Music Appreciation

After Kath died, the band lost its way. Their commercial success ended their creativity and thematic subjects.

Where Chicago had been an exploratory group (A Hit by Varese, Aire and Goodbye to name a rew) but by the 8th album it was all corporate pop. And their protest songs (Something In This City, Dialog Parts I & II and What’s This World Comin’ To) evaporated.

Then the internal and personal conflicts exploded. First, Peter Cetera took his amazing tenor voice and awesome bass playing and went solo then Robert Lamm orchestrated Danny Seraphine’s ouster. This left the band without two of its primary vocalists and a decimated rhythm section. The studio musicians that replaced those three originals never brought the inspiration the band had exhibited.

Interestingly, my millennial son fell in love with the first seven albums as a teenager!

After Kath died, the group considered breaking up, I’ve read. Perhaps they should have done so.