Comments on: The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning Staying Warm in the Windy City Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:37:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Slo Basting http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning/comment-page-1#comment-874 Slo Basting Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:58:51 +0000 http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning#comment-874 If livihood involves ongoing creativity, Chicago is on their last legs. Chicago XXVII (or the Garden Party) is another one of ongoing releases that rehash old singles in different orders and formats. It's a shame that a band that started with so much creativity and originally has succumbed to industry pressures of conventionality and mediocrity, relying on a new record distributor to dress up the image. Anticipate the next CD being another compilation with a cover of an Irish Wake. Rating: 1 / 5 If livihood involves ongoing creativity, Chicago is on their last legs. Chicago XXVII (or the Garden Party) is another one of ongoing releases that rehash old singles in different orders and formats. It’s a shame that a band that started with so much creativity and originally has succumbed to industry pressures of conventionality and mediocrity, relying on a new record distributor to dress up the image. Anticipate the next CD being another compilation with a cover of an Irish Wake.
Rating: 1 / 5

]]> By: Thomas D. Ryan http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning/comment-page-1#comment-873 Thomas D. Ryan Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:37:14 +0000 http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning#comment-873 I have to admit that I feel somewhat embarrassed at having bought this two-disk set, but I guess it serves as a testimonial to advertising. Had it not been for my 10-year old son seeing the television commercials for this collection and then asking me to buy it, you can be quite sure that I never would have seen the inside of this jewel box. Besides, I already owned a slew of early Chicago albums (the first up to Chicago IX) and I had not given them much attention in the past, oh, thirty years or so. There's a reason for that. The two-disk sets that they released habitually back in the early seventies were mostly bloated affairs, full of good playing but lousy music, with the exception of the radio-friendly hits that were interspersed throughout. <br />I guess that it comes as no surprise, then, that this collection is also a two-CD set, but with precious little padding. Throughout the seventies, Chicago virtually defined pop radio. If you were to draw a timeline of their career, they could easily be fingered for abandoning FM for AM, thus sounding the impending death knell for progressive radio. For these and a few other reasons, these guys were never favorites of mine, so I hesitated to buy this for my son, until the discounted price reeled me in (I paid $18). For the money, this collection does a remarkable job of covering the band's hits, offering 39 songs, almost all of which were top 40 at one time or another. The question is, do you care any more than I do? <br />Essentially, Chicago were/are two completely different bands. The `classic' Chicago is represented on disk one, with obvious hits like "Saturday in the Park", "Feelin' Stronger Every Day", "Colour My World", "25 or 6 to 4" (whatever that means - after three decades, I still don't know - or care) and "Make Me Smile". Arranged chronologically by chart appearance, some songs survive better than others; "Lowdown" still sounds pretty cool, and the new edit of Beginnings" balances out nicely. Dated as all hell, these songs at least work well as nostalgia. <br />The real problem here is disk two. Some time in the late 70's, Chicago dropped their stylistic calling card and became one of the most flagrant abusers of compression in the business. By taking a mediocre melody and drenching it in studio bombast - echo, reverb, and that ridiculous cannon-shot snare drum - I can hardly tell any of these twenty songs apart. Nevertheless, somebody was buying this stuff, if chart position means anything ("Hard to Say I'm Sorry", "Hard Habit to Break", "You're the Inspiration" "Will You Still Love Me", "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "Look Away" were all top three singles). I don't care. I still think this stuff sucks, but hey, the disk is cheap. You could buy it, bring it home, break out the old photo album, and play disk one. You can use disk two as a coaster for your cocktail. B- Tom Ryan Rating: 2 / 5 I have to admit that I feel somewhat embarrassed at having bought this two-disk set, but I guess it serves as a testimonial to advertising. Had it not been for my 10-year old son seeing the television commercials for this collection and then asking me to buy it, you can be quite sure that I never would have seen the inside of this jewel box. Besides, I already owned a slew of early Chicago albums (the first up to Chicago IX) and I had not given them much attention in the past, oh, thirty years or so. There’s a reason for that. The two-disk sets that they released habitually back in the early seventies were mostly bloated affairs, full of good playing but lousy music, with the exception of the radio-friendly hits that were interspersed throughout.

