Chicago & Friends
Live at 55
Mercury Studios
Chicago was the first rock band I got into in a big way. One of the things that drew me to the band was the horns. In high school, I was a trombone-playing band geek, and Chicago had a prominent trombone player. The other thing that got me interested in the band was a girl I had a crush on who was into Chicago. I never did get the girl, but I was a diehard Chicago fan through their 13th album. After that, the band changed and became a ballads band, and not the rock band I originally loved.
I’ve followed the band from a distance over the years. They haven’t really done anything to grab my attention for years, even though the personnel has turned over a few times. The only original members left are singer/keyboardist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane, and trombonist James Pankow. When I saw the Chicago & Friends tour announced, I was curious. People like Steve Vai, Robert Randolph, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram aren’t likely to phone in platitudes. How will the inclusion of these high-powered, younger artists inspire a band that’s settled into a comfortable “legacy band” groove?
Live at 55 is specifically a tribute to Chicago Transit Authority which was issued 55 years ago. The package includes a 2 ½ hour concert DVD and two-CD audio set. The first part of the concert highlights songs from the first album and mainly their ’70s output. The latter part of the show focuses on the later material.
The band comes out strong with Robert Lamm singing “Introduction,” “Does Anyone Know What Time It Is,” “Beginnings,” and “Questions 67 & 68.” Robert Randolph is the first guest to join the band on “Listen.” Randolph lends his distinctive pedal steel to the band’s sound and also handles lead vocals.
From here on, the guests make regular appearances. Steve Via pays tribute to Terry Kath’s rock guitar prowess on “South California Purples” and “Poem 58.” Chris Daughtry and Robert Randolph close out the Transit Authority section with a rendition of the Steve Linwood tune, “I’m a Man.” This song gave me the biggest ’70s flashback when Wilfredo Reyes, Jr. and Ramon “Ray” Yslas give us an overly long drum/percussion solo.
The first major departure from the original Chicago sound comes on the creative reimagining of “Colour My World.” Judith Hill (best known from the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom) takes the lead vocal and Kingfish Ingram adds a bluesy guitar solo to the song. I like the new life Hill’s vocals breath into “Alive Again,” “You’re the Inspiration,” and “Feeling Stronger Every Day.”
I’ve always felt that Chicago in the ’80s was really a different band. The full band does play some of the power ballads, but the sense of there being a break with the past is underscored by the acoustic set with the a capella group VoicePlay setting up a campfire set on stage. “Wishing You Were Here” never sounded more beachy. The multipart harmonies and alternating lead voices add dimension to the twee love songs “If You Leave Me Now” and “Look Away.”
The show ends with all the guests joining Chicago on stage for “25 or 6 to 4.” The magic moment of this all-star jam is when Robert Randolph and Steve Vai solo against each other, then trade solos. “25 or 6 to 4” has always been a showcase for the guitar players. That leaves most of the guests in the background adding vocals.
To get the full effect of the show and the guests’ contributions, watch the DVD first. On the CD, it’s hard to tell who is playing what. Maybe it’s just me, but I had a hard time telling Robin Thick and Chris Daughtry from Neil Donell (the Canadian singer currently handling the Peter Cetera parts). I was pleased that the band was in fine form, though I think they goosed some of the Cetera ballads with horn parts. The new(ish) members bring a lot of energy to the stage. Tony Obrohta plays an aggressive guitar when it counts. Second keyboardist Loren Gold seems to be playing most of the keyboard leads and throws in some nice jazzy fills here and there.
Live at 55 shows that Chicago can still put on a powerful show. When you buy a ticket to see a band, that’s really all you care about. Leave it to music geeks like me to ponder, is it really Chicago with so much personnel turnover? They are the Chicago we have now, and they’re still giving us a good show,
