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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beefed Up Re-Master, October 4, 2006
The liner notes tell the story: by 1982, all it required was an official announcement; Chicago was dead. Their last two studio albums had sold poorly. Columbia, their long-time bosses, let their contract lapse. They lacked a lead guitarist/frontman with a distinctive growl. It looked like they were going to fold.
But then, resurrection. Full Moon Records (Warner Bros.) signed them. They hooked up with keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Bill Champlin--a session man with all the right tools. Champlin turned them on to producer David Foster. Foster re-wrote the band's slated tunes, modulating them and adding his distinctive style. A few original numbers by outsiders filled out the set, and--voila!--the result was CHICAGO 16, now remastered by Rhino Records with a bonus track (an excellent Champlin demo called "Daddy's Favorite Fool").
The band rocked again.
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is the monster hit, a Pete Cetera ditty with a definite hook, but the best stuff here never made it to the radio. Far better are the brassy, balls-out rockers "Follow Me," "Bad Advice," and "What You're Missing." Champlin makes his presence known with the dark and funky "Sonny Think Twice." In fact, the set showcases the band strutting with new life; all that's missing are meaningful contributions from Bobby Lamm--the once-brilliant tunesmith ("Saturday In the Park," "Beginnings") is strangely muted here--due to a series of personal problems that he'd probably be glad to forget.
In retrospect, this is probably the pinnacle of the band's involvement with Foster. Unlike the follow-up ("17"), "16" seems to flow as a whole. The production is consistent throughout, and gorgeous vocal arrangements effectively vie with the brass on song after song. Rhino has also beefed up the sound on this version compared to earlier Warner Brothers releases, and that's all to the good.
For me, there are a few snags. I'm not a big fan of the cover tune "Chains," and two other Cetera tunes ("Rescue You," "Love Me Tomorrow") don't set me on fire (your tastes, of course, will vary). But the bottom line is that CHICAGO 16 is a worthy addition to your CD collection if only to share in the joy a rebirth brings.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chicago's comeback album, October 17, 2006
This album marks Chicago's return to commercial success. It features the huge hits "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow" along with a third single "What You're Missing". In addition to being their first album with Warner Bros. Records, it also marks the debut of Bill Champlin as a member. He sings lead on three tracks: "Waiting For You To Decide", "Follow Me", and "Sonny Think Twice" which he also co-wrote. He also wrote the bonus track "Daddy's Favorite Fool". A few members of the rock band Toto also play on the album.
Interestingly, unlike previous Chicago reissues, this release does not include chart information nor does it include any photos of the band. It's also strange that Rhino substituted the original version of "Love Me Tomorrow" with a slightly edited version that also appeared on the compilation "The Heart Of Chicago Vol. II" which runs eight seconds shorter.
That notwithstanding, this is still a very enjoyable album with nary a weak track. It's no tour de force, but with two hit singles "16" put Chicago back on the map and proved they would still be around for a while.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
What's up with the edits?, December 25, 2006
Edits? Unbelievable! While the sound is much, much better on an A/B compare, that comparison also reveals that they changed two songs as pointed out by other reviewers. I thought I was going to get the exact same songs, in their entirety, as on the original recording, only remastered. I am disappointed that the choice was made to change "What You're Missing" and "Love Me Tomorrow". I'm surprised that they didn't include some lame DRM rootkit scheme or something to further throw salt into the wound.
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