Customer Reviews

Chicago VIII

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Chicago VIII is probably the most overlooked of the Terry Kath-era albums. It was their fourth straight Number One album, but it had the shortest chart run of anything up to this point. Critics viewed it as just more "product" and a lot of fans were probably turned off by a subtle change in the band's sound. While it still sounded like Chicago, this album pretty much does away with the experimentalism they had been known for when they started out. Still, Chicago VIII shows definite signs of artistic growth (despite what the critics said). There is a good mix of everything from R&B to hard rock to ragtime to string-drenched balladry. Songs like "Hideaway" and "Oh Thank You Great Spirit" were probably a bit heavy for the average Chicago fan's taste (I can't even imagine what someone who came on board in the 80's would think!). "Harry Truman" and "Long Time No See" employed the horns in ways that were very different from the by-then traditional "Chicago Horns" style. And, most surprisingly, "Hideaway", "Till We Meet Again", and "Oh Thank You Great Spirit" had no horns at all. Overall, VIII is a good album, but it definitely reflects the fact that Chicago was a very tired band (they had been touring or recording almost constantly for the past 7 years or so). There is a certain mellowing of the band, which actually started with VI and continued on VII. But, hey, it was the mid 70's, after all. Even Zeppelin mellowed out.

Tired or not, Chicago was definitely on a creative roll. They were often unfairly labeled as "slick" or "uninspired" because it was almost too easy for them to turn out great music. Standout tracks on VIII are "Hideaway", "Harry Truman", "Oh Thank You Great Spirit", "Ain't it Blue?", and the #5 hit "Old Days". But all of the songs are of good quality. Terry Kath dominates this album more than any other Chicago record (his vocal on "Brand New Love Affair Pt. 1" is excellent, and his guitar playing is superb throughout the record). While it might have been perceived at the time as a letdown after the sprawling Chicago VII, this album was nothing to be ashamed of. And now it's finally been given the proper CD treatment by Rhino.

Rhino does a fine job with the re-release of Chicago VIII. The sonics are much improved over the original, muddy-sounding CD issued by Columbia as a "Collectors Choice" mid-priced item in the mid 80's. Chicago VIII was definitely the flattest-sounding album the band made with James William Guercio, but the new remastering job by Rhino makes it sound as good as anything else from 1975. In addition to bad audio, the Columbia issue of VIII (along with most of Chicago's other Columbia CDs) also had horrendous packaging. When Chicago Records came along in the 90's, all they did was substitute "Columbia" with "Chicago Records" on the so-called reissued discs; the sound and packaging are exactly the same. Rhino didn't have to try very hard to improve the packaging. Thankfully, they did try (although there is a sense that the company accountant was part of the project team - keep reading for my thoughts on that). The red cardinal iron-on patch logo is restored to its prominence on the cover (Unfortunately, there is no real iron-on patch in the case; that would have been a nice surprise for fans). The liner notes by Phil Gallo do a good job of summing up the band's state of mind during the time of the sessions for Chicago VIII. Also included in the booklet is a small reproduction of the poster that came with the original LP. This was the first of the humorous police-chase pictures that would be featured on every album until XI. This one has the band and their equipment stuffed into an old woody station wagon, as they attempt to flee a motorcycle cop. My only real complaint with this, as well as the previous Rhino reissues, is that I wish the CD itself had been labeled the same as the original LP, instead of using a generic Chicago logo and bland background color. It makes me think that Rhino was trying to cut corners to save a couple of pennies (And also, they could have included more pictures and recording information, but you can't have everything).

The real treat, of course, is the Bonus Selections. They are:
"Sixth Sense" (Rehearsal) - A cool jazzy instrumental that would have sounded at home on the first LP in Chicago VII, which is probably why it was never developed for VIII. It's a good track, however; especially if it really is a rehearsal.
"Bright Eyes" (Rehearsal) - A Latin-tinged song that sounds like an outtake from Robert Lamm's 1974 solo album Skinny Boy. Lyrically, it's not fully developed, but it's actually better than several songs on Skinny Boy. Electric piano and skittering guitar are the dominant instruments. As with "Sixth Sense", if this is a rehearsal, these guys are damn good musicians!
"Satin Doll" - Recorded Live for Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve in late 1974. This is an old Duke Ellington instrumental that the band "used to have to play every night", as Lamm tells the audience. Nothing spectacular, but it's another tight arrangement that shows how good this band was.

