tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post113250917834069389..comments2024-03-19T17:27:50.248-05:00Comments on The Review Revue: Chicago XI (1977)Perplexiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-14942801265951718572007-10-18T17:33:00.000-05:002007-10-18T17:33:00.000-05:00I cannot stress how much I truly love this album. ...I cannot stress how much I truly love this album. In my opinion, the only Chicago album better than it is Chicago V, and V is perfect. Yes, this may be heresy, but I like Chicago XI better than II, VII, or CTA.<BR/><BR/>One of the things that makes this album so great is what I like to refer to as "The Magnificent Three", or "The Dynamic Trio", or something like that. Three songs on here that are some of my favorite Chicago songs of all time. In chronological order they are: Mississippi Delta City Blues, Vote For Me, and Takin' It On Uptown.<BR/><BR/>Even the Cetera ballad isn't bad. Yes, I kind of like Baby What A Big Surprise.<BR/><BR/>And of course there's the Danny Seraphine-David Wolinski team with Take Me Back To Chicago, and Little One, some of the best, and saddest songs on the album.<BR/><BR/>This album is big relief over the mediocrity that was Chicago VIII and Chicago X. Yeah, they had their "Old Days-es", they're "Scrapbook-s", their "Ain't It Blue-s", their "Once Or Twice-s", but Chicago XI is filled with songs of that calibre, whereas VIII and X had just a taste of those.<BR/><BR/>My only problem with Chicago XI isn't due at all to the music, it's the sloppy packaging of the Rhino re-master. The cover behind the CD is just the police chase picture on the inside of the XI LP, that wasn't scaled to fit CD case size, so they just put two big white bars on the top and bottom. I mean, come on, X was put together better!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-3709501152866407352007-04-01T15:48:00.000-05:002007-04-01T15:48:00.000-05:00No guys, I disagree with you, Chicago XI isn't a g...No guys, I disagree with you, Chicago XI isn't a great album....<BR/>Yes, it probably work better than X but isn't so good.<BR/>"Mississippi ......" is much better live (and on V remastered) and "Takin' it on Uptown" isn't Terry's best composition, it's good but not wonderful.<BR/>Anyway Peter's "Baby, What a Big Surprise" is a gem so as, the usually forgotten, "Take me Back To Chicago".<BR/>I always remember it as "The last album with Terry"....a guitar genius, a wonderful musician..........nobody could replace him...............<BR/>You'll never known you're my master!M. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04442780583390053188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-1140371331737668392006-02-19T11:48:00.000-06:002006-02-19T11:48:00.000-06:00Chicago XI will always remain one of my favorite C...Chicago XI will always remain one of my favorite Chicago albums. There were a handful of Chicago albums which seemed heavily focused on one or two band members. XI seemed like a true group effort-- especially with both Lee & Jimmy contributing lead vocals. It's one of those albums where it seemed everyone in the band got their chance to shine-- which is one of the reasons I so thoroughly enjoy it.Perplexiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09971805688658949769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-1140321993724249682006-02-18T22:06:00.000-06:002006-02-18T22:06:00.000-06:00Quote:The Inner Struggles of A Man- The orchestrat...Quote:<BR/>The Inner Struggles of A Man- The orchestration on this piece provides a beautiful segue from the more upbeat This Time to the more somber Little One. It's a very beautiful piece and it sounds like it could be used for a film.<BR/><BR/>Actually, it was. My mother was watching some cheesy sci-fi movie with Angie Dickinson (aliens wanting to abduct her for some reason), & in the background came the swells of Inner Struggles Of A Man. I was pretty amazed & then remembered that Dominic Frontiere (sp) was credited as writer/co-writer of the piece. He was very active in TV scoring in the '60s & '70s (the theme for The Flying Nun is the only thing that comes to mind right now). I don't know if the movie or the Chicago album came first & don't remember the title of the movie, either. Sorry 'bout that!<BR/><BR/>VII is still my favorite Chi album. When VIII was released, it was Huh? What happened? Now I like it just fine, but it would have been more at home following VI instead of the jazz & latin influenced VII. X was ok, (at least it had Once Or Twice to open the album), but to me, XI was a sign the band was going back to their original mission of being a rock band with horns (even with BWABS on there). <BR/><BR/>Who knows what would have happened except for one tragic night?<BR/><BR/>Nice review, D!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982453.post-1140236565541347822006-02-17T22:22:00.000-06:002006-02-17T22:22:00.000-06:00I like this one. The tracks are so much better tha...I like this one. The tracks are so much better than those on X, even though the horn players can't really sing. This is the high point of the Seraphine-Wolinski songwriting partnership as well. And I really, really love the remaster!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com