Twenty 1 definitely presented itself as a watershed moment for Chicago. Coming on the heels of a string highly successful albums stretching pretty much the entire decade of the ’80s, the album never found traction in a music world that was quickly being taken over by hip hop and grunge. Despite the presence of several strong tracks, only “Chasin’ the Wind” received any airplay and barely managed to crack the Top 40.
One of those strong tracks is Robert Lamm’s “Only Time Can Heal the Wounded.” Composed by Lamm and writing partner Gerard McMahon, the song represents the second of two Lamm-written and -sung compositions on Twenty 1. A mid-tempo pop-rocker of sorts, this track demonstrates the best and worst of what could be found on Chicago’s 1991 release. The lyrics are especially strong and poignant to anyone listening to the song during a break up.
To me, the strength of “Only Time Can Heal the Wounded” is when the band takes a normal song and “Chicago-fies” it. The subtle horns through the first and second verse and chorus are accentuated during the bridge. It is this digression from the main melody and chord structure that pushes it from a simple pop/rock song to a “Chicago song.” Without the bridge, any of a number of bands could have recorded it.
Lamm’s voice is as strong as usual, but “Only Time Can Heal the Wounded” suffers from the same production problems as most of the other tracks on Twenty 1. Lamm sounds as if he singing into a tin can at the bottom of a canyon, and the drums remind me of a toddler banging on Tupperware. However, once you get past that, this song is another solid contribution by the heart of Chicago.
- 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
