This is the best of the Chicago comps for a couple of reasons. Mostly that the bulk of the songs are album versions, and the other is the breadth. Thirty-nine songs over two discs, covering from 1967 to 1995. Disc one will likely tickle your nostalgia bone. When the band started, they were a power force between AM and FM radio, rocking with horns on "25 or 6 to Four" and with power ballads like "Searching for So Long." Heck, they even helped to resurrect the Beach Boys by having them sing backups on "Wishing You Were Here."

But from the albums Hot Streets to Chicago 16, the band went cold. The two albums between aren't even here. When Warners/Full Moon signed the band, it seemed like the height of folly. But the band veered sharply into Adult Contemporary land with wedding ballads like "Love Me Tomorrow" and "You're The Inspiration." Suddenly, with help of super-producers like David Foster and hitmakers like Diane Warren, the band was bigger than ever. They just jettisoned the progressive rock and horns for Peter Cetera's blue-eyed soul ballads. (Who eventually bolted for a solo career.) The band continues to soldier on, making ok albums and touring with original members Robert Lamm and James Pankow.

Still, this is good stuff. Missing is "Harry Truman" (could have easily replaced "Take Me back" or "Happy Man"). Even the 80's stuff - if you check the chart positions - often topped the charts. If that is what you're looking for, "Only The Beginning" will satisfy.

I purchased the album using the club membership. I saved money,and it came quickly.Back To The Blanket: A Native Narrative Of Discovery

Every worthwhile Chicago song that ever received regular radio airplay, plus even more for the true Chicago fan. "25 or 6 to 4" sounded kind of odd, though - the lead guitar downplayed and the horns emphasized too much. It didn't sound as good as the radio. Anyway, few songs interested me past the 14th track on Disc One. Like many of the "Greatest Hits" collections I've accumulated, this really could be reduced down to a single 5-star disc.

I have to agree with the majority of the reviews on this collection of Chicago's hits: the first disc is simply better. While there are a few nuggets worth listening to on the second disc, most of it pales in comparison to the gems on the first one. This was my first introduction to the music of Chicago, and I much prefer their early years.

They have an incredible sound; a mash-up of rock and roll, big band, and jazz. The musicianship here is incredible, and well above most of their contemporaries. I would argue that the first disc is worth the price of admission, but the fact that I never listen to the second disc is what prevents me from giving this set a full five stars.

Since I bought a home theater system, I've been finding and loading all my favorites. Chicago was a must and this CD is the perfect selection of their stuff. I recommend to everyone. If you're not a Chicago fan now, you'll become one.

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.

"The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning" was released by Rhino in July of 2002 with great anticipation because it promised to be the first best of that would finally bring all the hits/radio songs together. The good news is excluding "Harry Truman" it certainly delivered on the promise but there are unique edits on "Make Me Smile", "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is", and "I'm A Man." If that doesn't deter you the ride to Chicago will be the most pleasant one you've had.

Opening the 39-song celebration is "Make Me Smile." A terrific choice as it symbolizes the great diversity the band offers. Mixing rock, jazz, pop, and improvisation with drummer extraordinaire Danny Seraphine the first phase of the band would give the world a plethora of hits and radio staples forever. "25 Or 6 To 4" to this day explodes from the speakers as the opening power chords are thrust upon us. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" is a lesson on how people seem to chase nothing and do it well. "Questions 67 And 68" is one of the bands finest and most underrated works. The perfect mixture of vocal and instrumentation create a gem for the ages. "Colour My World" wasn't simply a hit but commandeered many a radio station when it was riding high on the charts. The now defunct but legendary New York City radio station WXLO had a "Colour My World" weekend. The song was played several times an hour over a two day period because of the mass appeal. "Lowdown" is another song that you may not remember until you hear it on the CD player but it will soon be getting more than the occasional spin. "Saturday In The Park" is one of the best examples of words painting pictures. Especially on a warm summer day you can picture yourself walking through the park and seeing everything the tune described. The beauty that "Another Rainy Day In New York City" creates can't be described with words, your ears must be the ones to experience the wonders of the composition. The myriad of tracks also capture phase two of the band when the sound became more adult contemporary in its configuration but there was one more rocker that could make even the oldest of individual feel young again for three minutes-thirty seconds, "Old Days" is tremendous. Everything laid out in simple fashion and yet it is so profound. "Take Me Back To Chicago", "Alive Again", and "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" represent the next phase of the band. The final cut on the best of will get your attention. Chicago covers Louis Prima ("Sing, Sing, Sing") with the help of the Gypsy Kings!

