Chicago III is the third studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was released on January 11, 1971, through Columbia Records. The album was produced by James William Guercio and was the band's third consecutive double album in less than two years.[2]
Much like the previous year's Chicago (many times referred to as Chicago II), Chicago III is made up of both multi-part suites and more conventional individual songs. The album saw the band integrate a number of different genres including folk and country ("What Else Can I Say", "Flight 602"), free improvisation ("Free Country"), and musique concrète ("Progress?") into their sound, while also continuing in their trademark jazz-rock style.
Chicago III was a critical and commercial success. It peaked at number two in the US, their highest chart placement at that point, and received positive reviews. While neither of its singles ("Free" and "Lowdown") matched the success of the band's previous and following singles, both managed to make the top 40, peaking at numbers 20 and 35, respectively. After the release of the album, Chicago would perform at New York's Carnegie Hall. Performances from this run would be released on the following album, Chicago at Carnegie Hall.
Background
In the wake of the enormous worldwide success of their second album, Chicago spent almost all of 1970 on the road, an exhausting undertaking. Former drummer Danny Seraphine, described the members of the band as "fatigued and road-weary" when they went into the studio to record the album.[3]: 122
In 1974, jazz bandleader Stan Kenton added a suite of songs from the album ("Canon", "Mother", "Once Upon a Time" and "Free") to his band's repertoire, releasing it on the album Stan Kenton Plays Chicago.[8]
The band had used up its storehouse of original material on its first two albums. It needed new material for Chicago III, and the songwriters worked "nonstop"[3]: 122 Danny Seraphine said the band "took the opportunity to experiment with instrumentals and showcase our skills as musicians."[3]: 122
Their long hours on the road gave the principal songwriters, Robert Lamm, Terry Kath and James Pankow, much food for thought, resulting in more serious subject matter, which contrasted with the positivity of their first two sets. In his retrospective review of the album, Jeff Giles writes that Lamm's "Travel Suite" was "inspired by the boredom, loneliness, and beauty of the road," and characterizes Pankow's "Elegy" suite is an "ecologically minded composition"[9] (an issue Lamm also touches upon in "Mother"). While Kath's multi-part "An Hour in the Shower" provides a reprieve from the sobering explorations elsewhere, Chicago III was undeniably the result of a band who had seen the flip side of the world over the last several months. "Lowdown", co-written by Peter Cetera and Danny Seraphine, was Seraphine's first co-writing credit, and he was appreciative of the support Cetera gave him during the writing process.[3]: 123
Chicago III incorporates a variety of musical styles.[10] "Sing a Mean Tune Kid" features the influence of funk, "What Else Can I Say" and "Flight 602" have a country feel, while abstract qualities are found in "Free Country" and "Progress?".
Recording and production
The album was produced by James William Guercio, who was Chicago's producer for its first eleven albums.[11][12] This album was mixed and released in both stereo and quadraphonic. In 2002, Chicago III was remastered and reissued on one CD by Rhino Records.[13]
Artwork and packaging
The album cover design is titled "Tattered Flag" on the band's website.[2] Included with the album was a poster of the band dressed in the uniforms of America's wars, standing in front of a field of crosses, representing those who had died in the still ongoing Vietnam War. It also gave the number of casualties from each war up until the time of the album's release.[14]
^McDonough, John (February 27, 1975). "Stan Kenton Plays Chicago". All Things Kenton – Down Beat Record Reviews. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
^Lass, Don (May 2, 1971). "Record Reviews: Chicago Revisited". Asbury Park Press. p. C13. Archived from the original on January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^Ruhlmann, William James (1991). Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set) (Media notes). New York City, NY: Columbia Records. pp. 1–8. Archived from the original(CD booklet archived online) on November 12, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
^Newsom, Thomas B. (February 12, 1971). "'Blues Chick of Counter Culture'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri, USA. p. 3D. Archived from the original on January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 62. ISBN0-646-11917-6.
