Chicago

The best of Chicago 40th aniversary is a very good compilation of Chicago's hits. However some of the songs have been severly butchered namely Questions 67 & 68 and Beginnings up to some 50%. I's rather have them leave one song out instead of cutting two songs in half. But all in all it's a nice compilation for on the road.

I have been wanting a compilation of the Chicago music I enjoyed listening to in the 70's, and this CD was exactly what I was hoping for. I certainly got my money's worth!

I don't know what's going on with Rhino Records producers. This compilation of Chicago "best" hits is full of SINGLE versions of the songs! It also misses some other great Chicago Hits, maybe not so broadly aired as "Wish You Were Here", "25 Or 6 To 4", or "Love Me Tomorrow"... I mean, for example "Song For You" from 'Chicago XIV' album (fingerprint cover) are always excluded from these compilations!

Don't worry, "Best Of" serious collector: This Chicago's 40th Anniversary Best compilation... Just forget about it! You won't find the real "Best Of" this great band in it!

Get me wrong I love Chicago,but to release another best of 2 cd collection is a bit overkill!!! Heck, Rhinos 2002 2 cd Only The Beginning collection was heck a lot better with fuller versions of the songs,the ones here are the butchered single versions,Robert Lamm's got affected the worst!!! Who wants' to hear Beginnings(it really was only the Beginning in that case) with a running time less than 3 minutes long,kinda reminds me of what the did with Iron Butterflys In A Gadda...!!! If you like single versions,than you might like this,for my money I'll still with 2002's Only The Beginning 2 cd set or the out of print Group Portrait 4 Cd set!!! Over and out

It sounded like it had been recorded from an old CD. I love Chicago and this sounded like it was 40 years old.

Bought this product for my grandchild to introduce him to classical music. It was perfect. Thanks

Overall an excellent collection of classical favorites and for $3.99 its a steal, but strangely there is not a single Beethoven composition in the CD.

This turned out to be the right pace and type of classical music that I was looking for. (I like and appreciate classical music but can't stand, nor understand, a lonesome violin screeching away for 55 minutes).
I think this set is a great gift and/or as an introduction to classical music especially to younger audiences.
As for the sound quality - it sounds like...well..a regular "Digital Audio" CD. Nothing to write home about. Its not the audiophool quality recording you might be looking for. Some tracks are recorded better than others. But if you think MP3 sounds freakin' awesome, don't worry about what I said about sound quality.

The CD was well represented by the clips on the Amazon website and came in time for our event. We did have a problem with the charge but that was taken care of promptly. Great service.

It is an excellent collection of classical music. I would recommend this CD if you have a friend who don't like classical music, since it has the most beautiful overtures and portions of famous artists. If you are a Classic Music Savvy you probably will not be impressed by it, unless you want to play the CD as background music in a friends gathering.

Listen to this and you will understand how powerfully creative rock music was in its true heyday. Anything was possible, and this record is one of the best examples of the combination of artistry, musicianship and, of course, commercial potential. Unfortunately the latter ultimately was pursued to its fullest by this group, but that says as much about the changing landscape as it does about the direction they took. Here -- and in subsequent albums up to "Live at Carnegie Hall" -- they went for it lock, stock and the smoking axe of one Terry Kath. Three lead singers, a bunch of virtuoso players, a great band. And the drummer was a monster, always a prerequisite.

I don't know if Chicago has a transit authority or if the band that became Chicago borrowed that name from the organization, but I know what this group meant when it first arrived in 1969 -- a new voice for Chicago, which many of its fans had subsitituted a swastika for the "hi" in the city's name a year earlier during the events of August 1968.

No reviewer here has commented on track 10, Prologue, August 29, 1968, which is an actual slice of real speech given that night before a march at the Democratic National Convention in the city. The 10,000 Vietnam war protesters in town that week regularly tangled with a 30,000-strong of the city's police force, National Guard and Army troops stationed there to quell any disturbance. This track is a piece of that history, now apparently forgotten by Chicago fans. That history led to repression and bloodshed in the streets of the city that was apparent to anyone watching the convention on television. Thus the slogan, "The whole world watches!"

