GONE TOO SOON

This now-out-of-print compilation CD is a tribute to the artistry of Terry Kath, Chicago's original guitarist who was killed in a gun accident in 1978. From "I'm a Man" to "Ain't It Blue," from "Scrapbook" to "South California Purples, it represents a good selection of songs written, played on, and/or sung by Kath. It's worth noting that two of the cuts, "25 or 6 to 4" and "Mississippi Delta City Blues," are taken from the Chicago Live in Japan release.

My quibbles with this CD are only two. First of all, where are the rarities? Aren't there any alternate takes they could have included? What happened to "Tell Me," Kath's closing song from the movie "Electra Glide in Blue," in which he played a...well, just rent the movie and see! What about the bonus tracks of previously unreleased material that showed up on the Rhino compilations? The small bits of dialogue between songs aren't enough!

Secondly, while I understand the reasoning behind the inclusion of "Free Form Guitar" (after all, it does show off some of Kath's early style), it doesn't mean I want to listen to it! I would have substituted "Jenny" or "Sing a Mean Tune, Kid" or, for goodness sakes, the amazing "Now That You've Gone" myself.

But then, it's very hard to fault any CD that contains both "An Hour in the Shower" and "In the Country." See if you can find this set anywhere - or better yet, make your own Kath compilation and enjoy the artistry of a musician gone too soon.