Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Heart in Pieces 5:02
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producer, recording engineer
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background vocals, writer
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writer
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recording engineer
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Lisa M. Allenassistant producer
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- A2 I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love 3:54
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writer
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writer
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producer, recording engineer
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Daren Chadwicksecond engineer
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assistant engineer
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Nick "Beemer" Basichassistant engineer
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assistant engineer
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assistant engineer
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assistant engineer
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Deandra Millerassistant producer
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- A3 I Stand Up 4:02
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writer
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producer, recording engineer
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writer
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recording engineer
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Lisa M. Allenassistant producer
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- A4 We Can Last Forever 3:42
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writer
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writer
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producer, recording engineer
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Daren Chadwicksecond engineer
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assistant engineer
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Nick "Beemer" Basichassistant engineer
-
assistant engineer
-
assistant engineer
-
assistant engineer
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Deandra Millerassistant producer
-
- A5 Come In From the Night 4:39
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writer
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producer, recording engineer
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writer
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recording engineer
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Lisa M. Allenassistant producer
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- B1 Look Away 3:59
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writer
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producer, recording engineer
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Daren Chadwicksecond engineer
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assistant engineer
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Nick "Beemer" Basichassistant engineer
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assistant engineer
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assistant engineer
-
assistant engineer
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Deandra Millerassistant producer
-
- B2 What Kind of Man Would I Be 4:18
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producer, recording engineer, writer
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writer
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writer
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recording engineer
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Lisa M. Allenassistant producer
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- B3 Runaround 4:08
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writer
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producer, recording engineer
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writer
-
recording engineer
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Lisa M. Allenassistant producer
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- B4 You're Not Alone 3:54
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writer
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producer, recording engineer
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Daren Chadwicksecond engineer
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assistant engineer
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Nick "Beemer" Basichassistant engineer
-
assistant engineer
-
assistant engineer
-
assistant engineer
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Deandra Millerassistant producer
-
- B5 Victorious 6:03
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producer, recording engineer
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writer
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writer
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recording engineer
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Lisa M. Allenassistant producer
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- Total length: 43:41
Rate/Catalog
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Review
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9 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Chicago 19 [p] 33 rpm
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Chicago 19 33 rpm
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Chicago 19 33 rpm
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Chicago 19 33 rpm
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14 Reviews
Album Of The Day: Chicago XIX (1988)
Maybe it’s the Stockholm Syndrome talking but I find myself kind of liking Chicago’s fourth straight platter of Adult Oriented Rock. Even with its artwork which should have won a Grammy for jaw-dropping ugliness. Maybe it’s because the producer has switched from David Foster to Ron Nevisom, but it feels a little fresher than XVIII. Which isn’t to suggest they’re trying anything new - they’re not - but I think the songwriting is stronger this time. Just have a listen to We Can Last Forever - fans of unapologetic power ballads should be in heaven with this should-have-been-hit, bassist Jason Scheff’s Cetera impression building with the track before exploding into an AOR-perfection chorus. As for actual hits, there’s four big singles here. First is the outrageously cheesy I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love, almost a parody of lovelorn power ballads as singing keyboardist Bill Champlin hams it up over a smorgasbord of 80s cliches. Those who like the style will enjoy it, others will sympathize with only half of the song’s message, specifically the “I Don’t Wanna Live” part. You’ll also find #5 hit What Kind Of Man Would I Be, a - can you guess - power ballad where Scheff once again delicately serenades the ladies over the electric piano verses before going big on the catchy chorus. And despite my not caring for it at all, You’re Not Alone hit the top ten too, though it’s light on hooks and seems like a poor rehearsal for the real monster single around the corner.
#1 in the US and Canada and according to Billboard the most played song of 1989, the Champlin sung Look Away was a smash. A power ballad (gasp) the song makes good use of Champlin - not as natural a singer as Lamm or Scheff, Champlin nevertheless has a gruff, wounded quality that makes him suited to play the narrator of this tale of repressed romantic victimhood. Musically there’s not much to write home about, but it’s a Diane Warren song and she generally knows what she’s doing - it’s well structured with a sentimental keyboard opening that transitions smoothly to the big dumb vocal melody on the chorus and an effecting circling back to the opening at the end.