As others around here have noted, the music on this album is magnificent, a then-new combination of big band, jazz-infused rock. All it lacked was a tenor lead singer, which the band picked up by its seocnd album. It's hard to believe in the digital era that this once took two two full price 12-inch LPs to convey, with the second LP containing the group's messaging about what happened at the Democratic National Convention the summer before. Coming two years before the much more well-known killings at Kent State Univeristy in 1970, this was the linchpin event that helped historians decide 1968 -- the same year presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther Kind were assassinated -- was the beginning of the second American revolution.

What does this have to do with Chicago and CTA? A lot. This was the backdrop for the group's original album you're considering buying now. In the days following release of this music, and before the group shortened its name and went completely commercial with its more popular and better-selling second album, Chicago Transit Authority and a lesser local group named Illinois Speed Press went around the country playing these songs and embellishing on the events of August 1968 that established Chicago as the American 1968 equivalent of Nazi Germany's Munich.

None of this apparently survives any longer and all we are left with is the music and memories of a great group now so mangled and changed that its nineteenth album is hated by most of its fans. Here is a moment when we can remember what this group was about in the beginning, when it had a social message to go along with its music. That compliant about "Free Form Guitar" shows no ones remembers this album was as much about the mayhem that took place in then America's second-largest city as it was about a new form of big band rock music infused with a jass touch.

It's sad to think today this is completely lost. To relive and understand some of the history that helped create this album, read the book "No One Was Killed" (http://www.amazon.com/One-Was-Killed-Documentation-Chicago-August/dp/0966755715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218629850&sr=1-1) or watch the film "Medium Cool", (http://www.amazon.com/Medium-Cool-Christine-Bergstrom/dp/B00005QTAT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1218629967&sr=1-1), both of which deal with the events of that turbulent time in Chicago.

First albums can be tricky and they usually come in one of two forms: fully-formed or the first step to something else. Take Bruce Springsteen, one of my favorite rockers. While his first two records (Greetings from Asbury Park and The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle) are good records for what they are, you could argue that it was only with his third record, Born to Run, that Bruce arrived. That is, he got on record what all the fuss about his live shows was all about. The same holds true for David Bowie, Genesis, Peter Gabriel (solo), and other rock acts throughout the years.

In the former category, certain acts spring from the speakers fully formed. The Beatles come to mind. Hendrix of course. The Doors, the Police. The first records by these bands grab you by the collar and force you to reckon with them. This is what we are. We hope enjoy it. But if you don't, get out of the way because someone else behind you does.

This attitude is what is brimming over during the 12-song sequence that is Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Regardless of all the changes that have occurred in the past forty years, the eponymous Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) was, and still is, a force to be reckoned with. Some long-time listeners hear CTA now and lament the loss of one of the tightest bands in rock history. The seven members of Chicago, all in their early twenties, excelled at their instruments but, combined, created something greater than the sum of its parts. It created something magical. And it's all there for the listening.

When one thinks of Chicago, the one differentiator is the horn section. When the seven guys met, they had one mission: create a rock band with horns. Sure, other bands had horn sections but they were usually relegated to playing riffs in the background. Not so the trio of Walter Parazaider (saxes), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), and James Pankow (trombone). Together, they made up the fourth "voice" of Chicago, alongside Terry Kath's soulful cry, Robert Lamm's smooth-as-silk voice, and Peter Cetera's clear-as-day tenor. Together on CTA, these four voices take you on a whirlwind tour of what is possible in music. And it all starts with an introduction.

"Introduction" is my favorite Chicago song. Period. End of story. And it's the first track on side one of CTA. It's a biography song, sung by Terry Kath, that lets the listener know who Chicago is and what they are all about. This one song almost has it all (the only things missing are Lamm's and Cetera's vocals). After two verses, you get this great syncopated rhythmic bridge by the horns over Danny Seraphine's wildly improvisational drumming. After a short break, the song segues into a nice ballad with the lead "vocal" handled by Pankow and his trombone. Loughnane's trumpet picks up where Pankow ends, melodiously taking the listener through an imagined summer landscape. And, lest you think Cetera is only a good singer of ballads, just listen to his moving and melodic bass lines throughout this slow section. All of this is merely prelude to Chicago's ace in the hold: Terry Kath's frenetic guitar work. This is where words like blistering and scorching come to mind as Kath gives the listener merely a taste of what's to come on the rest of the record. The rest of the song returns to a last chorus and then, the coup de grace: all seven instruments (including keyboards) join in on a final chord. The essence of Chicago is really all there, in one song. The cool thing is Chicago gave you 11 more `bonus' tracks.