I guess that it comes as no surprise, then, that this collection is also a two-CD set, but with precious little padding. Throughout the seventies, Chicago virtually defined pop radio. If you were to draw a timeline of their career, they could easily be fingered for abandoning FM for AM, thus sounding the impending death knell for progressive radio. For these and a few other reasons, these guys were never favorites of mine, so I hesitated to buy this for my son, until the discounted price reeled me in (I paid $18). For the money, this collection does a remarkable job of covering the band’s hits, offering 39 songs, almost all of which were top 40 at one time or another. The question is, do you care any more than I do?

Essentially, Chicago were/are two completely different bands. The `classic’ Chicago is represented on disk one, with obvious hits like “Saturday in the Park”, “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day”, “Colour My World”, “25 or 6 to 4″ (whatever that means – after three decades, I still don’t know – or care) and “Make Me Smile”. Arranged chronologically by chart appearance, some songs survive better than others; “Lowdown” still sounds pretty cool, and the new edit of Beginnings” balances out nicely. Dated as all hell, these songs at least work well as nostalgia.

The real problem here is disk two. Some time in the late 70′s, Chicago dropped their stylistic calling card and became one of the most flagrant abusers of compression in the business. By taking a mediocre melody and drenching it in studio bombast – echo, reverb, and that ridiculous cannon-shot snare drum – I can hardly tell any of these twenty songs apart. Nevertheless, somebody was buying this stuff, if chart position means anything (“Hard to Say I’m Sorry”, “Hard Habit to Break”, “You’re the Inspiration” “Will You Still Love Me”, “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love” and “Look Away” were all top three singles). I don’t care. I still think this stuff sucks, but hey, the disk is cheap. You could buy it, bring it home, break out the old photo album, and play disk one. You can use disk two as a coaster for your cocktail. B- Tom Ryan
Rating: 2 / 5

