CHICAGO: WAKE UP SUNSHINE (1971)

Chicago II is the second album by Chicago-based rock band Chicago. It was released in 1970 after the band had shortened its name from The Chicago Transit Authority after releasing their same-titled debut album the previous year. Although the official title of the album is Chicago, it came to be retroactively known as Chicago II, keeping it in line with the succession of roman numeral-titled albums that officially began with Chicago III in 1971. While The Chicago Transit Authority was a success, Chicago is considered by many to be Chicago’s breakthrough album, yielding a number of Top 40 hits, including “Make Me Smile“ (#9), “Colour My World“ (#7), and “25 or 6 to 4“ (#4). The centerpiece of the album was the thirteen-minute song cycle “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon“. In addition, guitarist Terry Kath also participated in an extended classically styled piece in four separate songs. The politically outspoken Robert Lamm also tackles his qualms with