Chicago – The Chicago Transit Authority (1969) [MFSL 2015]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 76:49 minutes | Scans included | 3,09 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 1,48 GB
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab # UDSACD 2134
Few debut albums can boast as consistently solid an effort as the self-titled Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Even fewer can claim to have enough material to fill out a double-disc affair. Although this long- player was ultimately the septet’s first national exposure, the group was far from the proverbial “overnight sensation.” Under the guise of the Big Thing, the group soon to be known as CTA had been honing its eclectic blend of jazz, classical, and straight-ahead rock & roll in and around the Windy City for several years. Their initial non-musical meeting occurred during a mid-February 1967 confab between the original combo at Walter Parazaider’s apartment on the north side of Chi Town. Over a year later, Columbia Records staff producer James Guercio became a key supporter of the group, which he rechristened Chicago Transit Authority. In fairly short order the band relocated to the West Coast and began woodshedding the material that would comprise this title. In April of 1969, the dozen sides of Chicago Transit Authority unleashed a formidable and ultimately American musical experience. This included an unheralded synthesis of electric guitar wailin’ rock & roll to more deeply rooted jazz influences and arrangements. This approach economized the finest of what the band had to offer — actually two highly stylized units that coexisted with remarkable singularity. On the one hand, listeners were presented with an incendiary rock & roll quartet of Terry Kath (lead guitar/vocals), Robert Lamm (keyboards/vocals), Peter Cetera (bass/vocals), and Danny Seraphine (drums). They were augmented by the equally aggressive power brass trio that included Lee Loughnane (trumpet/vocals), James Pankow (trombone), and the aforementioned Parazaider (woodwind/vocals). This fusion of rock with jazz would also yield some memorable pop sides and enthusiasts’ favorites as well. Most notably, a quarter of the material on the double album — “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Beginnings,” “Questions 67 and 68,” and the only cover on the project, Steve Winwood’s “I’m a Man” — also scored as respective entries on the singles chart. The tight, infectious, and decidedly pop arrangements contrast with the piledriving blues-based rock of “Introduction” and “South California Purples” as well as the 15-plus minute extemporaneous free for all “Liberation.” Even farther left of center are the experimental avant-garde “Free Form Guitar” and the politically intoned and emotive “Prologue, August 29, 1968″ and “Someday (August 29, 1968).” The 2003 remastered edition of Chicago Transit Authority offers a marked sonic improvement over all previous pressings — including the pricey gold disc incarnation.
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Chicago – Now: Chicago XXXVI (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 50:22 minutes | 1,06 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Chicago Merch
NOW (Chicago XXXVI) is the band’s first new album of original material since the release of XXX in 2006, and once again these icons offer their signature fiery, jazz-rooted brass arrangements over slick pop rock songs.
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Chicago – Hot Streets (1978/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 41:39 minutes | 1,56 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Hot Streets is Chicago’s twelfth studio classic. Co-produced by Phil Ramone, the album features the arrival of Donnie Dacus. It reached the Top Twenty on the Billboard 200 and features the hit singles “Alive Again,” “No Tell Lover” and “Gone Long Gone.” Hot Streets finds the band incorporating various elements of jazz into their pop-rock sound.
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Chicago – Greatest Hits Live (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:07:37 minutes | 827 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
The thirteenth “greatest hits” or official “best of” release, this album could easily have been given the title Chicago XXXVII or XXXVIII, but ever since 2014 and the last studio production to date, titled Now, even the band can’t be bothered to count anymore! This compilation doesn’t include classics such as 26 or 6 to 4, Make Me Smileor Colour My World (an extract from the concept suite Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon). This won’t come as a surprise to the many who are still following the long journey of this famous group.
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Chicago – Chicago XI (1977/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 44:47 minutes | 1,70 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
CHICAGO XI features the Top 5 power ballad “Baby, What A Big Surprise,” and the standout single “Take Me Back To Chicago.”
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Chicago – Chicago X (1976/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 38:04 minutes | 1,39 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Chart History/Awards
– Reached #3 on the Billboard 200.
– “If You Leave Me Now” won the GRAMMY® for Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.