Lamm's piano skills are featured in the intro to "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", a concert staple since the 60s and one of the most fun songs Chicago has ever recorded. "Beginnings" is next, with Lamm's silky vocals hovering over Kath's 12-string guitar strumming. Beautiful as a California beach. "Questions 67 and 68" establishes Cetera's tenor as a counter to Lamm and Kath and demonstrates, again, how the horns form the fourth voice.

The twofer of "Poem 58" and "Free Form Guitar" are a one-two punch in the gut at the brilliance of Terry Kath's guitar playing. "Poem 58" is a ten-minute guitar jam surrounding a Lamm-sung love song. The background vocals of "I Do Love You" stayed in their subconscious, reemerging on the next record in "In the Country." "Free Form Guitar." What can you say about that? It's six minutes of Kath, a guitar, and amp, and noise. It's a shot over the bow at the rock world saying that Hendrix and Jimmy Page, as brilliant as they were, were not the only guitar gods out there.

"South California Purples" is a straight-ahead blues jam, here featuring Lamm's improve skills on the electric organ. After you have listened to the album version for awhile, check out the 15-minute versions on the fourth album, Chicago at Carnegie Hall. Back in 2003 when they remastered the Carnegie album, Chicago added a fourth disc of bonus material. There's a second version of "South California Purples," also clocking in close to fifteen minutes. It's a treatise on guitar soloing and band cohesiveness. Chicago's Latin-tinged cover of Traffic's "I'm a Man"--complete with a 64-measure drum solo--shows off their ability to take someone else's song and make it their own.

The track "Someday," the second-to-last song, shows off a side of Chicago that was prominent in the early days but has gone by the wayside in the years since: political commentary. Yes, the band that sings about inspiration, hard habits to break, and big surprises used to talk about bringing down the system. Don't think so? How about this quote from the liner notes of Chicago II: "With this album, we dedicate ourselves, our futures and our energies to the people of the revolution. And the revolution in all of it's forms."

"Someday" starts with a recording of the chants outside the Democratic convention in Chicago 1968. The chants--"The whole world is watching"--has its own rhythm which seamlessly blends into the opening drum beats of the song. The chanting reemerges later in the song, giving the listener the impression that Chicago the band agrees with the spirit of the black militants outside the convention hall getting beaten by the police. Some modern listeners will be sad that spirit died in Chicago. But look around. That spirit, the spirit of openness, of change, of the belief that the young really can change the world, died everywhere, not just in a band that now frequents the adult contemporary charts rather than the college music charts. The world changed, but Chicago persevered. (The chanting reemerges in the song "All the Years," on their just-released album, Stone of Sisyphus. Here in this song, Lamm mourns the loss of that late-60s spirit and the opportunities lost.)

The last track is the coup de grace of CTA. "Liberation" is a 14-minute guitar jam. And I don't use that word "jam" lightly. If Kath's guitar work throughout the album teased at his prowess, if "Poem 58" and "Free Form Guitar" was a one-two punch, "Liberation" is the knock-out blow. Just listen. You'll hear Kath going everywhere, trying different things, and Serephine's drumming, Lamm's keyboard riffs, and Cetera's fantastic bass playing going along for the ride. The horns are mostly absent from this tour de force. But that's okay. This is Kath's time to shine and boy, does he shine brightly. As the song ends and you exhale, only then realizing you were holding your breath, read the liner notes about this song and you'll find a whole new meaning of awe: This track was recorded entirely live. The performance embodied in this recording is complete and uncut.

