Customer Reviews

Chicago 16

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The liner notes tell the story: by 1982, all it required was an official announcement; Chicago was dead. Their last two studio albums had sold poorly. Columbia, their long-time bosses, let their contract lapse. They lacked a lead guitarist/frontman with a distinctive growl. It looked like they were going to fold.

But then, resurrection. Full Moon Records (Warner Bros.) signed them. They hooked up with keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Bill Champlin--a session man with all the right tools. Champlin turned them on to producer David Foster. Foster re-wrote the band's slated tunes, modulating them and adding his distinctive style. A few original numbers by outsiders filled out the set, and--voila!--the result was CHICAGO 16, now remastered by Rhino Records with a bonus track (an excellent Champlin demo called "Daddy's Favorite Fool").

The band rocked again.

"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is the monster hit, a Pete Cetera ditty with a definite hook, but the best stuff here never made it to the radio. Far better are the brassy, balls-out rockers "Follow Me," "Bad Advice," and "What You're Missing." Champlin makes his presence known with the dark and funky "Sonny Think Twice." In fact, the set showcases the band strutting with new life; all that's missing are meaningful contributions from Bobby Lamm--the once-brilliant tunesmith ("Saturday In the Park," "Beginnings") is strangely muted here--due to a series of personal problems that he'd probably be glad to forget.

In retrospect, this is probably the pinnacle of the band's involvement with Foster. Unlike the follow-up ("17"), "16" seems to flow as a whole. The production is consistent throughout, and gorgeous vocal arrangements effectively vie with the brass on song after song. Rhino has also beefed up the sound on this version compared to earlier Warner Brothers releases, and that's all to the good.

For me, there are a few snags. I'm not a big fan of the cover tune "Chains," and two other Cetera tunes ("Rescue You," "Love Me Tomorrow") don't set me on fire (your tastes, of course, will vary). But the bottom line is that CHICAGO 16 is a worthy addition to your CD collection if only to share in the joy a rebirth brings.

Edits? Unbelievable! While the sound is much, much better on an A/B compare, that comparison also reveals that they changed two songs as pointed out by other reviewers. I thought I was going to get the exact same songs, in their entirety, as on the original recording, only remastered. I am disappointed that the choice was made to change "What You're Missing" and "Love Me Tomorrow". I'm surprised that they didn't include some lame DRM rootkit scheme or something to further throw salt into the wound.

This album marks Chicago's return to commercial success. It features the huge hits "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow" along with a third single "What You're Missing". In addition to being their first album with Warner Bros. Records, it also marks the debut of Bill Champlin as a member. He sings lead on three tracks: "Waiting For You To Decide", "Follow Me", and "Sonny Think Twice" which he also co-wrote. He also wrote the bonus track "Daddy's Favorite Fool". A few members of the rock band Toto also play on the album.

Interestingly, unlike previous Chicago reissues, this release does not include chart information nor does it include any photos of the band. It's also strange that Rhino substituted the original version of "Love Me Tomorrow" with a slightly edited version that also appeared on the compilation "The Heart Of Chicago Vol. II" which runs eight seconds shorter.

That notwithstanding, this is still a very enjoyable album with nary a weak track. It's no tour de force, but with two hit singles "16" put Chicago back on the map and proved they would still be around for a while.

Well Rhino does it again. The original album had full versions of What You're Missing and Love me Tomorrow.

Both these songs are edited or radio versions, why?

There's plenty of space on the CD.

They could've had the full versions and have the radio edits as bonus tracks.

Be careful when you buy Rhino especially the Pretenders box set with radio edits.

I came into "Chicago 16" expecting to hate this album. After all, this is the album where the band started to pour on the pop and step away from their older, punchier jazz-rock sound of the past. It turns out that "Chicago 16" isn't bad. Not brilliant, but not bad. Besides, I like pop music too! I guess I can forgive Peter Cetera & company for wanting to make a slicker, more radio-friendly album at this point in the band's career, as their previous couple of albums hadn't sold well (to say the least). For better or worse, Chicago *needed* a hit album desperately in 1982. The band was either going to sink or swim with this one. Enter producer David Foster and new bandmember Bill Champlin to help out, and Chicago got their hit album that saved them. "Chicago 16" is slick, smoother, lighter pop fare for the group, but overall, the songs are quite catchy, and the production is handsomely polished. Songs like "What You're Missing," "Waiting For You To Decide," "Bad Advice," "Follow Me," "Sonny Think Twice," "What Can I Say," are all excellent pop. The smash hit ballad, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry," is actually a nice tune, even though my local radio stations drove me nuts by playing it non-stop all those years ago! Listening to the song now....it's very nice. Great finale too with the short-but-tough jazz-pop blast of "Get Away" that immediately follows it. And the other hit song, "Love Me Tomorrow," is quite strong, especially it's firm, driving chorus. I also like Champlin's soulful, somewhat-risque "Daddy's Favorite Fool," included here as a CD bonus track. Too bad it wasn't on the original release!

On the downside, a couple of songs drag the album down somewhat: "Chains" and "Rescue You," both run-of-the-mill synth-poppers, do nothing for me. Also, ace drummer Danny Seraphine is forced to play a tinny-sounding synth drumkit on this record, which is unfortunate. And Robert Lamm is unfairly dwarfed on the keyboards by various session players, including producer Foster himself. But I'm gonna give "Chicago 16" a passing grade of 3 stars because it's still a very good album. Plus, I'm happy that "Chicago 16" brought Chicago back from the brink. This isn't their best album by a longshot, but it's still quite enjoyable.

