| Chicago at Carnegie Hall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | October 25, 1971[1] | |||
| Recorded | April 5–10, 1971 | |||
| Venue | Carnegie Hall (New York City) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1971:2:48:33 2005: 3:43:59 2021: 14:34:00 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James William Guercio | |||
| Chicago chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Chicago live chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C−[4] |
| Creem | negative |
Chicago at Carnegie Hall (also known asChicago IV) is the first livealbum, and fourth album overall, byAmerican bandChicago. It was initially released on October 25, 1971 byColumbia Records as a four-LP vinylbox set, and was also available for a time as two separate two-record sets. Aquadraphonic mix of the album was proposed, but was never made, possibly due to the band's objection to the album being released in the first place. This is the only Chicago album of the group's first ten releases not to have a quadraphonic release in any format.
The album reached No. 3 on theBillboard 200. It was certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) two weeks after its release, and was certified platinum in 1986.[5]
While touring in support ofChicago III, Chicago playedCarnegie Hall for a week in April 1971 and recorded all of their shows. A four-LPbox set for release as Chicago's fourth album (that distinction being responsible for the album's nickname ofChicago IV) was the result.Walter Parazaider told writer William James Ruhlmann that "The reason behind the live record for Carnegie Hall is, we were the first rock 'n' roll group to sell out a week at Carnegie Hall, and that was worth rolling up the trucks for, putting the mikes up there, and really chronicling what happened in 1971."[6]
Columbia were very skeptical on the risk the extended set posed,[citation needed] and with a decrease in royalties to counter that fear (a similar situation befell their 1969 debut,Chicago Transit Authority),[citation needed] Chicago releasedChicago at Carnegie Hall that October to a mixed reaction. While the set sold very well, reaching No. 3 in the US[7] (but failing to chart in the UK),[8] the critics found the album too long—and even indulgent with its inclusions of tune-ups.[citation needed]
The band themselves have remained divided through the years over the merits of the album.Robert Lamm and Walter Parazaider defended the album to William James Ruhlmann, whileJames Pankow andPeter Cetera were not happy with the result.[6] Pankow told Ruhlmann, "I hate it. ... The acoustics of Carnegie Hall were never meant for amplified music, ...the brass after being miked came out sounding likekazoos."[6][9]Lee Loughnane said that although he thinks the album is good, there were many things he didn't like about it and that he didn't think the album should have been released.[10]
In recognition of setting Carnegie Hall records and the ensuing four LP live recordings, the group was awarded aBillboard 1972 Trendsetter Award.[11] Despite poor sound quality,Chicago at Carnegie Hall, according to William James Ruhlmann, went on to become "perhaps" the best-selling box set by a rock act until the release of theLive/1975-85 five-LP live box set byBruce Springsteen & theE Street Band in 1986.[6] It is still the best-selling four-LP set.[citation needed]
In 2005,Chicago at Carnegie Hall was remastered and re-issued on threeCDs byRhino Records with improved sound quality, a bonus disc of eight tracks of alternate takes and songs not on the 1971 edition, and recreations of nearly all the original posters and packaging.[12]
On Monday April 5, 2021, 50 years to the day of their first Carnegie Hall show, Rhino Records announced a 50th Anniversary 16-CD box set calledChicago Live At Carnegie Hall Complete. The collection includes all six shows in their entirety which were performed from April 5 through April 10, 1971, plus two matinee performances. The set was produced by engineer Tim Jessup along with band member Lee Loughnane, and was released on September 10, 2021.[13][14]
The original LP release of this set contained two giant posters of the band, a poster of Carnegie Hall's exterior, an insert about voting information, and a 20-page softcover booklet; this last contained photos of the band members playing during the concert, and on the back bore a full touring schedule from their first tour through their 1971 US tour.[15] The band's official web site labels the cover design "white tile".[1]
Lester Bangs, writing forCreem in February 1972, considered the musicianship onChicago at Carnegie Hall "technically competent" but "there are just too many times when you can hear all the parts better than the whole." He also considered the arrangements "sodden" carbon copies of the studio versions augmented with "directionless solos," and called the album the band's worst.[16]
In a retrospective review, Lindsay Planer ofAllmusic praised the "muscular" performances of several songs, but considered the reeds and the brass thin-sounding, and Carnegie Hall to be acoustically poor for amplified rock.[3]
| Side one | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "In the Country" | Terry Kath |
| 10:35 | |
| 2 | "Fancy Colours" | Robert Lamm | Cetera | 5:15 | |
| 3 | "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Free form intro) | Lamm | — | 6:20 | |
| 4 | "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" | Lamm | 3:47 | ||
| Side two | |||||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "South California Purples" | Lamm | Lamm | 15:35 | |
| 2 | "Questions 67 and 68" |
| 5:36 | ||
| Side three | |||||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "Sing a Mean Tune Kid" | Lamm | Cetera | 12:54 | |
| 2 | "Beginnings" | Lamm | 6:27 | ||
| Side four | |||||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "It Better End Soon – 1st Movement" | Lamm | Kath | 2:54 | |
| 2 | "It Better End Soon – 2nd Movement" (Flute solo) | — | 5:00 | ||
| 3 | "It Better End Soon – 3rd Movement" (Guitar solo) |
| 2:42 | ||
| 4 | "It Better End Soon – 4th Movement" (Preach) | Kath | 3:09 | ||
| 5 | "It Better End Soon – 5th Movement" | Lamm | 2:09 | ||
| Side five | |||||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "Introduction" | Kath | Kath | 7:10 | |
| 2 | "Mother" | Lamm | Lamm | 8:21 | |
| 3 | "Lowdown" |
| Cetera | 3:58 | |
| Side six | |||||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "Flight 602" | Lamm | Lamm | 3:31 | |
| 2 | "Motorboat to Mars" | Seraphine | — | 3:00 | |
| 3 | "Free" | Lamm | Kath | 5:15 | |
| 4 | "Where Do We Go from Here?" | Cetera | Cetera | 4:08 | |
| 5 | "I Don't Want Your Money" |
| Lamm | 5:23 | |
| Side seven | |||||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "Happy Cause I'm Going Home" | Lamm |
| 7:56 | |
| 2–8 | "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" (total length: 15:25) | "Make Me Smile" | James Pankow | Kath | 3:30 |
| "So Much to Say, So Much to Give" | Lamm | 1:00 | |||
| "Anxiety's Moment" | — | 1:08 | |||
| "West Virginia Fantasies" | 1:31 | ||||
| "Colour My World" | Kath | 3:26 | |||
| "To Be Free" | — | 1:21 | |||
| "Now More Than Ever" | Kath | 3:25 | |||
| Side eight | |||||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
| 1 | "A Song for Richard and His Friends" | Lamm | Lamm | 6:58 | |
| 2 | "25 or 6 to 4" | Cetera | 6:35 | ||
| 3 | "I'm a Man" |
| 8:51 | ||
| Chart (1971–1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[18] | 26 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[19] | 3 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[20] | 21 |
| USBillboard 200[21] | 3 |
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[22] | 29 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[23] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[24] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