One note on the recording itself. I don't know recording technology at all but the sound quality is such that you get the impression all seven guys were in the same room at the same time recording these songs. It's a quality that isn't there starting with Chicago II and onward and it certainly isn't there in modern music. You get the organic listening experience with CTA. It's one to cherish.

If you have one Chicago CD in your collection, don't let it be a greatest hits compilation. You can hear all of those songs on the radio. Buy Chicago Transit Authority. Buy it for the great songs, the great vocals, the soaring horn charts, the frenetic guitar work. Buy it for the spirit of the times that wrapped up seven guys and made something special.

I have attempted to write my impressions of CTA but, honestly, the liner notes of their producer, James William Guercio, do a much better job of it. I'll end with his quote:

The purpose of this commentary, however, is an attempt at documenting the complete rejection of any name label, title or verbal reference relative to the performance contained herein. Corporately as well as individually, this artist endeavors to be judged in terms of contribution alone rather than through the tag affixed upon it. The printed word can never aspire to document a truly musical experience, so if you must call them something, speak of the city where all save one were born; where all of them were schooled and bred, and where all of this incredible music went down barely noticed; call them CHICAGO.
(excerpted from http://scottdparker.blogspot.com)

this album is phenominal - except for one song if you want to call it that. i don't care if it was 1969 or 'hendrixesque' sounding, 'free form guitar' was the worst, most offensive sounding ear splitting and shattering piece of $%&*+!@ i have ever heard !!!!
Chicago should be in the hall of fame by leaps and bounds - but 'free form guitar' could easily replace waterboarding in getting terrorists or other prisoners to break and spill their guts, almost literally !!!!!!!!!!!

This is a high energy debut by Chicago (1969) that features a nice blending of "big band" type arrangements, hard rock and the (then) nascent jazz rock style. Aspects of the music that I always enjoyed were the fine vocal harmonies, the sophisticated ensemble playing and the arrangements for the brass instruments and woodwinds - these guys were exceptionally talented and forward-thinking (progressive) musicians.

All of the band members are first chair players and there was obviously some interest in at least nodding in the direction of some of the avant-garde composers of the time (Edgar Varese for example). There is also a clear indication that some of the band members were interested in the heavier, harder edged sound of groups like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which lends this music a certain..."wildness". This is brought to its fullest expression on Terry Kath's track Free Form Guitar, which consists of nothing but feedback on a heavily distorted electric guitar. At nearly seven minutes in length, I have never completely warmed up to this track, but then again I have always been a real stick in the mud.

On the other side of the equation however, are classic Chicago compositions that feature the sophisticated ensemble work that characterized the best moments of their output from 1969-1972. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, Introduction, Beginnings, Poem 58 and the lengthy closing track Liberation are all fantastic original compositions although I also enjoyed their cover of I'm a Man, which features some great bass playing by Peter Cetera (a very underrated bassist in my opinion). Unfortunately, while Danny Seraphine is an excellent drummer, I could have done without the drum solo on I'm a Man - again, I am a real stick in the mud.

This remastered version by Rhino is fantastic and really brought back some nice memories of my old (and long-gone) LP. Speaking of which, it is pretty cool that they were able to squeeze the entire "double album" onto one CD. The CD booklet is quite nice and the sound quality is very good.

In spite of my griping about the solos here and there, this is a good debut by the band. I have always considered Chicago the finest of those rock bands that blended big band type arrangements with rock (Lighthouse; Blood, Sweat and Tears etc) and this debut certainly demonstrates exactly why. Highly recommended along with Chicago (a.k.a. Chicago II) (1970), Chicago III (1971), IV (live) (1971) and V (1972).

the product quality was excellent, I would have liked to be able to listen to the content clip before buying

While reading Oliver Sack's book, Musicophilia, about the neuroscience of music illustrated through cases of neurological disability that knocked out areas of the brain involved in music perception and creation, I learned that children listening to Mozart developed specific regions of the brain and improve their mathematics scores. I decided that my 5 month old grandson's developing brain would benefit from listening to Mozart. I chose this collection of Mozart's works and was not disappointed with the quality of the music, though my grandson is now six months old and not yet doing calculus.

