Emily: A few years ago, my parents went to a concert co-headlined by Chicago and Earth, Wind, and Fire. I don't really know why this pairing came to be, but it's a tour that succeeded summer after summer for at least a few years and may still be continuing to this day. Besides the fact that both bands rose to prominence around the same time and now attract a similar age demographic, I can't imagine that there's a lot of fan overlap (well, besides my parents). The bands share little in common musically beyond the use of brass instruments - maybe they shared the same saxophone player, but he would need to be well-versed in different musical stylings. While EWF embodies '70s funk in a way that few bands, if any, can replicate, Chicago takes on classic rock and infuses it with jazz and experimental touches. Here, with their debut double album (back when they were still called the Chicago Transit Authority), the band ambitiously and successfully fuses rock with jazz to create smooth yet exciting pop music. Even though the songs routinely pushed the 6 minute mark (with the final track almost reaching 15 minutes), they never repeat or devolve into unnecessary jam sessions. The band found greater commercial success in the '70s and clearly continue to have fans today, but Chicago's great debut is worth a listen to discover how strongly and uniquely they started out.
Favorite Tracks: Listen; South California Purples; I'm a Man
Zack: I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I
listened to Chicago Transit Authority while outlining an article about railway
delivery by the post office from 1883-1913. I’m kidding. The article was only
partially about that, also focusing on the expansion of rural free delivery
over that time. It was really thrilling. It’s a good thing I had the smooth
stylings of Chicago (Transit Authority) to keep me calm. And this double album
proved to be just the thing I needed. The majority of this album is a work of
masterful musicianship and song crafting. Songs like Does Anybody Really Know
What Time it Is? and Beginnings are just beautiful jazz fusion jams. But then
there’s just the right balance of experimentation to keep things interesting;
Free Form Guitar is exactly what its name purports. CTA is one of those rare
double albums that are entertaining all the way through. It’s constantly engaging and hardly ever seems to repeat itself. No wonder it’s
considered a classic.
Favorite Tracks: Does Anybody Really Know What Time is Is?;
I’m a Man; South California Purples
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