Stone of Sisyphus

Stone Of Sisyphus is the title of an unreleased concept album by the jazz-rock band Chicago. The set was originally entitled "Chicago 22."

Related Topics:
Concept album - Chicago

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After the disappointing sales of "Chicago 21," keyboardist Robert Lamm indicated that the band felt it would be best to succeed or fail on their own merits. Produced by Peter Wolf and set for release in 1993, "Stone" was to mark the return to the sound the band had established in their glory years of the 1970s, with a modern refurbishing. Several of the songs on the album were built around the legend of the album's title--the myth evolving around a punished man named Sisyphus forced to climb upon a huge mountain with a rolling stone. Upon reaching the mountain successfully with the stone, he would be free of the curse. But the stone kept rolling down the mountain, thus he would have to start all over again. In discussion, members of the band felt that the myth related to their careers, and songs such as "Plaid," "The Show Must Go On," and the title track operate on that subtext.

Related Topics:
1993 - 1970s - Sisyphus

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Other songs follow more predictable patterns. "All the Years" is a political statement, "Bigger Than Elvis" is a nice Valentine to Jerry Scheff (bassist Jason Scheff's father), "Let's Take A Lifetime" and "Here With Me" are love ballads, and "The Pull" and "Get On This" are straight ahead rockers. Unique are "Mah Jong" and "Cry for the Lost" in that they defy easy categories. Lamm, Bill Champlin, Jason Scheff, and James Pankow take lead roles on this production, and it must be said that it is among Chicago's best work (important, too, are the contributions of Lee Loughnane, guitarist DaWayne Bailey, and session sideman Bruce Gaitsch).

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Warner Bros. Records, Chicago's record company at the time, was displeased with the album, and thus dismissed Sisyphus as being "unreleasable". This led to a split with the band.

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Like The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson's SMiLE, Sisyphus has built a legend of its own. Tracks from the unreleased album have surfaced on bootleg recordings, and even through the Internet. The band seems to have done nothing to stop this.

Related Topics:
The Beach Boys - Brian Wilson - SMiLE - Bootleg

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In 2003, the group finally allowed two tracks from Sisyphus, the title cut and "Bigger Than Elvis", to be officially released on their CD compilation box set by Rhino Records. As of 2005, the album as a whole remains officially unreleased to the public.

Related Topics:
2003 - Rhino Records - As of 2005

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