Chicago - Chicago VI (Anniversary) [Silver]

Chicago VI returns as an anniversary edition on silver vinyl, the 1973 album that marked a fresh start in a new mountain studio.

Producer James William Guercio had built Caribou Ranch in the Colorado Rockies, and VI was the first album the band made there after recording their earlier records largely in New York. The change of scenery suited them. The songs lean toward tighter, warmer pop arrangements while keeping the horn section's muscle, and the album also introduced percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, whose Brazilian rhythms would soon become part of the band's sound.

Robert Lamm's "Critics' Choice" opens things with a pointed reply to the reviewers who had been sniping at the band. From there, "Just You 'N' Me" rides a lush, romantic melody, while "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" builds from a gentle opening into a full-blown, horn-driven celebration. Terry Kath's guitar adds grit wherever the arrangements threaten to get too polished, and the rhythm section keeps everything moving with an easy, confident swing.

The silver pressing gives a much-loved record a fittingly bright finish. For fans who know the singles from the radio, hearing them in the context of the full album makes it clear just how confident and versatile Chicago sounded at this point in their run.