You get Mozart's best works in 2 CD. The sound is flawless to the common ear. Get it! if you love Mozart

I am not much into classical music.. Read about Mozart and wanted to make sure I listen to one of the all time classics.

Though I may not be qualified enough to review a classic, On a whole it was a pleasant experience for me and a good add on to my car, especially when alone.. The quality of the CD content was good too..!!

4/5

Very talented composer! I like Mozart! It would be nicer if the CD had more on Marriage of Figaro. I love opera!

I remember this being a strongly anticipated release when it came out on LP. I also remember the disappointment at the quality of the audio on side 2 (the "Ballet"). When I picked up the CD release in the 80s, sadly the quality had not been improved in the transfer. Of course, I had to give the 2002 remaster a try, in the hope that someone had taken the time to do a proper transfer from the original multitracks.

It's not bad; in fact, I do believe it's an improvement over the 80s release. But the "Ballet" still sounds as though it was taken from a copy of a copy of the original tape. The rest of the album sounds just fine; in fact, it looks like the mastering team took plenty of care with the tapes and backed off the aggressive noise reduction used in the 80s. I wish it sounded as good as the first album, but if you listen to the music you won't be disappointed with what this group created!

Incidentally, I've heard some fulsome praise for the DTS (DVD-Audio) release of this album. Don't be deceived; while the DVDA is a bit cleaner than the CD, someone got the bright idea to compress the living heck out of the dynamic range, resulting in another victim of the "loudness war". The remastered CD at least has more dynamics and (again, except for the "Ballet" which benefits from any increase in clarity) is probably your best choice.

I agree with others that this "early Chicago" is their best. Great instrumentalists (particularly Terry Kath's guitar and Danny Seraphine's drums) and very musically interesting songs with long-lined atypical (but still singable) melodic lines and song structures -- not your usual pop Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge Chorus Chorus pattern.

"25 or 6 to 4" is famous of course, and very catchy, in a more conventional mode (but with a fabulous instrumental section). "In the Country" is equally good, especially with Terry Kath's lead vocals, assisted ably by Peter Cetera. The two long suites (Better End Soon and the Wake Up Sunshine "Ballet") provide a stimulating different path from conventional "songs" at all. In that sense, some of it is almost "classical" in form.

The instrumental jams pack a lot of power, and though they have a lot of dissonance, it isn't painful to listen to.

The political "down with the system" message sounds earnest, though I wonder what ever happened to that anger as Chicago evolved into the poppy ballad-oriented band later in their career (I forget exactly when, but in Chicago V they were still pretty protest-oriented in songs like Dialogue).

Whether you agree with or care about their lyrics, though, it's the musical energy that carries this album to excellence.

This album is possibly Chicago's best ever, and that's saying quite a bit.

Chicago was unusual in that they had a horn section in addition to the usual lead, rhythm and bass guitars and percussion. Their lyrics were singable and understable, and their rhythmic and harmonic progressions were to die for.

I purchased my copy just for the "Ballet For A Girl From Buchannon" but the other tracks are well worth listening to as well.

Over the years, I've grown to appreciate much of the excellent rock and roll from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Chicago has certainly stood the test of time, and this album especially so.

I recently picked up the Rhino remaster of this amazing album and it sounds great. It's strange ... when I go back and listen to albums like 16 thru 19 (which featured some great Chicago tunes in their own right), that material sounds dated to me, yet on this masterpiece the music does not. In my opinion, side one of this record is one of the best album sides ever. I still get goosebumps sometimes listening to songs like Movin' In and The Road.

One should listen to this beginning to end without interruption. Very finely done musically, high energy, one of my favorites; certainly better than the good first album Chicago Transit Authority.

I heard this CD on a PBS pledge drive (it was a premium) and found myself loving every cut on it! I was in my car and just wanted to keep on driving and listening. This is by far my most-played CD - I've had to make it a weekend only listen to prevent getting burned out on it. HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you are unfamiliar with some of the pieces, you will quickly learn to love them. . . . I must end this review - I'm off to listen to the "flower duet" for the 100th time. . .

I'm new to opera, but this CD has really beautiful music. I use it in my CD clock radio (Timex, that I purchased here also) to go to sleep to.

