We hadn’t been able to say much about Chicago for almost 10 years. Finally, with a thirtieth studio album (appropriately titled “XXX”) showcasing their galactically superior songwriting, singing, and instruments, the drought was finally over.
The first single “Feel” thumps to a solid funk backbeat from Tris Imboden and features her signature horn section to full effect. If you’re still missing Peter Cetera after 20 years, have someone pluck the feathers out of your hair, and then listen to Jason Scheff’s insanely great voice on the chorus of “Caroline.” I love Cetera, but I’m not someone who thinks only one man can play Batman. Scheff has an impeccable lineage (his father was Elvis’s bass player, for God’s sake) and his smooth upper register has carved a niche for itself in Chicago. Bill Champlin (‘Where Were You?’) and Robert Lamm (’90 Degrees and Freezing’) are equally represented here, and do a stellar job in
Chicago’s songs have distanced themselves from the ’80s power ballads that became the band’s staple, but let’s face it, they do them so well that not having a contender or two on this album would be downright tragic. Enter ‘King of What Might Have Been’ and the soaring vocals of ‘Long Lost Friend’; two stellar Chicago ballads that will either seriously irritate you (if you’ve been waiting for another album like Chicago Transit Authority) or thrill you (if you’re like me and love the work they did with producer, David Foster).
Rounded out with some unusual but great collaborations with Rascal Flatts and Shelly Fairchild, “XXX” showcases the timeless sound of Chicago in a way we’ve all been dying to hear for a decade. Bottom line: If you’re a fan of the Chicago sound and haven’t heard this album, it’s about time you dropped whatever you’re doing and jumped on Chicago XXX.