The Chicago Transit Authority proudly welcomes you to the Windy City. Have a great time.



Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

I graduated high school in '76,so CHICAGO was a huge part of my musical formitive years.Have to admit I was somewhat of a musical snob-all about the musicianship,and CHICAGO fit the bill perfectly.So edgy,raw,and powerful.Even their ballads back then had such soul and substance.
This is the music that got me through the rough times,takes you away to a whole different place.When I saw this set on Amazon,I had to have it;and I've not been dissappointed.When I played disc 1,I got chills just like back in the day. Rhino's remastering kicks serious a--!Rich,clear and full sound.I know the few edits are kind of a pain,but hey-no biggie.Just sit back,crank up the headphones and FEEL the music. Now I know what you other hard-core fans are saying-"What about disc 2?" I've got a tip for you-when you listen to the second disc,just listen to it for what it is-not as a CHICAGO fan.It's really pretty good stuff.Besides,the 1st disc is worth the price of the whole set anyway. Those of you who are not too familiar with the group,here's what you'll get-superior musicianship,powerful horns,extraordinary guitar work(Kath),a very strong,much overlooked rythum section and wonderful vocal harmonies.A band with incredible range and versatility. What else can I say! Five stars-easy!

We listen to this ALL the time... everyone who comes over comments on it. Great music. I bought it as a gift for my husband, who noticed that one of his favorites ("Colour My World"), is not included. Other than that, its a great 2-CD compilation of all their best tunes.

This is a two-disc set containing just about every hit song I remember by Chicago. I have to say I enjoyed the first disc more than the second as it has the earlier songs. I have always enjoyed the brass in Chicago's sound and this album brings it on fantastically. If you want to hear the very best of Chicago, this is the album to buy!

You could buy all the Chicago Rhino record remasters with fine linear notes, if one or a few of your favorites are missing. I like the remastering on this Chicago collection, I hate that Rhino edited a few songs. Yeah! I know no "Harry Truman" is missing, what a mistake that was. A nice Chicago collection if you just want the hits spanning their nearly fortyone year career. The beginning of the Chicago band was the best, actually the first nine years with Terry Kath and James William Guerico producing all of the Chicago recording output, up to Chicago XI, 1977, (output from 1969 to 1977). Ironically Chicago XI would be Terry Kaths last record with Chicago before his untimely death in January 1978. Wheather you like or hate the 1980s, 1990s material, this greatest hits collection, still speaks for Chicago as a band that has lasted since its conception in 1967. I like some of the 1980s material, despite Chicago being Peter Ceteras backup band at this time. I like 2006 release Chicago XXX, which I really thought had some of the old Chicago sound despite some ballads. Chicago still has four original members in the band as of 2007. I wish the bad blood with Peter Cetera and Danny Seraphine would clear and both would rejoin Chicago, fat chance at that happening. This is a nice Rhino remastered "Chicago Greatest Hits" Remaster with a few flaws, that I remedied by getting all the Chicago Rhino Remasters.

I really enjoyed the first CD of this two CD set as it contained songs from the early years. However, the second CD contained newer songs with new band members from a time period I stopped enjoying Chicago's music. I would have much preferred two CDs filled with tunes from the early years. They certainly had enough songs in their repetoire to do so.

