Customer Reviews

Heart of Chicago 1: 1967-1997

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not really sure what exactly got me into Chicago, but all I know is that I'm glad I did! Being that I'm 19, I wasn't around or old enough to really hear them in their "day."

However, upon purchasing this collection, I can say that is simply one of the best CD's I own. With tracks spanning from their first album, right up to the new stuff they recorded exclusively for this disc, it serves as a great overview of their career.

Standout songs would include "Colour My World," "Saturday in the Park," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is," and "Hard To Say I'm Sorry," however every track is great, and obviously carefully selected by the band. If you're new to the group, or want to hear the best they have to offer, definately get this CD, as well as Vol. 2.

I plan to see them on concert this summmer and then will probably have to buy all of their CD's. Hands down, Chicago is one of the best bands of all time!

If you want a Chicago album that has a variety of their best hits in the span of 30 years, then I recommend that you buy this album. It's got songs like 1970's "Make me Smile" 1982's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry, and 1988's "Look Away". It also has 2 new songs called "Here in My Heart", which I think is a great song and "The Only One", which is also a really good song. This album features a vareity of lead singers such as the legendary Peter Cetera, Robert Lamm, the late Terry Kath, Bill Champlin, and Jason Scheff. If you want a vareity of Chicago hits then buy this.

This album showcases some of the songs that were hits in the '80s for the band Chicago, It includes many hits such as "Will You Still Love Me?" which hit Number 3 in early 1987 and "You're The Inspiration" which hit Number 1 in 1984. To most people fond of ballads you will like this collection very much but to people who are fans of Chicago you will find this collection to be very incomplete and you may want to just wait to see if they come out with a better "Greatest Hits".

This album is definetly one of my favorites of all time. Almost every Chicago hit is here. Two new songs, "The Only One" and "Here in My Heart" hold their own against these favorites. If you haven't bought a Chicago album before, buy this album. You won't regret it. The brass section sounds awesome, especially on "Make Me Smile" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?". The power ballads sound fantastic, and Peter Cetera really stands out as a singer. My only complaint is that the album is a bit soft, a problem that including "25 or 6 to 4" could have remedied. But hey, they had to save something for The Heart of Chicago Vol. II, right?

Chicago will probably be remembered for these cuts rather than their early work when they were one of the hottest rock acts in the country. This group was unfairly maligned in the 70's but they were one of the pioneers of incorporating a brass sound into rock. This sound has disappeared from the work, particularly after Terry Kath's passing, and all that is left of this group are mellow love songs. This CD places too much emphasis on the middle to later work. Try the original CDs "CTA", "II", "III", "VI", or "IX" for starters. Fortunately, this group's album titles are easy to remember. Those CDs showed a lot more of their rock and brass work, as well as a greater degree of experimentation.

Arguably the most consistent and enjoyable rock band -if not as groundbreaking as- The Beatles, Chicago sums up some of their best moments on this entertaining compilation. 70's classics like "Saturday in the Park," "Colour My World," and "If You Leave Me Now" never go out of style; ditto for the slicker 80's pop of "Hard Habit to Break" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." We're even treated to two strong new cuts, "Here in My Heart" and the Lenny Kravitz-produced "You're the One." Of course, with songs like "Baby What a Big Surprise" and "Feelin Stronger Everyday" missing, Volume II is a necessity as well, but by the time you have both you have 31 one of the best-loved songs by one of music's best-loved bands. Enough said.

There have not been many bands that have lasted as long as Chicago. They started in the late 60's and have lasted up to the present. This album covers 30 years of great Chicago hits. Just about all their songs are love songs and they are some of the best that any group or singer has ever performed. Chicago proves better than any other group or singer ever has that you don't have to be hard rock or hip hop to have great success. All the songs on this album are love songs and not many performers can even come close to doing them better than Chicago. After you hear the songs on this cd, you'll probably agree. Not all of them are real slow. Some have a fast beat that makes them even better, such as "Hard Habit To Break."

If you like Chicago or great love songs, you need to get this album. It has more of Chicago's major hits than any of their other albums. There will probably never be another group quite like Chicago, especially not these days. Don't miss your chance to pick this timeless classic up while you can.

Enough already with the positive reviews. How many times can a greatest hits album be re released and there be stupid people around to buy it. This might be fine for the super casual fan but for a real true Chicago fan this collection isnt much. There are two new songs on this compilation Here In My Heart and The Only One. I dont own a Chicago greatest hits album because some of the best material will not be found on a greatest hits. The madness doesent stop with this cd the following year in 1998 they would release by they i mean the record company would release the heart of chicago volume-2 with two new songs that are worse than the two on this cd. All i can say is avoid this

I will be the first to say, I am not a Chicago enthuiast. I don't own every single release they put out. But, I am smart enough to know that these guys are a great band. I am not a huge fan of their late seventies and early eighties material, but their early stuff is to die for.

And 'Heart of Chicago 1967-1997' is the one set Chicago fans need to own. Featuring 14 classic songs that I hear on the radio all the time and 2 new songs (Well, they were new in 1997), this import release is all the casual Chicago fan like myself will ever need.

However, I am wondering why '25 or 6 to 4' is omitted. That is a real mystery and quite a shame, because that is one of their best songs. It's one of my favorites, no doubt.

But, it's got the fan favorites. 'Saturday In The Park,' 'Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,' 'If You Leave Me Now,' and 'You're The Inspiration' all appear on this set. Elektra gets credit for remastering this, because the sound quality is excellent!

Overall, if you don't own this set, buy it. This is the one Chicago record a casual fan or just a fan of Chicago in general must own.

Highly recommended for any Chicago fan. A great compilation. ENJOY!!!

This is an outstanding, excellent compilation - perfect for those non-Chicago fans in your life (like my wife). Some people, amazingly, claim they "don't like" Chicago. Usually they are pop-schmaltz people that don't like the horns of the early albums. Buy this one and watch them suddenly "like" Chicago, as they uncontrollably begin singing along! As a mega-Chicago fan, I for one am thankful that they started doing "schmaltz", as it gave us the musical variety to connect with almost anybody (you can even burn an entire CD of Chicago music that classical-only people would enjoy!).

But I cannot give this 5 stars, because it is true that there are too many Chicago compilations. I do love the bonus tracks. In my opinion, the present line-up of Chicago (with Keith Howland) is the best ever. Maybe in some other review I'll explain why.

Yes, yes - BUY THIS CD!