Customer Reviews

Skinny Boy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this CD when it first appeared on shelves at the time of it's release. Being a big fan of Chicago and knowing Lamm was a major force in their sound as a songwriter, I wasn't sure what to expect from this solo offering.

Upon first listening, I was thrown off by the lack of horns and overall commercial sound typical of Chicago. No big productions, just Lamm revealing another side of himself as a writer. The album began to grow on me. Most of my favorite albums don't impress me much at first. This one is still one of my favorites for the same reason I like Wings Wild Life by Paul McCartney It's raw, original, revealing, and intimate. Give this one a chance. I'm glad I did.

If you don't like Chicago, you're not going to like this album. If you are someone who has been listening, loving and buying for 32 years this album is essential to your collection. Skinny Boy the song first appeared on Chicago VII. That song is fantastic on very many different levels. Ok, thats one song what about the rest? Remember all the "other" songs on all of your Chicago albums? The ones you like, but don't necessarily make the radio? The ones that define you as a fan? These are those songs. The calling card horns, high shrill voice of a Cetera, Champlain, or Scheff aren't there. Lamm holds his own well. Buy it!

This has got to be one of THE best solo albums of all time! Columbia records recognized his talent and knew he was responsible for much of Chicago's success and they were willing to give him a lot of leeway with this album. He did what few would dare to do and made an album with a stripped down sound. Most of the songs are simple constructs of drums, piano, and the occasional orchestration.Each song on this album is a gem. I only wish post-1972 Chicago could have sounded this good. It is replete with the progressive rythyms and tempo changes of early Chicago as well as Robert Lamm's socially conscious lyrics. Any true Chicago fan will love this album. I only wish Mr. Lamm would make another one just like it.

This cd is very good. The strings are well done throughout, as well as Terry Kath's unique bass playing, and Robert's wonderful keys and vocals. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

1974 - Columbia Records
Songs Include :

Temporary Jones
Love Song
Crazy Way To Spend A Year
Until The Time Runs Out
Skinny Boy
One Step Forward Two Steps Back
Fireplace And Ivy
Someday I'm Gonna Go
A Lifetime We
City Living
Crazy Brother John

this album has a great stripped down sound. very soulful and funky w great guitar work from the late great terry kath. the sound isn't very unlike the lamm compositions recorded w chicago (ie Saturday in the park, Does anybody know what time it is).(in fact, a few of these numbers were re recorded w chicago and appeared on chicago albums). also, lamm sounds a little bit like the old billy joel records. definitely check this out if you like old school chicago. the reason i gave three stars instead of five is because there are a few 'filler' number that sort of bored me and had to be skipped over

Admittedly not some of Lamm's better work, even he admits that. I bought this album when it was first released, back in 1974, and enjoyed it for what it was: a novelty. Today it sounds rather dated and really only serves as a measuring stick to how far Lamm has come both as a songwriter as well as a vocalist.

I recently saw version 2.0 of this disc at another site, with six additional tracks, so I purchased it merely out of curiosity. All of the additional tracks seem to be from the Skinny Boy sessions, but only two are perhaps noteworthy. The first, Sing to Me Lady, was probably left off the original release because of its similarity to Love Song, but in my opinion the latter should have been left off in deference to the former. The other is a jazz version (keyboards, bass, drums and vocal) of Song for Richard and His Friends, one of my favorite Chicago tunes. No studio version of this song was ever released, but two live versions appear on the Carnegie Hall and Live in Japan albums, both currently available on CD. Those rocked-up versions, with guitarist Terry Kath's free form guitar ably simulating the sounds of war, contrast strikingly with this jazz version. Close your eyes and you can nearly smell the cigarette smoke and hear the sounds of a cocktail lounge.

Of the tunes that appeared on the original release, notable cuts include Crazy Way to Spend a Year, Skinny Boy (although the Chicago version on Chicago VII is superior), A Lifetime We, and City Living.

If you're looking for Lamm's best work, you may be disappointed with this compilation, but novelty seekers may enjoy it if only to fill out their Chicago collection.

This is possibly the worst record of the rock era. Bobby Lamm himself is ashamed of it. This originally came out in the late 70's, around the time Billy Joel had a hit with "Just the way you are". This whole cd is nothing but extremely lame recreations of that piano bar motif. Do yourself a favor....RUN AWAY FROM THIS PAGE AS QUICK AS YOU CAN!