Chicago: Chicago III (Columbia Records Edition) CD Track Listing

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Chicago Chicago III (Columbia Records Edition) (1971)
Chicago III (Columbia Records Edition)\n1987 Columbia Records, Inc.\n\nOriginally Released January 1971\nStandard CD Edition (Columbia Records) Released 1987 ??\nStandard CD Edition (Chicago Records) Released February 28, 1995\nRhino Remastered Edition Released July 16, 2002\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Chicago's third effort, much like the preceding two, was initially issued as a double LP, and is packed with a combination of extended jams as well as progressive and equally challenging pop songs. Their innovative sound was the result of augmenting the powerful rock & roll quartet with a three-piece brass section -- the members of whom are all consummate soloists. Once again, the group couples that with material worthy of its formidable skills. In the wake of the band's earlier powerhouse successes, Chicago III has perhaps been unrightfully overshadowed. The bulk of the release consists of three multi-movement works: Robert Lamm's (keyboards/vocals) "Travel Suite," Terry Kath's (guitar/vocals) "An Hour in the Shower," and James Pankow's (trombone) ambitious and classically influenced "Elegy." While the long-player failed to produce any Top Ten hits, both Lamm's rocker "Free" -- extracted from "Travel Suite" -- as well as the infectious "Lowdown" respectively charted within the Top 40. "Sing a Mean Tune Kid" opens the album with a nine-plus minute jam highlighting the impressive wah-wah-driven fretwork from Terry Kath (guitar/vocals) and some decidedly rousing syncopated punctuation from the horns. Lamm's highly underrated jazzy keyboard contributions are notable throughout the tune as he maneuvers Peter Cetera's (bass/vocals) bouncy basslines and the equally limber percussion of Danny Seraphine (drums). "What Else Can I Say" reveals much more of the band's fusion beyond that of strictly pop/rock. The supple and liberated waltz bops around the playful melody line and is further bolstered by one of the LP's most elegant brass arrangements as well as some equally opulent backing vocal harmonies. "I Don't Want Your Money" is a hard-hittin' Kath/Lamm rocker that packs a bluesy wallop lying somewhere between Canned Heat and the Electric Flag. Again, Kath's remarkably funkified and sweet-toned electric guitar work hammers the track home. \n\nAlthough "Travel Suite" is primarily a Lamm composition, both Seraphine's "Motorboat to Mars" drum solo and the acoustic experimental "Free Country" balance out the relatively straightforward movements. These include the aggressive "Free" and the decidedly more laid-back "At the Sunrise" and "Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home." Kath's "An Hour in the Shower" reveals the guitarist's under-utilized melodic sense and craftsmanship. His husky lead vocals perfectly complement the engaging arrangements, which blend his formidable electric axe-wielding with some equally tasty acoustic rhythm licks. In much the same way that the Beatles did on the B-side medley from Abbey Road (1969), Chicago reveals its rare and inimitable vocal blend during the short "Dreaming Home" bridge. Chicago III concludes with Pankow's six-part magnum opus, "Elegy." Its beautiful complexity incorporates many of the same emotive elements as his "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" from their previous long-player. The ironically cacophonous and tongue-in-cheek "Progress" contains both comedic relief as well as an underlying social statement in the same vein as "Prologue, August 29, 1968" from Chicago Transit Authority (1969). The final two movements -- "The Approaching Storm" and "Man vs. Man: The End" -- are among the most involved, challenging, and definitive statements of jazz-rock fusion on the band's final double-disc studio effort. As pop music morphed into the mindless decadence that was the mid-'70s, Chicago abandoned its ambitiously arranged multifaceted epics, concentrating on more concise songcrafting. -- Lindsay Planer\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: With this album, Chicago had released three double-record sets within two years, which glutted the market and drained the band members' creativity. The result was a fall-off in quality and in sales, although Chicago III did manage to stay on the charts over a year, selling a million copies. There were only two Top 40 hits, "Free" and "Lowdown," neither of which is among the group's best. -- William Ruhlmann\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nWhile Chicago were based in Los Angeles by the time they made this album, the band's horn-laden pop stylings had not changed dramatically since their inception in 1967. Still featuring the triple-threat vocal attack of Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, and Peter Cetera, Chicago were a well-orchestrated rock band showcasing jazzy compositions and slick arrangements. The late Terry Kath's bluesy guitar and voice were showcased in the ambitious "Hour in the Shower" while Pete Cetera's mainstream leanings were unveiled in "Lowdown." Producer and longtime mentor James William Guercio is not as efficient on III, indicating a lack of focus within the band. Despite lengthy suites, lots of soloing, and elaborate horn charts, the songwriting leaves something to be desired. Verdict: