Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (1969)

Dan:

I picked this album up as a result of a Down Beat story about a rock band that featured jazz charts and a horn section. Originally called the Chicago Transit Authority, the name was shortened to Chicago after the real transit agency protested. It was considered cool to name bands after cities and/or organizations. Remember Pacific Gas & Electric from the same era? How about the Miami Sound Machine from a much later era? 

The eponymous first album was a sprawling, 2-LP set, a pattern copied for Chicago II and later releases. I thought it was odd that a rock band with this format would become so popular. After the first two albums the jazz subsided, and Chicago became one of the best mainstream rock bands of all time. 

CTA kicks off with "Introduction." If not the most inspiring song title, it gives each member of the band a chance to be heard in a clever arrangement. It's not unlike a jazz band leader like Duke Ellington or Toshiko Akiyoshi calling out the soloists by name after a tune ends. 

I've never tried hard enough to distinguish between the three vocalists: keyboardist Robert Lamm, guitarist Terry Kath, and bassist Pete Cetera, who all sing great. Lamm, Kath, and brass player James Pankow are the chief songwriters. In my experience, it's rare to find a septet that shares vocal and songwriting responsibilities so equally. Somehow, they produce song after song that address a range of themes using a variety of instrumental arrangements that distinguish the band from any other. It's the perfect storm of virtuosity, arranging, lyrics, and mixture of pop and jazz sensibilities.

The three tracks on Side 3 of the LP set offer a contrast to the more conventionally programmed Sides 1 and 2. Before I learned to appreciate all the songs, my favorite track was "South California Purples," with its repeated riff and soulful vocal. It follows the guitar showcase "Free Form Guitar" (obviously a tribute to Jimi Hendrix) and precedes Steve Winwood's "I'm a Man" (one of the band's rare covers). 

Side 4 diverges even further away from popular convention. "Prologue" contains recordings taken during the protests at the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago (the city) in August 1968. "The whole world is watching" was chanted by anti-war demonstrators, and the recording is used as a prelude to "Someday" and the longer "Liberation" that closes the album. As previous posts in this blog mention, the U.S. military engagement in Vietnam was deeply divisive and fueled early progressive rock. The war weighed on the minds and sickened the hearts of my entire generation. To Chicago's (the band) credit, they confronted the controversy directly on CTA. They revisited social justice issues on Chicago II. 

As a jazz lover, I am impressed with the arranging and playing of the jazzier elements on display on CTA. This is not an awkward attempt at "fusion" or an affectation without substance. These cats could play con brio! My only regret is that they abandoned much of the jazz spirit after Chicago II. But I never begrudge a band's success, as measured by record sales. I know I'm not the target market for big record companies, and I don't plan to be anytime soon. 

Steve:

A common joke amongst music fans is that you can tell the quality of a Chicago album by how low its number is. Thus, Chicago III is de facto better than Chicago VII, and so on, and once you get into Chicago Double-Digits, watch out. My own take is that I own and enjoy to some degree all the albums through Chicago 13 (no Roman numeral for that title, I wonder why?). Most die-hards usually jump ship after Chicago XI, the last one to feature Terry Kath. I can sympathize with this point of view, as Terry was not only the band's best singer, but also one of the finest guitar players of his generation. And the proof of that is on display all across Chicago Transit Authority, the band's first album. 

Growing up, I have more memories of hearing Chicago II around the house, but I remember this one in Dan's collection as well. Funny enough, my earliest memory of this album involved my friend Tim asking me if we had a Chicago album in the house, so I pulled this one out, and he immediately pointed out the drummer photo in the gatefold, claiming that Daniel Seraphine was one of his schoolteachers. I believed him (why would he lie?) until later when I realized that at the time, he was still a full-time member of Chicago. Why would the drummer of one of the most successful bands around decide to teach junior high math classes in a Miami public school? I'm still puzzled by this. It was like the time my other friend (I had two!) Kris told me that "Open Arms" by Journey was co-written by a classmate of his, who had won a lyric-writing contest held by the band. I believed him, of course. I'm starting to think both of my friends took me for a world-class buffoon.

I don't have much else to add about Chicago Transit Authority, except to say that their first few albums (Chicago III being my personal favorite) are brimming with adventure and excitement, and benefit greatly from multiple singers/songwriters to keep things fresh -- like the Moody Blues had. Reportedly, the band held auditions for the singer of each song, regardless who wrote it - so Peter Cetera could sing a Kath song, Lamm could sing a Pankow song, Kath could sing a Lamm song, and so on. To me that demonstrates how democratic the band was, truly working together and pooling their considerable talents to find the best possible combination for maximum success.