Chicago III

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Chicago III is the third studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was released on January 11, 1971, through Columbia Records. The album was produced by James William Guercio and was the band's third consecutive double album in less than two years.<ref name="band website">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Much like the previous year's Chicago (many times referred to as Chicago II), Chicago III is made up of both multi-part suites and more conventional individual songs. The album saw the band integrate a number of different genres including folk and country ("What Else Can I Say", "Flight 602"), free improvisation ("Free Country"), and musique concrète ("Progress?") into their sound, while also continuing in their trademark jazz-rock style.

Chicago III was a critical and commercial success. It peaked at number two in the US, their highest chart placement at that point, and received positive reviews. While neither of its singles ("Free" and "Lowdown") matched the success of the band's previous and following singles, both managed to make the top 40, peaking at numbers 20 and 35, respectively. After the release of the album, Chicago would perform at New York's Carnegie Hall. Performances from this run would be released on the following album, Chicago at Carnegie Hall.

Background

In the wake of the enormous worldwide success of their second album, Chicago spent almost all of 1970 on the road, an exhausting undertaking. Former drummer Danny Seraphine, described the members of the band as "fatigued and road-weary" when they went into the studio to record the album.<ref name="Seraphine">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

Released in January 1971, initially on Columbia Records, Chicago III — the band's first album to sport a Roman numeral in its title<ref name="band website"/> — sold well upon its release and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month later.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It provided Chicago with its highest charting disc yet in the US, going to No. 2 on the Billboard 200.<ref name=BB200>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "Free", written by Robert Lamm, made it into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and "Lowdown", co-written by Peter Cetera and Danny Seraphine, reached the top 40.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Chicago III marked a dwindling in UK fortunes in comparison to the band's first two albums, Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago, reaching No. 9 in a brief chart run.<ref name="UK charts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1974, jazz bandleader Stan Kenton added a suite of songs from the album ("Canon", "Mother", "Once Upon a Time" and "Free") to his band's repertoire, releasing it on the album Stan Kenton Plays Chicago.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Musical style, writing, composition

Template:More citations needed section The band had used up its storehouse of original material on its first two albums. It needed new material for Chicago III, and the songwriters worked "nonstop"<ref name="Seraphine"/>Template:Rp Danny Seraphine said the band "took the opportunity to experiment with instrumentals and showcase our skills as musicians."<ref name="Seraphine" />Template:Rp

Their long hours on the road gave the principal songwriters, Robert Lamm, Terry Kath and James Pankow, much food for thought, resulting in more serious subject matter, which contrasted with the positivity of their first two sets. In his retrospective review of the album, Jeff Giles writes that Lamm's "Travel Suite" was "inspired by the boredom, loneliness, and beauty of the road," and characterizes Pankow's "Elegy" suite is an "ecologically minded composition"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (an issue Lamm also touches upon in "Mother"). While Kath's multi-part "An Hour in the Shower" provides a reprieve from the sobering explorations elsewhere, Chicago III was undeniably the result of a band who had seen the flip side of the world over the last several months. "Lowdown", co-written by Peter Cetera and Danny Seraphine, was Seraphine's first co-writing credit, and he was appreciative of the support Cetera gave him during the writing process.<ref name="Seraphine" />Template:Rp

Chicago III incorporates a variety of musical styles.<ref name=Lass>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Free access</ref> "Sing a Mean Tune Kid" features the influence of funk, "What Else Can I Say" and "Flight 602" have a country feel, while abstract qualities are found in "Free Country" and "Progress?".

Recording and production

The album was produced by James William Guercio, who was Chicago's producer for its first eleven albums.<ref name=Ruhlmann>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This album was mixed and released in both stereo and quadraphonic. In 2002, Chicago III was remastered and reissued on one CD by Rhino Records.<ref name=Waller>Template:Cite news</ref>

Artwork and packaging

The album cover design is titled "Tattered Flag" on the band's website.<ref name="band website"/> Included with the album was a poster of the band dressed in the uniforms of America's wars, standing in front of a field of crosses, representing those who had died in the still ongoing Vietnam War. It also gave the number of casualties from each war up until the time of the album's release.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Free access</ref>

Track listing

Side One
No.	Title		Lyrics	Music	Lead vocals	Length
1	"Sing a Mean Tune Kid"		Robert Lamm	Lamm	Peter Cetera	9:13
2	"Loneliness is Just a Word"				Terry Kath	2:36
3	"What Else Can I Say"		Cetera	Cetera	Cetera	3:12
4	"I Don't Want Your Money"		Lamm	Kath	Lamm	4:47
Side Two
No.	Title		Lyrics	Music	Lead vocals	Length
1–6	"Travel Suite" Template:Small	"Flight 602"	Lamm	Lamm	Lamm	2:45
		"Motorboat to Mars"	—	Danny Seraphine	—	1:30
		"Free"	Lamm	Lamm	Kath	2:16
		"Free Country"	—	Template:Hlist	—	5:46
		"At the Sunrise"	Lamm	Lamm	Template:Hlist	2:48
		"Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home"				7:28
Side Three
No.	Title		Lyrics	Music	Lead vocals	Length
1	"Mother"		Lamm	Lamm	Lamm	4:30
2	"Lowdown"		Template:Hlist	Cetera	Cetera	3:35
3–7	"An Hour in the Shower" Template:Small	"A Hard Risin' Morning Without Breakfast"	Kath	Kath	Kath	1:52
		"Off to Work"				0:45
		"Fallin' Out"				0:53
		"Dreamin' Home"				0:49
		"Morning Blues Again"				1:11
Side Four
No.	Title		Lyrics	Music	Lead vocals	Length
1–6	"Elegy" Template:Small	"When All the Laughter Dies in Sorrow"	Kendrew Lascelles	—	Lamm	1:03
		"Canon"	—	James Pankow	—	1:05
		"Once Upon a Time..."	—		—	2:34
		"Progress?" Template:Small	—	Template:Hlist	—	2:34
		"The Approaching Storm"	—	Pankow	—	6:26
		"Man vs. Man: The End"	—		—	1:33

Personnel

Chicago

• Peter Cetera – bass, lead and backing vocals
• Terry Kath – guitars, lead and backing vocals
• Robert Lamm – keyboards, lead and backing vocals, spoken word on "When All the Laughter Dies in Sorrow".
• Lee Loughnane – trumpet
• James Pankow – trombone
• Walter Parazaider – saxophone, flute
• Danny Seraphine – drums, percussion

Production

• Producer – James William Guercio
• Engineering – Don Puluse and Sy Mitchell
• Recording – Lou Waxman and Willie Greer
• Logo design – Nick Fasciano
• Album design – John Berg
• Flag design – Natalie Williams
• Photography – Sandy Speiser
• Poster photo – Steve Horn and Norm Griner
• Lettering – Annette Kawecki and Melanie Marder for Poseidon Productions

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Weekly chart performance for Chicago III

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	6
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	6
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Chicago".</ref>	9
Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	14

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Chicago III

Chart (1971)	Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	42