; and the low gruff of the soulful Terry Kath. If you doubt the claims that he was anything less than an equal to Jimi on the guitar, give a listen to his rhythmic chugs and scorching lead on "Poem 58," and his almost casually delivered blazing intro on "Questions 67 and 68," and doubt no more. This debut, released under the short-lived, lengthier name of "Chicago Transit Authority," opens with the excellent "Introduction," quickly establishing the band's strengths and singular sound. Listen to the part where the brass section kick into gear, after a string of more controlled solos gradually upping the ante. It's as full of life and expression as their 80s ballads were safe, calculated, and trite. This is followed by the biggest hits on the album, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Beginnings." While I've pretty much retired the former from my mind due to radio overplay, I must admit that I never, ever get tired of hearing the latter. It's just such a great song. There's one unfailing thing I've noticed about it, both from playing it in bands when I was younger and also watching other bands play it as well: how intuitively bands can't help but somehow duplicate the brass parts, even if they don't have an actual horn section. This holds especially true during the solos at the end of the song. Jumping from Fifth Dimension ecstasy in the middle of "Questions 67 and 68" to the chromatically tweaked "In the Mood" passages that pepper "Listen"... it's all a testament that Chicago clearly had a fourth lead vocalist, one with three mouths. After such a magnificent first half, the release can't help but lessen a bit on the second. While I totally respect "Free Form Guitar" in theory, I think seven minutes is a bit much. The closing in-the-studio jam "Liberation" is similarly of the time period, letting it all hang out though perhaps a bit overindulgent from today's perspective. Still, the band gets in a decent version of the Spencer Davis Group's "I'm a Man." The musicianship is mature and consistently good. You can tell these guys had been playing their respective instruments at a very early age, and with the end product here, it even sounds like they had been playing together for at least a decade, even though I doubt that was the case. One thing, however, is that I always wondered what Chicago would have sounded like if they had had a heavier rhythm section, say a John Paul Jones and a Mitch Mitchell. Although I can't complain about the playing of Cetera and Seraphine, I always felt they didn't quite match the muscle of Kath's guitar and the brass section, particularly called for on the meaty riffs of "Listen" and "South California Purples." For most, Kath's death in 1978 would symbolize Chicago's death as well, though to be fair it almost certainly had as much to do with the changing times of the music industry. But until that time, Chicago would get their share of great rock albums that can fortunately still be enjoyed today. review by Joe McGlinchey — 3-28-03 —