21 Dec, 2007
The movements in this collection move Me as much as My very bowel. Hence, it might work for your too. Try it, you'll like it if you want to be moved to your very "soul".

Am just discoving the glory of opera. Not all opera, but the arias that make your heart soar. My husband turned away from opera because he was "overdosed" at an early age and it really spoiled his pleasure for life. He's gone now, and I'm discovering what I've missed. This is a wonderful CD and well worth having.

If one was wanting to introduce a friend to the wonderful world of opera, this would be a great cd to buy them. Also at this time when many of us are worrying about Luciano and his health , it is great to hear him featured on many of the selections. A great buy and wonderful collection.

And the company still sent me the wrong cd.The cd i received was 25 most classical favorites,so instead of returning the wrong item,i just took the lost.

I was looking for a CD of exclusively Bach music, not necessarily played by a famous artist or orchestra. This had a lot of his well-known pieces and was exactly what I was looking for.

I found this to be a nice collection of favorites, especially to keep in the car and listen to. It is a variety of well known compilations. Although not encompassing, it is perfect as a review for driving, relaxing, and enjoyment. Plus, the price is right!

My first real appreciation of this sound was from watching the film "Slaughterhouse Five" in the theater, back in the '70s. That soundtrack was just a taste of what you get with this recording. My family pops this CD in the car stereo on long trips, and glide down the highway to some original smooth grooves. Helps the miles pass swiftly. Music for the soul.

Surely you don't need me to review the guy. You know who he is, you've heard his music, and I hope you own some. So let me turn the podium over to a cat named Picasso, and you can read into that whatever you wish. She's in a chair, near the CD player. She has entered the room specifically for the music. Her eyes are squinted, almost but not quite shut, little face concentrating on just how contented those sounds make her feel. Nobody can say why they move her so, any more than we can say why they move us so. If we knew the answer to that one, we'd copy the guy. But anyway, she loves the music, and don't you dare make a sound such as squeaking your computer chair. If you do, her golden orbs will open, fix upon your face, and shame you. Yes they will. But if you are quiet long enough, you can watch a little calico sleep, with the very same sweet kitten face that drew you to her five years ago. Bach is gooooood.

This Chicago CD is a compilation of all the songs that Chiago did best. I would definately recommend this CD to anyone who is avid Chicago fan.

If you're a youngster trying to experience all of pop/rock, this set is a must. If you're an oldster--like me--buy this and then kick back on an afternoon with some friends while you barbecue and re-visit those all important teen/young adult years. (Well, for me, it would be the junior high years....) Chicago's sound was unique (though Blood, Sweat and Tears gave us something similar) and was always clean and tight. A nice package in terms of building songs, here--good lyrics, good vocals, good instrumentation/musicianship--and ya gotta love the brass.

If you're as old as dirt, like I am, you probably have all the Chicago albums you ever want or need on vinyl. That's why this is such a must have for the jewel case or digital collection. The sound is great, virtually all their hits are here. What else could you want? (OK, still having Terry Kath would be nice...)

First of all let me say I was introduced to Chicago by way of Peter Cetera. I really enjoyed every one of P.C. albums and a friend of mine told me that he had been a part of Chicago before he went solo, so this was the very first Chicago CD that I purchased.

I was fairly familiar with most of the songs (Your the Inspiration, Baby What a big Surprise, Hard to Say I'm Sorry, Saturday in the Park) having heard them on the classic rock radio station in my town. It also includes a few of their lesser known songs (at least for me). I have since purchased all 32 albums and have thoroughly enjoyed each one.

If you are not very familiar with Chicago or just want most of their best songs, this would be a wonderful introduction to a great soft rock band.

However, as other reviewers have said if have most of their albums this is not the album for you.

I will say this though even though I have all 32 albums, I still listen to this album the most.

Not if you are of my generation . . . This music and this deal are unbelievable. These songs take me back (cliqued but true, and no pun intended). Time for my generation to get nostalgic . . . we had some great music back in the good old days (can you believe WE are saying that) and time to relive the experience and accept the reality that the days when we are the "old guys" are here . . . .

