Chicago 13 (Remastered)

I like Chicago. I like disco. I like the crossover stuff like the Dead's Shakedown Street, Bowie, Roxy Music and the Rolling Stones' Some Girls. The early-mid 80s period Peter Cetera stuff is ok in small doses. Just establishing my bona fides in saying this album is garbage.

Although not the best from Chicago, it's a very underated album. What few people realize is the severe pressure Columbia Records placed on their top artists to capitalize on the Disco fad. Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, who was a guest artist on "Street Player," frequently griped about this artistic interference and cited this as the main reason for eventually leaving Columbia Records. Okay, so it sounds like Disco -- but it's GOOD disco! A lot better than the formula crap that was churning out at the time.

Even though officially this album went gold, according to Walt Parazaider, "It hit the wall at 750,000 copies." A good sale for most bands, but well below the standards set by Chicago in the earlier part of the Seventies. The primary reason as I see it? A poor choice of a lead single. "Must Have Been Crazy", a Donnie Dacus written and sung tune without enough of horn arrangement to make it sound like a Chicago record, was that choice. "Street Player" was also released as a 12- inch single which further alienated long time fans and was also blown up at the now infamous Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in Chicago. If people are blowing up and burning Chicago records in Chicago, this can be a serious image problem. "Run Away" may have been a better choice as lead single, definitely one of the best tracks on this release. The Latin tinged, Laudir de Oliveira written track, "Life Is What It Is", is also well written, performed, and produced, another potentially good choice for a single. My personal favorite is "Window Dreamin'", a nice little rocker that definitely cooks with a tight, funky horn arrangement , a growling, throaty vocal from Peter Cetera, and a few really good guitar licks from Dacus. All in all, this is Chicago's most democratic album with each member writing or co-writing at least one song each. However this causes some wide swings in musical direction from track to track which can be a little unsettling to some. However if each track is listened to on its own merit, it all comes across as a fairly pleasant listening experience. Far from Chicago's best work, but the best they could do with Terry Kath's tragic death still fresh in their minds.

At least now I know why this tune has kept going thru my mind all these years later.....

So most of the reviews are negative. Being a hugh Chicago fan, I find certain moods that are best satisfied by this album. The Bucketheads had a dance tune out several years ago called "The Bomb". It is a dance version of "Street Player". Check it out.

Some good songs but I guess that times change and I am like I have said before, old school, and did not take to this album like some of the others but the reviews are right, there are some gems in here, but you got to look for them

I didn't say it was the best, but I still liten to tracks like Street Player (of course) and love the alternate mix on the remaster. Also love Mama Take, which is a good acoustic rocker from Cetera. Window Dreamin' cracks me up with Peter's "PC Moblee" vocals. Reruns is a great song from Robert. The addition of Closer to You makes this album not so bad. If you hate disco, then sorry. Street Player is the only real disco song on this album. So take 13 or leave it, but I like it and have all the other Chicago albums as well.

"Street Player" really is still played in clubs today. It's weird how it never wen't away considering it started off as a crass crowd pleaser. Well, it worked & I admit I'm hooked on the song too. The rest of Chicago 13 is truly forgettable.

street player is a great song, and i don't care what anybody thinks about it (or disco music for that matter), because i love it and nothing is goin to change that. i don't know about the rest of the album, but street player is totally worth it!!

Obviously the folks who knock Street Player as just some Disco tune have never ever been to an underground dance party or been to Garage, Traxx, Better Days, Body and Soul, 718 ---- because this is one of the classics. When this plays and it still plays - people know the party is jumpin.