This is the sixth album from the
jazz/
pop/rock combo
Chicago, and was likewise the first to be recorded at the plush, well-lit, and custom-built
Caribou Studios in Nederland, CO. The facility was owned and operated by the band's manager and producer,
James William Guercio, and eventually became the group's retreat for their next five (non-compilation) long-players. Another and perhaps more significant change was the incorporation of several "outside" additional musicians -- most notably
Laudir De Oliveira (percussion), who would remain with the band for the next seven years and eight LPs. Although
Chicago had begun as a harder-edged
rock & roll band, popular music styles were undergoing a shift during the mid-'70s into a decidedly more middle-of-the-road (MOR) and less-aggressive sound. This is reflected in the succinct
pop and light
rock efforts, contrasting the earlier lengthy and multi-movement epics that filled their earlier works. Nowhere is this more evident than on
Chicago VI's (1973) two Top Ten singles: the easygoing
James Pankow (trombone)
ballad "Just You & Me" as well as the up-tempo rocker
"Feelin' Stronger Every Day," which
Pankow co-wrote with
Peter Cetera (vocal/bass). This more melodic and introverted sensibility pervades the rest of the disc as well -- especially from
Robert Lamm (keyboard/vocals), who is particularly prolific, penning half of the material on the disc. Even his sardonically titled
"Critics' Choice" -- which is undoubtedly a musical rebuttal to
Chicago's increasingly negative critical assessment -- is a languid and delicate response, rather than a full-force confutation.
"Darlin' Dear" -- another
Lamm contribution -- on the other hand, is a horn-fuelled rocker that actually recalls
Little Feat more than it does most of
Chicago's previous sides. Compositions from other bandmembers include the heartfelt
Terry Kath (guitar/vocals)
ballad "Jenny," which features some fluid fretwork much in the same vein as that of
Jimi Hendrix's
"Angel" or
"Castles Made of Sand." Additionally,
Peter Cetera's (bass/vocals)
"In Terms of Two" includes a more down-home and countrified acoustic vibe. While
Chicago VI is an undeniably strong effort -- supported at the time by its chart-topping status -- many bandmembers and longtime enthusiasts were beginning to grow apart from the lighter,
pop-oriented material. ~ Lindsay Planer
