Chicago fans may finally see an official release of the long-lost "Stone of Sisyphus" album, with a possible release date next year...
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Hardworking Chicago stops here as part of 40th anniversary tour

By Melissa Westphal

GO.RRSTAR.COM


Forty years ago, the band Chicago took a cue from the city it shares a name with and thought big.

Band members created a unique sound that mixed rock, jazz, blues — pretty much any style they could work into a song or onto an album.

Now with more than 120 million records sold and 20 Top 10 singles, the guys of Chicago are hitting the road for a 40th anniversary tour that stops Thursday at Rockford’s Coronado Performing Arts Center.

Robert Lamm, the group’s keyboardist and one of its four remaining original members, took time to chat with the Register Star last week from his home in New York.

Life is busy for Lamm and the others: Jason Scheff (bass), Keith Howland (guitar), Tris Imboden (drums), Bill Champlain (keyboard/guitar), Jimmy Pankow (trombone), Walt Parazaider (saxophone/wind instruments) and Lee Loughnane (trumpet).

In addition to the tour, Rhino Records has just released “The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition,” which includes some songs from the band’s 2006 album of new material, “Chicago XXX.”

Not to mention that the Chicago History Museum opens up an exhibit about the band today, and the team of Lamm and Pankow has been nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“It’s the nature of the business, if you’re lucky,” Lamm said. “It’s good to be working.”
Lamm said a museum official contacted the group about the exhibit, which focuses on the band‘s time in Chicago. Many of the guys attended DePaul University, and the exhibit features photos of the group playing in the city and some of their early recordings.

Mix of old, new
Fans can expect a show Thursday packed with hits and a few tunes they maybe haven’t heard in awhile. Lamm said the concert runs roughly in chronological order and includes rarely performed tracks like “No Tell Lover” from 1978’s “Hot Streets” and songs that bring horn players Pankow, Parazaider and Loughnane to the microphone.

“This year and this past summer, we starting dusting off some tracks that we haven’t played in a long time, created some new arrangements,” Lamm said. “Every year we try to do something slightly different, and we’re very blessed to have a lot of songs that have been very successful. We have more songs than we have time for.”

The guys are finishing up their tour this month and taking some time off before they hit the road again in the spring. That time off isn’t a vacation, though, as most of the group members have solo or side projects to keep them busy (Lamm is working on a bossa nova album).

Anyone who’s seen Chicago during the past few summers usually gets a double-bill of the guys with bands like Earth, Wind & Fire or Huey Lewis and the News. Lamm said several names have been presented to the group for a 2008 summer tour, but a group hasn’t been picked yet.

What’s next
And 40 years as a band has put the guys no closer to retirement. Lamm hinted that the never-released “Stone of Sisyphus” album, which was to be Chicago 22, is being remixed and remastered with a potential release date of 2008. He said the band is excited by the progress.

“That’s going to be pretty interesting,” Lamm said of the project.

Lamm said the group is trying to add original demos to the record, which was recorded around 1993. Some say the album was shelved because the new tunes were a throwback to classic Chicago sound rather than the pop-friendly hits the band had become known for.

The album’s release would allow hard-core fans (like yours truly) to stow away their bootlegged copies. And Lamm said there’s potential that fans could start hearing some of the “Sisyphus” songs during next year’s tour.

Go to Chicago, learn about Chicago
Starting today, you can visit Chicago and learn about the band at the Chicago History Museum.

The museum, 1601 N. Clark St., presents “Chicago The Band and its City.” The installation runs through March 30.

Band members have given the museum full access to archive materials drawing from the entirety of the band’s history. Many of the objects will become part of the museum’s permanent collection.

General admission with audio tours is $14 for adults, $12 for 65 and older, $12 for ages 13 to 22 (with ID), free for 12 and younger. The museum is free on Mondays.
Visit chicagohistory.org for more information.

http://go.rrstar.com/gotoday/x2128347534

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1. "Stone Of Sisyphus"
2. "Bigger Than Elvis"
3. "All The Years"
4. "Mah-Jong"
5. "Sleeping In The Middle Of The Bed"
6. "Let's Take A Lifetime"
7. "The Pull"
8. "Here With Me (A Candle For The Dark)"
9. "Plaid"
10. "Cry For The Lost"
11. "The Show Must Go On"

Bonus Tracks
12. Love Is Forever (Demo)
13. Mah-Jong (Demo)
14. Let's Take A Lifetime (Demo)
15. Stone Of Sisyphus (No Rhythm Loop)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018DPC7O/?tag=imwan-20

I'm all for "Stone of Sisyphus" seeing an official release.

But, what about the OOP Live in Japan 2CD set?
When will Rhino bring this back?



Well, Rhino has brought it back in downloadable WMA digital files... but not the original 2 CD set.

http://www.rhino.com/store/digital/deta ... 1227633769

Added by Linda ~ It's also available in MP3 format here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00124DQZO/?tag=imwan-20

Many are posting on the Rhino site as to the whereabouts of Live in Japan on CD.
If you would like to contribute, maybe it would be wise to send emails to Rhino supporting this...

http://www.rhino.com/RZine/StoryKeeper.lasso?StoryID=15

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from Wikipedia.org--
Live in Japan is a 1975 live album by American rock band Chicago. It was recorded over the course of 3 days at the Osaka Festival Hall on the band's tour in support of Chicago V in 1972.
Originally, the album was released as a two-LP set (CBS/Sony SOPJ 31-32XR), and only in Japan. The album was finally released in the U.S. in 1996 as a two-CD set (CRD-3030) on Chicago's own label, Chicago Records.

Many fans and band members alike think the sound quality of this recording is better than 1971's Chicago at Carnegie Hall. Chicago founding member James Pankow was always particularly critical of the Carnegie Hall album saying:
“I hate it. The acoustics of Carnegie Hall were never meant for amplified music, and the sound of the brass after being miked came out sounding like kazoos.”
Walter Parazaider noted about the sound quality of Live in Japan:
“The Japanese hooked up two eight-track machines together to make 16 tracks. The quality of the sound was excellent.”

The album is currently out of print and tends to fetch high prices (generally upwards of $80 USD) on auction Web sites and in the collector's market. There are rumors circulating on fan forums of Rhino Records (Chicago's current record label) reissuing the album.

I listened to a couple of tracks off "Stone of Sysyphus" a few years ago, when I saw it in a used CD store. I wasn't too impressed with it, so I decided not to buy it. As I said though, it was a few years ago so if it gets a legit release I might give it another chance.

I picked up "Live in Japan" about 10 years ago at Tower. At the time it was around for around $15. It should see a rerelease, it's superior to LACH, and hearing Peter Cetera singing "Lowdown" and "Questions 67 & 68" is worth the price alone! lol

Jeff

original cover art for Stone of Sisyphus








"I also want to thank all of the Big American Record Companies for undermining American Music by underestimating the intelligence of the listener. Without this example, we would all tend to listen to the advice of 'A & R weasels', and our music would suffer from it. I used to think that these people based their decisions on things like truth, honesty, integrity, feeling, etc. Oops, wrong!!! Artists like me have given up even 'shopping' their music to these powerhouse corporations. Even radio is becoming dissatisfied with what they are being handed. So, we all have to look for other ways of doing this thing we love, either making records or listening. Everything changes. Thank God." -- Bill Champlin, from the Through It All liner notes, 1995.


"Warner Bros. didn't get the record. In fact, they disliked it so much, they figured maybe we should part ways, which we did. But the master tapes weren't burnt, because we believed in it, and I know you'll see that somewhere along the way.
This thing will get released." -- Walt Parazaider, from the Chicago history page, 1996.


"A short while ago, we recorded an album called the Stone Of Sisyphus, and the record company we were with at the time (Warner Bros.) didn't like it... and we said, 'OK. Fine. Goodbye.' And the upshot of all that is that we now have our own record company... we've got one great artist signed to the label, it's called Chicago, and we're partners here with Astral Records, and they kindly included a couple of cuts from this album that we love, and here's the title song..." -- Robert Lamm, from a Canadian concert intro to the title track, circa 1996.


"Hey I wrote 'The Show Must Go On' with Bill Champlin... I was so upset when this record didn't come out. I had so much fun working with the guys and Peter Wolf on this record. Such great songs. The comraderie was great. Another great record lost to the world because of politics. Record companies...I don't get em.. Bruce" -- Bruce Gaitsch's entry in my guest book, January 5, 2002.


MAY 6, 2002: Rhino Records acquires Chicago's entire catalog, including unissued recordings. The best hope yet for rolling this 'Stone' out of the vaults! It seems rather ironic that the newest member label of Warner Music Group may finally green-light a great album turned down by WMG's namesake label. -- Chris, August 18, 2002.


JULY 22, 2003: Three SOS tracks finally make a domestic compilation! Chicago: The Box features "All The Years", "Bigger Than Elvis", and "Stone Of Sisyphus" as the three previously unreleased tracks on this ultimate compilation! -- Chris, July 10, 2003.


Including 3 Cuts From the Unreleased & Coveted Chicago 22/Stone Of Sisyphus!" -- The sticker from Chicago: The Box.


"Tragically, when the band turned this album in to Warner Bros., the company rejected it, wanting another pop project, particularlly since their last album [Ed.: referring to Twenty-1] had not been a great seller. Infuriated that their "one from the heart" was passed on, the band and the label were at a stalemate, whereupon Chicago decided to leave the label. One listen to the three songs from this project making their [Ed.: U.S.] debut on this boxed set, and the passion is clear."
-- A. Scott Galloway, from the Chicago: The Box booklet notes.

............................................

Many music critics (and especially the band members, themselves) have complained loudly that Chicago has been pigeon-holed by the success of its power ballads ever since "If You Leave Me Now" (Chicago X) hit #1 back in 1976. In fact, Chicago's albums have always featured ballads interspersed with their rock and jazz and country influences! Look at Terry Kath's "Memories Of Love" suite from Chicago II (1970), featuring a classical-themed introduction orchestrated by the legendary Peter Matz ("Prelude"/"A.M. Mourning"/"P.M. Mourning") for a prime example of this. The 1983 compilation, If You Leave Me Now, also goes to show that Chicago did more ballads than just that one song!

Chicago had always been one of the most innovative bands in popular music, but because of the success that Peter Cetera's ballads garnered for the group, both Columbia and Warner Bros. wanted more of those. As a result, Chicago lost their ability to think out of the 'box', and the record companies overlooked both their classic Chicago-styled and their more cutting edge compositions when it came to choosing songs to release as singles. "I'd Rather Be Rich" and "Manipulation", two great Robert Lamm tunes (one of each style) from Chicago XIV, are prime examples of this (although the former was picked as a B-side). Sadly, for old and new fans of the band alike, the four new songs Chicago recorded for the North American compilations Reprise/Warner Bros. released in 1997 and 1998, and the three new songs Chicago recorded for Chicago XXVI (Live In Concert) in 1999, reflected that trend all too well.

"Hearts In Trouble" (from the DAYS OF THUNDER Soundtrack, 1990) and Twenty-1 (1991) went a long way towards changing those attitudes, with only four ballads (two penned by Diane Warren), and the remaining songs returning the horns and band's own songwriters to a more prominent place in the grand scheme of their music. The Simi Valley recording sessions that occurred between 1992-1993 for what would have been the 22nd Chicago album, which were produced by legendary Austrian producer Peter Wolf (who produced the mid-late '80s albums by Starship), would have gone even further to change those attitudes. The 12 songs comprising the shelved album known as Stone Of Sisyphus were fresh, hip, innovative, and (save for two power ballads) would have silenced the critics once and for all. Peter Wolf took as strong a presence as JWG had in the band's early days, insisting that Walt bring along his clarinet, and asking the band why they didn't use Dawayne Bailey more in the studio, given his two brilliant co-compositions and the performances thereof. (See DB's insight link below.)

Reprise/Warner Bros. REJECTED the album, despite the sure-fire winner of a power ballad Jason Scheff wrote for his dad, Jerry Scheff. Jerry was the bass player the last decade of Elvis Presley's life and career, and "Bigger Than Elvis" was Jason's tribute to his dad. This is unquestionably Jason's best vocal since joining Chicago.

Rumour had it that Warner Bros. had twice scheduled this album for release, had already made production runs of the CD, and then abruptly destroyed them when they changed their mind. If this is true, this may account for the higher quality of the later MP3s, from CDs that were salvaged from the dumpster. Some rumor mongers have also said that Dawayne Bailey made copies of his DAT of the final mixes available to address the quality issues of the first-generation MP3s. Regardless of the source(s), this album has refused to die. Thousands of fans and at least a half-dozen web sites have made information about the album available.

Scuttlebut on the old Chicago Records 'Talk to Chicago' chat board said it will never be released, even though Chicago Records owned the rights, and at least 7 of the songs have either been issued on international compilations or re-recorded for the band members' own solo albums, including the title track, "Bigger Than Elvis", and "Let's Take A Lifetime"; despite the band members' favorable reactions to this project; and despite Walt's own comments in the group history saying that "This thing will get released."... And with the first three tracks from the album (listing 1) now available in an official U.S. compilation, the odds are better than ever that Walt's promise will finally be kept.

I have heard the complete album, courtesy of the MP3 links below. In my humble opinion, the Chicago fans that have stuck with the band through the 'compilation era' deserve to have this all-original album to savor. This is a very viable album, even if it's not their best work. At least it's all 'new' original songs! As a whole, it plays very well, is a very good album, and certainly is a far better album than, say, XIV.

http://pages.prodigy.net/cussmith/sos.html

I'd love to hear both of these. Bring 'em on, guys!

It's gotta be better than XXX...

I can't believe that's the original cover art. It looks more like a bootlegger's work.

At least whoever did that cover had the good taste to use the same typeface as Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad.

It was a bootleg, and I believe the cover art was designed by a friend of bassist Dawayne Bailey.
Since SOS didn't see official release, who knows what the cover art will reflect if or when Rhino puts it out.

i really can't imagine a chicago album with the famous logo incorporated somehow.

renny

Walter did a fine job of reconstructing his own version of Sisyphus from tracks issued on various CDs over the years. He added on a number of other rarities to make a nice 2-CD comp.

Would like to see a list of those "other rarities," Walter and/or Jimbo, so I can cross-reference with the ones I have (lying around here somewhere) ...
Thx,
David

This was announced or rumored a couple of months ago, so it's not really breaking news, but it's good to be reminded of it.

This is definitely better than the piece of crap known as Chicago XXX, to be sure.

Some people are soooooooo negative!

When I downloaded this album in the glory days of Napster I ended up deleting because I thought it sucked.
I had heard so much about it, then I heard it, and I hated it. No better than 21 is what I thought then. Now, I'm not sure. It's been about 10 years since I heard it, so I'd be up for it again, but I really remember it being bad. And, is Peter Wolf legendary for working with Starship? Legendarily bad maybe. He produced a lot of crap in the 80s and 90s so why they single his genius out is beyond me.
I love Chicago so I know I'd buy an official release and maybe after all these years I was wrong about the album!

I was being kind, Mein Walter.

I've been fascinated with this album for well over a decade. In fact, I had the original two release dates (from ICE) in my Franklin planner. I remember it was March and then April, but I can't remember if it was 1993 or 1994. I almost went nuts looking for the new Chicago album everywhere I went for a couple of years. I called Warner Bros. Music. I called Pete Howard. It was so frustrating back then (pre-internet) to find any info. Once I got AOL in Feb. 1996, I spent several days reading about the songs, the circumstances, the opinions, and the myths surrounding the Stone Of Sisyphus recordings. A couple of years later I received a cassette made by a friend in radio who got a preview around the scheduled release date. Then I had my sister make me a couple of CD copies from Napster back in 2000. Soon I hope to buy a clean, legitimate copy from Rhino. I think it's my Holy Grail.

A reliable source says we might see SOS as early as March 2008. I'm surprised to see it that soon. Rhino's mission is to release/enhance/exploit Chicago's entire catalog (including Live In Japan, so be patient) over the course of their long-term deal. I really thought it would be another year or so, certainly well after 18 and 19 were re-issued. Very cool if it happens!

In a nutshell, I think SOS is an exceptional Chicago album because:
1.) The band was emotionally involved in its production. They weren't just the producer's puppets. They were recording together as a band again and very proud of the musical direction they were forging.
2.) It's a very ballsy rock album from a group much maligned for their ballads. Upfront innovative horn arrangements, screaming guitars, and cannon-shot drums will get your attention.
3.) Very personal songs and complex songs (both music & lyrics) hark back to earlier albums. "Bigger Than Elvis" is particularly poignant and is so much of an improvement over the generic love songs that Chicago had become known for.
4.) All songs were written or co-written by band members.
5.) Robert Lamm is prominently featured on an album for the first time since XIV in 1980.

Having this album rejected by Reprise was quite a blow to Chicago, and some people suggest it still affects their confidence today. (new album --> why bother?) I wonder how the band would be different if SOS had been released as scheduled. I'm sure it has something to do with the sporadic releases since the mid-1990's. Anyway, my favorite tracks are "Bigger Than Elvis", "Plaid", "The Pull", and "The Show Must Go On". If you haven't heard this music yet, please consider picking it up next year (I hope).

Jim

stevef,
I added a request over at the link you provided to have them release the Live In Japan set.

Guess I'll be crossing Stone of Sisyphus off of my list of possible 2008 releases to be on the lookout for since apparently it's more like their early sound from the 70s and not at all like the way Chicago XXX is which in my mind is a real shame since I for one love that cd and still play it every few months or so. I grew up listening to ballads like If You Leave Me Now, Hard to Say I'm Sorry, You're the Inspiration and Here In My Heart on the radio so that's the Chicago I know and love and am the most familiar with. In fact until I bought their Chicago Transit Authority remaster 5 years ago now I didn't even realize they were anything more than a ballads band, so that could be why I really love the sound of XXX and consider the 80s and beyond to be the true Chicago sound. I admittedly did enjoy Chicago Transit Authority for maybe the first 6 months or so, but eventually just got sick of hearing it and sold it back to a nearby Wherehouse store and have never regretted it since. Call me a soft rock Chicago fan if you must but I'll take one of their ballads over one of their more rocking tunes anyday.

Michael,

I sure didn't mean to dampen anyone's enthusiasm for the album. You're right; Chicago does a ballad better than anybody else. It's just that they were getting pigeonholed into being exclusively a "ballad band". Stone Of Sisyphus does have three excellent ballads: "Bigger Than Elvis", "Let's Take A Lifetime", and "Here With Me (Candle In The Dark)". In addition, they were able to stretch out in other directions that really stirred the pot. The album does not sound like the 70's; it's like the band took a giant evolutionary step after Twenty 1 (which I really liked). I would encourage you to at least look into the three songs I listed when SOS is released.

I'll probably try to preview it online when it comes out like I did for XXX and maybe I'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was by that album. I can't really say I'm a huge Chicago fan anyway since other than XXX and CTA the only other album of theirs I've ever owned was the Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 on cassette back when it first came out. I just think it's interesting that out of those the only ones I've ever really loved were the ones loaded with almost nothing but ballads. In fact until I got rid of it with all my other old cassettes the Heart of Chicago was probably one of my most played back then, so that's why I said guess I'm more of a ballads fan of theirs. I have no idea if Stone of Sisyphus will blow me away like XXX did but I'm willing to give it a shot anyway just to see.

Bump ~ added pre-order link to the first post.