I give this reissue a 4-star rating mainly because of the above-mentioned packaging omissions and/or cost-cutting measures. I think if Rhino had spent another 15 cents or so per CD, they could have made it a 5-star. The sound quality certainly rates a 5 and the performance is good for a 3 or 4. The Bonus Selections aren't essential, but even a casual Chicago fan will like having them.

When this disc was released in 1975, Chicago was at the peak of their popularity. After coming off of the success of the two-disc Chicago VII in which the band which explored true jazz styles while pulling off three great hit singles (Wishing You Were Here, Call On Me & Searchin' So Long) Chicago was criticized for returning to a one-disc format and settling into a pop-rock style. The group released Chicago IX-Greatest Hits later in 1975 which was a huge hit and, in 1976, Chicago X was released which included the meg-hit "If You Leave Me Now".
Thus, this CD is sometimes forgotten in this legendary band's immense catalogue, but it shouldn't be. Although I bought Chicago VIII On vinyl as a kid in 1975, I still pull this disc out often as it is really quite good.
"Old Days" may be Chicago's defining pop radio hit in the 1970's (I know, there are many, so don't shoot me!!) and still sounds great and innovative when it comes on the radio today. The blend of of Tery Kath's distortion power chords kicking open the tune, with the song's incredibly infectious melody, and Peter Cetera's soaring tenor just breezed through everyone's radio in the summer of 1975, at a time when long-since-forgotten bubble gum pop ruled the air. Chicago's "secret weapon", however, separated this tune from everything else that was popular on the radio: drummer Danny Seraphine. Unlike guitarist Terry Kath, who never received proper music industry recognition as a true stylist and innovator on his instrument, Danny has gone down in history as one of rock's all-time great drummers. He appraoched "Old Days" with "no holds barred" and just rips through this song with his incomparable stylistic drum fills.
Danny does some amazing work on the rest of VIII as does the rest of the band. The Chicago horns are in fine form with trombonist Jimmy Pankow penning some catchy charts for the legendary horn section. Terry lays down some wild rhythm guitar parts on virtually every song and really let's loose on "Oh Thank You Great Spirit". This is a tribute to Jimi Hendix that contains no horns. Terry explores unique textures and then blazes through a double-tracked solo when the tune goes into double-time tempo. This track alone makes the CD worth buying as it is a definitive Terry Kath performance.
Other notable moments are the two-part " Brand New Love Affair" that finds Terry singing a tuneful Jimmy Pankow ballad done in Big Band style. Part II kicks into high gear with the Chicago horns power-housing over Kath's distinct wah-wah rhythm guitar parts with Danny Seraphine, again, just ripping through the chart.
This Rhino reissue contains the most interesting bonus tracks of any of their Chicago reissues to date:
"Sixth Sense" recorded live in the studio, is a carryover from Chicago VII with the group exploring some cool jazz style instrumental with a nice horn melody and some great Terry Kath guitar work. Lee Loughnane adds an interesting trumpet solo as well.
"Bright Eyes" another song recored in a rehearsal setting finds Robert Lamm in his finest lounge crooner style doodling away on a Fender Rhodes. This song sounds like the beginning of what may have developed into "Another Rainy Day in New York City" on Chicago X.
Finally, "Satin Doll" recorded live on Chicago's 1974 New Years' Eve television special unfortunately isn't anything special. The group sounds like a typical wedding band pulling off a stale version of this Ellington classic.
But that should not dissuade one from purchasing this disc.

Chicago VIII is classic Chicago and is certainly a worthwhile release from this truly amazing band.

I love these bonus tracks. Chicago VIII had always seemed to be missing something to me. After the epic Chicago VII, this effort was, to put it mildly, underwhelming. I disagree that it had turned the corner to too much "pop". Anyway You Want and Thank You Great Spirit are worthy rockers. And a lot of people seem not to get Harry Truman. It's a tongue-in-cheek retro song, a la Your Mother Should Know by the Beatles.

