Chicago Xxvi: Live Album [Live]

Chicago | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 12, 1999)
• Original Release Date: October 12, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Chicago Records
• ASIN: B00001IV8J
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,140 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon

2. (I've Been) Searchin' So Long

3. Mongonucleosis

4. Hard Habit to Break

5. Call on Me

6. Feelin' Stronger Every Day

7. Just You 'N' Me

8. Beginnings

9. Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away

10. 25 or 6 to 4

11. Back to You

12. If I Should Ever Lose You

13. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chicago 26: Live and Alive, March 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Chicago Xxvi: Live Album (Audio CD)

Chicago 26 finds the veteran band finally releasing a clean-sounding live album after more than 30 years in the music business. Sonically superior to "Carnegie Hall", "Live in Japan" and (horrors) "Live in Toronto 1969", this release is a fine addition to your Chicago collection. The horns shout, the vocals are convincing (especially Champlin & Lamm) and the band is TIGHT & rockin'!

Minor quibbles:

1. MAJOR studio doctoring is obvious (Bil, Jason and Robert can't sing harmonies to themselves)

2. WAY too many Peter Cetera via Jason Scheff lead vocals. Scheff is a much better bass player than Cetera, but is not in his league as a lead vocalist. The best singers in Chicago (in order): Bill Champlin, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane (!), Jason Scheff. Why do Bill ,Robert & Lee always get the shaft as far as leads are concerned?

3. The three new studio cuts are not all that great except for "Your Love is Lifting Me Higher." However, Champlin and/or Lamm should have done the lead vocal instead of Michael McDonald (even though I am a big MMD fan) on "Your Love".

4. With so much great music in their history, this should have been a double album. My sister was at one of the concerts taped for the live album. She said they also did "I'm a Man," "Free," "Questions 67 & 68," "Look Away," 'Let It Snow", "You're the Inspiration" (with a great new horn part!), "Show Me a Sign" and of course, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" Where are these classics?

Oh well, it 's good to have Chicago rockin' again!

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sounds Great; Lacks Heart, March 9, 2000

By 

J. Conrad Guest "J. Conrad Guest" (Northville, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chicago Xxvi: Live Album (Audio CD)

I grew up with this band and can recall when they sold out the Pine Knob Music Theatre every summer for five consecutive nights - 10,000 plus each night. With their original lineup, which included the late Terry Kath, Chicago was definitely one of the monster bands of the 70's. Unfortunately that was then, and this is now. This live compilation, while it sounds great (courtesy of various studio tricks and overdubs), lacks the intensity of the band's earlier days and hardly chronicles their 30-year play list of hits. While it was great to hear Ballet for a Girl In Buchanan in its entirety (Bill Champlin fills in admirably for Terry Kath on Make Me Smile), and Bobby Lamm never sounded so good on Beginnings, conspicuously missing are such stalwart favorites as Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, Saturday In the Park, and Dialogue. What remains are nice renditions of songs from the band's early years: I've Been Searching So Long, Call On Me, Feeling Stronger Everyday, Just You 'N Me, and a rather watered down version of the ultimate party song, Mongonucleosis (a three and a half minute radio edit version that doesn't come close to measuring up to the version they did in the 70's, which included a lengthy percussion duet between Danny Seraphine and Laudir de Oliveira). Rounding out the set are Hard Habit to Break, Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Getaway and the classic rocker 25 or 6 to 4 (a song I've heard maybe 3 or 4 hundred times over the years and never seem to tire of). As indicated earlier, nice renditions, but they lack the edge of their early years when Chicago was hungry. The Carnegie Hall CD and the Live in Japan in 1972 CD both showcase Chicago at their best.

The last time I saw Chicago perform was maybe 10 years ago, and it seemed then that they were merely going through the motions. Admittedly, they've gone through several lineup changes over the years, but even Bobby Lamm admits, "This isn't Chicago". Still, one must wonder why they continue to embarrass themselves by releasing nothing more than greatest hits compilations every couple of years, along with a Christmas album, a big band CD, and a collection of tunes dedicated to the memory of Terry Kath. Their last CD containing all original music was released eight or 10 years ago and contained some good music, but again they seemed to rely on their old tried and true formula for ballads.

The critics have always loved to hate Chicago - the nameless, faceless band with the trademarked logo that first eschewed commercialism and later turned into a top 40 hit machine. Personally, their last good album was Chicago 17, but even it pales beside their best-ever effort: Chicago VII - which embodies everything this band proclaimed itself to be... diverse. Some of Chicago's best music were the tunes that never got any airplay because they pushed the limits of contemporary music, and that's something that's been missing from this band for years, along with heart.

I read years ago that Chicago very nearly packed it in after the death of Terry Kath, and that Doc Severinson was in part responsible for their perseverance. I'm glad they stayed together - they've recorded a lot of good music over the years. Still, one must wonder if the heart of Chicago died the night Terry Kath - a monster talent who even Jimi Hendrix idolized - accidentally shot himself with what he thought was an empty gun.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nothing New Going on With Chicago, February 6, 2000

By 

John (LaGrange Park Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicago Xxvi: Live Album (Audio CD)

After listening to this cd, it sounded like it was showdown with Jason Scheff singing lead on Peter Cetera's old hits and making both Robert Lamm and Bill Champlin looking like special guest performers. Don't get me wrong I think Jason is great singer, but he's not Peter Cetera. It would've have been nice to hear Jason sing one of his original songs such as "Will You Still Love Me?" or "What Kind of Man Would I be?" I was upset that I didn't hear Robert Lamm's "Saturdaty in the Park", "Dialouge", or "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?" I keep thinking that Bill Champlin was sick because he hardly sang at all and that made me upset because he is my favorite singer in the band. I was upset that he couldn't perform songs such as "Look Away","You're Not Alone", or "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love". I think that the band did a good job on "The Ballet", and I really liked Bill Champlin on "Make Me Smile." I think Jason did a good job on "I've Been Searchin So Long." Jason's vioce sounded weak on "Hard Habit to Break", "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", and "Just You N Me." I think he was just trying too hard to sound like Peter Cetera. Robert Lamm sang the best version of "Beginnings" I ever heard, and Lee Loughnane's trumpet solo on "Mongonucleosis" was just excellent. What really surprised me was the guitar solo by Keith Howland on "25 or 6 to 4". I think that Chiacgo really has something going good with Keith Howland and I hope they keep him unlike thier last 3 lead guitarists. I think that the new songs such as "Back to You", and "If I should ever lose you" are nicely done. I think that Bill Champlin or Robert Lamm could have done a much better job than Michael McDonald on "Your Love Keeps Lifting me Higher and Higher." I wish that Chicago could have perfromed "You're the Inspiration", "Stay the Night" or "Along Comes a Woman". I think those are songs that Jason can sing really good. Overall I think the album was OK but it could have been done a LOT better, and I hope Chicago comes out with some new material, because I'm sick of buying compilations.