In retrospect, the writing should have been on the wall during the recording of Chicago X: Peter Cetera and his smooth tenor voice, inoffensive good looks, and undeniable ambition was going to be the focus of Chicago, and there was little that could be done about it.
As new producer David Foster began to work with the band to shape the album that would become 1982’s Chicago 16, he found in Cetera the perfect writing partner to help take the band in a new direction and recapture their place at the forefront of popular music.
“Rescue You” was the penultimate track on the original issue of the U.S. version of the album in June 1982. While there are several examples of Foster and Cetera’s new writing prowess all over the record, this is not one of them.
The song seems as though it would be more appropriate for 1980’s poorly received Chicago XIV than the otherwise solid collection of songs on Chicago 16. In a way, “Rescue You” may be a victim of the abundance of quality songwriting found throughout the album.
Had the song been on the aforementioned Chicago XIV, it very well might have stood out. However, when compared to Chicago 16 as a whole, “Rescue You” emerges as one of the project’s weaker entries.
The mix itself seems thin compared to the rest of the album, and the instrumentation lends itself to an overall tinny sound. While it is far from being considered a “throwaway” song, this era produced too many incredible recordings for “Rescue You” to be ranked any higher than 9th or 10th on Chicago 16.
In the end, that’s a testament to a record that many fans rank in their Top 5 Chicago albums of all time.
- Chicago, “90 Degrees and Freezing” from ‘Chicago XXX’ (2006): Saturdays in the Park - October 23, 2021
- Chicago, “Show Me a Sign” from ‘Heart of Chicago Vol. II’ (1998): Saturdays in the Park - August 14, 2021
- Chicago, “Sophisticated Lady” from ‘Night & Day: Big Band’ (1995): Saturdays in the Park - May 29, 2021
