Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by a CD.
In the early '80s, Chicago was all but done. Then the band brought in producer/songwriter/keyboardist David Foster who completely turned the band around, musically and commercially. Foster focused on Peter Cetera and brought in songwriters and musicians from outside the band, most notably members of the group Toto. What did the band members think of all that? According to all accounts, not too much. The band made a fortune with their ballads in the '80s so they shouldn't complain too much. I've always liked Foster's work, which is always unabashed pure pop kitsch. I wish my CD had better liner notes; I should have waited until the Rhino reissue with a bonus track because I'm sure they had extensive notes.
Press of the time:
- Rolling Stone (★★): "Chicago has fallen victim to its own diversified pretensions"
- Billboard: "filled with the distinctive hooks that made it the top American band throughout most of the '70s."
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: #9
- CashBox: #7
- Rolling Stone: #10
Tracks: My favorite track, without question, is Love Me Tomorrow. However, since I've listened to this album hundreds of times, all the songs just go together as a group. No skipping allowed.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember slow dancing to Hard To Say I'm Sorry at high school dances. Singing softly along with Cetera into the ear of a girl is surprisingly effective, btw. Also, this music reminds me of working at Burger King in the spring and summer of 1983. Finally, my college marching band played a tepid arrangement of Hard To Say I'm Sorry/Get Away in the fall of 1986. Ugh.
No comments:
Post a Comment