Somehow I always dismissed this period of Chicago's career as being a total abandonment of their classic sound.Truth is I'd never heard much from this particular album. So I decided to give it a try knowing little about what I was in for. And what a surprise it was! A little history,not to spoil the liner notes but after the commercially disappointing entrance into the 80's with Chicago XIV the band blast back out with this one,on a new label on Warner Bros and with new producer David Foster. As with most of his productions he knows how to gloss it up well.The interesting part is that Chicago are doing the very same thing with their sound;new guitar player Bill Champlin's sound is heavy on these songs and there's plenty of riffing throughout.As with before this is actually very rocking and,all things said "What Your Missing","Waiting For You To Decide","Chains",Follow Me","What Can I Say" and "Love Me Tomorrow" are all heavily new wave inflected rockers where the classic Chicago horns work their way into everything surpisingly well. There are also songs that show a profound allegiance to R&B such as the funky "Bad Advice" with Peter Cetera throwing down some excellent electric bass popping (something he's not often given credit for). Cetera is also of course responsible for the one song this album will always be remembered for in "Hard To Say I'm Sorry"-it's definately an 80's style power balled through and through but on the album it's paired with the heavy rocker "Get Away"-together it brings the song itself into a life of it's own.Another great tune here is "Sonny Think Twice",another in a series of elegant,rhythmic pop-jazz styled tunes hinted at strongly on the previous recording. For even more of a nod to that style is the excellent bonus track "Daddy's Favorite Fool";Bill Champlin is a somewhat underrated talent and on this song his powerful voice,guitar work and writing are showcased to great effect. This song is so strong it not only sounds like it was always on the album but has "Top 20 hit" written all over it! This was the album that baught Chicago back to it's commercial glory and managed to do it with gusto and a lot of purely musical value as well.I am glad I have this album and can enjoy it many more times.And it really gives me a positive insight into this period of Chicago's recorded output.

This is overall a very positive review for an extremely pleasant Chicago album. There is a definite feeling of a career on the up-swing, leading to the HUGE Chicago 17 apex.
I love Bill Champlin's voice and the band was surely the better for having him aboard. That goes for David Foster, too. He always seems to have great musical instincts and input.
I will agree with another writer that Robert Lamm is all but invisible on this album. Excellent session players from Toto, etc. add to the keyboard textures, so it is hard to tell what Robert may have contributed. His work on Chicago 17 was more balanced. His voice is a classic signature of the the band's sound.
My main problem with this remaster, and correct me if I am wrong, is the conspicuous edits present in "What You're Missing" and "Love Me Tomorrow". In the former case, at 2:53, after the synth break, a chorus is edited out. The horn break that normally comes in later is "inserted" at that point. It was as if the record company used a "single 45" version and not the LP version. "Love Me Tomorrow" is also clipped - replaced with the obvious "single" edit as heard on the Greatest Hits. The section edited out is the second repeat of the opening intro, right before the piano/string solo section. Annoying, to say the least! I don't understand the logic behind this. On many of the cuts, we hear extended fade-outs not on the original LP or CD, a nice addition. Yet, we get the "Sliced Single" edits, and not as bonus tracks, but as the supposed real thing. I know this sounds like nit-picking, but Rhino usually is more careful with reissues. The sound, however, is gorgeous on both 16 and 17, and I enjoyed the liner notes. Lyrics would have been a nice touch.

Chicago 17 seems to get way too much credit when in reality Chicago 16 is a way better album. There is no doubt that Chicago was at their best in the 1970's but if someone wanted to buy one Chicago album from the 1980's this would be the one to get. First and foremost the is the first Chicago album to feature new member ex Sons Of Champlin vocalist/keyboardist Mr. Bill Champlin. Bill has an excellent voice and was brought in i believe to fill Terry Kath's spot on vocals and he does a great job while Terry's voice was deeper Bill has more range anyway Peter Cetera and Bill Champlin do a great job of blending their voices together and you can hear them sing together on half the songs on the album. There are only 3 songs on here i dont care for Rescue You, Love Me Tomorrow and Hard To Say Im Sorry the latter song being the best of the three but the radio has overplayed it. This album was recorded and released in 1982 and it does have that 80's sound but it still packs a punch on most of the songs unlike Chicago 17. It is really hard to pick a favorite song on the album if i had to Follow Me would be my choice. Bill Champlin is a great addition to the band and for anyone who likes his style should also check out his solo albums he has seven of them. David Foster produced and co wrote some songs here you can definitely hear his influence on the songs my only complaint would be the sound of Danny Serephine's drums im sure they forced him to use some kind of drum kit also like someone else mentioned Robert Lamm is nowhere to found on this album he doesent do vocals on one song. Anyway other than the three sappy bunk Peter Cetera songs this is a great album i give this album an 8/11 that means 8 good songs and 3 weak ones.

Is it just me, or does love me tomorrow sound different? I compared the original CD with this 2006 remaster and it sounds like it was re-recorded and edited in certain parts. It's like they added extra sounds and merged/overlapped parts of the song together. It's easy to spot in the beginning.

If you're going to reissue an old album, focus on the sound quality. Don't edit and butcher the songs! This was back in the 80's, when 10 songs was usually the record companies limit (hence the outtakes). There's 80 minutes for audio on CD's, so this butchering stuff is pointless. Dummies!

When I first heard "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" from Chicago 16, I knew that Chicago was back. The song was beautiful amd the performances and production were great. It was the first Chicago song in a long while that I wanted to hear over and over again.

The rest of the songs on this album are not as good, but the fresh sound makes it enjoyable. Realistically, this album serves as a good introduction to the new Chicago (less horns - more synthesizers). For better or worse, this is a prime example of a good comeback effort that suceeded.

Best cuts are "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", "Love Me Tomorrow", "What Can I Say?".