Chicago At Carnegie Hall -- Volumes I, II, III, And IV

(a.k.a. Chicago IV)

PAGE INITIATED:  SEPTEMBER 3, 2005.

LAST UPDATED:  SEPTEMBER 3, 2005!

Chicago At Carnegie Hall -- Volumes I, II, III, And IV (a.k.a. Chicago IV)

Originally released as Columbia C4X 30865 in October, 1971.
Peak Hot 200 Album chart position:  #3.
Reissued as Chicago Records 3004 in 1995.
New remastered 4-CD edition reissued as Rhino R2 76174 on August 23, 2005.

Produced by James William Guercio for Poseidon Productions.
Engineered by Don Puluse, Bud Graham, Hank Altman, Aaron Baron and Larry Dahlstrom.
Recorded by Location Recorders at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, April 5-10, 1971.
Mixed at CBS Studios, New York, NY.

Art Direction by Virginia Team and by John Berg.  Cover logo by Nicholas Fasciano.
Handwriting by Beverly Scott.
Photos by Fred Lombardi and Allen Goldblatt.
Carnegie Hall Drawing by Fuding Cheng.
Carnegie Hall Photo by Brown Brothers.
Poster Design by Ron Coro.
Poster Photo by Frank Laffitte.

THE BAND
Robert Lamm -- Keyboard and lead vocals
Terry Kath -- Guitar and lead vocals
Peter Cetera -- Bass and lead vocals
Daniel Seraphine -- Drums and percussion
Lee Loughnane -- Trumpet, percussion and background vocals; guitar on "Flight 602" and "Where Do We Go From Here?"
James Pankow -- Trombone and percussion
Walter Parazaider -- Woodwinds, percussion and background vocals

REVIEWER'S NOTES

You've already read a good portion of the back story as to how this record came to fruition.  Now I'll go into more detail about this great American classic album.

Chicago IV was a testament to the expanding importance of rock and roll in American culture.  Just as British invasion bands took over television variety shows and the airwaves in the 1960s, a rock band selling out an entire week of concerts at a classic venue such as Carnegie Hall was unprecedented!  Columbia had severe doubts about the viability of a 4-LP box set recounting this amazing first, despite three very popular 2-LP studio albums, but relented after JWG and the band voluntarily reduced their royalty payments.

The rest is rock and roll history!

This album has (and, IMHO, will continue to) stand the test of time and the ever-changing tides and tastes (and even those infamous 'open mouth, insert both feet, echo internationally, and alienate the record-buying public' RIAA presidents) of the music industry.

DID YOU KNOW...?

... that the original box set sticker called this album "The Complete Works"?   It just about was, too!

"4-Record Set/Very Special Low Price ... Also Included/2 Giant Wall Posters/1 Colossal Wall Poster/1 Full Color 20-Page Photo Album. ... The Complete Works"

... that Scott Muny has introduced Chicago to the audience at every major concert from Carnegie Hall on?

... that this remaster was originally due out AUGUST 20, 2002?  Three years late, but well worth the wait!

MY TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEW

For full details about the songs and vocalists, see the first three discography pages.

CD 1
LP SIDE 1
"Good Evening.  Success ... Success speaks for itself!  And I'm Scott Muny and I'm humbled to be on stage opening night at Carnegie Hall with Chicago!"

01) In The Country (Terry Kath) -- 10:34

02) Fancy Colours (Robert Lamm) -- 5:16

03) Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (Free Form Intro) (Robert Lamm) -- 6:22

A nice instrumental styling by Robert with the band joining in. (See remaster CD 4 for the first try at this!)

LP SIDE 2
04) Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (Robert Lamm) -- 3:26

05) South California Purples (Robert Lamm) -- 15:35

06) Questions 67 & 68 (Robert Lamm) -- 5:36

LP SIDE 3
07) Sing A Mean Tune Kid (Robert Lamm) -- 12:54

08) Beginnings (Robert Lamm) -- 6:29

CD 2
LP SIDE 4
01) It Better End Soon -- 1st Movement (Robert Lamm) -- 2:55

02) It Better End Soon -- 2nd Movement (Flute Solo) (Walter Parazaider-Robert Lamm) -- 5:01

03) It Better End Soon -- 3rd Movement (Guitar Solo) (Terry Kath-Robert Lamm) -- 2:43