The production throughout is seamless - nearly perfect crafting. The problem is that it all just seems, well, flat. Chicago is a rock-jazz band. You must not follow VII with straight middle of the road rock-pop.

But the three bonus tunes fix that once and for all. And I love Satin Doll. Get over it, folks, and just enjoy it! With the bonuses, Chicago VIII can finally almost attain the heights of VII.

A word, too about the absence of horns. It always surprised me that the purists didn't get that Hideaway and TYGS are a look back to the classic power quartet songs that everybody loves so much from CTA thru Carnegie Hall. It definitely is Chicago!

Laudir is now a full member of the band. They continue to create amid the altitudes of the Rockies, and here, in the middle of their second era, the boys are doing nothing if not having fun. Don't be so serious, everybody! Drop in Chicago VIII, sit back, relax, and smile!

I recommend this album for all music lovers.

Released in March 1975 after a whirlwind of years of non-stop activity, Chicago's eighth album has taken some beatings over the years and has become known as one of their weaker efforts, but when you listen to it for what it is (a tight, yet crunchier collection of tight pop/rock songs), it really hits the spot. In particular, it makes a GREAT case for Peter Cetera's talents for writing hard rock songs as "Anyway You Want" and, especially, "Hideaway" amply demonstrate (none of the ballads here were authored by Pete - so much for his stereotype as a schmaltzy balladeer). CHICAGO VIII quickly hit # 1, though it was their final chart-topping studio album (the first greatest hits collection from Fall 1975 took the top position too - but that was their last ever chart-topping long-player). In their peak year (1975), all previous Chicago albums came crashing back onto the U.S. charts while their concerts became huge events. However, after the initial rush of success, CHICAGO VIII's chart run was their briefest one yet (merely 29 weeks, while CHICAGO VII lasted 69) and seemed to imply that this was a letdown. Not so. I love this album. Perhaps Chicago had a self-conscious urge to compensate for their instrumental jazz indulgences on the previous album and wanted a tight, concise album with less of their trademark horns. And only two of the three singles from this disc were sizeable hits: Robert Lamm's "Harry Truman" (written in the aftermath of Nixon & Watergate) made # 13, while James Pankow's "Old Days" was the smash, hitting # 5. "Brand New Love Affair", a gorgeous recording with a marvelous Terry Kath vocal, somehow missed the boat, floundering at # 61. So seeing as only one song was a huge hit, many may have found CHICAGO VIII commercially light. Don't be fooled by the stats. "Till We Meet Again", "Never Been In Love Before" and "Ain't It Blue?" are all fine tracks, and Terry's "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit", the only track where indulgences were allowed, seemed to be a Jimi Hendrix tribute of some sort. Give CHICAGO VIII a chance. It only contributed to their wealth of great music and any Chicago collection is incomplete without it.

Chicago have many albums that are underrated by even their own fanbase (as well as several that are deservedly maligned), but this one has to be their most underrated release of all. Until this Rhino reissue it has suffered from the worst sound quality of any of their albums, but that can only partially account for its reputation.

For me this is the first great single disc the band released. V was a near miss, and VI had some great moments, but this album proved that they didn't need two whole discs to stretch out on to create a masterpiece. "Harry Truman" was a questionable choice for first single, but Robert Lamm's other contributions are very strong, especially the neglected gem "Long Time No See". Terry Kath contributes two very different compositions, the 2 minute ballad "Till We Meet Again" and the 7 minute Hendrix-inspired rocker "Oh Thank You Great Spirit", surely the albums centrepiece, despite the absence of the horn section.

James Pankow's efforts, the chart entries "Brand New Love Affair" and "Old Days" are also superb, the latter one of the last uptempo songs to be a true hit for the band. And generic or not, it's nice to hear Peter Cetera rock out on "Hideaway".

This is definitely high up on my Chicago top ten. And unlike on their reissues of CTA, II, or III Rhino have improved the sound so much that this edition should be the only one you should seriously consider buying. The bonus tracks are a nice addition too.

Chicago was up and down in this era. "Chicago VI" was downbeat and a lesser effort after the phenomenal early albums. "Chicago VII" was a return to form and excellent. This album has moments of excellence, but is again a lesser effort than "Chicago VII" and even some of Chicago's later albums.

