CHICAGO — Chicago at Carnegie Hall: Volumes I, II, III, & IV (review)

CHICAGO — Chicago at Carnegie Hall: Volumes I, II, III, & IV album cover Live album · 1971 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
Also known as Chicago 4, this is not a double studio album, but 'would you believe it) a quadruple live album that came in, a luxurious boxset including a superb booklet and a few poster, including a 3-D plan of the Carnegie venue. This awesome package (not that expensive either back then) was simply unsurpassed during the 70's, the only downside being the overly-simple bland artwork.

It is a little dismaying to see that most of the first two discs is entirely keyboardist Lamm's composition, and if in the last two discs, the selection is slightly more even, the lion's share is still Lamm's. All three studio albums prior to this Live release are well equally-well represented and we're getting almost systematically the best tracks of each, something rather rare, even back then. Naturally you have to wait until the last of the eight flipsides to reach the two exhilarating numbers of 25 or 6 to 4 or the cover of Spencer Davis Group's classic I'm A Man. A very fitting résumé of what happened over their three studio albums; this might the only thing you need from Chicago if you're only a casual fan. Although Chicago future output will lessen in terms of sheer mass/release, the quality will also be slightly affected as 5, 6, 7; and 8 will all have their moments, but will gradually dilute their musical propos amidst a sea of AOR.

This album has been released in Mini Lp form and can also serve as an excellent intro to the band's oeuvre.

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