Chicago II

Chicago (aka "Chicago II")
Album by Chicago
Released	January 1970
Recorded	August 1969, Columbia Recording Studios, New York, NY
Genre	Soft Rock
Length	66 min 15 sec
Record label	Columbia
Producer	James William Guercio
Professional reviews
AMG	4.5/5	link
Chicago Chronology
Chicago Transit Authority (1969)	Chicago II (1970)	Chicago III (1971)

Chicago, unofficially titled Chicago II, is the second album by Chicago-based rock band Chicago. It was released in 1970 as a double-LP.

The official title of the album is Chicago. However, many fans refer to it as Chicago II, after the naming scheme Chicago would follow for their next several albums.

Chicago is considered by many to be Chicago's breakthrough album, yielding a number of top 40 hits, including "Make Me Smile", "Colour My World", and "25 Or 6 To 4". The centerpiece of the album was the 15-minute long song cycle Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon, consisting of the songs "Make Me Smile" through "Now More Than Ever" (the second side of the first record on the LP release and tracks 6-12 on the later CD release).

Another highlight of the album is the four-part "It Better End Soon". Both "Buchannon" and "Soon" showcase the band's talent for multi-part works.

Contents

1 Track listing 2 Personnel 3 Production 4 Charts

Track listing

1. "Movin' On" (Pankow) 4:05
2. "The Road" (Kath) 3:10
3. "Poem for the People" (Lamm) 5:30
4. "In the Country" (Kath) 6:33
5. "Wake Up Sunshine" (Lamm) 2:29
6. Ballet for Girl in Buchannon: "Make Me Smile" (Pankow) - 3:16
7. Ballet for Girl in Buchannon: "So Much to Say, So Much to Give" (Pankow) - 1:12
8. Ballet for Girl in Buchannon: "Anxiety's Moment" (Pankow) - 1:01
9. Ballet for Girl in Buchannon: "West Virginia Fantasies" (Pankow) - 1:33
10. Ballet for Girl in Buchannon: "Colour My World" (Pankow) - 2:39
11. Ballet for Girl in Buchannon: "To Be Free" (Pankow) - 1:15
12. Ballet for Girl in Buchannon: "Now More Than Ever" (Pankow) - 1:26
13. "Fancy Colours" (Lamm) - 5:10
14. "25 or 6 to 4" (Lamm) - 4:50
15. "Prelude" (Kath, Matz) - 1:10
16. "A.M. Mourning" (Kath, Matz) - 2:03
17. "P.M. Mourning" (Kath, Matz) - 1:58
18. Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon: "Memories of Love" (Kath) - 3:58
19. "It Better End Soon 1st Movement" (Lamm) - 2:33
20. "It Better End Soon 2nd Movement" (Lamm, Parazaider) - 3:41
21. "It Better End Soon 3rd Movement" (Kath, Lamm) - 3:18
22. "It Better End Soon 4th Movement" (Lamm) - 0:51
23. "Where Do We Go from Here" (Cetera) - 2:34

Bonus tracks on Rhino re-issue

1. "Make Me Smile" [single version] (Pankow) - 3:00
2. "25 or 6 to 4" [single version] (Lamm) - 2:53

Personnel

• Peter Cetera - bass, vocals
• Terry Kath - guitar, vocals
• Robert Lamm - keyboards, vocals
• Lee Loughnane - trumpet, vocals
• James Pankow - trombone
• Walter Parazaider - woodwinds, vocals
• Daniel Seraphine - drums

Production

• Producer: James William Guercio
• Engineers: Chris Hinshaw, Don Puluse, Brian Ross-Myring
• Mixing: Paul Klingberg
• Remix producer: John Kellogg
• Remixing: Paul Klingberg
• Orchestration: Peter Matz for "Prelude"
• Cover design: John Berg
• Cover art: Nick Fasciano
• Photography: Herbert Greene
• Liner notes: David Wild

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1970	Pop Albums	4

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1970	"25 or 6 to 4"	Pop Singles	4
1970	"Make Me Smile"	Pop Singles	9