VI Decades Live: This Is What We Do is a four-CD and one-DVD live box set by the American rock band Chicago, released on April 6, 2018 by Rhino Records.
The collection features previously unreleased live performances recorded between 1969 and 2014, including the band's full concert at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 and a 1977 performance filmed for the German television program Rockpalast.[2]
The box set includes a 24-page booklet containing rare photographs and archival material.[3]
Unlike previous live releases, none of those recordings are included in this set, which consists entirely of previously unreleased material.[4]
Background
The project was compiled from Chicago's vault of live recordings, drawing on tapes spanning the band's first six decades.
According to Rhino, the set was designed to highlight the group's evolution in concert, showcasing multiple lineups over their career. The Isle of Wight 1970 performance represents one of the earliest complete Chicago concerts ever officially issued.[4]
Critical reception
VI Decades Live: This Is What We Do received positive reviews from music critics. The Second Disc described the Isle of Wight performance as "raw, powerful, and politically charged," calling the early Chicago lineup "a force of nature onstage."[4] Reviewer Jeff Burger highlighted the box set's focus on Chicago's early, horn-driven period, stating that the majority of the material comes from the band's “most inventive and energetic years.”[5]
NoTreble praised the release for offering “an expansive live history” of the band, particularly noting the quality of the vintage tapes used.[6]
Track listing
| Side four
|
| No. |
Venue
|
Title |
Writer(s) |
Lead vocals |
Length
|
| 1 |
Greek Theatre (August 11, 1978) |
"Hot Streets" |
Lamm |
|
6:23
|
| 2
|
"Little One"
|
|
Kath |
9:48
|
| 3
|
Pensacola Bay Center (March 21, 1987)
|
"Forever"
|
|
Lamm
|
5:48
|
| 4
|
"Medley: In the Midnight Hour, Knock on Wood, I'm a Man, Get Away (reprise)"
|
|
Bill Champlin (In the Midnight Hour), Lamm (Knock on Wood), Lamm/Jason Scheff (I'm a Man)
|
13:40
|
| 5
|
Coca-Cola Starplex Amphitheatre (May 30, 1992)
|
"You're Not Alone"
|
Jim Scott
|
Champlin
|
4:27
|
| 6
|
Caesars Atlantic City (July 28, 1994)
|
"The Pull"
|
|
|
4:19
|
| 7
|
"In the Mood"
|
|
Champlin
|
4:19
|
| 8
|
"Don't Get Around Much Anymore"
|
Duke Ellington
|
|
3:30
|
| 9
|
A&E Network (September 5, 2002)
|
"Look Away"
|
Diane Warren
|
Champlin
|
4:27
|
| 10
|
Grand Opera House (May 7, 2014)
|
"America"
|
Lee Loughnane
|
Lou Pardini
|
4:26
|
References
- ^ "Chicago: VI Decades Live (This Is What We Do)". Rhino.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago VI Decades Live Available April 6". Rhino Media. April 6, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago VI Decades Live". ChicagoTheBand.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Review: Chicago, "VI Decades Live: This Is What We Do"". The Second Disc. April 27, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "New Collections Feature Vintage Concert Material from Chicago". ByJeffBurger.com. April 30, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago Looks Back with VI Decades Live". NoTreble. April 10, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chicago – Live - VI Decades Live" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
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| Singles | |
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