Chicago's Group Portrait CD Box Set
Brian E. Saunders
older Chicago music, this is the perfect box set for you (unless you already
own all their albums on CD). The material covers CTA through Chicago 13, with
a heavy emphasis on the earlier albums. That means that their newer, softer
material isn't included (although I realize a lot of people like their more
recent stuff suited for a prom).
Unlike their greatest hits albums, this contains the original (and much longer)
versions of the songs. Since it is a 4 CD set with each CD having 60-70
minutes music, it also has a much more complete coverage of their material.
There is the standard informative booklet inside the box set as well. The
sound quality seems good, although I'm playing the disks in my CD boom box,
which isn't the best indicator of defects in a disk. I highly recommend this;
I'm going sell back my Chicago Greatest Hits I and II.
Brian E. Saunders send mail to saun...@luther.che.wisc.edu
David A. Pearlman
>I just got the new Chicago CD Box Set: "Group Portrait". For fans of mainly
>older Chicago music, this is the perfect box set for you (unless you already
>own all their albums on CD).
>
>versions of the songs. Since it is a 4 CD set with each CD having 60-70
>minutes music, it also has a much more complete coverage of their material.
>There is the standard informative booklet inside the box set as well. The
>sound quality seems good, although I'm playing the disks in my CD boom box,
>which isn't the best indicator of defects in a disk. I highly recommend this;
>I'm going sell back my Chicago Greatest Hits I and II.
I think this set is a the first of a deluge of unnecessary box sets soon to
arrive. As an expanded greatest hits collection, it's fine. But there are
only two non-album tracks on the set (one b-side and one previously unreleased),
so there's precious little for the real fan/collector. As for everyone else,
if you're such a big fan that you'd want this box, there's probably a good
chance you already have most of their albums. So what's the point?
I guess you get the booklet/liner notes.
Consider this: For the price of this box set, you could probably have
purchased new vinyl copies of every original album they released on Columbia
in 1986 (when vinyl catalogues were still easily available). [Recall that
all the Chicago albums were available as "nice price" selections by that time].
Yeah, this box is more convenient. Probably sounds a bit better. But
musically, there just isn't much going on here (and it isn't as if this
box adds coherency to a far-flung career, as was the case with someone like
Eric Clapton).
Not to flame the original poster...If you really like Chicago, there's nothing
wrong with this as a giant greatest hits set. But I think this box portends
an unfortunate trend in "box" reissues, one motivated almost solely by the
bottom line, and not by the artistic integrity of the box.
dap
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David A. Pearlman
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. email: d...@vpharm.com