Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
However you may view life, its various ups and downs, its trials, tribulations, its fierce traditions, and its unexpected triumphs, we see the moments that pass us by and wonder what if, only to realise later on down the road that something else entirely was the reason that you were born to tackle, that you Born For This Moment.
Such a statement might seem preposterous, perhaps even absurd in some cases, for the moment keeps coming, the experience of the continual motion that keeps the momentum of artistic intent well rewarded; and yet we must guard against such thinking, for in cases such as one of the most enduring and endearing of American bands, Chicago, the moment is one of seemingly, and gratefully, forever.
It arguably comes down to the sporting analogy of rotation, rather than being entrenched in a crowd that stays together until all ideas are exhausted, or the sense of animosity and separation finds its way into the lyrics and music, the desire to continue beyond the core group is so overwhelming that like a comet speeding through space and the stars, it can only be stopped when the world gets in the way.
Born for this moment, ready and willing to perform for all who listen with their hearts and their minds and who are still enthralled by the sheer magnitude of sound created in what is subtitled Chicago XXXVIII, the process of creativity is once again fulsome, full of flavour, and dynamic.
Time may have removed the need for searing and fashionable vocal wielded by the gracious Peter Cetera or the gravity of the late and much missed Terry Kath, but that doesn’t mean the sound is anywhere near over, and across tracks such as If This Is Goodbye, Our New York Time, The Mermaid (Sereia Do Mar) Safe Harbours, Someone Needed Me The Most, If This Isn’t Love, You’ve Got To Believe, and the album title and lead track, Born For This Moment, the core survivors of the historic group, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, and James Pankow, alongside the reliable and thoughtful players that have joined them for this album, Time is instead overwhelmed with the finesse that has seen the band stay at the top of the wide ranging arena since they first lit up the sky, studio wise, in 1969.
A full rich sound, the earnest appreciation for a group that doesn’t understand the point of taking a back seat, Born For This Moment, ready for every occasion, for there is nothing finer than the sweet serenade of accomplished return, and for Chicago, for that rare combination of comprehensive and all-encompassing pleasure from instruments and groove that blend perfectly, the moment has once again smiled upon the listener.
Ian D. Hall