Chicago Transit Authority cover

Chicago Transit Authority

Released

The initial subway map from these future MOR superstars was way weirder than you’d expect from the band that gave us “If You Leave Me Now.” Proggy jazz rock jams (“Introduction”), skronky Hendrix/Sharrock free guitar noise (“Free Form Guitar”), funk blasts (“I’m A Man”) — it’s a wild two-LP ride. Even one of the more traditional singles, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” kicks off with discordant piano banging before kicking into some sweet light rock swing. “Questions 67 and 68” and “Someday (August 29, 1968)” use their horns to pull the listener into their train cars.

Jeff Treppel

Recommended by

Suggestions
Fearless Movement cover

Fearless Movement

Kamasi Washington
Rubber Soul cover

Rubber Soul

The Beatles
Balkanology cover

Balkanology

Ivo Papasov & His Orchestra
Klaatu cover

Klaatu

Klaatu
Holy Fvck cover

Holy Fvck

Demi Lovato
Slaves Mass cover

Slaves Mass

Hermeto Pascoal
W cover

W

Gacharic Spin
Native Dancer cover

Native Dancer

Wayne Shorter, Milton Nascimento
Indo-Jazz Suite cover

Indo-Jazz Suite

John Mayer, Joe Harriott