– “If You Leave Me Now” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
– “Another Rainy Day In New York City” reached #2 on the Adult Contemporary singles charts.
X is Chicago’s highly acclaimed 1976 gem. This pivotal outing was a worldwide hit, giving Chicago their first U.K. chart album in several years and reached #3 on the Billboard 200. The album features the hits “You Are On My Mind,” “Another Rainy Day In New York City” and “If You Leave Me Now.” “If You Leave Me Now” would win two GRAMMY® Awards and X was nominated for Album of the Year, losing to Stevie Wonder’sSongs In The Key Of Life. This quintessential album is a must-have.
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Chicago – Chicago VIII (1975/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 39:42 minutes | 1,46 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Chart History/Awards
– Reached #1 on the Billboard 200.
– “Harry Truman” and “Old Days” reached the Top Twenty on the Billboard Hot 100.
Chicago VIII is the band’s chart-topping 1975 classic. This brilliant, experimental work combines elements of jazz and pop. It features the compelling hit singles, “Old Days,” “Harry Truman” and “Brand New Love Affair – Part I & II.” “Old Days” and “Harry Truman” both reached the Top Twenty on the Billboard Hot 100. This is yet another stunning album in an impressive catalog.
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Chicago – Chicago: VI Decades Live (This Is What We Do) (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 03:38:30 minutes | 2,40 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Chicago has been a concert force for more than 50 years, thrilling its legion of fans with performances that never disappoint. This spring, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will celebrate their live legacy with a collection of previously unreleased concert recordings, which includes several deep cuts that have never appeared on any of the band’s live albums.
The songs in the collection were recorded between 1969 and 2014, including the band’s entire performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. The DVD features a concert that was originally broadcast on the German music television show Rockpalast (a WDR production) in 1977.
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Chicago – Chicago V (1972/2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 45:05 minutes | 1,59 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Chicago’s 2X Platinum masterpiece now available as a high resolution download!
Chicago’s fourth studio album (and fifth release) was the band’s first #1 album and featured the hits “Saturday In The Park” and “Dialogue (Part I & II).” The biggest hit album of 1972, Chicago Vwas eventually certified 2X Platinum and remains one of the band’s most critically acclaimed works.
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Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority (50th Anniversary Remix) (1969/2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:17:13 minutes | 2,59 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Chicago’s groundbreaking 1969 debut showcased the band’s imaginative writing and brilliant musicality alongside a genre-blending mix of Rock and Jazz.
In celebration of the album’s 50th anniversary, Chicago have remixed the album (with Tim Jessup).
Originally released on April 28, 1969, Chicago Transit Authority topped the album chart, was certified double platinum and earned the band a Grammy® nomination for Best New Artist. The album also has the unique distinction of having stayed on the charts for an amazing three-year run (171 weeks); a record when it was released.
This classic double album includes several of the group’s most-enduring hits: “Beginnings,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” and “Questions 67 and 68.” It also features the signature guitar work of the late Terry Kath on “South California Purple,” “Free Form Guitar” and a blazing cover of “I’m A Man.”
The album features Kath, keyboardist Robert Lamm, bassist Peter Cetera, drummer Danny Seraphine and Chicago’s legendary horn section: Lee Loughnane (trumpet), James Pankow (trombone), and Walt Parazaider (saxophone).
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Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority (1969/2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:17:14 minutes | 2,73 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Chart History/Awards
– Reached #9 in the U.K.
– Included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
– “Beginnings” reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
– “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” reached #5 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Charts.
– Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014.
Chicago Transit Authority is the band’s timeless debut. It is a masterful blend of jazz and rock. This must-have classic reached #17 in the U.S. and #9 on the U.K. Pop charts. This seminal album features the Top Ten hits “Beginnings” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” It is included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
4 stars out of 5 – “…Heavy on blasting brass, hollering vocals, and the turbulent psychedelic blues guitar of Terry Kath.” – Uncut
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Chicago – Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits (1975/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 47:34 minutes | 1005 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Does anyone need another Chicago album besides this one? For the casual fan, the answer is definitely no. The 1975 blockbuster includes all the band’s hits from its prime. And while tracks like “Wishing You Were Here” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” have worn a wee thin over the years, most of the cuts here are still topnotch. Standouts include the incomparable “Saturday in the Park,” “Beginnings,” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” When rock grew up with horns, jazz charts, and chops. Not as snide as Steely Dan or as soulful as Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago still delivered with the 11 fine sides heard here.
