“Closer to You” initially appeared on Stephen Stills’ 1976 album Illegal Stills as a duet with future Chicago member Donnie “Hot Licks” Dacus. The pair traded off lead vocals from verse to verse, creating something that was subtle and understated.
The song also featured delightful guitar work by both Dacus and Stills, whose styles complemented each other quite nicely. Dacus sings in his natural style (reminiscent of his subsequent work with Chicago on 1978’s Hot Streets), making his vocals enjoyable.
Fast forward three years to 1979’s Chicago 13: Rather than using that same natural vocal style, Donnie Dacus sounded like he was trying to force a gruffness that’s just not there. Or maybe he was auditioning to be a voice actor for The Muppet Show, which was in its prime at the time, since his lead vocals come across cartoonish or puppet-esque.
While the horns were a welcome addition in this new arrangement, Chicago found themselves getting in their own way once again as Dacus’s vocals marred the otherwise enjoyable song. Had Dacus sung it in the same vocal style as he had for the Stills version, “Closer to You” would have been worthy of inclusion on Chicago 13. Instead, it was relegated to b-side status on the sub-par “Must Have Been Crazy” single.
One could even argue that sung straight and without that forced gruffness, this could have been one of the strongest tracks on Chicago 13. Not great, but at least good, and that’s saying something on an album full of songs that struggled and failed to reach a level that one might consider mediocre.
Now, readers, you can finally flush this turd of an album as we move on to better things with 1980’s Chicago XIV.
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