Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment
Studio album by
Chicago
ReleasedJuly 15, 2022
Length57:26
LabelBMG
ProducerJoe Thomas
Chicago chronology
Chicago XXXVII: Chicago Christmas
(2019)		 Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment
(2022)
Singles from Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment
  1. "If This Is Goodbye"
    Released: 2022

Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment is the twenty-sixth studio album by the American rock band Chicago and its thirty-eighth album overall. Released on July 15, 2022, it is its first new album of original material since 2014's Chicago XXXVI: Now. "If This Is Goodbye" was released as a single on May 20, 2022.[1]

Production

According to Robert Lamm, the impetus for the album came from his collaborations with Jim Peterik, of the Ides of March, and Bruce Gaitsch during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Producer Joe Thomas heard through Peterik about their work and asked Lamm if Chicago would be interested in a recording project, and it took off from there.[2]

When asked about the difference in the musical approach of the band for this album, Lamm said, "First of all, there are only three members [Lamm, Pankow, and Loughnane] who are calling the shots. The rest of the band are great guys, contracted players, top-notch guys. It wasn’t as free-flowing as I thought it should be. That’s the biggest change now."[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

Gary Graff of Ultimate Classic Rock wrote that the album "hews to the middle of the road, with plenty of pop melodies and Chicago's trademark brass arrangements [...] But more than anything the 14-track set [...] marks the real arrival of singer and guitarist Neil Donell". Graff concluded that while Born for This Moment "has its cringe-y moments", it still "has enough hallmarks to engage any longtime fan for a moment, if not longer".[4]

Track listing

Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Born for This Moment"
4:50
2."If This Is Goodbye"
3:49
3."Firecracker"
3:50
4."Someone Needed Me the Most"
5:17
5."Our New York Time"
  • Lamm
  • Peterik
  • Thomas
4:16
6."Safer Harbours"Neil Donell4:53
7."Crazy Idea"
  • Lamm
  • Peterik
3:17
8."Make a Man Outta Me"
4:14
9."She's Right"
  • Michael Burns
  • Lamm
  • Thomas
  • Ramon Yslas
3:46
10.""The Mermaid" (Sereia Do Mar)"
3:34
11."You've Got to Believe"
  • Baran
  • Romans
  • Thomas
3:12
12."For the Love"
4:02
13."If This Isn't Love"
4:38
14."House on the Hill"
  • John Van Eps
  • Lamm
3:48
Total length:57:26

Personnel

Chicago

  • Robert Lamm[5] - lead vocals (2, 5, 9, 10, 12, 14), keyboards and programming (1, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14), bass guitar (1, 7, 10, 14), acoustic bass guitar (12), background vocals (1-3, 5–7, 9, 11, 12)
  • Lee Loughnane – trumpet (1-11, 13), guitar, synthesizer bass, and background vocals (13), brass arrangement (13)
  • James Pankow – trombone (1-13), brass arrangements (1-9, 11), keyboards (8), trombone solo (10)
  • Walfredo Reyes Jr. – drums (1, 3–5, 7–11, 13, 14)
  • Ray Herrmann – saxophone (1-11, 13), flute solos (14)
  • Neil Donell – lead vocals (1-4, 6–8, 11, 13), background vocals (1-9, 11–13)
  • Ramon "Ray" Yslas – percussion (1, 3–5, 7–10, 12, 14)
  • Loren Gold – piano (13)
  • Keith Howland – guitars (8, 13), additional keyboards (8), electric guitar (9)[a]
  • Lou Pardini – background vocals (1, 3, 8)[a]
  • Brett Simons – bass guitar (2–5, 8, 9, 13)[a]

Additional

Charts

Chart performance for Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment
Chart (2022) Peak
position
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[6] 21

Notes

^[a] Howland, Pardini, and Simons were members of the band during recording, but not at the time of the release.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Polcaro, Refael (May 20, 2022). "Chicago releases new song "If This Is Goodbye"". Rock and Roll Garage. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Mastropolo, Frank (July 15, 2022). "Robert Lamm on Chicago's New LP 'Born for This Moment' and Tour With Brian Wilson". The Riff. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Chicago – Born for This Moment Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  4. ↑ Graff, Gary (July 14, 2022). "Chicago, 'Born for This Moment': Album Review". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment (booklet). BMG. 2022.
  6. ↑ "Top Album Sales: Week of July 30, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ Urish, Ben (November 17, 2022). "Chicago's 'Born For This Moment' Leaves a Lasting Impression". PopMatters. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.