This album begins with the jazzy "Anyway You Want." This Peter Cetera penned song is somewhat unusual in that many of Cetera's songs tend to be mellow love songs. This song's lyrics are about love, but the power jazz music that backs the lyrics are uncharacteristic of Peter Cetera's typical music.

The second song is styled as blues. "Brand New Love Affair - Part I and II" starts slow and melancholy. The lyrics ask whether the relationship is over or whether they should try again. The "Part I" portion remains melancholy and down beat. There is a distinct transition from "Part I" to "Part II" about two and a half minutes into the song where the pace of the music picks up and suddenly becomes exuberant as the singer declares that he wants to start over because he loves her so much. The song switches from blues to jazz in the transition, providing an otherwise mundane song with a lot of interest and leaving a listener with a positive feeling. This song charted at #61 on the Hot 100 and #27 on the Easy Listening Chart, backed by Hideaway.

The next song is a celebration of love. "Never Been in Love Before" captures the warm fuzzy feeling one can get from being powerfully in love with someone. Much of the energy of the feeling makes you feel as though as one could do anything. This slow song has a lot of power and perhaps would have been a good choice for being released as a single.

The Peter Cetera song "Hideaway" has a heavy rock beat that is unusual for Chicago. The song is an escape song with simple lyrics and powerful vocals. This song is surprising only in that it was performed by a group better known for its jazz-flavored pop. The following Terry Kath song is also unusual in that its acoustics and beat would sound more familiar coming from John Lennon than Chicago. "Till We Meet Again" is a lovely pop song that is uncharacteristic of Chicago, though effectively done. Keeping on a roll with novel songs for Chicago is "Harry Truman." The song is a bit gimmicky with a mild political message and a style that occasionally sounds more like Randy Newman than Chicago. Chicago continues on with unique songs with "Oh Thank You Great Spirit," which begins like Pink Floyd, with synthesizer and eerie percussion. The lyrics are other-worldly and make a stab at being ethereal. Even the vocal is reminiscent of Pink Floyd. This song gets faster and harder as it progresses, a throwback to some of the music of the late 60s and early 70s.

"Long Time No See" feels much more like a product of the mid-70s. This pop song contains elements that would soon be identified as disco, catchy hooks, and simple lyrics that could have made this song a single. The song is short, yet another identifying characteristic of pop music. The following song, "Ain't It Blue," is also short and starts off with a pop style, but then switches to blues. The song is simply constructed and has enough horns to provide a typical Chicago feel, though with a funky flavor.

The last song of the original album was "Old Days," which is perhaps the best song on this album more because it stands out against a background of lesser songs. It seems that songs such as "Old Days" were the rule rather than the exception on some of Chicago's other albums, but on this album it is the one standout song. The flavor of the song is pop, with very catchy hooks, but the layered construction of the music and the lyrics with horn backing are classic Chicago. This song hit #5 on the Hot 100 chart and #3 on the Easy Listening Chart, an indication of the chord the song struck with listeners and a big part of the reason the album hit #1, even if it did not stay at #1 for long.

The re-mastered CD version includes three bonus tracks. The first, "Sixth Sense," is a jazz instrumental that is better than most of the tracks from the original release. There are several songs that could easily have been replaced by this standout track. This song was a leftover from "Chicago VII," which overall is a better album than this one. That this instrumental is a leftover, which many groups would consider to be an excellent song, is an indication of the skill and class of the musicians of Chicago.

"Bright Eyes" is the second bonus song. This rehearsal is of yet another song that supersedes many of the songs on this CD, yet did not make the cut for whatever reason.

The third and final bonus is a cover of the Duke Ellington classic, "Satin Doll." The music is competently played, though nothing special. The style is classic jazz, which is unusual for Chicago, which tends to incorporate a broader array of influences in their music.

"Chicago VIII" continued the bumpy quality of Chicago's music. "Chicago VI" was fair, and "Chicago VII" was excellent. This album was probably better than "Chicago VI," but was disappointing after the quality of "Chicago VII." However, there is enough on this re-master to make this recording a valuable addition to the collection of any Chicago fan. What is heartening is that there were yet other good albums in the Chicago catalog to come.