This is without a doubt Chicago's best greatest hits album with 39 of their most classic songs. This is the one to get for Chicago fans. It's got every song you could possibly want from "Just You N' Me" to "Hard Habit To Break". From "25 or 6 to 4" to my favorite "Saturday In The Park. This is a great 2 disc collection any music fan will want to buy this it truly is a must have.

Hence and average of four stars. Chicago is second only to the Beach Boys as America's most popular and prolific rock band. When I first heard one of their mediocre 80s ballads I did not understand this. However, my dad then played "25 or 6 to 4" and "Make Me Smile" for me and I thought to myself "are there two different bands called Chicago?". Only Genesis and Fleetwood Mac have gone under such dramatic changes because of the departure of one or more key members. The original Chicago was an amazing blend of big band (it was the only rock band to have a decent horn section), soul, jazz, hard rock, psychedelia, and prog-rock. Almost every single they released covered a different genre than the previous one. Sometimes they used two or more different genres in the same song! "Beginnings" starts out as a folk number before turning into swing jazz with its soulful vocals and ending with its tropical swing percussions.

Terry Kath was a very underrated guitarist who could come up with great solos on hits like "Make Me Smile" and "25 or 6 to 4". He could also play beautiful acoustic guitar and even play funk on such tracks as "Free". Most bands either relied on pop hooks (Beach Boys) or they relied on texure (Pink Floyd) but Chicago could pull off both, often in the course of one song. The horn section at first glance seems like it should fall flat on its face but it helps add that 40s big band flavor to the music. In fact many of Chicago's songs are big band compositions on steroids. The effortless atmosphere is equally amazing. "Saturday In The Park" rivals Sly Stone's "Hot Fun In The Summertime" as the best summer anthem of all time. "Call On Me" is a beautiful lounge jazz and love ballad and even "If You Leave Now" has a nice calm but powerful atmoshpere.

Unfortunatly all good things must come to an end. Kath died in a unfortunate gun accident and their original producer left. The horn section just sorta vanished and the guitar and keyboards were replaced by bright shiny synths. The songwriting went in the toilet as bassist Peter Cetera took over. Cetera had written song great material for earlier Chicago so I don't know what got into him here. Things got progressively worse after he left. Finally by the 90s Chicago was just another classic rock band turned adult alternative rock band. Genesis and Fleetwood Mac made great changes that led to greater success but sadly Chicago did not.

The second disc is enough to lower this sets rating to a four star rating. Another thing that did not help was of course the edits but this is pretty much the only Chicago I know (their original albums aren't in heavy print anymore) so I didn't even notice the differences. When you buy this set, play the first disc to death. The second disc (the first's ugly step-sister) has its moments but it is ultimately a dissapointment. With that said this is still an excellent retrospective of a band that wasn't afraid to be different.

In the very late 1960s and 1970s, Chicago was one of the hottest musical groups in the world. A tight horn section, Lamm's piano, Kath's bass, Cetera's vocals - the whole cast was right on the mark with their albums and single releases. Like others, I had all their albums and played them until the phono needle screamed for mercy. Then Terry Kath died and, I believe, like other major groups that have had the untimely death of a key member, the music (and group dynamics) changed so that the Old Days couldn't be put back together again. After a couple more albums, I never bought another Chicago album - until this one. It has the great old songs on it, the ones that I went off to college with, and the newer ones that I never really could get into, although many were very popular in their time. I think that's why I would recommend this album: it would satisfy the fans of the old and new Chicago sounds, the old harder edge and the newer softer edge, but also give an insight of the songs that the old and new fans might not have, opposite the time that they enjoyed listening to the group.

Loved the CD. The music was woderful and it was great remembering the days when I first heard Chicago. Made very nice background music for a party that we recently had. Enjoy.

Only Genesis seems to divide fans even stronger between eras. I love the jazz-rock stuff from the 60's and 70's as well as the power ballads of the 80's.

