Overview: Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago brings us the history of legendary rock band Chicago, chronicled from their inception in 1967 all the way to the present. Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience is a journey into the mind of one of the most underrated guitarists in rock history.

Follow Terry’s daughter as she discovers the truth around the life and death of a father she never knew.

Blu-ray Verdict: First shown on CNN, Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago takes a look at the band from when they began in 1967 all the way through their current lineup. It’s hard to believe they’ve been around that long but they have and are still going strong today. The documentary looks at how they came together, how they met and how they came up with a sound that is all their own.

Many won’t recall that when they began Chicago was more inclined to use political lyrics as well as pop tunes. That eventually changed to softer tunes and more ballads as time passed. The group is the most successful of all time in singles charts kept by Billboard magazine. They’ve sold over 100 million records and were the first rock band to sell out Carnegie Hall for a solid week.

All of that is the stats that the band has racked up but the men behind the music, those that came together to create this unique sound, is what this documentary is about. It doesn’t hold back on anything, discussing the ups and downs the band suffered.

The two most notable issues were the death of lead guitarist Terry Kath and the dismissal of long time drummer Danny Seraphine. Both shook fans to the core and both are discussed here and not glossed over. Through it all, the losses and the redirection towards ballads and then back to more aggressive rock as well as experimental music, the band has stayed together. That the core of the group, Robert Lamm, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane and Walter Parazaider have stuck together for more than 50 years now says something as well.

Each has brought something different to the band and the end result is music that is as memorable now as when it was first released.

The documentary also takes time to look at the different incarnations of the band as well. When Peter Cetera left the band to go solo he was replaced by Jason Scheff who handled the job easily and brought a new sound to the band.

It looks at the different replacements for Kath after his tragic accident. Each guitarists brought in were great but it wasn’t until the addition of Keith Howland that any lasted. Other have come along as well and the sound has remained the same but gathered something new as well.

Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience more than does justice to Terry Kath, an artist whose voice and guitar jumped out at me on the early Chicago albums. I knew how good he truly was when I heard the band’s work after Kath’s death, and clearly part of the soul and vibe of the band had left as well.

Indeed, Jimi Hendrix once said that Kath was a better guitarist than he was which obviously speaks volumes, but as with so many great rockers, talent came with recklessness and Kath wore it on his face like Jim Morrison. Considering Chicago’s decades of popularity, I am surprised at how underrated this man still is.

Thus Michelle Kath Sinclair did an excellent job of sharing the story of her father through the 8mm films her Dad recorded during his short life. Sinclair also assembled a wide range of his family and friends to interview for this short yet informative biography.

I enjoyed how she let those who knew him well speak so candidly without interrupting them with nonsense questions. None of the interviews appeared to be edited; the jaw dropping stories are captivating.

In closing, this loving portrait by a daughter who never knew him is well deserved and well represented here in this fantastic double feature Blu-ray from Film Rise/MVD Visual. These are both Widescreen Presentations (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

www.FilmRise.com