An album that has been criticized way too harshly, Chicago VIII holds up well 30 years later. Coming after the diverse and superb Chicago VII, it's understandable that many people would have been underwhelmed by VIII at first, and some of the criticism that 'this was the beginning of the decline' for Chicago IS true, for here is where the first signs of age and fatigue are beginning to show for the band, but having listened to it for the first time in years, I was surprised that it was better than I remembered it.

It opens with the Peter Cetera rocker "Anyway You Want". There's nothing spectacular about this track, but it moves nicely and is an enjoyable listen. Next is one of the best tracks on the album, James Pankow's two-part "Brand New Love Affair". Here we begin to see the first signs of the production overtaking the band with the lush string arrangements, but it fits this track nicely. There's some nice jazzy chord changes, and Terry Kath's soulful vocal in the first part is one of his best. The second part rocks with Cetera's soaring vocals. A great track.

Next up is Robert Lamm's "Never Been In Love Before" which shows Lamm pulling out all the stops trying to craft a contemporary ballad. Here it works. A nice ballad with some great production touches throughout. The weakest track is Cetera's "Hideaway", a lame attempt at a hard rock song that is barely listenable. Side 1 (for those of us who remember the original LP) is ressurrected with Kath's sweet "Till We Meet Again"--a two minute ballad featuring nothing but his voice and accoustic guitars that is maybe the very best of these sort of ballads Kath had on nearly every album.

Side 2 opened up with "Harry Truman"--Robert Lamm's almost prerequisite political statement song and one that is more than a little inspired by Randy Newman. This was a Top 20 hit for the band at the time, but the political nature of it dates itself, and it's pretty clear the band doesn't think too much of it since it's never appeared on any of the numerous Greatest Hits albums (except for the boxed-sets) that they've released. It has little relevance today, but it's a nice nostaligia bit for those of us that remember the single.

The surprise of the album is Kath's "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit". I didn't really get this song when I had first bought the album when I was 14--it's seven-minutes long, has no hook, no horns, and just didn't feel like a Chicago song to me at the time. But this is a great track--one of Kath's very best--that clearly shows his Hendrix influence. In fact, this could have been from "Axis: Bold As Love" or "Electric Ladyland". It slowly builds for the full seven minutes and the rhythm section is just jamming and rocking by the end. For anyone that ever doubted that Chicago was a ROCK band---here's the proof.

Up next is Lamm's "Long Time No See". A bit of a throwaway, but miles above the filler that started to crop up on their next albums. After that is Lamm's "Ain't It Blue?", a great rocking track featuring Kath and Cetera trading-off lead vocals that could have easily been on Chicago II or III--it's as good as any of the best rockers on those albums. The album closes with Pankow's "Old Days"--one of the band's biggest hits and one I think best exemplifies the band at this period: on one hand, this is a great track--Pankow's chord changes, melodies and horn arrangements are all top-notch, Cetera's singing is great and it's a great catchy single. On the other hand, to a certain degree, the band is almost TOO good at this stuff by this point--things are starting to sound a bit too polished and insincere. This would be nearly the last big hit single to come from Pankow--from this point on, he began to dry up as a hit songwriter.

The CD offers 3 bonus tracks: "Sixth Sense", a Kath-penned tune that seems to have been dropped before the vocals were recorded or even written; "Bright Eyes" a rather dull Robert Lamm song that deserves to be a bonus track; and their live version of Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" from the Dick Clark New Year's Rockin' Eve show of 1974. They're a bit loose on this one, but it's a nice track to hear and I'm glad they included it.

I grew up a huge Chicago fan, and bought everything they put out until Terry Kath died. Over the years I find myself listening to this album a lot. It's not one of their critically acclaimed albums, but there are some really great songs on this album. Brand New Love Affair-Pt1 is a great Jazz song featuring Terry Kath's soulful vocals. "Anyway You Want," the first cut on the album, gets things rolling in an upbeat style. Terry Kath has a great, but short, guitar solo on this song. Other great songs are the Jazzy, "Long Time No See," and the blues influenced "Ain't It Blue." Kath's guitar work on "Ain't It Blue" is awesome.

Released in March 1975, CHICAGO VIII continued the band's string of #1 albums. Remastered and re-released by Rhino, the collection of eclectic songs still satisfies.