As someone who thinks both versions of the band were great, even though a lot of the magic was lost when Cetera left in 1985, they still had a number of good A-sides through the rest of the decade, "Look Away" was one of their biggest ever hits, and Cetera was gone by then.

This is some of the most beautifully produced and structured music ever recorded. From the sonic beauty of "Wishing You Were Here", to the hard rock of "I'm A Man" through to encompass such bystandings as disco (Alive Again) and 80's rock (Stay The Night), Chicago are true innovators and a group that made a little something for everyone.

If you only like the jazz-rock, Rhino recently reissued "Chicago IX-Greatest Hits". If you only like the 80's power ballads, "Greatest Hits 1982-1989" is still in print (the 1981 "Greatest Hits Vol. 2" which covered the middle years of 1975-1980, including such big hits as "If You Leave Me Now", "No Tell Lover" and "Baby What A Big Surprise" is inexplicably out of print). However, to me, this collection supercedes the three previous collections into a nice, relatively inexpensive package and is definately the one to get if your horizons are open to liking both "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Hard Habit To Break".

All of the best reviews below can be summarized as follows: Chicago in its original form was part of the varied progressive pop that ranged from Blood Sweat and Tears, to Electric Flag, and even the Doors (just listen to Soft Parade). Terry Kath (deceased guitarist) was crucial to the edgier early sound but was quickly pushed into the background as the 70's wore on. Disc one is a nearly perfect distillation of the rise and gradual descent of a great pop band. It's impossible to avoid a nostalgic smile listening to disc 1. On the other hand, disc 2 is the reason that it's been embarrassing to buy any Chicago music for decades. It's like a soundtrack from a bad 80's chickflick; syruppy, melodromatic and overproduced.

Chicago is a great group. This compilation of songs is fantastic. Their music is timeless!

I have to admit that I feel somewhat embarrassed at having bought this two-disk set, but I guess it serves as a testimonial to advertising. Had it not been for my 10-year old son seeing the television commercials for this collection and then asking me to buy it, you can be quite sure that I never would have seen the inside of this jewel box. Besides, I already owned a slew of early Chicago albums (the first up to Chicago IX) and I had not given them much attention in the past, oh, thirty years or so. There's a reason for that. The two-disk sets that they released habitually back in the early seventies were mostly bloated affairs, full of good playing but lousy music, with the exception of the radio-friendly hits that were interspersed throughout.
I guess that it comes as no surprise, then, that this collection is also a two-CD set, but with precious little padding. Throughout the seventies, Chicago virtually defined pop radio. If you were to draw a timeline of their career, they could easily be fingered for abandoning FM for AM, thus sounding the impending death knell for progressive radio. For these and a few other reasons, these guys were never favorites of mine, so I hesitated to buy this for my son, until the discounted price reeled me in (I paid $18). For the money, this collection does a remarkable job of covering the band's hits, offering 39 songs, almost all of which were top 40 at one time or another. The question is, do you care any more than I do?
Essentially, Chicago were/are two completely different bands. The `classic' Chicago is represented on disk one, with obvious hits like "Saturday in the Park", "Feelin' Stronger Every Day", "Colour My World", "25 or 6 to 4" (whatever that means - after three decades, I still don't know - or care) and "Make Me Smile". Arranged chronologically by chart appearance, some songs survive better than others; "Lowdown" still sounds pretty cool, and the new edit of Beginnings" balances out nicely. Dated as all hell, these songs at least work well as nostalgia.
The real problem here is disk two. Some time in the late 70's, Chicago dropped their stylistic calling card and became one of the most flagrant abusers of compression in the business. By taking a mediocre melody and drenching it in studio bombast - echo, reverb, and that ridiculous cannon-shot snare drum - I can hardly tell any of these twenty songs apart. Nevertheless, somebody was buying this stuff, if chart position means anything ("Hard to Say I'm Sorry", "Hard Habit to Break", "You're the Inspiration" "Will You Still Love Me", "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "Look Away" were all top three singles). I don't care. I still think this stuff sucks, but hey, the disk is cheap. You could buy it, bring it home, break out the old photo album, and play disk one. You can use disk two as a coaster for your cocktail. B- Tom Ryan

