I was in Tower Records yesterday and I was checking out the box sets.I was surprised to see that the band Chicago has a new box set that just came out in July.It's a 5-disc set that includes a bonus DVD featuring footage from a 1972 concert.All the hits are accounted for ("Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?",Saturday In The Park","If You Leave Me Now","Hard To Say I'm Sorry",etc) and there are a ton of key album tracks.Contains three previously unreleased songs.I didn't buy it yet,but it is definitely on my Christmas list...lol

The band Chicago?

:O

gooeythehamster said:

Did you think I was talking about the movie?

DavidEye said:

Wouldn't have put it past you...



Chicago... LoL
Toto.

gooeythehamster said:

Toto is cool too..."Georgie Porgy"


What's your favorite Chicago song?

DavidEye said:

LoL

Geek.

gooeythehamster said:

What's wrong with Toto? They had some killer songs...

"Hold The Line" (1978)
"Georgie Porgy" (1978)
"Rosanna" (1982)

And they were the backing musicians on Boz Scagg's landmark 1976 masterpiece 'Silk Degrees'

Uhm. MotR never went well together with Gooey.

I love camp, but not camp that takes itself seriously.

MJ session musicians...

I am, of course, teasing you a bit, you camp lover.

DavidEye said:

Its a good set ,but not essential if you already have their remasters.In fact if I didnt own any Chicago, I would buy "Chicago Transit Authority" (1st album),"Chicago"
(2nd),"Chicago III", and "Chicago V" before i bought this set.

aaahhh, not chicago !!! no no , not a box set !!! keep me away from all record shops pls !!!

just a wee joke , i aint in2 chicago sorry peeps

Folks need to be hip to Chicago's 70s albums. Chicago Transit Authority through Chicago XI are essential. There was nothing cheesy or "MOR" about them back in the day.

fuckin incrdible Horn section,1st III albums are crucial to have without question.

MrTation said:

Yeah,I think I will eventually get the individual albums,most of which have been remastered by Rhino with bonus tracks.But I can't resist the box set.And it comes with an exclusive DVD

Yeah, that's what I want, is that DVD. Along with 1972 concert clips, it also features this rare TV promotion stuff they did for their 1979 album "13". It's supposedly really funny.

Supernova said:

Supernova said:

I feel embarassed to admit this,but currently,I own only *ONE* CD by Chicago,and it's a greatest hits set.So,I've decided to treat myself to the box set.For me,it'll be like taking a class on the music of Chicago.Then,I plan to go back and get the individual albums,after I've been "schooled" on the genuis of this band...lol...for anyone who's interested,here is the full tracklist for the box set...


DISC ONE---
"Introduction"
"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (special edit)"
"Beginnings (special edit)"
"Questions 67 and 68"
"Listen"
"South California Purples"
"I'm A Man (special edit)"
"Movin' In"
"Wake Up Sunshine"
"Make Me Smile/So Much To Say,So Much To Give/Anxiety's Moment/West Virginia/Fantasies"
"Colour My World"
"To Be Free/Now More Than Ever"
"Fancy Colours"
"25 or 6 To 4"
"Poem For The People"
"It Better End Soon/1st Movement/3rd Movement/4th Movement (special edit)"

DISC TWO---
"Loneliness Is Just A Word"
"Travel Suite (Excerpts):Flight 602/Free"
"Mother"
"Lowdown"
"An Hour In The Shower: Hard Rising
Morning Without Breakfast/Off To Work/Falling Out/Dre..."
"A Hit By Varese"
"All Is Well"
"Saturday In The Park"
"Dialogue (Part One and Part Two)"
"Just You N' Me"
"Something In This City Changes People"
"In Terms Of Two"
"Feelin' Stronger Everyday"
"Searchin' So Long (I've Been)"
"Mongonucleous"
"Wishing You Were Here"
"Call On Me"
"Happy Man (special edit)"


DISC THREE---
"Harry Truman"
"Old Days"
"Brand New Love Affair (Part 1 and 2)"
"Never Been In Love Before"
"You Are On My Mind"
"Mama Mama"
"Hope For Love"
"Another Rainy Day In New York City"
"Gently I'll Wake You"
"If You Leave Me Now"
"Mississippi Delta City Blues"
"Baby,What A Big Surprise"
"Take Me Back To Chicago"
"Prelude (Little One)/Little One"
"Gone Long Gone"
"No Tell Lover (single version)"
"Alive Again (single version)"
"The Greatest Love On Earth"
"Little Miss Lovin"
"Hot Streets"


