Customer Reviews

V

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

PDIGUG3606 from Delaware is absolutely right: irresistable as "Saturday In the Park" may be, it is badly overplayed on radio these days, when there are at least four other cuts ("Varese," "Dialogue," "While the City Sleeps," and "State of the Union") on this album that sound just as good -- and rock harder -- never mind its many other virtues.

"A Hit By Varese" starts out with a little free-form feedback, then hits an urgent groove. In the instrumental break, the horns get brief comments before everyone gets to rocking ... and all in waltz time! "All Is Well" is sweet, although the lyrics don't scan very well. "Now That You've Gone" has the kind of nervous energy and portentous horn charts that typified the first three albums. "While the City Sleeps" manages to sound swaggering and desperate at the same time, "State of the Union" spoils for a fight with the kind of political punch that could get annoying on earlier albums but works here because it's not self-righteous. "Goodbye" is a breezy jazz tune that one could easily hear Al Jarreau doing, "Alma Mater" quietly anthemic.

I've saved the best for last: "Dialogue" parts 1 and 2 not only rocks infectiously but is a creepy masterpiece. I say "creepy" because if you study the lyrics, the earnest, politically concerned voice (Terry Kath) that exemplifies what Chicago stood for up to this time CONCEDES the argument to the dippy, casual airhead sung by Peter Cetera, who concludes "if you had my outlook, your feelings would be numb -- you'd always think that everything was fine." I have to believe Lamm meant this to be ironic, but the song seems uneasily to foreshadow what would become of the group musically in time. The music is nevertheless both charming and powerful, so its disjunction with the weird lyrics puts me in mind of Steely Dan.

If I don't give this disc the full five stars, it is because it doesn't have quite the adventuresome range and experimentation of some of the albums that precede and follow it (the first three and the seventh), but it is a compact package, and would be an excellent choice for the listener who is not familiar with the band and might have little patience with too much weirdness.

WHEN YOU LISTEN TO CLASSIC ROCK RADIO, THE ONLY SONG THAT YOU EVER HERE OFF THIS ALBUM IS SATURDAY IN THE PARK. AND THAT'S A SHAME, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF CHICAGO'S MOST CONSISTENT ALBUM'S, MUSICALLY, AND LYRICALLY. IN FACT, I WOULD RANK THIS RIGHT BEHIND THE FIRST TWO CHICAGO ALBUMS. THE MUSIC IS DRIVING, ESPECIALLY THE HORN SECTION, WHICH REALLY MAKES THIS ALBUM SO GREAT. AFTER THIS ALBUM, THE HORNS BECAME LESS PROMINENT IN CHICAGO'S MUSIC, WHICH IS ONE REASON FOR THE BANDS SLOW DECLINE. DIALOGUE, PARTS I AND 2, IS IN MY OPINION ONE OF THE BANDS GREATEST SONGS. ONE OTHER REASON FOR CHICAGO'S DECLINE IS THE INACTIVITY OF ROBERT LAMM. ONE OF CHICAGO'S STRENGTH'S IN THE 7O'S WAS LAMM'S WRITING, AND SINGING, WHICH IS IN PRIME FORM ON THIS ALBUM. STATE OF THE NATION IS A POLITICAL WAKE-UP CALL FOR AMERICA IN THE NIXON ERA. THE REMASTERING IS SUPERB ON THIS ALBUM. IT'S JUST A SHAME THAT RADIO IGNORE'S THIS ALBUM.

The first #1 album in the history of Chicago and most likely the best one ever in the history of Chicago. "Alma Mater", "Dialogue", and my favorite song in Chicago history "Saturday in the Park" are the reasons why this album is the best one in the bands history.

By the time Chicago V came out in 1972, Chicago had already put out three double albums, as well as the live "Carnegie Hall" set. While most groups would be taxed out creatively, Chicago, with Chicago V, shows that it still had much to offer.
There really isn't a weak song on this CD, with songs such as "A Hit By Varese," which allows each band member to take an extended solo (great rock/jazz fusion) and a good selection of politically-charged music, "Dialogue," which features Peter Cetera and Terry Kath, "While the City Sleeps," and "State of the Union." Of course, the mega-hit, "Saturday in the Park," is also included.
Chicago V is one of Chicago's better efforts. The album is a testament to the fact that these guys were truly great musicians, and, while they repeatedly get trashed for being too "commercial," they really did put out some wonderful music.

From their first three studio recordings, it was evident that Chicago had broken ground with its unique sound of brass and rock guitar. "Chicago V" continues with the style that features well-written and tightly-played arrangements by trombonist James Pankow. The brass choruses are complemented by guitar solos from the late Terry Kath and the driving rhythm of drummer Daniel Seraphine. The songs remain true to the anti-establishment 'protest' spirit that characterized their earlier works. Just listen to the lyrics of "Dialogue," "State Of The Union" and "While The City Sleeps." The mood is broken only by "All Is Well" and the commercially successful "Saturday In The Park."

