Chicago XIV has long been thought of as a forgotten album by the band. It has been many years since they played songs from the disc live in concert. It very much represents a point in the band where, had it not been for the arrival of Bill Champlin and David Foster the next year, Chicago may not exist today.
As other writers reviewing this album have noted, the songs sound very much like a collection of solo tracks cobbled together to create a Chicago release. Then there is “Thunder and Lightning,” the eighth track on Chicago XIV.
Written by keyboardist Robert Lamm and drummer Danny Seraphine, this is the only song on XIV that actually sounds like a Chicago song. Prior to 1978’s Hot Streets, Chicago was characterized by driving horns, complex arrangements and vocal variety. All of these characteristics had been absent throughout out Chicago XIV. “Thunder and Lightning,” however, reminds us that they still had some fuel left in the tank.
As the only song on XIV to chart as a single, it seems appropriate that “Thunder and Lightning” would be the most Chicago sounding on the entire release. Vocally, Peter Cetera and Lamm harmonize throughout the song just like the old days, with Lamm taking the bridge. It would be the last Chicago single to feature Lamm on vocals until “The Only One” in 1997. The horns are purposely integrated into the arrangement of the song, unlike many other songs on Chicago XIV, where they seem to be an afterthought. The highlight is a trombone solo from James Pankow, another feature of the band that was quickly becoming rare.
Nobody is arguing that the song is classic Chicago; it really isn’t near their best efforts from any era. Still, “Thunder and Lightning” is one of the few examples on XIV where it feels as though Chicago was actually playing together as one group. On a collection of apparent solo tracks, having at least one song that reminds the listener what Chicago sounds like as a true group is a nice treat. “Thunder and Lightning” is a song I do go back and listen to with more frequency than anything else on Chicago XIV.
- 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
