Chicago - Chicago Story: Complete G.H. 1967-2002 (Rmst) (CD)

All Music Guide

For years, if you wanted a comprehensive Chicago hits collection, your choices were slim. 1975's singledisc/eleventrack collection, Greatest Hits (Chicago IX) remained your best bet, but it only included tracks from the group's beginning to the mid'70s (without question their best years). On the other hand, if it was Chicago's power ballad direction of the '80s you were after, your only choice was 1989's Greatest Hits: 19821989. The very first collection to finally combine both eras together turned out to be the long overdue 2002 double disc from Rhino, The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning. So why another doubledisc set comprised of the same exact material appeared only a year later, Chicago Story: The Complete Greatest Hits 19672002, is quite baffling. Of course, there's no denying the greatness of such selections as "Saturday in the Park," a 'new edit' of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," "Beginnings" but unfortunately, the aforementioned 'lighter' later direction hasn't aged well at all (especially such fluff as "You're the Inspiration"). If you don't already own Only the Beginning, then the similar Complete Greatest Hits is recommended.

- Greg Prato, All Music Guide