]]> By: The Batter Burger http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning/comment-page-1#comment-872 The Batter Burger Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:36:23 +0000 http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning#comment-872 I LOVE CHICAGO, MAN THIS STUFF ROCKS AND ROLLS INTO NEXT WEEK...ITS MASCULINE YOU CAN FEEL THE PULSATING VIBES FROM THE SILVER DISC, ITS SO GOOD WHEN HE SINGS THOSE HIGH PARTS..."if you leave me now<> OH BABY PLEASE DONT GO!" BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC BRILLIANCE, I LOVE IT. THIS COLLECTION IS A GREAT COLLECTION IT BRINGS TOGETHER THE VERY BEST OF THE TRAILBLAAZIN' GROUP, IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW, IF SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL, YOU NAME IT..ITS ALL HERE.. AND AT SUCH A GREAT PRICE WHY ARGUE?? A LOT OF PRETENDERS OUT THERE CLAIM THAT ROCK IS ONLY GOOD IF YOUR LONG AND COMPLICATED AND OVERTLY ANGRY ALL THE TIME, WELL CHICAGO IS THE LOVE SIDE, THE SIDE OF LOVE THAT IS IN ROCK ITS ALL ABOUT THE WAY THAT HE SINGS TO HIS GIRL, YOU KNOW?? HES GENTLE AND DELICATE NOT ALWAYYS BANGING AND SHOUTNG AND THEN GET UP AND LEAVE..THIS GUYS A GENTLEMAN. IT ANNOYS ME WHEN I HEAR SOMETHING LIKE "OH HE KILLED HIMSELF BECAUSE HE WASNT A MASCULINE MAN" OR SOMETHING EQUALLY IDIOTIC, HE WAS PLAYING A GAME OF RUSSIAN ROULETTE AND HE ACCIDENTALYL GOT KILLED, BECAUSE THERE WAS A BULLET IN THE CHAMBER, THATS MASCULINE THASTS VERY MANLY TO RISK YOUR LIFE IN PURSUIT OF SOME GREAT TRUTH.. <br /> <br />BUT LOOK ENOUGH OF THE 'DEEP' DISCUSSION, THIS ALBUM ROCKS AND ROLLS END OF STORY. PINK FLOYD WOULD HAVE KILLED TO HAVE EVER MADE ANYTHING HALF AS GOOD IN THEIR PATHETIC LITTLE CAREER, MONKEY? GIVE ME A BREAK...TIME? WHO HAS THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THEIR TRASH..NOT ME THATS FOR SURE! TWO DISCS, GREAT PRICE, GREAT TRACKS, GREAT LOVING MASCULINE FEELING, HE LOVES YOU, BUT NOT IN A DIRTY WAY WITH GREAT LOVE AND CARE THROUGH MUSIC. <br /> <br />THIS SLAYS ALL PRETENDERS...................... <br /> <br /> Rating: 5 / 5 I LOVE CHICAGO, MAN THIS STUFF ROCKS AND ROLLS INTO NEXT WEEK…ITS MASCULINE YOU CAN FEEL THE PULSATING VIBES FROM THE SILVER DISC, ITS SO GOOD WHEN HE SINGS THOSE HIGH PARTS…”if you leave me now<> OH BABY PLEASE DONT GO!” BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC BRILLIANCE, I LOVE IT. THIS COLLECTION IS A GREAT COLLECTION IT BRINGS TOGETHER THE VERY BEST OF THE TRAILBLAAZIN’ GROUP, IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW, IF SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL, YOU NAME IT..ITS ALL HERE.. AND AT SUCH A GREAT PRICE WHY ARGUE?? A LOT OF PRETENDERS OUT THERE CLAIM THAT ROCK IS ONLY GOOD IF YOUR LONG AND COMPLICATED AND OVERTLY ANGRY ALL THE TIME, WELL CHICAGO IS THE LOVE SIDE, THE SIDE OF LOVE THAT IS IN ROCK ITS ALL ABOUT THE WAY THAT HE SINGS TO HIS GIRL, YOU KNOW?? HES GENTLE AND DELICATE NOT ALWAYYS BANGING AND SHOUTNG AND THEN GET UP AND LEAVE..THIS GUYS A GENTLEMAN. IT ANNOYS ME WHEN I HEAR SOMETHING LIKE “OH HE KILLED HIMSELF BECAUSE HE WASNT A MASCULINE MAN” OR SOMETHING EQUALLY IDIOTIC, HE WAS PLAYING A GAME OF RUSSIAN ROULETTE AND HE ACCIDENTALYL GOT KILLED, BECAUSE THERE WAS A BULLET IN THE CHAMBER, THATS MASCULINE THASTS VERY MANLY TO RISK YOUR LIFE IN PURSUIT OF SOME GREAT TRUTH..

BUT LOOK ENOUGH OF THE ‘DEEP’ DISCUSSION, THIS ALBUM ROCKS AND ROLLS END OF STORY. PINK FLOYD WOULD HAVE KILLED TO HAVE EVER MADE ANYTHING HALF AS GOOD IN THEIR PATHETIC LITTLE CAREER, MONKEY? GIVE ME A BREAK…TIME? WHO HAS THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THEIR TRASH..NOT ME THATS FOR SURE! TWO DISCS, GREAT PRICE, GREAT TRACKS, GREAT LOVING MASCULINE FEELING, HE LOVES YOU, BUT NOT IN A DIRTY WAY WITH GREAT LOVE AND CARE THROUGH MUSIC.

THIS SLAYS ALL PRETENDERS………………….

