There seem to be two types of longtime Chicago fans in this world. The first are those who fell in love with the original version of the band from 1969’s Chicago Transit Authority to 1977’s Chicago XI. The second are those discovered them during the 1980s.
Often, though not always, these groups of fans would ease into the other eras but stay focused on the period that first piqued their interest.
I was a teenager during the ’80s and heard Chicago on the radio, but I wasn’t a fan at the time. I was more interested in Tears for Fears or Duran Duran, and the power ballad offerings of Chicago didn’t appeal to me. That changed as I moved into the early ’90s. I began to listen to more “oldies” stations and fell in love with early-period Chicago – particularly the songs of Robert Lamm.
The smooth voice and chugging tempos – rooted in his primary writing instrument, the piano – were a stark contrast to the Peter Cetera-led songs I heard in my youth. I purchased Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits, and listened to it frequently. At that point, I knew very little about the band itself, eventually purchasing Greatest Hits 1982–1989. I was so disappointed not to hear the wonderful voice of Robert Lamm and I figured he must have left the band sometime before that era.
Then one day, I saw 1991’s Twenty 1 in a bargain bin at the local Tower Records. I took it home and listened. Initially, it sounded very much like the greatest-hits album I purchased. Then, the opening of “One From the Heart” started.
Before even hearing the vocals, the hair on my arms stood up. It was like I had found a relic from an ancient civilization. I just knew that this was written by the same person who I had admired a few years earlier. Once Lamm started singing, I was absolutely sure of it. I remember running through the house excited and announcing to anyone who would listen that I had found him!
When I push aside the nostalgia and the excitement, “One From the Heart” is a very Robert Lamm song. It wasn’t a potential hit, but it was a true Chicago song. The tempo is very reminiscent of several earlier songs written by him. The horns are front and center, and Lamm’s voice glides effortlessly through the melody.
“One From the Heart” stands out on Twenty 1, because it is an outlier. This song could have been on any Chicago LP, even the earlier ones.
Where the song ultimately fails is in the production, at least the production on the released version of the album. The mix by Humberto Gatica is absolutely abysmal. As most fans know, there is an alternate (original) version of the album that was produced by Ron Nevison.
Gatica’s update fails in three main areas: 1) Robert Lamm’s vocals are significantly more compressed and processed, with vocal effects (mostly reverb) that makes him sound as though he is singing in a canyon. 2) The drums were likely replaced with a drum machine, and it sounds like it. 3) The guitar is much more prominent in the original mix, and is completely buried in the released version.
Still, “One From the Heart” is a pleasant moment. Robert Lamm once again provided a catchy song that I can sing along to, and it’s a highlight on this under-appreciated album.
- 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