My friend told me that Chicago didn't really do anything good after Chicago II except the song Saturday In the Park, and I agree with him. Back before they became soft-rock icons, Chicago was tough blues-rock band, as displayed on their debut album, which featured rockers such as Introduction, Poem 58, South California Purples, Someday and I'm a Man. Chicago II lost the rock edge a bit, but still gave us rockers with 25 or 6 to 4 and the It Had Better End Soon suite. After that, they just died. Just like that. Became dull soft-rockers, churning out sleep-inducing, elevator music-ish ballads such as You're the Inspiration, If You Leave Me Now, Along Comes a Woman, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, Stay the Night, What Kind of Man Would I Be and countless others. Protest this drivel! Buy Chicago's first album, back when they had some spirit and weren't just in it for the money. Flame me if you will, but Chicago has been dead for decades now.

oh wow! i just bought this cd today i haven't listened to all of it. but i know i listened to Chicago so much in the 80s when i was a kid, and i just loved it then i KNOW i'll love it now. When i hear Chicago music it takes me back to when i listened to Chicago 17, 18 and 19 A LOT!! i congratulate them! i do know that on the radio station i listened to Look Away was the #1 hit from 1989. the songs are just soothing, and just bring back the days when i listened to very little music. my first LOVES in music for me was Chicago and Styx! If ur a Chicago fan, and i mean LIKING EVEN THE Supposed CRAP 80s style, U'll enjoy this. If u think Chicago sucks, u apparently havent heard one of their records played backwards on LITTLE NICKY!! "Chicago kicks ass!" All in all it just brings back a good amount of memories!

if your a fan of chicago like I am and this 2 disc cd set does not convince you that chicago is one of the greatist band's in the world then your not a true chicago fan! i suggest you listen to the enire 2 CD's From start to finish!even the songs your not familiar with you will appreciate the vocals, drums the horn section! Truly musical experts!

This is a good compilation of one of the 70's great bands. It could have been a lot better if they could have squeezed in Harry Truman. Yeah, I am whining. For years all of Chicago's hit CD's have omitted this song. And replace it with some tune that should have been left alone on the B-Side of an album or 45. But, they did added a selection favorite Dialogue parts 1&2. Not like the Greatest Hits 2 which used the last half of this song. Who's brainstorm was that? Anyway this CD is loaded with favorite hits.

CHICAGO-THE VERY BEST OF CHICAGO-ONLY THE BEGINNING: In the beginning, Chicago Transit Authority was the best and most popular horn band of the rock era, charting constantly with such peppy RNB-laced fare as 25 OR 6 TO 4, SATURDAY IN THE PARK, FEELIN' STRONGER EVERY DAY and the occasional tasty ballad (COLOUR MY WORLD). Then in the 80s, like their peers ZZ Top, Dr. Hook, and J. Geils, Chicago radically compromised their musical principles and altered their style to suit bland mainstream tastes, sacrificing credibility for mega success. Peter Cetera's easy listening croon was featured on wedding song after wedding song, while Robert Lamm's earthier, more soulful vocals and the mighty brass section took a backseat---a HARD HABIT TO BREAK indeed. In short, disc one of this definitive career spanner will put you in a step-lively mood, and the second disc will put you to sleep. Ah Chicago, how your true fans long for the OLD DAYS!...RATING: THREE TOOTS

If you love the brassy full bodied sounds of a quasi orchestra then Chicago is for you. We all have our favourites, mine being "Saturday in the Park" but there is something for everyone on this album. Sure there are omissions but thats the way it was for every great band, too much material and too little space. The only beef I have is when the editorial reviewer on this album called Lighthouse a one hit wonder. They had many hits on this side of the border. Check them out as well and see for yourself. Happy listening.