After "Chicago V," the group's songs would take a more commercial, "mellow rock" mood and strings would be added to the strong brass section. The shift was business-driven, not artistically motivated. Later albums would no longer have that exciting "Chicago sound." Peter Cetera would pen many of the group's later commercial hits, but none would come close to their earlier output, either artistically or musically. Interestingly enough, the group's songs from the first three albums always get the most enthusiastic response from audiences during their concerts.

The sound quality on this CD is very good.

Get "Chicago V" only if you want to ensure their original sound for posterity (the fourth one is a "live" album recorded at Carnegie Hall).

V is one of the few Chicago albums that is free from any major lapse in judgement. After three or four listens, this WILL become one of the most listened-to albums in anyone's collection. Sure, Saturday in the Park is on here. But there's much more to this album that that, although it is a great, catchy song. A Hit By Varese features solos by every member of the horn section, and sounds really good, albeit a bit strange. Dialouge features excellent musicianship by the band, an intriguing concept, and a memorable Kath guitar riff. Now That You're Gone ranks among the best non-single Chicago songs in their career. Goodbye is a rather complicated song, with an unusual time signature. All Is Well and Alma Mater are pleasant songs, if a little slight. While The City Sleeps and State of the Union show Chicago for the true political musicians that they once were. Overall, no track is really filler, and it shows that Chicago could master a variety of concepts within the confines of a single disc, their previous releases being double albums.

After 3 double-albums and a 4-disc live set, CHICAGO stripped things down to do their first single-disc album. And what an album it WAS! Robert Lamm wrote 7 of its 9 songs, and provided fans with one of the most EXCITING sets they ever released! "A Hit By Varese" opens CHICAGO V as the kind of song no other band was even attempting-- a fusion of jazz, rock & pop where nearly half the tune is carried by instrumental horn sections. "All Is Well" serves as a nice mid-tempo "break" (as well as a preview of the kind of sound that would dominate later discs) before the unbelievable double-act of James Pankow's "Now That You're Gone" and Lamm's 2-part "Dialogue". It's almost impossible to describe these in words! It has to be HEARD to be BELIEVED! Amidst the musical intensity 2 sides of political opinion are bandied about. More civil awareness come to the fore in "While The City Sleeps" and "State Of The Union", while in between in wedged possibly one of the band's BEST Top-40 hits EVER, the wonderfully upbeat "Saturday In The Park". LPs used to have a sticker that read "Chicago's No. 1 Album". NO KIDDING!

This CD represents the band's last album before being tamed into the pop band reputation that collared them. Saturday in the Part and Dialogue respresent the only releases you might hear on the air.

Hit By Verese is along the lines of Introduction from the CTA CD. The piece allows each brass member to demonstrate their talents and permits some unconventional guitar riffs from Terry Kath.

"All is Well" represents a smooth ballet that forshadows the soothing tones of some works the band released on later CDs and provides a nice transition to "Now that You're Gone"

"Now That You're Gone" provides a strong driving force with the excellent sax improvs from Walt Parazaider. Releasing tracks like this would have provided the band more diversity in its following.

"Dialogue" is a timeless song about social justice. A recurring theme in much of the band's work..especially Robert Lamm's (listen to his solo efforts).

"While the City Sleeps" has a mean, cruel, real sound to it and provides the perfect contrast to the ensuring "Saturday in he Park", which has a "free and easily" aura.

State of the Union, again is a song about speaking out about social problems. The brass section has some very impressive licks here.

The last two songs, Good Bye and AlmaMater, wind down the CD in a peaceful manner.

This CD is Chicago at their best. The music has the raw edge that gave them their distinction and is blended well with the soft melodies that gave them airtime.

You see what happens when the fire burns inside! A cyclon by Chicago

This album definately passes the "desert island" test - if you were stuck on a desert island with only one album to have, what would it be? Well, this may not be it, but it is undoubtedly the best effort by a group that continues to play today, albeit after falling headlong into bubblegum AM rock. You can trace the evolution of this band, from I to III, socially conscious, radical blues-rock, with a big band brassy sound, to IV (live), to V, the best, and starting downhill with VI - VII (although VII includes some fine pieces, it's one disk too long). Then Terry Kath dies. As the next to the last track says, "Goodbye". While "Saturday in the Park" is pleasant (nice piano) and got all the air play, the album blasts off with "A Hit by Varese" (in 3/4) with a dynamite round-robin sax/trumpet/trombone dialogue jam backed by pumping bass and ends (really) with "Goodbye", the ONLY rock song I know with a 7/4 meter! This is the best Chicago tune, bar none - a triumph! The only slight blemish is the coda, what seems like an afterthought, the ballad "Alma Mater", which provides a minor whiff of the future of Chicago. That's ok - with a CD you can just bypass it. This album is tight, pure genious and viruosity, and perhaps not surprisingly, never got much air play. More than 25 years later, this album still sounds fresh, full of energy and optimism. Buy it. God bless Terry Kath!