Rating: 5 / 5

]]> By: Leonard Snerdley http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning/comment-page-1#comment-871 Leonard Snerdley Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:23:59 +0000 http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning#comment-871 When I received this best-of set for Christmas, it was with a mix of excitement and trepidation, for just seeing the cover brought back those painful memories of 1985. As I'm sure everyone knows, that's when Traitor Cetera left the band at it's pinnacle, a soft-rock powerhouse quickly working its way toward perfecting the power ballad, something that never came to be, sadly. <br /> <br />I still remember when I first heard the news. It was as if someone had punched me in the stomach, then asked me to do some sort of public speaking (the kind that's in front of a medium-ish group of 13-17 people) - I was sick and nervously shaking all at once. In a fit of defiance, I immediately went out and bought a Cutting Crew album, just to show Cetera that I was done with soft rock. I didn't listen to anything else for four months, and it was a real time of rebellion for me (driving fast, talking back, rated 'R' movies). I quickly forgot about Chicago. <br /> <br />So I've had to cautiously work my way through this set, skipping most of the bloated jazz-rock stuff, and focusing squarely on the Traitor-sung power ballads. Several times, I've been reduced to tears as I face bottled-up emotions I've blocked for 19 years. I can't even read the liner notes anymore, stained as they are with my tears of anger and hurt. But I've emerged stronger and healthier for it. And although I refuse to accept Traitor Cetera's solo career and the second-rate power balladry that went with it, I'll always love the magic he brought to Chicago. <br /> <br />Go Chicago! Rating: 4 / 5 When I received this best-of set for Christmas, it was with a mix of excitement and trepidation, for just seeing the cover brought back those painful memories of 1985. As I’m sure everyone knows, that’s when Traitor Cetera left the band at it’s pinnacle, a soft-rock powerhouse quickly working its way toward perfecting the power ballad, something that never came to be, sadly.

I still remember when I first heard the news. It was as if someone had punched me in the stomach, then asked me to do some sort of public speaking (the kind that’s in front of a medium-ish group of 13-17 people) – I was sick and nervously shaking all at once. In a fit of defiance, I immediately went out and bought a Cutting Crew album, just to show Cetera that I was done with soft rock. I didn’t listen to anything else for four months, and it was a real time of rebellion for me (driving fast, talking back, rated ‘R’ movies). I quickly forgot about Chicago.

So I’ve had to cautiously work my way through this set, skipping most of the bloated jazz-rock stuff, and focusing squarely on the Traitor-sung power ballads. Several times, I’ve been reduced to tears as I face bottled-up emotions I’ve blocked for 19 years. I can’t even read the liner notes anymore, stained as they are with my tears of anger and hurt. But I’ve emerged stronger and healthier for it. And although I refuse to accept Traitor Cetera’s solo career and the second-rate power balladry that went with it, I’ll always love the magic he brought to Chicago.

Go Chicago!
Rating: 4 / 5

]]> By: William C. Diemer http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning/comment-page-1#comment-870 William C. Diemer Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:51:04 +0000 http://www.coldchicagocompany.org/chicago/the-very-best-of-chicago-only-the-beginning#comment-870 A CHICAGO FAN FOR MANY YEARS. ANOTHER 'BEST OF' CHICAGO. SOON<br>THERE WILL BE MORE BEST OF ALBUMS THAN ORIGINAL RECORDINGS. IF<br>YOU HAVE THE BOX SET (COLUMBIA YEARS) AND 1982-1989, THAT IS ALL<br>YOU NEED. ONE (1) SONG FROM CHICAGO 13 THAT I LIKE THAT DID NOT<br>MAKE ANY OF THE 'GREATEST HITS' CD'S WAS RERUN. PROBABLY THE <br>LAST GOOD SONG FROM LAMM. I GAVE IT A ONE (1) STAR BECAUSE I <br>HAD TO RATE THIS CD..... Rating: 1 / 5 A CHICAGO FAN FOR MANY YEARS. ANOTHER ‘BEST OF’ CHICAGO. SOON
THERE WILL BE MORE BEST OF ALBUMS THAN ORIGINAL RECORDINGS. IF
YOU HAVE THE BOX SET (COLUMBIA YEARS) AND 1982-1989, THAT IS ALL
YOU NEED. ONE (1) SONG FROM CHICAGO 13 THAT I LIKE THAT DID NOT
MAKE ANY OF THE ‘GREATEST HITS’ CD’S WAS RERUN. PROBABLY THE
LAST GOOD SONG FROM LAMM. I GAVE IT A ONE (1) STAR BECAUSE I
HAD TO RATE THIS CD…..
Rating: 1 / 5

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