I recently picked up "The Very Best Of" after deciding their 80's "Greatest Hits" was just way too little. This 2-disc collection includes everything the "Hits" album had, and a ton more, obviously their earlier material. I was extremely happy to get my hands on "25 Or 6 To 4", "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Just You 'N' Me", and "Feelin' Stronger Every Day". It's also wonderful to now own "Baby What A Big Surprise" and "If You Leave Me Now", which is possibly my favorite of theirs. There's no doubt that I enjoy the Cetera-sung tracks the most, and in truth I could have narrowed this down to 20 tracks. However, even though I believe the better stuff begins with "Saturday In The Park", it's all good. Hey, I'm a child of the 80's, what can I say. These songs remind me alot of visiting family in Illinois, and they still "Make Me Smile" today.

I LOVE CHICAGO, MAN THIS STUFF ROCKS AND ROLLS INTO NEXT WEEK...ITS MASCULINE YOU CAN FEEL THE PULSATING VIBES FROM THE SILVER DISC, ITS SO GOOD WHEN HE SINGS THOSE HIGH PARTS..."if you leave me now<> OH BABY PLEASE DONT GO!" BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC BRILLIANCE, I LOVE IT. THIS COLLECTION IS A GREAT COLLECTION IT BRINGS TOGETHER THE VERY BEST OF THE TRAILBLAAZIN' GROUP, IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW, IF SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL, YOU NAME IT..ITS ALL HERE.. AND AT SUCH A GREAT PRICE WHY ARGUE?? A LOT OF PRETENDERS OUT THERE CLAIM THAT ROCK IS ONLY GOOD IF YOUR LONG AND COMPLICATED AND OVERTLY ANGRY ALL THE TIME, WELL CHICAGO IS THE LOVE SIDE, THE SIDE OF LOVE THAT IS IN ROCK ITS ALL ABOUT THE WAY THAT HE SINGS TO HIS GIRL, YOU KNOW?? HES GENTLE AND DELICATE NOT ALWAYYS BANGING AND SHOUTNG AND THEN GET UP AND LEAVE..THIS GUYS A GENTLEMAN. IT ANNOYS ME WHEN I HEAR SOMETHING LIKE "OH HE KILLED HIMSELF BECAUSE HE WASNT A MASCULINE MAN" OR SOMETHING EQUALLY IDIOTIC, HE WAS PLAYING A GAME OF RUSSIAN ROULETTE AND HE ACCIDENTALYL GOT KILLED, BECAUSE THERE WAS A BULLET IN THE CHAMBER, THATS MASCULINE THASTS VERY MANLY TO RISK YOUR LIFE IN PURSUIT OF SOME GREAT TRUTH..

BUT LOOK ENOUGH OF THE 'DEEP' DISCUSSION, THIS ALBUM ROCKS AND ROLLS END OF STORY. PINK FLOYD WOULD HAVE KILLED TO HAVE EVER MADE ANYTHING HALF AS GOOD IN THEIR PATHETIC LITTLE CAREER, MONKEY? GIVE ME A BREAK...TIME? WHO HAS THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THEIR TRASH..NOT ME THATS FOR SURE! TWO DISCS, GREAT PRICE, GREAT TRACKS, GREAT LOVING MASCULINE FEELING, HE LOVES YOU, BUT NOT IN A DIRTY WAY WITH GREAT LOVE AND CARE THROUGH MUSIC.

THIS SLAYS ALL PRETENDERS......................

If you like Chicago, than this is a must buy. My old favorite songs include "25 or 6 To 4" "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" and "If You Leave Me Now (Classic)" This CD really does bring back a whole lot of memories...

I have always been a big fan of Chicago, and this 2 CD box set gave me all of their hits I have ever wanted to hear. When it comes to all of their songs over the past 30 plus years, I'm still trying to figure out what they're talking about in the song, "25 or 6 to 4".

some individual albums of course are better as Chicago tells the story but if you are looking for a great compilation of their hits in original form, then this is the ticket.

