ringorules's Full Review: Chicago VIII [Remaster] by Chicago
After the broadly experimental jazz epic, Chicago VII, Chicago returned to the form of V and VI, a single, more commercially oriented album. The seven and a half members of Chicago. There are several tunes that are rather poor on this album, and this takes away a bit from what could have been a much better album. There are four different members of the band writing songs for this album. While normally, I would laud such diversity, it hampers the success of VIII. You can tell which songs are filler and which ones are not quite easilly. On the positive side, Chicago goes for unerring commercial appeal, that resulted in this album reaching a dubiously deserved #1 spot on the Billboard charts. Chicago's political anthems are all but gone, save for keyboardist Robert Lamm's Harry Truman, which is fairly harmless. The tracks are as follows:
Anyway You Want: Peter Cetera could write a pretty good rock song when he wanted to, but you wouldn't know it from listening to this song. With an enormously hackneyed piano riff opening this number, Cetera sings Anyway You Want with a throwback nature. He even dejectedly sings falsetto in parts where I know he could have sung with his head voice. Cetera's promising songwriting from VII is already going downhill.
Brand New Love Affair: A two part song by trombonist and horn arranger James Pankow, Brand New Love Affair starts out with Terry Kath singing lead, against an electric keyboard background. Kath's vocals are at their soulful best, and he really delivers the song with the urgency needed. Slowly the song picks up a bit as a sweeping string section and a more upbeat keyboard part is added. The horns are at their rollicking best at the very end of the song, which is the heart of what Chicago is all about.
Never Been In Love Before: This is a dishearteningly obscure ballad in Chicago's history. Written by Lamm, you can expect intelligent lyrics. Lamm wisely let Peter Cetera, by far a better 'ballad voice' sing this one, and Cetera sings this song with an innocence befitting the title. The chorus and the introduction features some neat Lamm piano playing which shows just how talented the guy was.
Hideaway: Something of a poor man's 25 or 6 to 4, this is a better example of a Cetera rock song. It has a memorable guitar riff presumably played by Kath. Although it is a good song overall, it starts getting a little old by the end. It's strange that Peter Cetera, of all people, wrote the album's two hardest rocking songs.
Til We Meet Again: Late guitarist Terry Kath, on the other hand, wrote and sang this ballad. Terry Kath can not write ballads well, and this song only adds fuel to the fire. I do like the acoustic guitar part that you can hear in the background.
Harry Truman: Robert Lamm's sole political number, the lyrics plead for days where politicians were open, honest, and hard-working, like the song's namesake. Incidentally, in one of the worst moves in the band's career, they released this song as a single in Japan, which needless to say, ruined their promising following there. The instrumental break gently lampoons the music scene of the late forties and early forties, and Walt Parazaider has one of his finest moments, playing a rousing clarinet solo.
Oh, Thank You Great Spirit: This is one of the strangest offerings Kath gave the band. The tale of a man dying and meeting his maker, it is one of the more thought provoking songs by the band, and has a place of it's own in the Chicago catalog. Kath's guitar playing on this song is among his best. Although some find this song meandering, it reflects very well the unusual subject matter.
Long Time No See: Similar to Manipulation on Chicago XIV, Long Time No See, written by Lamm, is pretty much a filler track.
Ain't It Blue: Ain't It Blue is a more upbeat number, with a very jazzy chorus. This doesn't contribute greatly to the album, but it's a fun song to listen to.
Old Days: The top five hit off Chicago VIII, Pankow's Old Days recounts nostalgic scenes of childhood, a change from his usual love songs that had counted for most of the band's hits in recent years. Although of a slight cornball nature, the string parts add immeasurably to the song, as does the trademark Chicago horn parts.
VIII was a firm indication of the commercial route that Chicago was headed for. The jazz-rock had pretty much evolved to jazzish pop by this point. While boasting a few very good cuts such as Never Been in Love Before, and Brand New Love Affair, this album is dragged down by a few weak cuts, such as Til We Meet Again and Anyway You Want. None of the music, though, is essential to either the band, nor the era, so I'm afraid I (just barely) can't recommend this one. This is the last album of the so-called 'James Pankow' era of the band, and the era of Cetera would commence with X.
Recommended:
No
Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out
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