Stone of Sisyphus was probably one of the most anticipated albums Chicago ever released. Online bulletin boards in the 1990s buzzed about a rumored return to their roots after the band diverged from 1982’s Chicago 16 through 1991’s Twenty 1.
This studio project, we were told, found Chicago focusing on making great music written by members of the band, rather than on generating adult-contemporary hits. Then Stone of Sisyphus was shelved for 14 years, leaving us to seek out these songs on bootleg copies. I happened to acquire a cassette from a fellow fan. It definitely was a departure from anything we’d heard from Chicago, or anything we would hear subsequently from them.
“Mah-Jong,” the fourth track on the version of the album released in 2008, was written by bassist Jason Scheff with help from Brock Walsh and notable film composer Aaron Zigman. Two versions of the song exist on released recordings: one from Stone of Sisyphus and another on Scheff’s 1997 solo album Chauncy.
The Stone of Sisyphus version is a funky, musically layered song with a strong vocal by keyboardist Bill Champlin. The Chicago horns are front and center, and the use of an organ adds to a more organic feeling when compared to the production of the previous five albums. Put simply, “Mah-Jong” wouldn’t have worked on those earlier projects. But Chicago took an eclectic approach when writing and recording Stone of Sisyphus, and the track fits in perfectly here.
On the solo take, Jason Scheff handles the vocal duty and his voice works well with the arrangement. The approach on Chauncy is much more stripped down, and sounds more similar to smooth jazz.
The two versions are a good example of what happens when they get ahold of a song and then “Chicago-fies” it. Bill Champlin’s voice is perfect for the Stone of Sisyphus take. In my opinion, it might be one of his better vocal performances with Chicago. Scheff’s voice would not have worked as effectively, but it is serviceable on his solo update.
Lyrically, “Mah-Jong” is a departure from the typical Jason Scheff composition. They paint a picture in the listener’s mind, and it isn’t difficult to imagine a music video based on the song. The atmosphere is set perfectly and we are transported easily to “a third floor walk-up, one block east of Chinatown …” This could be due to the influence of Zigman. Film composing is focused on creating mood, and “Mah-Jong” does it perfectly.
The result is a strong song on a strong album.
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