Instant Gratification: Chicago, “25 or 6 to 4” (Paris 12/8/69)

Chicago is many things – the windy city, Sinatra’s kind of town, a Broadway musical – but for our purposes, it’s first and foremost a rock band possessed with remarkably longevity, a huge catalog of hit singles and albums, and a fanbase to die for. If you’re part of that fanbase, then there’s a good chance that you’ve seen them live and have been able to appreciate in person just how tremendous their concert performances can be. If you’ve never had the pleasure, however, you can get a pretty good idea of what it’s like on April 6 when Rhino releases CHICAGO: VI DECADES LIVE (THIS IS WHAT WE DO).

This 4-CD / 1-DVD set includes material recorded between 1969 and 2014, including Chicago’s much-vaunted performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival in its entirety, and the DVD shines a light on a 1977 concert by the band that was originally aired on the German TV series Rockpalast.

Since you’ve got a full month until this set hits stores, we’ve got a little something that’ll help you while away the hours and days until then: the band’s live version of “25 or 6 to 4” from their December 8, 1969 show in Paris, France.

For now, you may want to have something available to catch any resulting drool, because here’s the track listing of the set in its entirety:
 
CHICAGO VI DECADES LIVE (THIS IS WHAT WE DO)
Track Listing:

Disc One: Isle Of Wight Festival (8/28/70) *
1. Introduction
2. "South California Purples"
3. "Beginnings"
4. "In The Country"
5. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (Free Form Intro)"
6. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"
7. "Mother"

Disc Two: Isle Of Wight Festival (8/28/70) *
1. "It Better End Soon"
2. "Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon"
3. "25 Or 6 To 4"
4. "I'm A Man"

Disc Three *
1. "Poem For The People" (Paris, France, 12/8/69)
2. "25 Or 6 To 4" (Paris, France, 12/8/69)
3. "Liberation" (Paris, France, 12/8/69)
4. "Goodbye" (The John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, Washington D.C., 9/16/71)
5. "Now That You've Gone" (Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia, 6/26/72)
6. "A Hit By Varèse" (Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL, 8/13/73)
7. "If You Leave Me Now" (Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA, 12/1/77)
8. "Takin' It On Uptown" (Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA, 12/1/77)

Disc Four *
1. "Hot Streets" (Greek Theater, Los Angeles, CA, 8/11/78)
2. "Little One" (Greek Theater, Los Angeles, CA, 8/11/78)
3. "Forever" (Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola, FL, 3/21/87)
4. "Medley: In The Midnight Hour/Knock On Wood/I'm A Man/Get Away" (Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola, FL, 3/21/87)
5. "You're Not Alone" (Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, TX, 5/30/92)
6. "The Pull" (Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV, 3/20/94)
7. "In The Mood" (Caesar's Palace, Atlantic City, NJ, 7/28/94)
8. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (Caesar's Palace, Atlantic City, NJ, 7/28/94)
9. "Look Away (Acoustic)" - A&E Network, Live By Request, 9/5/02)
10. "America" (WHYY, The Grand, Wilmington, DE, 5/7/14)

DVD: Rockpalast (2/12/77) *
1. "Anyway You Want"
2. "Saturday In The Park"
3. "Skin Tight"
4. "Just You 'n' Me"
5. "Hope For Love"
6. "You Are On My Mind"
7. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"
8. "Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon"
9. "Beginnings"
10. "Scrapbook"
11. "A Hit By Varèse"
12. "Call On Me"
13. "Takin' It On Uptown"
14. "If You Leave Me Now"
15. "Once Or Twice"
16. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long"/"Mongonucleosis"
17. "25 Or 6 To 4"
18. "Got To Get You Into My Life"
19. "I'm A Man"

* Previously Unreleased