line up 1 (1970-72)

- Jerry Burrid -- percussion 

- Bill Chase (aka William Edward Chiaiese) (RIP 1974) --  trumpet 

- Dennis Johnson -- vocals, bass 

- Ted Piercefield -- vocals, trumpet 

- Phil Porter -- keyboards 

- Terry Richards -- vocals 

- Angel South -- vocals, guitar

- Jarry van Blair -- vocals, trumpet 

- Alan Ware -- trumpet 

  line up 2 (1972-74)

- Jerry Burrid -- percussion 

- Bill Chase (aka William Edward Chiaiese) (RIP 1974) - -  trumpet 

- Dennis Johnson - - vocals, bass 

- Ted Piercefield -- vocals, trumpet 

- Phil Porter -- keyboards 

NEW - G.G. Shinn -- vocals (replaced Terry Richards) 

- Angel South - - vocals, guitar

- Jarry van Blair -- vocals, trumpet 

- Alan Ware -- trumpet 

- none known

Genre: rock

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  Chase / Ennea

Company: Epic

Catalog: BG 33737

Year: 1976

Country/State: VG+/VG+

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: double LP; gatefold sleeve reissue of the band's second and third releases

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 4743

Price: $15.00

Cost: $66.00

If I were a typical seller I'd probably tell you this was a wonderful slice of rock that you had to have in your collection.  On the other hand it could be that I'm simply wrong and that this is a really good album and I'm missing the boat.  Course I'll readily admit that I'm not a big horn rock fan and leave it at that ...

Co-produced by Bob Destocki and Frank Rand, 1971's cleverly title "Chase" is a pretty good introduction to the band's sound.  I know that other critics have said Chase and company sound nothing like such contemporaries and BS&T or Chicago, but I'll beg to disagree.  While lead singer Terry Richards wasn't as talented as David Clayton Thomas or any of the Chicago singers, it really didn't matter since he was all but drown out by Chase and company's frantic horn arrangements.  The guys simply never had a chance to show off his stuff since even the more structured songs such as their cover of Mike D'Abo's 'Handbags and Gladrags' are punctuated by those dreaded horns.  At the other end of the musical spectrum, the group's stabs at more jazz oriented material ('Open Up Wide' and the 14 minute 'Invitation To a River' suite are pretentious, plodding and dull.  Amazingly, the album actually spun off a hit via the single 'Get It On' b/w 'River' (Epic catalog number 5-10738).  Selected as the second single the best song here 'Handbags and Gladrags' b/w 'Open Up Wide' (Epic catalog number 5-10775) bombed.  Still this is one I can pass on.

"Ennea" was the band's third studio set.  While I'd love to be able to tell you that the personnel changes had helped (aka G.G. Shinn replacing Richards), the changes didn't have much of an impact on the band's sound.  Shinn had a much more soul oriented voice and (to his credit) he was able to at least battle the horns to a standstill on a couple of tracks including the horrendous opening adaption of David Foster's 'Swanne River' and the pretty ballad 'It Won't Be Long'.  Giving credit where due, Epic tapped the most commercial effort as a single - 'I Can Feel It' b/w 'Zeus' (Epic catalog number 5-10853), while Ted Piercefield's 'Night' actually sported a decent hard rock melody (the dreaded horn charts once again sabotaging the composition).  Like the earlier release, whatever hope there was for this one was killed by the over-the-top side long title track.  

"Chase / Ennea" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Open Up Wide (instrumental)   (Bill Chase) - 3:48

2.) Livin' In Heat   (B. Hall - R. Turner - M. Walker) - 2:54

3.) Hello Groceries   (D. O'Rourke) - 2:57

4.) Handbags and Gladrags   (Michael D'Abo) - 3:23

5.) Get It On   (Bill Chase - Terry Richards) - 2:58

(side 2)
1.) Boys and Girls Together   (Jim Petrik) - 2:49

2.) Invitation To a River

    a.) Two Minds Meet   (L. Raub - Bill Chase) - 2:47

    b.) Stay   (L. Raub - Bill Chase) - 1:40   

    c.) Paint It Sad   (L. Raub - Bill Chase) - 2:40

    d.) Reflections   (Bill Chase) - 2:39

    e.) River   (Terry Richards - Bill Chase) - 3:31

(side 3)
1.) Swanee River   (Bill Chase - David Foster) - 3:10

2.) So Many Friends   (R. Nichols - P. Williams) - 2:44

3.) Night   Ted Piercefield) - 2:38

4.) It Won't Be Long   (Phil Porter - J. Soukup) - 3:06

5.) I Can Feel It   (Angel South) - 2:51

6.) Woman of the Dark   (T. Riley - T. Szollosi) - 5:56

(side 4)
1.) Ennea

    1.) Cronus (Saturn)  (Bill Chase - E. Adair) - 4:36

    2.) Zeus (Jupiter)   (Bill Chase - E. Adair) - 2:27

    3.) Poseidon (Neptune)   (Bill Chase - E. Adair) - 2:02 

    4.) Aphrodite Part 1 (Venus)  (Bill Chase - E. Adair) - 3:35

    5.) Aphrodite Part 2 (Venus)  (Bill Chase - E. Adair) - 3:36

    6.) Hades (Pluto)  (Bill Chase - E. Adair) - 3:34