Elsewhere Lamm gets a bit soulful on I Stand Up but don’t get excited - it’s soulful in a very white, very 80s way that was probably the closest Chicago could get at this time but I still like the song. Champlin, for who this album is something of a coming out party, delivers a tenser rocker (though it’s still rather mild mannered in terms of tempo) with Come In From The Night. Unfortunately the record is bookended by poo-poo; the sappy chorus and shitty drum sound of Heart In Pieces make it hard to enjoy and six minute closer Victorious appears to be an attempt at a big finale but is a rather slow, empty song that isn’t worth sitting through.
Yet if you’re a fan of - that’s right - power ballads and want more of what XVI and XVII had to say, XIX makes for a better listening experience than XVIII. Everyone else is advised to look away, baby look away.
Maybe it’s the Stockholm Syndrome talking but I find myself kind of liking Chicago’s fourth straight platter of Adult Oriented Rock. Even with its artwork which should have won a Grammy for jaw-dropping ugliness. Maybe it’s because the producer has switched from David Foster to Ron Nevisom, but it feels a little fresher than XVIII. Which isn’t to suggest they’re trying anything new - they’re not - but I think the songwriting is stronger this time. Just have a listen to We Can Last Forever - fans of unapologetic power ballads should be in heaven with this should-have-been-hit, bassist Jason Scheff’s Cetera impression building with the track before exploding into an AOR-perfection chorus. As for actual hits, there’s four big singles here. First is the outrageously cheesy I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love, almost a parody of lovelorn power ballads as singing keyboardist Bill Champlin hams it up over a smorgasbord of 80s cliches. Those who like the style will enjoy it, others will sympathize with only half of the song’s message, specifically the “I Don’t Wanna Live” part. You’ll also find #5 hit What Kind Of Man Would I Be, a - can you guess - power ballad where Scheff once again delicately serenades the ladies over the electric piano verses before going big on the catchy chorus. And despite my not caring for it at all, You’re Not Alone hit the top ten too, though it’s light on hooks and seems like a poor rehearsal for the real monster single around the corner.
#1 in the US and Canada and according to Billboard the most played song of 1989, the Champlin sung Look Away was a smash. A power ballad (gasp) the song makes good use of Champlin - not as natural a singer as Lamm or Scheff, Champlin nevertheless has a gruff, wounded quality that makes him suited to play the narrator of this tale of repressed romantic victimhood. Musically there’s not much to write home about, but it’s a Diane Warren song and she generally knows what she’s doing - it’s well structured with a sentimental keyboard opening that transitions smoothly to the big dumb vocal melody on the chorus and an effecting circling back to the opening at the end.
Elsewhere Lamm gets a bit soulful on I Stand Up but don’t get excited - it’s soulful in a very white, very 80s way that was probably the closest Chicago could get at this time but I still like the song. Champlin, for who this album is something of a coming out party, delivers a tenser rocker (though it’s still rather mild mannered in terms of tempo) with Come In From The Night. Unfortunately the record is bookended by poo-poo; the sappy chorus and shitty drum sound of Heart In Pieces make it hard to enjoy and six minute closer Victorious appears to be an attempt at a big finale but is a rather slow, empty song that isn’t worth sitting through.
Yet if you’re a fan of - that’s right - power ballads and want more of what XVI and XVII had to say, XIX makes for a better listening experience than XVIII. Everyone else is advised to look away, baby look away.
Published
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David Foster stuck with the band for three albums, but when the success began to stall with Chicago 18, Foster left. Besides that change, this would be the final album with Chicago's original drummer Danny Seraphine (not that he was doing much true drumming at this point). With the key to their comeback gone, Chicago brought on Chas Sandford to produce the album, and the result is easily the most dated, hard to sit through album of their comeback years yet. Every bad idea and sound from 80s production combines here for what is a tired, painful listen. It doesn't help that the album barely has the tunes to give itself some worth. A disappointing, mediocre album that signals the end of Chicago's comeback. No, it can't last forever.
Is there any, and I mean ANY, redeeming factor on this product that is undoubtedly the result of pressing a synth directly into a vinyl press? Well, yes. These positives are really just relegated to a few solid moments. "Heart in Pieces" is a memorable opener. "We Can Last Forever" is a great pop song that almost recalls memories of songs from Chicago 17; the fact that I'm reminiscing about Chicago 17 should tell you how desperate this album is for quality (for the record, I do like 17, but it can barely hold a candle to the classics). "What Kind of Man Would I Be" is a memorable enough hit from the album, too. Finally, "Look Away" is the biggest hit on the album, and it is probably the best moment on the album (either that or the opener for me, honestly).
So, what about everything else? Jesus. Let's start with the production - take every bad idea from the 80s and put it on a record. You have Chicago 19, which makes the overblown Chicago 18 feel comparatively timeless. Couple this with the most filler on any album since Chicago XIV, which seems preferable in comparison to this trite record. Outside of the aforementioned tunes, I can not recall a single note or song on this sorry album, with the exception of some notable moments. "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" was another hit off the album, but I can't stand it. Something about the production and the melody makes me feel. I wanna live without it, that's for damn sure. Outside of that specific moment, the rest of this is truly in one ear and out the other. Find me one person whose favorite song on Earth is "Come In From the Night."
I doubt that I will hear anything as painfully boring as Chicago 19 in the future, but I thought the same thing when hearing Chicago XIV so... can't wait. This is the new bottoming out of Chicago. Painful production and even more painfully boring moments, saved by only a few high-points that save it from complete failure. Say what you will about the Peter Cetera years, but this is proof to me that the group was completely lost without him.
4/10
Is there any, and I mean ANY, redeeming factor on this product that is undoubtedly the result of pressing a synth directly into a vinyl press? Well, yes. These positives are really just relegated to a few solid moments. "Heart in Pieces" is a memorable opener. "We Can Last Forever" is a great pop song that almost recalls memories of songs from Chicago 17; the fact that I'm reminiscing about Chicago 17 should tell you how desperate this album is for quality (for the record, I do like 17, but it can barely hold a candle to the classics). "What Kind of Man Would I Be" is a memorable enough hit from the album, too. Finally, "Look Away" is the biggest hit on the album, and it is probably the best moment on the album (either that or the opener for me, honestly).
So, what about everything else? Jesus. Let's start with the production - take every bad idea from the 80s and put it on a record. You have Chicago 19, which makes the overblown Chicago 18 feel comparatively timeless. Couple this with the most filler on any album since Chicago XIV, which seems preferable in comparison to this trite record. Outside of the aforementioned tunes, I can not recall a single note or song on this sorry album, with the exception of some notable moments. "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" was another hit off the album, but I can't stand it. Something about the production and the melody makes me feel. I wanna live without it, that's for damn sure. Outside of that specific moment, the rest of this is truly in one ear and out the other. Find me one person whose favorite song on Earth is "Come In From the Night."
I doubt that I will hear anything as painfully boring as Chicago 19 in the future, but I thought the same thing when hearing Chicago XIV so... can't wait. This is the new bottoming out of Chicago. Painful production and even more painfully boring moments, saved by only a few high-points that save it from complete failure. Say what you will about the Peter Cetera years, but this is proof to me that the group was completely lost without him.
4/10
Published
Having explored several Chicago albums that are either very uneven or badly rated, here we finally have a Chicago album which is honestly quite bad. I wouldn't have believed that the hit single "What Kind of Man Would I Be", which I like only moderately, is the best track on the whole album. "We Can Last Forever" is another decent number. Much of Chicago 19, including "Look Away" which also was a hit single, is substandard, crappy-sounding 1980s mainstream. One of the least interesting albums that I have met for a while.
Published
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While Chicago 18 at least had "Will You Still Love Me?" as a nice piece of ear candy, 19 has little to recommend it. The singles aren't horrible, but aren't especially memorable, either.