04) It Better End Soon -- 4th Movement (Preach) (Robert Lamm-Terry Kath) -- 3:09

05) It Better End Soon -- 5th Movement (Robert Lamm) -- 2:09

LP SIDE 5
06) Introudction (Terry Kath) -- 7:11

07) Mother (Robert Lamm) -- 8:21

08) Lowdown (Peter Cetera-Daniel Seraphine) -- 3:59

LP SIDE 6
09) Flight 602 (Robert Lamm) -- 3:33

10) Motorboat To Mars (Daniel Seraphine) -- 3:00
(INSTRUMENTAL)

11) Free (Robert Lamm) -- 5:05

12) Where Do We Go From Here? (Peter Cetera) -- 4:08

13) I Don't Want Your Money (Terry Kath-Robert Lamm) -- 5:24

CD 3
LP SIDE 7
01) Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home (Robert Lamm) -- 7:57
(INSTRUMENTAL, with vocal effects by Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera)

(Tracks 2-8 -- BALLET FOR A GIRL IN BUCHANNON (James Pankow) )
("Ballet For A Girl In Buck Cannon!" -- Terry Kath)

02) Make Me Smile -- 3:31

03) So Much To Say, So Much To Give -- 1:00

04) Anxiety's Moment -- 1:09
(INSTRUMENTAL)

05) West Virginia Fantasies -- 1:31
(INSTRUMENTAL with a nice chant added just for this concert! :-) )

06) Colour My World -- 3:27

07) To Be Free -- 1:22
(INSTRUMENTAL)

08) Now More Than Ever -- 3:25

LP SIDE 8
09) A Song For Richard And His Friends (Robert Lamm) -- 6:59
(Lead Vocals:  Robert Lamm)

10) 25 Or 6 To 4 (Robert Lamm) -- 6:35

11) I'm A Man (Steve Winwood-James Miller) -- 8:52

CD 4 -- BONUS TRACKS ON 2005 REMASTER
All selections on this disc recorded at Carnegie Hall on the date indicated, and previously unreleased.
Dates listed are from Jeff Magid's liner notes in the remastered edition.

General comments on the bonus tracks:  The sound quality on these tracks was so much better that what appeared originally, I'm surprised (and I'm sure a lot of other long-time fans would be surprised) that they didn't make the cut back in '71!  The sonics are superb, the performances sizzle (especially Terry Kath's solos), and this disc stands as a further testament to the chemistry of these seven musicians and their producer, and these performances are just as powerful heard today as they were 34 years ago.

"Welcome to Carnegie Hall!  Tonight, we invite you to enjoy an evening with Chicago!" -- Scott Muny (April 6, 1971)

01) Listen (Robert Lamm) -- 4:15
Recorded April 6, 1971.
How did they miss including this one?

02) Introduction (Terry Kath) -- 6:37
Recorded April 6, 1971.
A great alternate take from the second night.  The version that made the original set was recorded April 10.

03) South California Purples (Robert Lamm) -- 12:42
Recorded April 5, 1971.
An alternate take from opening night, and Terry, Peter, and the horns blow the audience away.

04) Loneliness Is Just A Word (Robert Lamm) -- 2:45
Recorded April 8, 1971.
Another lost gem; Terry couldn't remember all the words, which is why this one probably got cut.  The instrumentalists are in top form, though.

05) Free Form Intro (Naseltones) (Robert Lamm) -- 5:58
Recorded April 9, 1971.
The first try at recording this, written during a 1:00 pm sound check at Carnegie Hall (according to Terry Kath).  The version of Free Form Intro that made the original set was recorded April 10, the final show of the run.

06) Sing A Mean Tune Kid (Robert Lamm) -- 10:51
Recorded April 8, 1971.
An awesome alternate take, and a great showcase for Peter and Walter.  (No spoken intro, unlike the version that made the original release.)

07) AN HOUR IN THE SHOWER (Terry Kath) -- 6:00 (All 5 movements in 1 track)
A Hard Risin' Morning Without Breakfast/Off To Work/Fallin' Out/Dreamin' Home/Morning Blues Again
Recorded April 8, 1971.
Another lost gem; we finally get to hear Terry perform this suite live.

08) 25 Or 6 To 4 (Robert Lamm) -- 6:21
Recorded April 6, 1971.
This alternate take from the second night shows why Terry Kath was the absolute best at what he did, not that the April 10 version didn't, but this one had more fire.