You can never be sure what’s going to happen when you put on a Chicago record for the first time. What’s coming first? Soft rock? Swing? Progressive rock? In the case of V, the answer is “the closest Chicago ever came to free jazz.”

Followed by All Is Well, a great soft rock tune with a killer jazz interlude. This being their first single LP, they were forced to compact their more indulgent elements into the time constraints. There are no extended jam tracks sat next to pop tunes, but rather a compositional blend of the two forces that have always fought for running time on Chicago records. The result is perhaps the most cohesive mixture of their pop and prog tendencies put to tape. The inclusion of Saturday in the Park would be enough to make this a good record, but the flawless composition makes it a great one.