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Chicago Transit Authority
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Barnes and Noble
Chicago Transit Authority
Current price: $7.69
Barnes and Noble
Chicago Transit Authority
Current price: $7.69
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Size: CD
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Few debut albums can boast as consistently solid an effort as the self-titled
(1969). Even fewer can claim to have enough material to fill out a double-disc affair. Although this long- player was ultimately the septet's first national exposure, the group was far from the proverbial "overnight sensation." Under the guise of
, the group soon to be known as
had been honing its eclectic blend of
,
, and straight-ahead
in and around the Windy City for several years. Their initial non-musical meeting occurred during a mid-February 1967 confab between the original combo at
's apartment on the north side of Chi Town. Over a year later,
staff producer
became a key supporter of the group, which he rechristened
. In fairly short order the band relocated to the West Coast and began woodshedding the material that would comprise this title. In April of 1969, the dozen sides of
unleashed a formidable and ultimately American musical experience. This included an unheralded synthesis of electric guitar wailin'
to more deeply rooted
influences and arrangements. This approach economized the finest of what the band had to offer -- actually two highly stylized units that coexisted with remarkable singularity. On the one hand, listeners were presented with an incendiary
quartet of
(lead guitar/vocals),
(keyboards/vocals),
(bass/vocals), and
(drums). They were augmented by the equally aggressive power brass trio that included
(trumpet/vocals),
(trombone), and the aforementioned
(woodwind/vocals). This fusion of
with
would also yield some memorable
sides and enthusiasts' favorites as well. Most notably, a quarter of the material on the double album --
and the only cover on the project,
's
-- also scored as respective entries on the singles chart. The tight, infectious, and decidedly
arrangements contrast with the piledriving
-based
of
and
as well as the 15-plus minute extemporaneous free for all
Even farther left of center are the
and the politically intoned and emotive
The 2003 remastered edition of
offers a marked sonic improvement over all previous pressings -- including the pricey gold disc incarnation. ~ Lindsay Planer