Stories/About Us CD

Stories/About Us album for sale CHICAGO V (from 1972) was in some ways the end of the "old" Chicago, pointing the way towards a smoother, mellower style they'd adopt in the years to come. V still has jazz and progressive elements ("A Hit By Varèse," "Dialogues"), political commentary ("State of the Union"), and melodious, sunny, horn-laden pop (the huge hit "Saturday In The Park"). The playing was still tight and clean, and the vocals still earnest and heartfelt, but a lighter mood began to replace the urgency of the band's late-'60s recordings. Expanded & remastered. The band's first single-LP album, includes the crossover hit 'Saturday In The Park' and nine more original tracks, plus bonus tracks 'A Song For Richard And His Friends' (studio without vocals), 'Mississippi Delta City Blues' (1st recorded version with scratch vocal) & 'Dialogue (Part I & II)' (Single version). 2002. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Recorded at Columbia Recording Studios, New York, New York in September 1971. Includes liner notes by Don Heckman. Personnel: Terry Kath (vocals, guitar); Lee Loughnane (vocals, trumpet, percussion); Robert Lamm (vocals, keyboards); Peter Cetera (vocals); Walter Parazaider (woodwinds, percussion); James Pankow (trombone, percussion); Daniel Seraphine (drums, congas, bells). Audio Mixers: David Donnelly; Jeff Magid. Audio Remasterer: David Donnelly. Liner Note Author: Don Heckman. Recording information: Columbia Recording Studios, New York, NY (09/20/1971-05/10/1972). Photographer: Hugh Brown . Unknown Contributor Role: Nick Fasciano. Chicago: Terry Kath (vocals, guitar); Robert Lamm (vocals, keyboards); Lee Loughnane (vocals, trumpet, percussion); Peter Cetera (vocals, bass); James Pankow (trombone, percussion); Walter Parazaider (woodwinds, percussion); Danny Seraphine (drums, congas, bells).

Stories/About Us songs Originally released on Capitol (11482). Includes liner notes by Steve Roeser. One of the great runs in '70s rock came to an end with Grand Funk's last album for Capitol, here reissued with unreleased live rehearsal takes of Bare Naked Woman and Genevieve . All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel: Mark Farner (vocals, guitar); Don Brewer (vocals, drums, percussion); Jimmy Hall (harmonica, saxophone); Craig Frost (keyboards, background vocals); Donna Hall (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Steve Genewick. Liner Note Author: Steve Roeser. Recording information: The Swamp. Photographer: Lynn Goldsmith. The title says it all: Although not steeped in heavy metal riffs or gothic sound effects, this 1976 effort from Grand Funk Railroad creates a mood gloomy enough to rival the darkest moments of Black Sabbath. By this point in their career, the band was feeling run into the ground and this is reflected in the mood of the lyrics: the title track is mournful rumination on the inevitability of death and "I Feel for Your Love" explores the depression created by the end of a relationship. The result is an album that feels like an anomaly in the Grand Funk Railroad catalog: the album's dark mood sits at odds with the group's normally energetic style and, thus, robs it of a lot of its punch. Even though the production is solid and the group's instrumental performance is tight, neither of these elements make it easy to listen to an album of oppressively dreary songs. However, a few bright spots shine through: "Sally" is a country-tinged mid-tempo rocker that highlights Mark Farner's harmonica playing and "Take Me" is a driving, lusty rocker that briefly adds a shot of much-needed energy to the proceedings. Of the gloomier tracks, "Love Is Dyin'" stands out because it applies a strong, guitar-heavy rock melody to its sad sentiments to create a song that is both driving and emotionally affecting. Ultimately, Born to Die is such a grim affair that it may turn off some of the group's fans but it remains an interesting curio for the Grand Funk Railroad completist. ~ Donald A. Guarisco Grand Funk Railroad: Mark Farner (vocals, guitar); Don Brewer (vocals, drums, percussion); Craig Frost (keyboards, background vocals); Mel Schacher (bass). Additional personnel: Jimmy Hall (harmonica, saxophone); Donna Hall (background vocals).