This is actually a very good remastering of the old Chicago stuff but for some reason, the stuff from the 16th albums onwards don't sound so good and it's as if they weren't remastered like the rest. Also, there's nothing from the 13th album like "Street Player" and the brilliant "Life is What it is". Granted the album was a critical dud, still, there are some good tracks there that should have been included. Also missing are tracks from the 14th album like "Thunder and Lightning". These are critical omissions given that they included "Sing, Sing, Sing", and lot of the forgettable Jason Sheff stuff instead. Also, "What Can I Say" from 16 is a great song that should have been included too.

Overall, though, 4 stars because the pre-16th album stuff have never sounded so good given the remastered treatment and the one member that people always forget, Terry Kath, gets a good representation on "25 or 6 to 4". His solo is absolutely brilliant and no less a personality than Jimi Hendrix who once heard him play stated that Terry was a better guitarist than him; no small compliment indeed. Just wanted to say a few words about an important member of the group that is frequently forgotten whenever Chicago is discussed.

Recommended though for those who want a sampling of the band but don't want to get all the albums.

Great to have all the hits in one wrapper, with a complete history of the band, its members, release dates of the songs, and pictures to boot.

This double disc set is a great collection for anyone who heard Chicago when they were younger and would like to hear some of their best hits again. Not necessarily for the avid Chicago fan, since it's only 39 tracks from over 20 albums, but a great collection none the less.

I must have been caught up in a binge of nostalgia on a recent trip through Target. I bought this disk and another popular duet from the seventies. Being a trombonist in high school, I was quite captivated by Chicago. We even did one of our marching band routines to "25 or 6 to 4". That was fun for a trombone player!

This compilation provides thirty-nine of their songs, most of them hits, over their two decades plus on the charts. I still like the power sound of the winds in the early music. It is striking how different the band became with the emphasis on synthesizers and the de-emphasis on horns in the later music. For a while, they seemed to be a backup band for Peter Cetera.

Some of the songs hold up better than others. To me, some of it seems more trying to be intelligent and witty than they actually pulled off, and too often the lyrics should not be listened to very closely. Still, it is nice to take the tour through memory lane and enjoy some pretty neat stuff from a time gone by.

For those who found the boxed set a little to overreaching, "The Very Best Of Chicago: Only The Beginning" is with out a doubt the perfect substitute. Containing nearly 40 of Chicago's best, this is a conscise look at the band's long and fruitful career.

Disc 1 contains all of the band's biggest hits from 1969 to 1976. This is when Chicago, in many people's opinion, recorded most of their best stuff, and in the case of songs like "25 Or 6 To 4", "Beginnings" and "Just You 'N' Me", this assertion is pretty hard to argue with. Even when they started to become more of a soft rock band with songs like "Wishing You Were Here" (dig the Beach Boys' harmonies) and the megahit "If You Leave Me Now", Chicago could still be counted on to deliver quality rock music (even soft rock).

Disc 2 picks up with 1977 onward, up to 1995. The only exception is 1975's "Old Days", the only track not in chronological order. Then we jump to 1977's hit ballad "Baby What A Big Surprise", one of my favorite songs they ever did. The eerie "Take Me Back To Chicago" comes next, a tribute to Terry Kath, the band's founding member. I've always liked this song. "Alive Again" is next, and it's probably the closest the band ever came to disco. "No Tell Lover" remains a MOR soft rock staple to this day. I never really liked "Love Me Tomorrow", but the next track is the 1982 megahit ballad "Hard To Say I'm Sorry". And what can I say? This is a true classic. I never liked "Get Away", that much. The rest of the album is all their big 1980s' hits, such as "Hard Habit To Break", "Look Away" and my all time favorite Chicago song "You're Not Alone". All of them are excellent songs.

This cd is a must have for anybody who enjoys quality music. Brilliantly done collection. Pick it up today.