This is the sixth album from the
jazz
/
pop/rock
combo
Chicago
, and was likewise the first to be recorded at the plush, well-lit, and custom-built
Caribou Studios
in Nederland, CO. The facility was owned and operated by the band's manager and producer,
James William Guercio
, and eventually became the group's retreat for their next five (non-compilation) long-players. Another and perhaps more significant change was the incorporation of several "outside" additional musicians -- most notably
Laudir De Oliveira
(percussion), who would remain with the band for the next seven years and eight LPs. Although
had begun as a harder-edged
rock & roll
band, popular music styles were undergoing a shift during the mid-'70s into a decidedly more middle-of-the-road (MOR) and less-aggressive sound. This is reflected in the succinct
pop
and light
rock
efforts, contrasting the earlier lengthy and multi-movement epics that filled their earlier works. Nowhere is this more evident than on
Chicago VI
's (1973) two Top Ten singles: the easygoing
James Pankow
(trombone)
ballad
"Just You & Me"
as well as the up-tempo rocker
"Feelin' Stronger Every Day,"
which
Pankow
co-wrote with
Peter Cetera
(vocal/bass). This more melodic and introverted sensibility pervades the rest of the disc as well -- especially from
Robert Lamm
(keyboard/vocals), who is particularly prolific, penning half of the material on the disc. Even his sardonically titled
"Critics' Choice"
-- which is undoubtedly a musical rebuttal to
's increasingly negative critical assessment -- is a languid and delicate response, rather than a full-force confutation.
"Darlin' Dear"
-- another
Lamm
contribution -- on the other hand, is a horn-fuelled rocker that actually recalls
Little Feat
more than it does most of
's previous sides. Compositions from other bandmembers include the heartfelt
Terry Kath
(guitar/vocals)
"Jenny,"
which features some fluid fretwork much in the same vein as that of
Jimi Hendrix
's
"Angel"
or
"Castles Made of Sand."
Additionally,
's (bass/vocals)
"In Terms of Two"
includes a more down-home and countrified acoustic vibe. While
is an undeniably strong effort -- supported at the time by its chart-topping status -- many bandmembers and longtime enthusiasts were beginning to grow apart from the lighter,
-oriented material. ~ Lindsay Planer