Stories/About Us CD music This was the end of the line for Bread. David Gates reunited one last time with James Griffin after a four-year hiatus spawned by a power dispute between the two lead songwriters. The band returned to form pretty well intact, with the Gates power ballad "Lost Without Your Love" cracking the Top Ten. It would be their last hit single. By 1977, the Bread formula was starting to sound dated, but despite the unevenness, completists and heartier Bread fans should seek and find this record. There's plenty of filler, but a couple of the Gates ballads stand out: "Hooked on You" and "Belonging" are trademark honey sweet singer/songwriter pop. James Griffin co-wrote three cuts with original Bread member Robb Royer, and their work, like "She's the Only One," has a somewhat grittier country rock feel that is lacking in the more pop-centric work of Gates. "Hold Tight" is the album's only true embarrassment -- an abortive attempt at disco-rock. Casual listeners can safely stick with the best-of collections (especially Rhino's Bread retrospective, on which Lost Without Your Love is adequately represented). ~ Jim Esch Personnel: David Gates (vocals, guitar, violin, keyboards); James Griffin (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Larry Knechtel (guitar, harmonica, keyboards); Dean Parks (guitar); Michael Boddicker (keyboards); Michael Botts (drums); Tom Scott (wind).

Stories/About Us buy CD music Down Home CD Seals & Crofts Photographer: Hillary Herber. Arrangers: Dash Crofts; Jim Seals. Personnel: Dash Crofts (vocals, guitar, mandolin, keyboards, drums); Jim Seals (vocals, guitar, violin, saxophone); John Hall (electric guitar); John Simon (piano); Paul "Blind Man" Harris, Paul Harris (organ); Greg Thomas (drums). Audio Mixers: Mark Henry Harman; Tony May.

Stories/About Us songs The U.K. label Beat Goes On repackaged and re-released three of the Youngbloods late-'60s RCA albums -- Youngbloods, Earth Music, and Elephant Mountain -- on two remastered CDs. It's not a bad way to acquire these excellent folk-rock albums if you don't already own them, but there are no bonus tracks, which means it's of marginal interest to collectors. ~ Al Campbell 2007 release features all three of the Youngbloods' RCA albums digitally remastered on two CDs. Both the self-titled album and Earth Music were released in 1967 and were produced by Felix Pappalardi with Elephant Mountain following two years later. Features the worldwide hit 'Get Together' and many others. BGO. The Youngbloods (60's): Lowell Levinger, Jerry Corbitt, Jesse Colin Young, Joe Bauer . Personnel: Jerry Corbitt (guitar, harmonica); Joe Bauer (drums). Audio Remasterer: Andrew Thompson . Liner Note Author: John Tobler. Recording information: RCA Victor's Studio B, New York, NY; RCA's Music Centre Of The World, Hollywood, CA. Arranger: Felix Pappalardi.

Stories/About Us album for sale Wounded Bird's 2009 reissue Looking Glass/Subway Serenade pairs the two albums the New Jersey rockers released in 1972 and 1973 before parting ways. Their great one-shot hit "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" pegged the group as a smiley, sunshiny AM pop frivolity and while they surely shone in this regard, Looking Glass started out as a hard-boogying rock & roll band and elements of that can be heard on their 1972 debut. It's not enough to make the LP an unearthed hard rock treasure thanks in large part to producer Bob Liftin, who helped turn singer/songwriter Elliot Lurie's "Brandy" into a seamless, sunny confection and wound up defanging whatever rock & roll bite the group had in the process. Consequently, Looking Glass winds up as a bit of a bumpy listen, careening from pop to rock and spending a lot of time in between, but not unpleasantly so: there's enough panache in Liftin's production and enough punch in Lurie's melodies to give this a welcome `70s sheen. Subway Serenade finds Looking Glass hooking up with producer Arif Mardin to re-create the vibe of their debut, right down to replicating the shimmering vibe of "Brandy" for "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne." Again, the group's rock roots -- which often surfaced on-stage and show up here on the rollicking "Sweet Jeremiah" -- were submerged by a pop production yet surfaced just often enough to make the record uneven. Again, this isn't entirely unappealing: this may swing toward the middle of the road, but Lurie has warmth to his vocals and Mardin's production captures the smooth, sun-kissed vibe of the post-hippie early `70s. It's not a masterpiece or a lost classic, but as a period piece goes, Subway Serenade, like Looking Glass, is quite pleasant. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine