Chicago Transit Authority: 50 years later

Debut albums usually take one of two forms — a stepping stone in the development of an artist, or a creative stroke of genius that is impossible to follow up. Chicago’s debut Chicago Transit Authority is undoubtedly the latter. On February 15, 1967, the original members of the band met up and formed a group called The Big Thing. After a stint performing covers, the band began producing original music and manager James William Guercio convinced Columbia to allow them to release a double sided debut. At this point, the band changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority, although they later were forced to shorten it to just Chicago after threats of legal action by the mass transit operator. On April 28 1969, Chicago Transit Authority was released to critical acclaim.

Jimi Hendrix once famously told Chicago saxophonist Walter Parazaider “Jeez, your horn players are like one set of lungs and your guitar player is better than me.” Many remember Chicago as a soft rock band that pumped out sappy ballads, or as the band that merely launched Peter Cetera’s solo career. However, many forget their explosive debut, Chicago Transit Authority when they make this judgement. From the wild, avant garde guitar amp soloing of Terry Kath on “Free Form Guitar” to the bluesy groove of “South Carolina Purples,” Chicago Transit Authority is far from a tame album. The first thing you’ll notice is the heavy use of a brass section, which gives Chicago their signature sound. Much more than just backing instruments, the horns play off the guitar riffs and solos in a winding fashion seen most clearly on “Question 67 and 68.”

“Introduction” serves as just that, an introduction into Chicago as both a band and a concept — an experimental blend of rock and roll, blues, classical, and jazz, all backed up by a strong brass section. One of my favorites on the album, the winding, frenetic composition of Terry Kath is a definite prog-rock classic.

Popular favorites such as “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and “Beginnings” share more similarities with the direction the band would later take on II and subsequent albums, but are both still great pieces of music.

“Poem 58” features the virtuosic guitar work of Terry Kath, who tragically died after shooting himself in the head with a gun he believed to be unloaded. The cliche love song lyrics leave much to be desired, but the mind blowing guitar solos and Seraphine’s next level drumming make this song a standout regardless.

The band also touched on the politics of the Vietnam war protests on “Prologue” and “Someday (August 29, 1968). Chantings of “the whole world is watching,” taken from audio of demonstrators at the DNC in Chicago as the police beat and arrested them, are present on both tracks. 14 minute closer “Liberation” can only be described as a jam band showcasing of Terry Kath’s legendary guitar ability, and he plays a blistering pace for the duration of the song.

Sadly, Chicago never really surpassed their initial effort, instead deciding to move in a new direction (especially following Kath’s death) towards the soft rock sound of all their later albums. The only album that comes even close is II, which is the only other Chicago record I would recommend wholeheartedly. While it can be hard to ignore some of the straight poor music the band later created, Chicago Transit Authority remains a stroke of brilliance and a landmark album 50 years after its initial release, and should be remembered as such.