Chicago 1967 - 2023


Last night, I attended a concert by the band Chicago.  I was most into them early on (1970-1975) but drifted away to other performers.  Of course, they were frequently on radio, so I know the hits.  I had never seen them live, so when they came to my town, I thought, Why not?  I’m glad I did.  They are 10 members strong now, including 3 original members.  They put on a great show — I recommend that you take them in if you like that horn sound.  I’m impressed at the exuberance and ease of movement of those older guys — I could not stand for that long now, let alone play an instrument. They played for two hours, not counting the 20 minute intermission  It was nice to see how much they love to perform after all these years. 

bob540

I saw them in '76 in KC,  I loved CTA but never cared for their move to more pop

I caught them back in 69 - 70 at the Hampton Beach Casino NH.i loved the first 3 LPs, still play them today but then I thought they got to easy listening.

@johnto, I had the same albums and agree the later stuff lost me.  I read that a new producer in the ‘80’s deemphasized the horns and had them playing more ballads.  I suppose after 50-some years and changes in personnel there would be some changes, but what made them stand out early is what made them.  The current band seems to recognize that, as a lot of what they played was from those early records. 

The Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits LP shows how great they were in creating completely palatable, accessible, unpretentious pop music that was still very musically rich and sophisticated.  
That’s not easy to do.  
I loved that stuff as a kid and still do.  
The live performance footage I’ve seen from the late-‘60s/early-‘70s is excellent.  
Their post-‘75 stuff is often loathsome, IMO.