This is so bogus
1
By DJ Ji$ Face
I like Chicago. I like disco. I like the crossover stuff like the Dead's Shakedown Street, Bowie, Roxy Music and the Rolling Stones' Some Girls. The early-mid 80s period Peter Cetera stuff is ok in small doses.
Just establishing my bona fides in saying this album is garbage.
Disco? Not Chicago's Fault.
4
By Silver Flair
Although not the best from Chicago, it's a very underated album. What few people realize is the severe pressure Columbia Records placed on their top artists to capitalize on the Disco fad. Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, who was a guest artist on "Street Player," frequently griped about this artistic interference and cited this as the main reason for eventually leaving Columbia Records.
Okay, so it sounds like Disco -- but it's GOOD disco! A lot better than the formula crap that was churning out at the time.
Uneven, But Still A Pleasant Listen Today
3
By sportboy6
Even though officially this album went gold, according to Walt Parazaider, "It hit the wall at 750,000 copies." A good sale for most bands, but well below the standards set by Chicago in the earlier part of the Seventies. The primary reason as I see it? A poor choice of a lead single. "Must Have Been Crazy", a Donnie Dacus written and sung tune without enough of horn arrangement to make it sound like a Chicago record, was that choice. "Street Player" was also released as a 12- inch single which further alienated long time fans and was also blown up at the now infamous Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in Chicago. If people are blowing up and burning Chicago records in Chicago, this can be a serious image problem. "Run Away" may have been a better choice as lead single, definitely one of the best tracks on this release. The Latin tinged, Laudir de Oliveira written track, "Life Is What It Is", is also well written, performed, and produced, another potentially good choice for a single. My personal favorite is "Window Dreamin'", a nice little rocker that definitely cooks with a tight, funky horn arrangement , a growling, throaty vocal from Peter Cetera, and a few really good guitar licks from Dacus. All in all, this is Chicago's most democratic album with each member writing or co-writing at least one song each. However this causes some wide swings in musical direction from track to track which can be a little unsettling to some. However if each track is listened to on its own merit, it all comes across as a fairly pleasant listening experience. Far from Chicago's best work, but the best they could do with Terry Kath's tragic death still fresh in their minds.
Memories just keep going thru my mind........
3
By MuziKalJeanyus
At least now I know why this tune has kept going thru my mind all these years later.....
Street Player = The Buckethead "The Bomb"
4
By schaafdo
So most of the reviews are negative. Being a hugh Chicago fan, I find certain moods that are best satisfied by this album. The Bucketheads had a dance tune out several years ago called "The Bomb". It is a dance version of "Street Player". Check it out.
First album that Chicago was beginning to slip away
4
By hsb58
Some good songs but I guess that times change and I am like I have said before, old school, and did not take to this album like some of the others but the reviews are right, there are some gems in here, but you got to look for them
This Album is What It Is - Good!
4
By Rodbender2001
I didn't say it was the best, but I still liten to tracks like Street Player (of course) and love the alternate mix on the remaster. Also love Mama Take, which is a good acoustic rocker from Cetera. Window Dreamin' cracks me up with Peter's "PC Moblee" vocals. Reruns is a great song from Robert. The addition of Closer to You makes this album not so bad. If you hate disco, then sorry. Street Player is the only real disco song on this album. So take 13 or leave it, but I like it and have all the other Chicago albums as well.
Album not great but "Street Player" is a classic
2
By dizc
"Street Player" really is still played in clubs today. It's weird how it never wen't away considering it started off as a crass crowd pleaser. Well, it worked & I admit I'm hooked on the song too. The rest of Chicago 13 is truly forgettable.
street player!!!!
5
By MoodyGurl68
street player is a great song, and i don't care what anybody thinks about it (or disco music for that matter), because i love it and nothing is goin to change that. i don't know about the rest of the album, but street player is totally worth it!!
Street Player
5
By commodussf
Obviously the folks who knock Street Player as just some Disco tune have never ever been to an underground dance party or been to Garage, Traxx, Better Days, Body and Soul, 718 ---- because this is one of the classics. When this plays and it still plays - people know the party is jumpin.
STREET SOUNDS SWIRLING THROUGH MY MIND!!!
4
By Mmm...G...that's me!!!
Maybe its not their best album, but it is worth having. As for Peter's voice on Paradise Alley, he and Robert Lamm sang in this style on other albums. Just listen close.
Street Player is actually the only disco type song on here. The bonus version may be about a half minute shorter, but the percussion is mixed more up front. Also, part of the original song had one set of background vocals that was barely audible, but the remix puts it right where you can hear it.
The Street Player remix is what was then known as the 12-inch version. (that's 12-inch record single for you young people) This is probably the only time that a 12-inch single was shorter the the original. One of the DJ's here in California mis-quoted the line on the sample song known as "the bomb" as "sweet sounds" This is hilarious, since that song keeps repeating the line I quoted in the title of this review.
I played the original album version at a friends party a few years ago, and they loved it. They said it sounded familar, but could not figure out where they heard it. They were surprised when I explained that "the bomb" was really the second line of a 9 minute song by Chicago sampled over and over again.
