Pros: Robert Lamm re-emerges as an active band member, a few good songs.
Cons: Sappy Diane Warren Ballads, Jason Scheff straining to hit the high notes.
The Bottom Line: Chicago begins to distance themselves from David Foster. Unfortunately it seems at times thats not an easy task. The Robert Lamm songs are strong.
Following the abysmal Chicago 19 I almost abandoned the band. Considering that they were my favorite group from the time I first heard them until that time, that speaks volumes. While CHICAGO 21 is far from a return to the glory days of CTA, II, III, and V, it is an improvement albeit a small one over the previous five releases. David Foster has been gone for more than an album (Hallelujia!), Robert Lamm has reappeared as a creative contributor, and the Diane Warren contribution has been limited to two sub-par tracks. If nothing else, it at least seems that the band is beginning to break free of the shackles placed upon them by the David Foster regime. The horn section has reappeared as well after a time when they all three had to stand around with guitars for video shoots!
The album kicks off with one of the aforementioned Diane Warren ballads, EXPLAIN IT TO MY HEART. The song itself is not bad for a Diane Warren composition which is not saying a lot. The horn arrangement makes the music quite listenable, but the song is unfortunately marred by Jason Scheff's straining vocals, particularly on the chorus.
Next up is the upbeat and horn-driven IF IT WERE YOU written by Jason Scheff. Jason sounds much more comfortable singing the song and the overall result is quite favorable. One of the album's better songs, even with Dewayne Bailey's over-Van Halenish guitar solo.
Now for the bad news! YOU COME TO MY SENSES contributed by an outside writing team is the single worst song ever recorded by Chicago. Simply an awful song on record and even worse performed live. A pitiful performance of this song on Arsenio Hall's show nearly led to the band's break-up. The extremely brief horn break is the only redeeming feature of this atrocious recording.
Next up is one of three Bill Champlin contributions to the album, SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE. While this moderate tempo pop rock tune is far from awful, it is one of the album's weaker songs and is so generic it could have been recorded by any band fronted by Champlin.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE is a ballad in the mold of What Kind of Man Would I be which was a major pop hit. Unfortunately this nice little song wasn't chosen for release as a single from the album, as it would have been far more successful on th charts than those that were released. anyone who loves the power ballads from Chicago's later recordings should enjoy this one
Robert Lamm re-emerges from whatever rock David foster buried him under to contribute the two strongest Chicago tunes in several years, the first of which is the upbeat ONE FROM THE HEART. From Robert's warm baritone singing to the great horn arrangement this great song actually bears resemblance to the sound of earlier Chicago music. Unlike Diane Warren, Robert can write melodic tunes that don't come across as utterly cheesy!
CHASIN THE WIND is another Diane Warren atrocity apparently forced upon the band by a producer or the record label, because I can not imagine any of these guys choosing to record this schlock. This song was released as a single and it bombed as it should have. It is sad to hear a phenomenal vocal talent like that of Bill Champlin so misused on such tripe.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN co-written by James Pankow and Jason Scheff is somewhat of a throwback to earlier Chicago subject matter with its environmental message. A much better outlet for Bill Champlin than the previous song, this fairly hard rockin track is one of the album's highlights and features some nice horn parts. Even Dewayne Bailey's sometimes over the top guitar playing works well here.
MAN TO WOMAN is yet another Jason scheff ballad, which despite its formulaic structure is not a bad little song. It is definitely better than the D. Warren tracks featured elsewhere on 21.
The second best track is ONLY TIME CAN HEAL THE WOUNDED written and sung by Robert Lamm. a very nice song with a fine horn arrangement by outside contributor Jerry Hey. Another strong vocal performance from Robert lamm as well.
The heaviest track on 21 is the hard rocking WHO DO YOU LOVE by Bill Champlin. The horn section gives this good song some extra punch. It's nice to actually hear the horn section being utilized again.
The album closes with the Bill Champlin ballad HOLDIN' ON a very nice song with good singing from both Champlin and Jason Scheff. The interspersed horn parts make this a beautiful song instrumentally.
Is CHICAGO 21 a great album? Actually it is far from it, but the band does at times show signs of distancing themselves from the influence of David Foster who all but took over the group from 1982 to 1986. Some of the songs, especially those by Lamm offered hope for the future, which sadly didn't pan out as Warner Brothers refused to release the band's next effort "Stone of Sysiphus" which was very strong-but since that album was never released officially anyway, I won't mention it further.
I recommend 21 to fans of the group who can tolerate the ballad years but also have a strong fondness for the jazz rock group the band once was. It's not great, but it is a step in the right direction.
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