| Greatest Hits, Volume II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | November 23, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | January 1969 – June 1978 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 35:49 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James William Guercio, Phil Ramone and Chicago | |||
| Chicago chronology | ||||
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| Chicago compilation chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Greatest Hits, Volume II is the second greatest hits album by American rock band Chicago, released on November 23, 1981 by Columbia Records.
Following the poor reception of 1980's Chicago XIV , Columbia Records dropped Chicago from its roster and cancelled a lucrative contract that had recently been signed. While the band had begun its association with David Foster and was in the process of building a new identity, Columbia had contractual obligations for a new release. Therefore, the label wanted a sequel to the band's first, and highly successful, hits package which had been 1975's Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits . This sequel, Volume II, featured bare-bones album artwork consisting of a collage of photos from around the city of Chicago. The album lacked liner notes and was the only Chicago album not to have its own rendition of the band's distinctive logo; a small picture of the logo from the band's second album appears in the center of the collage.
Released in November 1981, Greatest Hits, Volume II primarily sampled material from Chicago VIII through 1978's Hot Streets, after which the hits stopped coming, though it also stretches back to pick up overlooked hits from the era first covered by the original compilation album. Appearing just before Chicago's unexpected career revival with Chicago 16, reached #171 in the US. Curiously, though "Dialogue Part I & II" is part of the track listing, Part I of the song is left off, leaving only the Part II outro.
Like its predecessor, Greatest Hits, Volume II has since been superseded by 2002's The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning . Unlike the first volume, it is out of print.
Greatest Hits, Volume II (Columbia 37682) reached #171 in the US during a chart stay of 5 weeks. It did not chart in the UK.
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [2] | 171 |
Chicago V is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was released on July 10, 1972, by Columbia Records. It is notable for being the group's first single album release, after having released three consecutive double albums and a four-disc box set of live material.
Chicago VI is the fifth studio album by American rock band Chicago and was released on June 25, 1973, by Columbia Records. It was the band's second in a string of five consecutive albums to make it to No. 1 in the US, was certified gold less than a month after its release, and has been certified two-times platinum since. It is the first album to feature percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, who would become a full-fledged member of the band for Chicago VIII. VI is the first studio album to feature the original band members on the cover before the death of leader and co-founder Terry Kath.
Chicago VII is the sixth studio album by American rock band Chicago. It was released on March 11, 1974 by Columbia Records. It is notable for being their first double album of new material since 1971's Chicago III and remains their final studio release in that format. It features session percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, who would become a full-fledged band member for the release of Chicago VIII the following year.
Chicago VIII is the seventh studio album by American rock band Chicago, released on March 24, 1975 by Columbia Records. Following the experimental jazz/pop stylings of Chicago VII, the band returned to a more streamlined rock-based sound on this follow-up.
Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album, and ninth album overall, by the American band Chicago and was released in 1975 by Columbia Records in both stereo and SQ quadraphonic versions.
Chicago XI is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was released on September 12, 1977, through Columbia Records. It was both the last to feature guitarist and vocalist Terry Kath prior to his death in a gun accident just over four months later, and the last to be produced by longtime associate of the band James William Guercio.
Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert is a live album by the American band Chicago, their twenty-sixth album overall, released in 1999. Their second live album to be released in the US, it was Chicago's first of the sort since 1971's Chicago at Carnegie Hall and 1972's Live in Japan, though the band had released commercial VHS tapes of two concerts in the early 1990s.
The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning is a double greatest hits album by the American band Chicago, their twenty-seventh album overall. Released in 2002, this collection marked the beginning of a long-term partnership with Rhino Entertainment which, between 2002 and 2005, would remaster and re-release Chicago's 1969–1980 Columbia Records catalog.
The Box is a five-CD/one DVD career-spanning box set by the popular American group Chicago, compiled and released by Rhino Records in 2003. The set was authorized by the band, who helped choose material from their entire back catalogue.
"Make Me Smile" is a song written by James Pankow for the rock band Chicago with the band's guitarist, Terry Kath, on lead vocals. Part 1 of Pankow's 7-part "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" song cycle/suite, it was recorded for their second album, Chicago, which was released in 1970. The song "Now More Than Ever", a separate track from the same song suite, serves as a reprise of the song and appears edited together with it on many later versions, including a single edit, on several greatest hits collections, and in many live performances.
"Lowdown" is a song written by Peter Cetera and Danny Seraphine for the rock band Chicago and recorded for their third album Chicago III (1971). It was the second single released from this album, and peaked at No. 35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Cetera provided lead vocals while guitarist Terry Kath used a fuzzbox and wah-wah pedal for his guitar solo and Robert Lamm made prominent use of the Hammond organ.
"Dialogue" is a song written by Robert Lamm for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago V (1972). On the album the song is over 7 minutes long and is divided in two parts. An edited version was released as a single in October 1972, eventually reaching #24 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. A live recording of the full song can be heard in Chicago XXXIV: Live in '75. Part II was included in Greatest Hits, Volume II (1982).
"Feelin' Stronger Every Day" is a song written by Peter Cetera and James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VI (1973). The first single released from that album, it reached #10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
"(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VII (1974). The first single released from that album, it reached number 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, the song peaked at number 5.
"Call on Me" is a song written by Lee Loughnane for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VII (1974). Peter Cetera sang lead vocals and the arrangement makes prominent use of conga drums played by Guille Garcia.
"Harry Truman" is a song written by Robert Lamm for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VIII (1975), with lead vocals by Lamm. The first single released from that album, it reached number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number 23 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, the song peaked at number 16.
"Old Days" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VIII (1975). It was the second single released from that album, with lead vocals by Peter Cetera.
"Baby, What a Big Surprise" is a ballad written by Chicago's then bassist/singer Peter Cetera, which appeared on their album Chicago XI (1977), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The first single released from the album reached number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"No Tell Lover" is a song written by Lee Loughnane, Danny Seraphine, and Peter Cetera for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Hot Streets (1978), with Cetera and Donnie Dacus singing lead vocals. The second single released from that album, it reached No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 5 on the adult contemporary chart.
"Brand New Love Affair" sometimes alternatively listed as "Brand New Love Affair (Parts I and II)", is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VIII. The song peaked at #61 on the charts. Guitarist Terry Kath sings the first half while bassist Peter Cetera sings the second half. Keyboardist Robert Lamm played the distinctive Fender Rhodes electric piano on the song—the intro particularly showcases its lush vibrato bell-like sound.