If you're a long-time fan of Chicago (which I am) and you like their sound and traditional Christmas songs you will love this CD. When I saw Chicago had released a Christmas album I was hopeful it would be filled with all the classic elements fans love about Chicago - lots of great brass and vocal arrangements, a few beautiful ballads and plenty of energy and fun. It's all here in abundance!

For great ballads listen to What Child is This, O Come All Ye Faithful and Christmas Time is Here. For energy and fun, check out Let it Snow!, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. And for some just plain unbeatable Chicago arrangements listen to Winter Wonderland, Feliz Navidad, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (my personal favorite), and White Christmas.

This CD is a fixture in the Christmas music rotation at our home and even after all the years since it's initial release we're still enjoying it just as much as the first time we heard it.

I like it a lot but I like Chicago 25 better. A must for Your rock and roll Chirstmas.

I have many Xmas albums and they are all starting to sound the same. This is Xmas music with a Chicago flavor. I just got it and find myself going back to this album over and over again.

Next to my Elvis Christmas CD, this is my favorite Christmas CD. A great band performing great songs. It seems the traditional songs were written just for Chicago.

This edition, featuring 6 new songs at the time of issue, was previously issued as Chicago 25 in 1998. It wasn't a huge seller but gained steam year after year as certain tracks gained radio airplay and through word of mouth sales. In 2003, this version came out and now it's spreading holiday cheer even more than before! You will still find the original version on Amazon, but the 6 new tracks make it worth it to get this one.
I support just about every song from the original album, and you should get this record just based on how good those songs are. Here are some new thoughts:

The Good: The first Christmas album in `98 started out with Little Drummer Boy; this time that song comes in on track #4. This song set the tone the entire album before, and is the best song on the whole CD. What a great version! This time, the opener is the first of the six new songs, "Winter Wonderland." Not a bad move and not a bad version by the boys! "This Christmas" led by Jason Scheff is done very well, with a crisp sound. "Bethlehem" is an excellent song, very pretty with a great melody. Great vocals by multiple members, keeping a Chicago trademark going. "Sleigh Ride" and "Rudolph" are amazing. `Jolly Old St. Nicolas' is an original by the group; it's not bad but has a little too much guitar neat the end - this focus on guitar will probably satisfy many folks at the holiday parties who are gobbling the goodies while sipping the egg nog and having coffee chasers.

The BAD: The two tracks with the kids singing have (gladly) been pushed to the back of the track listing (Numbers 18 & 19, out of 20 songs) for this new release. Sorry kids, but these tracks have a wonderful 100% success rate of falling victim to the "next track" button on the CD player. Besides these two tracks and a slightly sub par Jolly Old St. Nicolas, this album is a wonderful holiday treat that captures the Chicago sound and warm spirit.

Overall, this is a great Christmas album. There are excellent and comprehensive liner notes, with the story behind the album and breakdowns of each song. Check out the neat retro Christmas gift tags on the inside, on the right side. The guys still have a great sense of humor after all these years.

The great Chicago band releases another great cd.It was a long time in getting released,but has some of their best material.It's different from their signature music,but once you give a listen you'll come back for more and more...I met them in woodinville in aug/08 and they played The Stone of Sisyphus during the concert(it was awesome)Backstage was a real treat getting to meet Robert Lamm,Bill champlin and James Pankow

If you like Chicago 16, 17, and 18 (one of my all-time favorites) you will also enjoy "Stone of Sisyphus." "Let's Take a Life Time" would have been a mass hit had it been released in the 80s. Don't expect anything new just great energy behind that classic Chicago pop sound.

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king punished in Tartarus by being cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again, and to repeat this throughout eternity. Today, Sisyphean can be used as an adjective meaning that an activity is unending and/or repetitive. It could also be used to refer to tasks that are pointless and unrewarding, although this album is definitely as musical task that is, indeed, rewarding and to the point!

AWESOME album. Yes it can be called an album b/c it was recorded before CD's came out. If you like Chicago, you will LOVE this album.

Chicago produced a different record this time. Musical, convincing a new point of view. This record is a demonstration of how good and versatile this band was, even without George Martin by their side.