The remaster sounds great...get it...nuff said...
Singles
3
By HSKJR
If they had lead with "Life is What it is", "Closer to You", or "Aloha Mama" instead of Donnie Dacus' "Must Have Been Crazy", this project may have gotten a better response. They turned to Peter Cetera for CHI 16-17 and the rest is history. Cetea would split in 1985. The sum of the parts never equaled the whole! That said, they would do one more medicore project before David Foster stepped in and he and Cetera guided them to a second round of fame and fortune 82-85.
Unlucky Number 13
2
By mattblumenstein
Ah, Chicago 13. Perhaps the most infamous Chicago album of all time. There are no middle ground opinions on Chicago 13. People either hate it, or love it (the latter of which is a rarity). In falling between the two, I go into the former category, but I give it more credit than most do.
Chicago 13 was definitely bad luck. There was a lot of bad timing, and pure bad choices on the album. 13 had the unfortunate timing of being released in 1979, when disco was soon to die out, and America wouldn't be quite sure of what it wanted from music. But beyond that, each song on 13 seems to have very good aspects and very bad aspects, for the most part.
The opening cut, Danny Seraphine's Street Player has very good lyrics, but horrible arrangement. It does NOT need to be nine minutes. Or disco, for that matter. Mama Take and Must Have Been Crazy both have good melodies, but bad lyrics. Window Dreamin' and Paradise Alley are both very funky, but have the same problem as tracks two and three.
The second side offers some very good material, though (good for 13, decent for anything else). Reruns (my favorite track) has simple lyrics, but it's at least coherent, with an infectious chorus. Run Away is a good rocker, and Life Is What It Is is a beautiful Latin piece by percussionist Laudir de Oliveira. Loser With A Broken Heart even has its moments. Really, the only completely bad song on 13 is Aloha Mama, which sounds like an insulting attempt at something bluesy-ragtime-esque.
Chicago was too eager to get back on the horse, and Columbia was too eager to believe they were ready to get back on the horse, seeing as they recorded and overpromoted such a bad album, respectively. Tempers were wearing thin, Donnie Dacus would be fired before the next album, Phil Ramone would be let go, and Chicago's fate was hanging by a thread. Hold on, people, it's about to get uglier. 4/10, 2/5
You either love this album/cd or hate it!
4
By Whennif
First, I must say the reviewer from itunes is clueless (again). To say Street Player sounds like the Village People is a joke. Like the song or not the horn section is unreal. The Village People only sing and don't even play instruments. Many fans of Chicago hate this album because they feel Chicago sold out and made a disco album. Some of the songs are not disco at all and down right very close to the "Chicago sound." I think this is album is very good. Phil Ramone at the time was the biggest producer in music and the itunes review is just off base...
Street Player Is Worth Playing
3
By PRAYZEHYMN
Hate disco and dance music all you want...Chicago nailed this killer remake of the Rufus/Chaka Khan composition with zesty horn arrangements, an infectious foot-on-the floor rhythm, calypso-Latin intakes and the late Maynard Ferguson guest appearing on trumpet. Nine minutes of pulsating sweaty disco-tinged R&B. Goes to show you that Chicago, at their best, could take on any musical style. This song is still a collector's item for dance and disco lovers.
unlucky 13
3
By Castrovillian
Perhaps this record should have been skipped like the non-existent 13th floor of a highrise. The disco beats certainly date this album, but that's not such a bad thing. There are some real gems on here if you can get past the opening track and Cetera's lame vocal styling on "window dreaming." In particular, give a listen to "Must have been crazy", The slide work is very cool and different for a Chicago tune. "Reruns" has a great feel, the horns and percussion are reminiscent of earlier Chicago recordings. Cetera does a great job on "Loser with a broken heart". My favorite from "13" is "Run Away" It struck a chord in me when I was just 16, and it still does, even after 27 years. What do you think?
Dance Classic
5
By soulfinger
Every review I have read about this album has been negative... so apparently it doesn't sit well with most Chicago fans!
However, "Street Player" became a MAJOR hit on the dancefloor, and still is today. It has been sampled extensively, was one of Larry Levan's favorites at the Paradise Garage, and EVERY time I hear a remix on the dancefloor, the crowd goes absolutely bonkers (including the party I just came from tonight). So perhaps this album could be considered a sweet paradox and irony. As this album may not have been a big hit with traditional Chicago fans, but became and continues to be an earth shaker many years after the fact.
So much for the critics and the haters and the bad mouthing! :)
Many happy dancers thank the day this album was created, if only for that one song... whether they know it or not. And that's why I gave this a 5 star rating...
Thank You, Chicago.
One of the worst albums ever recorded.
1
By powerpup97
You gotta admit, Chicago and Disco just don't mix. None of the songs are worth listening to any time or any day. If I had to choose just one song for a reccomendation, it would probably have to be "Loser with a Broken Heart", but other than that, don't waste your money on this album.