DISC FOUR---
"Street Player (single version)"
"Must Have Been Crazy"
"Manipulation"
"Thunder And Lightning"
"Song For You"
"The American Dream"
"Love Me Tomorrow"
"Chains"
"What You're Missing (single version)"
"Hard To Say I'm Sorry/Get Away"
"Stay The Night"
"We Can Stop The Hurtin'"
"Hard Habit To Break"
"Along Comes A Woman (single version)"
"You're The Inspiration"
"Good For Nothing"
"If She Would Have Been Faithful"
"Forever"
"Will You Still Love Me? (single version)"
"Niagara Falls"

DISC FIVE---
"Heart In Pieces"
"Look Away"
"What Kind Of Man Would I Be?"
"I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love"
"We Can Last Forever"
"You're Not Alone (single version)"
"Hearts In Trouble (single version)"
"Only Time Can Heal The Wounded"
"You Come To My Senses"
"God Save The Queen"
"Chasin' The Wind"
"All The Years (previously unreleased)"
"Stone Of Sisyphus (previously unreleased)"
"Bigger Than Elvis (previously unreleased)"
"Caravan"
"Here In My Heart"
"The Only One"
"All Roads Lead To You"
"Show Me A Sign"

Supernova said:

You have a point.My favorite Chicago song is "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is",one of their earliest hits,from 1969.But,I'd be lying if I said I didn't like some of their 80s hits,particularly the songs "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" (1982) and "Hard Habit To Break" (1984).


btw,on the greatest hits CD that I have,the song "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" segues into a lame rock track called "Get Away".I notice it's the same way on the box set,too.Wassup with that? A beautiful song like "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" should NOT be connected to any song;it should stand alone on it's own.I know these guys love medleys,but c'mon

Hard to Say I'm Sorry and Get Away have always gone together hand in hand, even when it was originally issued on their album "16". I personally really like the "Get Away" part of it, it's pretty dated but the horns are really blazin', it's kind of funky.

Most of the adult contemporary stations that play that song, though, phase out at the end of "Hard to Say..." before "Get Away" comes on.

Finess said:

Nearly all of their albums have been remastered,with bonus tracks.The Chicago VI album includes a killer bonus track...Al Green and Chicago performing a rendition of his hit "Tired Of Being Alone"! After I get the box set,I'm gonna go back and get each album,one by one.

hell yeah, re: get away. hard to say i'm sorry ain't complete without it. i dont' even consider it a separate song, rather the coda to hard to say i'm sorry.

but anyway ... what the hell are all those "special edits" i see on that list? i really, really hope "beginnings" isn't chopped all to hell. I don't buy box sets to get the short versions of the songs...

smokeverbs said:

You know,that really pisses me off,too! Why do they have to use "special edits" on a multi-disc box set?! 5 CDs should be enough room where they could include the full-length album versions.I'll still get it though.I just hope the edits don't ruin the songs.

DavidEye said:

"Does Anybody Really Know..." has the piano intro removed.
"Beginnings" fades early
"Im A Man" edits the percussion solo(middle section)
'It better End Soon" 2nd movement removed
"Happy Man" false start removed

These edits were mostly previously released on the 2-disc "Very Best Of" comp.My guess they wanted to fit more songs on the box .I still think you would be better off with the album remasters . In fact ,If youre DVD 5.1 ready, pick up the DVD Audio editions of "Chicago" (two)
and "Chicago V".They sound incredible.

I have the double cd greatest hits, plus about 4 or 5 of their remastered albums. Still, I plan on getting more 70s remasters, but I doubt I'll ever get the box set.

Supernova said:

Where did they "fall off" in your opinion?I know it was
sometime in the 80s?Ive bought CTA thru Chicago V so far...

I wonder why there is no ChicagoIV rerelease.

MrTation said:

Lemme, see...that's sort of hard to say because I haven't stopped buying the '70s remasters yet. The ones I have so far are:

Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
Chicago V
Chicago VI
Chicago VII
and
Chicago - The Very Best Of: Only The Beginning

I plan to keep buying until I get to the era when Peter Cetera was lead singer on all their songs (or at least all their singles), or maybe just until I get fed up. It's not that I dislike Cetera, it just seems that once he was the sole face and voice of the group they became so much more like Adult Contemporary. I liked it better when they used about three or four different lead singers - and it was always a smooth transition. I really have a feeling the death of Terry Kath was the artistic death knell for Chicago. When they lost him they lost a big part of their edge. Somewhere along the way they stopped being experimental, bluesy, jazzy, they stopped writing music that showcased their chops as a unit.

But having said all that, I still dig "If You Leave Me Now", and "Colour My World."
`
[This message was edited Wed Oct 15 19:14:28 PDT 2003 by Supernova]

MrTation said:

Thanks for the info.I already ordered the box set on-line,but I'm still gonna go back and get the individual CDs.Can't wait to discover all this music!

DavidEye said:

They're GOOD!!!

Supernova said:

Hey SuperNova,do you like any of their 80s songs? Be honest

I love "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "Hard Habit To Break".