Chicago II

**miamiscot** · 01-21-2016

Originally Posted by JJ88

What would people say are the best Chicago albums after the first two?

III and V

Then: VI, VII and VIII

All are terrific records but those first two...

**Trane** · 01-22-2016

Originally Posted by miamiscot

III and V

Then: VI, VII and VIII

All are terrific records but those first two...

To each is own , of course

, but I find it a bit insulting for VII to be on the same echelon as VI and VIII.

The first disc is almost like a (VG) Santana album too.

**Sean** · 01-22-2016

This^^^

**pb2015** · 01-23-2016

Originally Posted by Sean

After XI it's more pop, but with an added 80s plastic veneer. Makes the pop prior to it look pretty darn good in comparison, though the hooks were bigger in the 80s.

There's some decent pop stuff on Hot Streets through XIV, especially some surprisingly edgy Lamm songs on XIV. The "plastic veneer" comes in on 16.

**Trane** · 01-23-2016

Originally Posted by Sean

This^^^

This ^^^

**bRETT** · 01-23-2016

Originally Posted by Sturgeon's Lawyer

Yeah, Japan is the Osaka stop of their tour for the fifth album and contains several of the better songs from that album. On the other hand, the third album (which had no real "hits") has been almost entirely deleted from the setlist. .

"Free" was a real hit (#20), but they stopped playing it for a long while. Interestingly it's become their latter day encore (with "25...")

**Digital_Man** · 01-23-2016

This is the only album by Chicago my dad had. I don't know if I ever heard the whole thing from start to finish but I liked the parts I've heard. "Fancy Colours" and "so much to give so much to say" seem to be under-rated gems imo.

**pb2015** · 01-23-2016

For the curious here is Stan Kenton's suite from Chicago III recorded in 1974 (with a young Peter Erskine on drums). I read that at Kenton's advanced age it was quite difficult for him to perform this live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CosF...LAK0I_4iFfSw-3

**eporter66** · 01-23-2016

love most of the early Chicago stuff, innovated, musical, and full of awesomeness

**Rarebird** · 01-23-2016

Originally Posted by pb2015

For the curious here is Stan Kenton's suite from Chicago III recorded in 1974 (with a young Peter Erskine on drums). I read that at Kenton's advanced age it was quite difficult for him to perform this live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CosF...LAK0I_4iFfSw-3

Alas not available.