Chicago VIII

Chicago

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 28, 1995)
• Original Release Date: March 1975
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Columbia
• ASIN: B0000021RN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #388,072 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rockin' Chicago, May 8, 2002

By	B. Samples "devzin98" (Hawthorne, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After Chicago had cooled down a bit with albums VI and VII, they rock once again with VIII. "Anyway You Want", "Ain't It Blue", and "Hideaway" will all have you bopping in your seat. You have the catchy "Harry Truman", "Old Days", and "Long Time No See". "Brand New Love Affair" is beautiful and heartfelt in Part I, and then rocking and energetic in Part II. But to me, the true gems on this album are the Terry Kath tunes. "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit" takes the same route as "Love Affair", starting off mellow, and winding up ROCKING! But Kath's guitar solo to round this one off will knock your socks off. Finally, I saw another review that said "Til We Meet Again" belonged in the "men's room". I couldn't disagree more. The lyrics are romantic, and accompanied by only acoustic guitar, it is everything a ballad should be.

All in all, I would probably rank Chicago VIII #3 out of their whole catalog, only following "Transit Authority" and "II". A must-have for true fans, and a good album to start with for new listeners. But remember, the Chicago of the 80's is NOT what you should expect. Instead, get ready to rock a lot more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chicago VIII is worth a listen, August 6, 1999

By A Customer

Generally a good album. Contains the nostalgic 'Old Days' and the bluesy 'Brand New Love Affair'. The standout track has to be the mysterious 'Oh, Thank You Great Spirit'. CD packaging could have been improved (the inside of the booklet is blank!). The CD itself sounds good.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chicago VIII - Last Rock Album, August 19, 2004

By	Skippy G - See all my reviews

As far as I'm concerned, this is the last rock album Chicago ever produced. By '73 the major emphasis was on hits and ballads, much to the chagrin of guitarist Terry Kath. While the money was good, his monster playing was taking a back seat to AM radio hit fodder. One listen to Kath on CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY I, CHICAGO II, CHICAGO AT CARNEGIE HALL, or LIVE IN JAPAN show his amazing ability. When the band rolled into Nederland, CO to record VIII, they were torn and frayed. It seems to me either Kath took control of these sessions or producer James William Guercio gave him control of them. Either way, the focus essentially became a rock band consisting of Kath's guitar, Peter Cetera's bass, Robert Lamm's piano, and Danny Seraphine's skins. There are a couple songs that don't have horns at all. Kath's guitar work on this album is stellar: "Anyway You Want It", "Hideaway" (my favorite), & "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit" are prime examples. Kath's vocal work is soulful as usual on stand outs like "Brand New Love Affair Part I" and "Ain't It Blue". The true essential four piece rock outfit of Chicago is evident on "Hideaway"; a song that in its day, should've found its way on the album oriented FM stations of the day. The obligatory hits are here as well: "Old Days" was a top 5 hit (a song Cetera absolutely hates and refused to sing in concert after the tour to support VIII); Lamm's ditty "Harry Truman" reached the top 20 and "Brand New Love Affair Part I & II" by Kath and Cetera hit #61. The worst song on the original album by far was Kath's "Till We Meet Again". The guitar work is decent but overall the song is poor. Lamm's written Cetera sung "Never Been In Love Before" showcases the band's background vocal ability.
The album was remastered and partially remixed recently and released on Rhino Records. This is a great improvement over the edition released by Columbia Records in the late 80's. The packaging was poor and sound quality sub par. The new version sounds wonderful and the difference can be heard on "Hideaway" with the drums slightly remixed and "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit". Also included are two unreleased rehearsal songs and a remake of "Satin Doll" recorded for Dick Clark's Rockin New Year's Eve '74. Personally this album is my favorite Chicago album. The remastered version is a delight for me. This album ranks up there with CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY I & CHICAGO II. I highly recommend this album, especially if you like the early Chicago songs.