Not as good as their first two recordings. --Mitch Myers \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nWild, Explosive & Experimental!, September 5, 1999 \nReviewer: Henry R. Kujawa profh@gateway.net from "The Forbidden Zone" (Camden, NJ) \nOf Chicago's early albums, this one took the longest to grow on me. Like I & II it's a mixture of styles sure to please and simultaneously confuse just about anybody. There's Blues & R&B ("Sing A Mean Tune Kid", "I Don't Want Your Money"), Country ("Flight 602") Rock ("Lowdown", a song that often turned up in concert) and songs with the kind of excessive-yet-wonderful horn sections they made their specialty ("Free"). But, like YES when that group started to gain popularity, their experiments started to get bigger and more pretentious, as this time we're given no less than 3 long "suites"-- one each from Robert Lamm, Terry Kath & James Pankow. "Free Country" (from TRAVEL SUITE) veers into KING CRIMSON "art" territory, while the spoken intro for ELEGY, "When All the Laughter Dies In Sorrow" almost seems a tribute to Graeme Edge's work with THE MOODY BLUES. But my favorite piece is the finale: "The Approaching Storm" and "Man Vs. Man: The End", a high-speed full-throttle freeform jazz instro that would be at home on the soundtrack of an action-adventure movie. Not for the casual listener, but well worth the experience! \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nVaried, adventuresome, and rocking, February 8, 2000 \nReviewer: David J. Loftus from Portland, Oregon \nAfter riffling through the reviews of most of the first seven Chicago albums, I see considerable disagreement about just when the group "went downhill." Several people seem to think it was right after the first two, so I'd better make my position clear at the start: I think Chicago was interesting and rewarding through the seventh album, and THEN the band began to deteriorate -- with middle-of-the-road but intelligent rocker Robert Lamm and hard rocking but thoughtful balladeer Terry Kath both falling into the background, composition-wise, and Peter Ceteta's soppy love songs taking center stage.\n\nIII was actually the first album I got to know, round about age 13 when my Dad brought it home. This was as varied as the band could get, from pretentious poetry ("When All The Laughter Dies in Sorrow" -- hey, I liked it at the time) and portentous rock (the final "Gathering Storm" suite), to thumping blues ("Sing A Mean Tune, Kid" and "I Don't Want Your Money") and sweet ballads ("At the Sunrise" and "What Else Can I Say"). "Loneliness Is Just a Word" features Kath's urgent regret; "Happy 'Cause I'm Goin' Home" is a driving jazz instrumental that highlights Walter Parazaider's flute work.\n\nOne Amazon reviewer calls "Flight 601" country, another regards it as subpar. I always liked it, and heard it as "Chicago does Crosby Stills Nash & Young" (it was quite useful for fooling people on blindfold tests). Contrary to South Dakota music fan's review, Kath's amusing suite "An Hour in the Shower" is obviously tongue in cheek about the singer's love for spam, and there is a fine, driving rock section during the "off to work" segment.\n\nTwo real rockers on the album (along with the aforementioned blues rockers) are "Mother," a savage ecological lament for Mother Earth that features some double tracking of Pankow's best trombone work, and "Lowdown," a more basic driving blues. The former put the band's often silly political stances (which they thankfully gave up, pretty much, after the fifth album) to good use for once.\n\nI think this is a more consistent record than CTA and Chicago II, and rougher than my personal favorite, Chicago VII. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nBUYER BEWARE !!!! KEEP YOUR OLD COPIES !!!!, August 28, 2002 \nReviewer: rstr310 from Rutherford, New Jersey United States \nIf you already own the Chicago catalog on CD from its original Columbia release or it's Chicago Records release don't bother picking this up. While the packaging Rhino came up with is wonderful, that money would have been better spent on ACTUALLY REMASTERING this classic album.\n\nI compared the "remasters" of CTA, Chicago (II) and Chicago III to the earlier Columbia CD issues. After adjusting the levels to be even the only difference between the 2 CD copies was that the "remasters" had a very blary in-your-face mid range feel that actually buried the vocals and drums at times in the mix. On some tracks it actually became annoying. Not a hint more bottom on the toms or bass guitars, not a hint brighter on the cymbals or other perscussion. There is ALMOST NO increase in overall dynamic range from the original CDs.\n\nIf you're into the liner notes and / or packaging then this CD is worth it. HOWEVER if you actual buy CDs for the MUSICAL CONTENT, you are simply wasting your time and money. You can find my copies on ebay, I'll stick with the ... packing of the originals. \n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nDaniel Puluse, Engineer\nSy Mitchell, Engineer\nJames William Guercio, Producer\n\nAlbum Notes\nIncludes liner notes by David Wild.All tracks have been digitally remastered.\n\nRolling Stone Magazine (03/18/1971)\n...solidly convincing tunes....The ensembles are generally tight and clean...
This rock cd contains 23 tracks and runs 71min 29sec.
Freedb: 5c10bf17
Buy: from Amazon.com

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