After the jazzy CHICAGO VII, it seems the rockers in the group regained control here. The horns are also more limited on this release than in previous years (when they play, however, they rip). Peter Cetera, in particular, asserts himself--and not with syrupy ballads. The results are terrific.

Cetera's "Anyway You Want" is a 1950-ish shuffle and perhaps not the strongest way to start the set, but things pick up with James Pankow's "Brand New Love Affair." Sung by Terry Kath and Cetera, the sophisticated melody morphs into straight four-to-the-bar rock and killer horns. The result is classic Chicago.

Songwriter Robert Lamm has said the VIII marked a dry-spell for him. This would be news to anyone who hears the next song, "Never Been in Love Before," a ballad with a driving bass (sung by Cetera) that clearly should have been a single. The next track, a heavy Cetera rocker called "Hideaway" may be a surprise for Chicago fans, but it rocks like Sabbath and Terry Kath simply wails on guitar. A pleasing Kath acoustic ditty ("Till We Meet Again") comes next.

Lamm's "Harry Truman" is a bit too Randy Newman for Chicago, though the lyrics are well done. Kath follows up with the rocker "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit" which blows even "Hideaway" away in the metal department. The extended closing, frenzied guitar solo should be enough to cement Kath's reputation as one of the top 10 rock guitarists of all time. Lamm's "Long Time, No See" bashes in next with a driving beat and an all-woodwind horn mix (kinda cool as an experiment), followed by his excellent "Ain't It Blue?"--maybe the best song on the set.

The big hit was Pankow's "Old Days," which follows; here, I commit sacrilige and admit I never really liked it much (though I'm certainly in the minority). The bonus tracks on this remaster are a mixed bag. There's a great Kath instrumental (featuring Lee Loughnane on trumpet) called "Sixth Sense," a medicore Lamm ballad called "Bright Eyes," and a live version of "Satin Doll" that pales in comparison to anything on NIGHT AND DAY.

The packaging is good and the liner notes interesting, though I have to say that I miss the iron-on patch that came with the original LP.

All in all, CHICAGO VIII sounds very fresh and stands the test of time. The Rhino re-release is very much welcome.

As I continue to make my way through the classic old Chicago studio albums, I wasn't expecting much from "Chicago VIII," as I hadn't heard too many positive things about it, i.e. the band were worn out from touring at the time they made it, that they sound less inspired, that Chicago fans in general don't rate the album all that high, and so forth. Well, guess what: "Chicago VIII" turned out to be a wonderful surprise for me. If the band were "tired" at the time, they sure don't sound it. I think the music on "Chicago VIII" is marvelous, with the band having lost nothing in musical power (at least not yet---the 80's hadn't happened yet). "Chicago VIII" is chock-full of great songs, performances, and the band show amazing musicianship throughout. Even future cheesemaster Peter Cetera is still a bassist, singer, & songwriter to be reckoned with on this album. Cetera's "Any Way You Want" is a fun, bopping tune, and his all-out rocker, "Hideaway"....wow, who knew the guy had it in him to just plain *rock out*? Impressive, Peter! Robert Lamm's "Never Been In Love Before" is an absolutely gorgeous song (and I'm astounded Chicago never released it as a single) while his Randy Newman-esque "Harry Truman" is great fun, and "Ain't It Blue," sung by Cetera and Terry Kath, is a great groover, as is "Long Time No See." And speaking of the late, great Terry Kath, his work on "Chicago VIII" is tremendous---"Brand New Love Affair," the short-but-sweet "Till We Meet Again," and the god-rock of "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit"....fabulous. And finally, there's the big hit from the album, "Old Days," courtesy of James Pankow, and it's a Chicago classic (just one thing---doesn't that opening guitar riff sound uncannily like Pink Floyd's "The Thin Ice," which came later in 1979? Hmmmm....calling Roger Waters....) Finally, this remastered edition of the album gives you three amazing bonus tracks: the smokin' hot jams "Sixth Sense" and "Bright Eyes," and a fine live performance of "Satin Doll." For me, "Chicago VIII" is a total package. Chicago themselves may have been under a bit of stress at the time, but they don't sound it at all. "Chicago VIII" is a classic Chicago album, and it may even be my favorite album by the group. Time---and some more spins of their old stuff---will tell!