[UPDATE: Date change in bold below]
Few bands hang out for the long haul. In fact, many of our great bands from the ’60s have gone away. There are, of course, a few from the ’70s still persevering. But then there’s Chicago.
Chicago (the band) showed up in 1969 with their 2LP debut on Columbia Records. That album wasted no time, no time at all crawling into the consciousness of fans with three huge Top10 hits that included “Beginnings”, “Does anybody Really Know What Time It Is”, and “Questions 67 and 68”. After that, Chicago Transit Authority (later shortened to Chicago), would steadily climb charts with their subsequent albums, using a numerical naming convention for each. Many of those albums generated their own Top10 hits.
Even after losing the important Terry Kath, the jazz-infused Pop band persevered. Today, the band has a whopping 35 albums in their magnificent catalog. (My personal favorite is Chicago V. Oh, you have one too? Discuss!)
Oh wait! Let’s make that thirty-six albums to their credit because Chicago will be releasing their new album, NOW – Chicago XXXVI, on July 4th July 8th via Frontiers Records. The new album has eleven new excellent songs on it, which you can already preview at the link provided. And with what I’ve heard, I am extremely excited!
NOW – Chicago XXXVI will be available in four different physical packages that include a single CD issue, with standard MP3 download availability to go with it. The next is also a single CD issue but instead of MP3, there will be a choice of a higher definition format that includes FLAC, WAV, AIFF, or ALAC, all in 96kHz/24-bit digital. After that, you have other choices that include the single CD with a NOW T-shirt inclusion, and an all-inclusive Deluxe Edition that includes the single CD, a NOW t-shirt, a NOW poster, a NOW coffee mug, and your choice of the high definition digital files.
All CD sets are housed in a six-panel case, along with a 16-page booklet with lyrics, and automatic entry into a drawing that could land you a ‘Meet and Greet’ at a concert during their Summer 2014 Tour (pre-order for the contest). there will also be digital-only download availability in all formats mentioned previously.
Get all extra details at the new album’s website!
I have to say that Chicago has become a franchise in my eyes more than a band. As long as they have fans more power to them.
To answer your question, Chicago 5 is my favorite too. Why? Dialogue parts 1 and 2. Whatever album that song would be on would be my favorite.
I also have a soft spot for Chicago 8 but that has more to do with my memories around the time it came out than how it stacks up against their other albums. IMO that was the last great Chicago album. After that they kind of lost me.
Bill, I don’t think you have truly listened to Chicago since 1977. Most artists have a sine curve type of album quality. The early are pure emotion, the middle have good songs here and there but become more “franchise” as they become money machines and a lot of the angst that were in the earlier albums have long been assuaged.
Chicago’s pure volume of albums and slight changes in personnel have given them a lot longer sine curve and with every change of personnel or long recording gap, they have come back with an album that tries to marry their sound with what is selling. If they didn’t do that, they wouldn’t be able to continue to do what they love.
Night and Day, Stone of Sisyphus, 3 tracks on XXXI, and it appears every track on NOW show the talent still exists.
You won’t find ANY group of this length with as many consistently good songs and albums outside of the Beatles. If you honestly compared Beach Boys, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Styx, James Taylor, Earth Wind amp; Fire, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Yes, Moody Blues and any other band that’s been around 40-45 years, the quality of Chicago albums has been far more consistent.
BTW, what a trippy album cover. It should come with a black light and….
Good stuff, but I’m not crazy about the artwork.
It’s great to see that there are bands like Chicago still going strong. After hearing Kesha, Pitbull and Beyoncé make millions selling garbage, knowing that groups like Chicago still make music gives me hope