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Chicago at Carnegie Hall
Live album by Chicago
Released	October 25, 1971
Recorded	April 5–10, 1971
Venue	Carnegie Hall (New York City)
Genre	Jazz fusion rock
Length	1971: 2:48:33 2005: 3:43:59 2021: 14:34:00
Label	Columbia
Producer	James William Guercio
Chicago chronology
Chicago III (1971) Chicago at Carnegie Hall (1971) Chicago V (1972)
Chicago live chronology
Chicago at Carnagie Hall (1971) Live in Japan (1972)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Christgau's Record Guide	C−

Chicago at Carnegie Hall (also known as Chicago IV) is the first live album, and fourth album overall, by American band Chicago. It was initially released on October 25, 1971 by Columbia Records as a four-LP vinyl box set, and was also available for a time as two separate two-record sets. A quadraphonic mix of the album was proposed, but was never made, possibly due to the band's objection to the album being released in the first place. This is the only Chicago album of the group's first ten releases not to have a quadraphonic release in any format.

The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) two weeks after its release, and was certified platinum in 1986.

Background

While touring in support of Chicago III, Chicago played Carnegie Hall for a week in April 1971 and recorded all of their shows. A four-LP box set for release as Chicago's fourth album (that distinction being responsible for the album's nickname of Chicago IV) was the result. Walter Parazaider told writer William James Ruhlmann that "The reason behind the live record for Carnegie Hall is, we were the first rock 'n' roll group to sell out a week at Carnegie Hall, and that was worth rolling up the trucks for, putting the mikes up there, and really chronicling what happened in 1971."

Columbia were very skeptical on the risk the extended set posed, and with a decrease in royalties to counter that fear (a similar situation befell their 1969 debut, Chicago Transit Authority), Chicago released Chicago at Carnegie Hall that October to a mixed reaction. While the set sold very well, reaching No. 3 in the US (but failing to chart in the UK), the critics found the album too long—and even indulgent with its inclusions of tune-ups.

The band themselves have remained divided through the years over the merits of the album. Robert Lamm and Walter Parazaider defended the album to William James Ruhlmann, while James Pankow and Peter Cetera were not happy with the result. Pankow told Ruhlmann, "I hate it. ... The acoustics of Carnegie Hall were never meant for amplified music, ...the brass after being miked came out sounding like kazoos." Lee Loughnane said that although he thinks the album is good, there were many things he didn't like about it and that he didn't think the album should have been released.

In recognition of setting Carnegie Hall records and the ensuing four LP live recordings, the group was awarded a Billboard 1972 Trendsetter Award. Despite poor sound quality, Chicago at Carnegie Hall, according to William James Ruhlmann, went on to become "perhaps" the best-selling box set by a rock act until the release of the Live/1975-85 five-LP live box set by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band in 1986. It is still the best-selling four-LP set.

In 2005, Chicago at Carnegie Hall was remastered and re-issued on three CDs by Rhino Records with improved sound quality, a bonus disc of eight tracks of alternate takes and songs not on the 1971 edition, and recreations of nearly all the original posters and packaging.

On Monday April 5th, 2021, 50 years to the day of their first Carnegie Hall show, Rhino Records announced a 50th Anniversary 16-CD box set called Chicago Live At Carnegie Hall Complete. The collection includes all six shows in their entirety which were performed from April 5 through April 10, 1971, plus two matinee performances. The set was produced by engineer Tim Jessup along with band member Lee Loughnane, and was released on September 10, 2021.

Artwork and packaging

The original LP release of this set contained two giant posters of the band, a poster of Carnegie Hall's exterior, an insert about voting information, and a 20-page softcover booklet; this last contained photos of the band members playing during the concert, and on the back bore a full touring schedule from their first tour through their 1971 US tour. The band's official web site labels the cover design "white tile".

Track listing

Personnel

• Terry Kath – guitar and vocals
• Peter Cetera – bass and vocals
• Robert Lamm – keyboards and vocals
• Lee Loughnane – trumpet, background vocals, percussion, guitar on "Flight 602" and "Where Do We Go From Here?"
• Walter Parazaider – woodwinds, percussion, background vocals
• James Pankow – trombone, percussion
• Danny Seraphine – drums

Production

• Produced by James William Guercio
• Engineers – Don Puluse, Bud Graham, Hank Altman, Aaron Baron and Larry Dahlstrom
• Recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY (by Location Recorders)
• Mixed at Columbia Recording Studios, New York, NY
• Art Direction – John Berg/Virginia Team
• Artwork – Fuding Cheng
• Poster Design – Ron Coro
• Photography – Allen Goldblatt and Fred Lombardi
• Poster Photo – Frank Laffire
• Lettering – Beverly Scott

Charts

Certifications

References

1. ^ "Albums: Chicago at Carnegie Hall". Chicago - The Band. Chicago Touring. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
2. allmusic - At Carnegie Hall, Vol. 1-4
3. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r3845
4. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
5. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA: Chicago: Live at Carnegie Hall". RIAA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
6. ^ Ruhlmann, William James (1991). Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set) (Media notes). New York City, NY: Columbia Records. p. 5. Archived from the original (CD booklet archived online) on September 30, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
7. "Chicago At Carnegie Hall Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
8. "CHICAGO | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
9. Chicagotheband.com: "History, Section VII" Archived 2008-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
10. "A Chicago Story: Chapter 7 — Success". Chicago - The Band. Chicago Touring. Archived from the original on January 2, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
11. "Talent in Action: Billboard 1972 Trendsetter Awards". Billboard. Vol. 83, no. 52. New York, NY: Billboard Publications, Inc. December 25, 1971. p. TA-4, TA-20 – via Google Books.
12. Wagner, David F. (March 5, 1972). "Columns and opinion: Chicago at Carnegie Hall, Vols. 1-4". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. p. 6, "Showtime" supplement. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Chicago - Chicago at Carnegie Hall (Volumes I, II, III and IV)". Discogs. Archived from the original on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
14. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 62. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
15. "Billboard 200: Chicago III". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
16. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 17. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
17. "Canadian album certifications – Chicago – Chicago at Canergie Hall". Music Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
18. "American album certifications – Chicago – Live at Canergie Hall". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

• Albums produced by James William Guercio
• Albums recorded at Carnegie Hall
• Chicago (band) live albums
• 1971 live albums
• Columbia Records live albums