What really does this in is Chas Sandford's production. Every bad idea of the late '80s is here, making the whole thing barely listenable. Jason Scheff's weak, nasally voice doesn't help much, either.
What really does this in is Chas Sandford's production. Every bad idea of the late '80s is here, making the whole thing barely listenable. Jason Scheff's weak, nasally voice doesn't help much, either.
Published
W2 24714 CD (1988)
After Peter Cetera left the group after 17, Chicago release 18 with their new bassist/lead singer Jason Scheff. Although 18 wasn't bad, it was very timid. But there's no denying Jason Scheff coming into his own on "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" and "We Can Last Forever". Champlin also hits solo for the first time on "Look Away", "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and the much forgotten about "You're Not Alone". Also of note is the Robert Lamm composition "Victorious" which paves new ground for production experimentation for a band that's done it all. I love their 80's sound. The songs "Look Away" and "We Can Last Forever" as well as "What Kind of Man Would I Be" are excellent. One of the greatest songs on this album was never a single. It was Victorious and that is the last song, with this song being a beautiful Ballad which is of a solid synthesizer orchestral setting with Bass and Drums, and sung by Robert Lamm beautifully. Bill Chapman and Brian Scheff sing also on this album, and they both had great voices on the album. I think that this is one of the best albums ever in the history of Chicago even though they were different from before.
Overall rating: 4.0
Overall rating: 4.0
Published
Embarrassing. How could some of the guys who put out a long time ago innovative songs like those contained on I, II, III, V, till the sad Kath's passing away have reached such a point of (...)? This is certainly no piece of s..t, but I bet I am not going to listen to it anymore. Could someone convince me of his fondness for this sort of prominent drums? Who could be interested in those corny love songs. Of course, there is nothing bad. Could you imagine MESSI ending his career in a Belgian twentieth division club? Was it so necessary to change something that went so well and was brilliant? That said, I really appreciate friend Kid Charlemagne's well balanced review!!!!
Published
Great pop-aor!
Published
This reminds me of my high school era, wasn't very familiar with Chicago other than that Peter Cetera was their singer and he had sang that Glory of love song on the Karate Kid movie, which was a big hit way back when.
Having picked the album, I liked some of the songs immediately specially "Heart in Pieces" and "Runaround". Look away was another big hit and had a pretty steamy video from my recollection and had nothing to do with the song itself, but the girl was very hot. Later on found out that Cetera had nothing to do with this album!
Looking back, it seems to be a very manufactured sound, aiming for hits, several ballads, though I still like the vocals of Lamm , Champlin and Scheff.
Highlights: Heart in Pieces; Runaround; What kind of man; look away; Alone; I don't wanna; We can last
Having picked the album, I liked some of the songs immediately specially "Heart in Pieces" and "Runaround". Look away was another big hit and had a pretty steamy video from my recollection and had nothing to do with the song itself, but the girl was very hot. Later on found out that Cetera had nothing to do with this album!
Looking back, it seems to be a very manufactured sound, aiming for hits, several ballads, though I still like the vocals of Lamm , Champlin and Scheff.
Highlights: Heart in Pieces; Runaround; What kind of man; look away; Alone; I don't wanna; We can last
Published
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Catalog
2 May 2024
24 Apr 2024
11 Apr 2024
9 Apr 2024
7 Apr 2024
4 Apr 2024
11 Mar 2024
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A1
Heart in Pieces
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A2
I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love
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A3
I Stand Up
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A4
We Can Last Forever
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A5
Come In From the Night
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B1
Look Away
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B2
What Kind of Man Would I Be
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B3
Runaround
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B4
You're Not Alone
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B5
Victorious
10 Mar 2024
16 Feb 2024
10 Jan 2024
28 Dec 2023
19 Dec 2023
12 Dec 2023
25 Nov 2023
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A1
Heart in Pieces
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A2
I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love
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A3
I Stand Up
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A4
We Can Last Forever
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A5
Come In From the Night
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B1
Look Away
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B2
What Kind of Man Would I Be
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B3
Runaround
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B4
You're Not Alone
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B5
Victorious
22 Nov 2023
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