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Chicago – Chicago II (Steven Wilson Remix) (1970/2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:07:17 minutes | 1,36 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino – Warner Records
More than 40 years after its debut, Chicago II still sounds like nothing else. Released in 1970, Chicago’s second album brims with confidence and inspiration as it draws on everything from orchestral music to heavy rock. Although it never affected the record’s popularity – it peaked at #4 on the album chart and spawned a trio of Top Ten hits – many fans have longed for a more-nuanced mix. That wish is about to come true with a new stereo version created by British musician and producer Steven Wilson.
Chicago II has been remixed before, but never like this. For the first time, a stereo remix from the 16-track multi-track tapes made it possible for Steven Wilson to bring out elements that were muffled or submerged in the mix. The result is a new stereo version of Chicago II that boasts clearness, punch and definition that it didn’t have before.
Wilson explains: “Working with high-resolution 96K/24 bit digitally transferred files, I had every element from the recording sessions isolated, which meant I was able to rebuild the mix from the drums upwards, recreating as closely as I could the equalization, stereo placement, reverbs, other effects, and volume changes of each individual instrument or vocal – but at the same time looking to gain definition and clarity in the overall sound.
In 1969, Chicago recorded the band’s follow-up to their debut album, Chicago Transit Authority (voted 2014 into the Grammy Hall of Fame). When it arrived in January 1970, Chicago II became an instant sensation. Principal composers, James Pankow and Robert Lamm, emerged further as the band’s source of Top Ten hits for the group, including “Make Me Smile” and “Colour My World,” as well as “25 or 6 to 4,” which peaked at #4 and has become one of the band’s signature songs. Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Walter Parazaider, also Danny Seraphine and Peter Cetera … somehow found time (while touring the world behind the success of “CTA”) to prepare another double LP album.
“So rich was their creative seam at the time that, like their debut, and the album that followed this one, it was a two record set,” says Wilson. “In fact, with unprecedented boldness the run of double albums was only broken by their fourth which was a quadruple (live) set! I consider all of these albums to be classics, but perhaps Chicago II is the pre-eminent masterpiece. It’s got everything: moments of tender beauty to power riffs and scorched-earth jazz-rock, catchy melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies. When I first heard it as a teenager I was captivated by the mixture of jazz, blues, pop, classical, progressive and heavy rock styles, including both improvisational elements and intricate arrangements, and by songs written and sung by several different members, all with their own unique personality. How could that possibly hang together?! But it does, and brilliantly so.”
The album, which was certified platinum by the RIAA, soon after its release, also highlighted some of the band’s most ambitious work, such as the 13-minute song cycle “Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon,” composed by James Pankow, as well as “Memories Of Love,” a Terry Kath song, arranged for orchestra by Peter Matz. Chicago’s lasting musical impact was recognized in April of 2016, with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Chicago – Chicago II – Live On Soundstage (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 58:59 minutes | 700 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
Originally released in January 1970 as Chicago (and later dubbed Chicago II ), the album was a major breakthrough for the band and features some of the group’s biggest hits, including the Top 10 singles: “25 Or 6 To 4,” “Make Me Smile” and “Colour My World.” Nominated for three Grammy awards and certified double-platinum, the album is also known for several extended song cycles: “Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon” by trombonist/composer James Pankow; “Memories Of Love” by guitarist Terry Kath and composer Peter Matz; and “It Better End Soon” by keyboardist/vocalist/composer Robert Lamm. Robert Lamm and James Pankow have also become the latest inductees of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Chicago – Chicago Christmas (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 43:44 minutes | 919 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino
The Legendary “Rock Band With Horns” Gets Into The Spirit Of The Holiday Season With An Album That Mixes Original Christmas Songs And Yuletide Favorites
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