Which Chicago album do you stop at?

Recording engineer Hunberto Gatica won a Grammy for it - "Best Engineered Recording, Non Classical Category".

 

True, and he had some great moments on VII and the nice bookends on X. He was the heart of the band but the light pop direction the band took was distracting after VII in particular.

I really just do not care for the Cetera with Chicago sound after XI. Any real magic was gone. It was eroding from VI to XI but still worth the effort.

 

I think I have all the vinyl through Chicago 17... and possibly 18. I don't have Live In Japan.
I tend to listen to the first 2 albums, although do like some of the other albums (like Chicago VI)

 

Erasing their adult contemporary sell out and forgiving them for what they did after the death of Terry Kath, the Kath-year albums alone from "Chicago Transit Authority" to "Chicago XI" (1969-1977) is a helluva great body of work that is good enough as an attestation that they belong to the hall of fame.

 

If ever there is a great talent that is so underrated , it's Terry Kath's talent as guitarist and vocalist. He's the most underrated great guitarists in rock history.

 

Chicago V, and IX.

 

XI, which I just played a few days ago. After all these years it's still hard to listen to Terry's vocal on "Little One" without getting a bit misty eyed.

 

V

 

The ones that I really love to keep in my collection are the first 12 albums, from the great debut "Chicago Transit Authority" to the underrated "Hot Streets", the first album they recorded after Terry died.
The first eleven albums are classics in my opinon because of Terry Kath's presence as guitarist and vocalist.

 

Seems like about half of the albums at my local spin shack are Chicago albums.

 

Did you get the MoFi Chicago VI SACD already? It sounds really good.

 

After Cetara left

 

The one before Chicago Transit Authority.

 

I stop where Terry did.

 

2 or 3?

 

There are a couple of tracks I like on "Hot Streets" but, really, to me the band kind of died when Terry did. I know they continued to be creative but that was their peak to me.

 

VII though I never owned IV.

 

It's out? That is on my list! I wonder if I should track down the mfsl vinyl from years ago. Anybody have thoughts about the best pressing for that format?

 

I was just culling my Chicago vinyl last night. Kept the 1st two and the greatest hit package. I haven't listened to the live lps in years, although I kept all the 'innards'. Took up a lot of shelf space for a non-rotation set.

 

There are four tracks that I really like on "Hot Streets" and those are "Hot Streets" (R.Lamm), "Alive Again" (J.Pankow), "No Tell Lover"(L.Loughnane, D.Seraphone,P.Cetera) and "Love Was New" (R.Lamm).

 

"Chicago VI" SACD has been released by MoFi for at least three weeks now. The original MoFi released the half-speed mastered "Chicago Transit Authority" on vinyl decades ago.

 

I really love Terry Kath's vocals and guitar playing, but to be honest, I think the notion that the band revolved around him is really a distorted view. So many people seem to rate Chicago Transit Authority as the best, and for sure it was a showcase for Terry's guitar, but it was largely written by Robert Lamm, with horn charts largely arranged by James Pankow and vocals shared pretty equally by Kath, Lamm and Cetera.

Again, I have nothing but respect for Kath, but I think over the years that his unfortunate demise has led to a revisionist view of the band that lessens the importance of the other members of the band. The rhythm section was amazing, Seraphine was an outstanding drummer, and the horn section was one of the best with a unique and distinctive signature sound. Not a weak link in the bunch.

 

Did that pressing get good reviews? Just wondering before I pull the lever on EBay.

 

21 - like a couple of the Bill Champlin songs on it. Have Rhino comp for the hits, plus 16 & 17 for the high school memories. Always wondered if the DVD-A versions of II and V are good...