Hot Streets [Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Chicago | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 22, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1978
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Rhino
• ASIN: B00008LKH3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,136 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Remastered reissue of 1978 album features a rare, never-before-available alternate vocal version of 'Love Was New' as a bonus track. Rhino. 2003.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Chicago Survives a Tragedy, June 14, 2003

By 

Rik22 (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Streets (Audio CD)

"Hot Streets" is a solid effort by the great American group, and an impressive achievement considering what the band had experienced in 1978, the year of it's release. When founding member and guitarist Terry kath was killed in a gun accident at the beginning of the year, the group found itself at a crossroads, deciding whether or not to stay together.
Thankfully, they picked themselves up and chose to forge ahead. Numerous auditions for a replacement on guitar (although no one copuld ever really replace the great Terry Kath) resulted in Chicago bringing in Stephen Stills protege Donnie Dacus. Not a perfect fit, as the band would discover, but Donnie is an interesting and unique stylist in his own right and did help the group through a troubled time with good energy and solid vocals and musicianship.
"Hot Streets" opens with trombonist James Pankow's "Alive Again", and uptempo tune with a rock edge that was a top twenty hit. "Alive Again" displays, however, the flaw with this recording: producer Phil Ramone. Ramone is certainly an accomplished producer with solid credits, but his fine work with the likes of Billy Joel and Paul Simon did not translate well for Chicago.
While James William Guercio produced Chicago's previous nine studio recordings with a minimum of effects and a great deal of creative stereo mixing, Ramone opted for a lot of reverb and a more compressed sound. Now, in 2003, with "Chicago Transit Authority" through "Chicago XI" still standing the test of time and sounding fresh, "Hot Streets" has a dated sound. The band pretty much sounds like they're playing in a giant tin can, which is unfortunate since the performances and some of the songwriting are truly excellent.
Ramone's approach to the guitar mix and vocal arrangements is also lacking. On "Alive Again", Dacus' guitar solo can barely be heard in the mix, when it should be blazing away over the rhythm sections' excellent track. Throughout the disc, Peter Cetera and Donnie Dacus, both fine vocalists with distinctive tenors, sound like the Chipmunks, with the vocals placed in a very high range with little bottom support from Robert Lamm's baritone.
There are some truly high points on "Hot Streets". The title track is one of Chicago's all-time best recorded songs and finds the group experimenting with some unique time signatures. Written by Robert Lamm, the tune features Walt Parazaider on an inspired flute solo in 7/4 time and a guitar solo section at the end in 5/4 time. Throughout, Danny Seraphime's drumming is simply fantastic. In fact, Danny shines on every track on the disc, literally soloing on drums on every tune and dislays cutting edge chops and unparallelled talent for melodic fllls. And, to Phil Ramone's credit, Danny's drums never sounded better in terms of mix and sound.
Donnie Dacus does a reat job on guitar on his tune "Take a Chance". His style is nothing like Kath's, but his very unique percussive approach to the instrument and nice use of syncopation is actually pretty cool.
Other highlights include "No Tell Lover" and "Gone Long Gone", two melodic gems from Peter Cetera.
The bonus track on this re-issue is simply a version of Robert Lamm's latin-tinged "Love Was New" featuring Donnie Dacus on lead vocal instead of Robert Lamm. Mildly interesting.
While "Hot Steets" may not be definitive Chicago, it is still an important release from the legendary band as it shows the group in a critical time of transition, successfully survivng a death in the famliy with the founding members showing great dedication to their craft and to their legion of fans in their decision to continue on.
The disc is essential for anyone interested in the group's history and legacy. Save for the lackluster production as noted herein, "Hot Steets" is a fine release from Chicago and a worthwhile purchase.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Latter-Day Materail!, September 25, 2003

By 

Andre' S Grindle "Funk Meister" (Bangor,ME.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Streets (Audio CD)

Chicago survive the death of guitarist Terry Kath well as
new recruit Donny Dacus proves himself a funkier,more rhythmic
player for the most part of the majestic pop rocker "Alive Again"
,the jazzy funk-rock of the tital cut and the oddball closer
"Show Me The Way".And with another great Cetera ballad in
"No Tell Lover" to top off on,who can complain?I own this so I
can't!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Album by Stellar Band, October 6, 2003

By 

"perplexion" (Woodridge, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Streets (Audio CD)

I've always felt Donnie Dacus got a bad rep. His vocals on this album are crisp and tight and his guitar style, while a departure from that of the late Terry Kath, works for this particular album.

The remixed version sounds so much crisper & cleaner than the original CD releases by Columbia and later Chicago records. The one thing that shines through on all of the Rhino remasters is Peter Cetera's exceptional bass playing. Known for his stellar stratospheric vocals, Peter's bass talents were often overlooked. The rhythm section is just as tight with Cetera, Seraphine, Olivera and Dacus as it was with Cetera, Seraphine, Olivera and Kath.

The title track really showcases the songwriting talent of Robert Lamm, the guitaristry of Donnie Dacus, and features a flute solo by Walt Parazaider that harkens back to his flute solo during "It Better End Soon" from the "Live at Carnegie Hall" album and left me begging for more.

Other stand-out moments on this fantastic album are Lamm's piano chops on the song "Gone Long Gone," Dacus all out wail and driving rhythm on "Ain't it Time," the fantastic vocal interplay between Cetera and Dacus on the catchy ballad "No Tell Lover," and the oft-overlooked vocals and guitar solo on the much underrated "Take a Chance."

Unfortunately this album is marred by a substandard bonus track, an alternate vocal version of "Love Was New" featuring Dacus on vocals instead of Lamm. Dacus is an exceptional singer and had he sung in his normal range it may have actually worked, his breathy falsetto really doesn't work for the song at all (the original album version of this song with Lamm's vocals is far superior). The other half strike (only a half-strike because some may see this as a plus not a minus) against this album is that it sounds decidedly dated as compared to some of the other albums in Chicago's back catalog.