Chicago Chicago Vii (1974) [teichiku Records, Tecw 1909]

American pop/jazz-rock group. One of the biggest-selling bands in U.S. history, hailing from the Windy City (Chicago, Illinois). Formed in 1967 as "The Big Thing", they were one of the first groups to successfully fuse rock with a horn section…

If You Leave Me Now is a compilation album by the rock band Chicago. In an attempt to capitalize on the band's second #1 single ("Hard to Say I'm Sorry") as well as its Top 40 follow-up ("Love Me Tomorrow"), Columbia Records built a collection around the Grammy-winning single, which had previously been their only other chart-topper…

At the time of the release of Robert Lamm's debut solo album, Skinny Boy, in 1974, it was easy to think that the singer/songwriter/pianist intended to launch a solo career, even though no announcement was ever made that he was leaving Chicago. The group was at the peak of its popularity at the time, having recently released the third of five consecutive number one albums, Chicago VII. But Lamm, who had written most of its early hits - "25 or 6 to 4," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," "Beginnings," "Saturday in the Park" - was facing increasing competition from other writers in the band. And Skinny Boy, though its title song (also the album's single) had appeared on Chicago VII, was a departure from the group's sound, especially in that it entirely eschewed the use of a horn section (though Chicago guitarist Terry Kath was all over it)…

Roger Glover, Ronnie James Dio, Jon Lord, David Coverdale, Tony Ashton, Glenn Hughes, Ray Fenwick, Eddie Hardin, John Lawton, and many many more… Deep Purple have always been known for their contributions to the hard rock genre. Despite this heavy reputation, the individual members have all worked outside the rock field from time to time on solo material or sessions, exploring different and often seemingly unlikely musical avenues. This two-disc set brings two such projects together for the first time. Butterfly Ball, masterminded by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover shortly after he had left the band, forms the first half of the set and features appearances from many well known rock musicians. Glover also turns up on The Wizard's Convention, which forms the rest of this package. Eddie Hardin brought Glover together with the then current Deep Purple members Jon Lord, Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale and numerous other guests. Side by side this material forms a fascinating side line to the Deep Purple story.

A sketchy and underfocused debut, Rocka Rolla nonetheless begins to delineate the musical territory Judas Priest would explore over the remainder of the decade: frighteningly dark in its effect, tight in its grooves, and capable of expanding to epic song lengths. On the other hand, Rocka Rolla is also murkier, less precise and powerful in its riff attack, and more blues-based; the stylistic debts to Black Sabbath and Deep Purple are obvious at this juncture, although they would become much less apparent on subsequent releases.

Wonderworld continues in the vein of Sweet Freedom, trying to bring Uriah Heep's appeal to a wider level while still retaining the grandiose trademark elements (the organ-guitar attack, David Byron's operatic shriek) that got them noticed. The result is an album that is solid but not as inspired as Look at Yourself or Demons and Wizards. The hard rock quotient is a little stronger on this album than it was on Sweet Freedom: "Something or Nothing" is a galloping stomp-rocker in the vein of past classics like "Love Machine" and "Suicidal Man" is an organ-fortified speed-rocker that is one of the band's finest hard rock tunes.

Roger Glover, Ronnie James Dio, Jon Lord, David Coverdale, Tony Ashton, Glenn Hughes, Ray Fenwick, Eddie Hardin, John Lawton, and many many more… Deep Purple have always been known for their contributions to the hard rock genre. Despite this heavy reputation, the individual members have all worked outside the rock field from time to time on solo material or sessions, exploring different and often seemingly unlikely musical avenues. This two-disc set brings two such projects together for the first time. Butterfly Ball, masterminded by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover shortly after he had left the band, forms the first half of the set and features appearances from many well known rock musicians. Glover also turns up on The Wizard's Convention, which forms the rest of this package. Eddie Hardin brought Glover together with the then current Deep Purple members Jon Lord, Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale and numerous other guests. Side by side this material forms a fascinating side line to the Deep Purple story.