My Best Selection of Chicago Songs (1969 - 1977)

Disclaimer: this was my personal selected best songs list from the Jazz rock genre American band "Chicago" that i ever heard of. I selected each songs based only from the era when their original guitar player, the late "Terry Kath" still alive before his tragic death on 23 January 1978, so it's between their debut album in 1969 to their 1977 album. Hope you enjoy the list!

(1969) - Chicago Transit Authority

Introduction

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is

Beginnings

Questions 67 and 68

(1970) - Chicago II

Make Me Smile

Colour My World

25 or 6 to 4

(1971) - Chicago III

Free

Flight 602

Lowdown

(1972) - Chicago V

Saturday in the Park

Dialogue, part 1 & 2

(1973) - Chicago VI

Just You 'N' Me

(1974) - Chicago VII

Call on Me

Happy Man

Woman Don't Want To Love Me

(1975) - Chicago VIII

Old Days

(1976) - Chicago X

If You Leave Me Now

(1977) - Chicago XI

Baby What a Big Surprise

Take Me Back to Chicago

My Little Words:

This band was really a great Jazz rock band, which considered the first music act did the horns accompanied with distortion effect guitar. The band called themselves "The Big Thing" in 1967, and changed their name in 1969 under name "Chicago Transit Authority", and revised their name once again in 1970 to "Chicago" to resolved the conflict with the real Chicago Transit Authority.

These albums and list of songs above that i shown has the most original with the band's original lineup performance, every songs have their own story started from "Introduction" as their first song to explained who's the band itself, until the mysterious but relevant "Take Me  Back To Chicago", because the song was their last hit and brought the message about depression that become relevant with their original guitar player's unhappiness with the band and his sudden death as i told before, that made them almost broke up, but the band revived in 1978 with the new guitar player, and in the 1980's the band partnered with David Foster to arranged the songs for them.

Private Eyes

Details:

Band: Daryl Hall & John Oates

Genre: Pop Rock, Blue Eyed Soul

Title: Private Eyes

Release Year: 1981

Label: RCA Records

Country: United States of America

Album category: Studio album

Original tracklist:

1. Private Eyes

2. Looking For A Good Sign

3. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

4. Mano a Mano

5. Did it in a Minute

6. Head Above Water

7. Tell Me What You Want

8. Friday Let Me Down

9. Unguarded Minute

10. Your Imagination

11. Some Men

My Little Words:

Daryl Hall & John Oates was the American band duo, started their debut album in 1972 as they performed as the Philly Soul music act, then began to sang Pop Rock music since 1979, and for now on, i would show you the most inspirational album from the band, yes it's  "Private Eyes".

This album, shows you a variety of pop rock and blue eyed soul music, most of them really would make you dance or sing along, but the most danceable song you maybe forgotten and i recommend you to heard it again was their hit song from the album, titled "I Can Go For That (No Can Do). Yes, you would know how good the song is from the way Daryl Hall sang this song, how he plays the synthsizer, and also how John Oates supports the backing vocal. Hope you could enjoyed this album, one of the great early 80's album.

Please Please Me

 

Details:

Band: The Beatles

Genre: British Pop, Merseybeat

Title: Please Please Me

Release Year: 1963

Label: Parlophone Records

Country: United Kingdom

Album category: Studio Album

Original Tracklist

1. I Saw Her Standing There

2. Misery

3. Anna (Go To Him)

4. Chains

5. Boys

6. Ask Me Why

7. Please Please Me

8. Love Me Do

9. P.S. I Love You

10. Baby It's You

11. Do You Want To Know A Secret

12. A Taste of Honey

13. There's A Place

14. Twist and Shout

My Little Words:

"The Beatles" was the band from Liverpool, United Kingdom, and as you know they're really made a British invasion to United States of America, since their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, and as you know, the band become the key of "Beatlemania hysteria" phenomenon, the iconic situation between their golden era, 1963 to 1966, the act of girls fans screaming and saying the band's name loudly.

This album was their debut, my most favourite album, and maybe so do you. The band really mixed between Rock & Roll, and ballad in the enjoyable and fantastic way. You would feel the creative creations from John Lennon - Paul McCartney songwriting and arrangement. For short, this album was so worthy to become the collection for early 60's lover and the band itself, always would be remembered as the most inspirational band in the world.

Mamas and Papas / Soul Train

Details:

Band: Classics IV Featuring Dennis Yost

Genre: Classic Rock, Soft Rock, Blue Eyed Soul

Title: Soul Train / Mamas & Papas

Release Year: 1968

Label: Imperial Records

Country: United States of America

Album category: Studio album

Original tracklist:

1. Soul Train

2. Bed of Roses

3. Strange Changes

4. Ladies Man

5. Waves

6. Stormy

7. Mama's & Papa's

8. Pity the Fool

9. It Ain't Necessarily So

10. 24 Hours of Loneliness

11. The Girl From Ipanema

My Little Words:

Welcome to my first post. Today, i would show you about a very great late 60's album, which maybe some of you never heard of it, or for short unfamiliar with the musician. The band, which called the Classics IV Featuring Dennis Yost was the american band, they're so different at that time, while the common late 60's bands were the  psychedelic rockstar, but this band brought to you the essence of midnight ambiance theme in their songs cause of their unique arrangement using the saxophone player. 

This album, was the great example they brought you in to their original 60's theme, which you can heard from their hit, "Stormy". For short, you would find the jazzy & soul tunes in this album, although there some tracks that leads their focus to soft rock songs. Wish you could appreciate this band, although they weren't popular enough like "The Beatles" or "Bee Gees", Classics IV still enjoyable everyday.