8 Chicago albums plus their Greatest Hits in High Resolution Stereo and original Quadraphonic mixes: Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago, Chicago III, Chicago V, Chicago VI, Chicago VII, Chicago VIII, Greatest Hits, Chicago X. This lavish celebration of the Windy City’s favorite band is housed in a rigid two-piece box, with every album presented in a replica sleeve promised to “replicate the original release down to the last detail, including mini-posters, and the iron-on that came with Chicago VIII.
Chicago Quadio features DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 and 2.0 mixes. The back of this handsomely packaged box set includes the following information:
These discs were mastered using the original 4-track Quad mixes as the source material. The original format of the master was a 4-track, ½ inch analog tape running at 15 ips. There is not a separate or “discrete” LFE (subwoofer) track, although one can hear (or not hear) the lFE channel based on what settings the consumer chooses on their integrated amplifier.
These discs can be played back two ways: with Bass Management or without Bass Management. Bass Management sends the sum of the low frequency information (frequencies below 80 Hz) of the four main speakers to the LFE speaker. If your surround speakers are of the satellite variety, you will want to engage Bass Management on your system to hear the full range of the recording. If your surround speakers are the large, full-range type, then we recommend turning Bass Management off.
I frankly had never heard some of the quad mixes included on this new set before, and some of the differences were really quite interesting, in fact even striking at times. “Critic’s Choice”, to cite just one example, has a quasi-echo effect in Robert Lamm’s vocal in the quad version that is almost completely absent in the “regular” stereo version. What is repeatedly apparent throughout virtually every album is how discretely placed the instruments are in the quad mixes. It’s especially noticeable in percussion heavy offerings like “Prelude to Aire” or “Make Me Smile”, where elements like shakers are clearly relegated to the rear right channel. Similarly, the brass is often placed in the rear channels, leaving the front soundstage to be filled with vocals, keys and guitars.
The increased clarity and distinction between instruments and vocals on the quad mixes is often astounding. Some of the most colorful tunes, like Chicago’s collaboration with the Beach Boys on “Wishin’ You Were Here”, are like new sonic experiences now. I hate to be a curmudgeon, but I also heard just a couple of intonation issues in some of the brass work on various tunes that I’ve never heard before (and I listened to a lot of Chicago growing up), but in a way that only points out the impeccable clarity of the quad mixes.
There has been some of the (typical) internet controversy about supposed EQ problems, with supposedly overamped bass. As indicated above by Rhino’s “instructions”, some tweaking of your receiver may be necessary to achieve optimal results, but I have to say on my (almost brand new) Denon 7200, everything sounded perfectly balanced throughout all the discs. That said, just to “play” with things, I also listened to the quad mixes through a soundbar, and there the vocals were almost completely buried and the low frequencies could tend to be overwhelming at times.
Rhino is aware that Chicago (i.e., the second album) has an error on some of its supposed stereo tracks, which are in fact in mono. I’m in touch with Rhino, and they are instituting a disc replacement program. As soon as information is forthcoming, I’ll update this review (and will probably post a news item as well).
Disc 1:
Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
1. Introduction
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
3. Beginnings
4. Question 67 and 68
5. Listen
6. Poem 58
7. Free Form Guitar
8. Southern California Purples
9. I’m A Man
10. Prologue, August 29, 1968
11. Liberation
Disc 2:
Chicago II (1970)
1. Movin’ In
2. The Road
3. Poem For the People
4. In the Country
5. Wake Up Sunshine
6. Make Me Smile
7. So Much To Say, So Much To Give
8. Anxiety’s Moment
9. West Virginia Fantasies
10. Colour My World
11. To Be Free
12. Now More Than Ever
13. Fancy Colours
14. 25 or 6 to 4
15. Prelude
16. A.M. Mourning
17. P.M. Mourning
18. Memories of Love
19. 1st Movement
20. 2nd Movement
21. 3rd Movement
22. 4th Movement
23. Where Do We Go From Here
Disc 3:
Chicago III (1971)
1. Sing A Mean Tune Kid
2. Loneliness Is Just A Word
3. What Else Can I Say
4. I Don’t Want Your Money
5. Flight 602
6. Motorboat to Mars
7. Free
8. Free Country
9. At the Sunrise
10. Happy ‘Cause I’m Going Home
11. Mother
12. Lowdown
13. A Hard Risin’ Morning Without Breakfast
14. Off To Work
15. Fallin’ Out
16. Dreamin’ Home
17. Morning Blues Again
18. When All the Laughter Dies In Sorrow
19. Canon
20. Once Upon A Time
21. Progress?
22. The Approaching Storm
23. Man vs. Man: The End
Disc 4:
Chicago V (1972)
1. A Hit By Varese
2. All Is Well
3. Now That You’ve Gone
4. Dialogue
5. Dialogue
6. While the City Sleeps
7. Saturday In the Park
8. State of The Union
9. Goodbye
10. Alma Mater
Disc 5:
Chicago VI (1973)
1. Critics’ Choice
2. Just You ‘n’ Me
3. Darlin’ Dear
4. Jenny
5. What’s This World Comin’ To
6. Something In This City Changes People
7. Hollywood
8. In Terms of Two
9. Rediscovery
10. Feelin’ Stronger Every Day
Disc 6:
Chicago VII (1974)
1. Prelude To Aire
2. Aire
3. Devil’s Sweet
4. Italian From New York
5. Hanky Panky
6. Life Saver
7. Happy man
8. (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long
9. Mongonucleosis
10. Song of The Evergreens
11. Byblos
12. Wishing You Were Here
13. Call On Me
14. Women Don’t Want To Love Me
15. Skinny Boy
Disc 7:
Chicago VIII (1975)
1. Anyway You Want
2. Brand New Love Affair
3. Never Been In Love Before
4. Hideaway
5. Till We Meet Again
6. Harry Truman
7. Oh, Thank You Great Spirit
8. Long Time No See
9. Ain’t It Blue?
10. Old Days
Disc 8:
Chicago IX: Greatest Hits (1975)
1. 25 or 6 to 4
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
3. Colour My World
4. Just You ‘n’ Me
5. Saturday In the Park
6. Feelin’ Stronger Every Day
7. Make Me Smile
8. Wishing You Were Here
9. Call On Me
10. (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long
11. Beginnings
Disc 9:
Chicago X (1976)
1. Once Or Twice
2. You Are On My Mind
3. Skin Tight
4. If You Leave Me Now
5. Together Again
6. Another Rainy Day In New York City
7. Mama Mama
8. Scrapbook
9. Gently I’ll Wake You
10. You Get It Up
11. Hope For Love
Personnel:
Peter Cetera – bass, guitar, vocals
Terry Kath – guitar, bass, vocals
Robert Lamm – keyboards, guitar, vocals
Lee Loughnane – trumpet, guitar, percussion, vocals
James Pankow – trombone, percussion, keyboards, vocals
Walter Parazaider – woodwinds, backing vocals
Danny Seraphine – drums, percussion
Laudir de Oliveira – percussion
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