That's The Way Of The World

“That’s the Way of the World” by Earth, Wind & Fire (1975) This is some of the best soul music ever. Listen to it as an antidote to the nightly news. Celebratory themes lift up the listener, giving gentle encouragement with soul. Earth, Wind & Fire preach (yes) a message of living a well integrated life with a funky groove. I’m in. If you’ve ever spent much time in an African American Baptist or Methodist church, you know exactly what’s going on here. This is neither Oprahfied self esteem nor the anger inducing kerygma of Farrakhan’s NOI Incorporated. It’s actualized joy. These songs come at us in a wholesome and upbeat mood only slightly tarnished by astrological and pseudo mystical wackiness. The closing track (“See the Light”) is either gospel or heliolatry, depending on your perspective. And there’s a love for newborn babies sprinkled throughout. And who doesn’t love newborn babies? (Ok, you smart alecks in the back row, put your hands down!) Lead and backing vocals display an extraordinarily diverse palette of timbres, including ghostly baritone, croaky-to-sassy-to-silky tenor, and entire gospel choirs of falsetto flavors. It’s not a stew. It’s a buffet. On top of that, we hear heavenly horns, tastefully arranged, with potent punctuation in interludes. Some of the ‘fill’ comes across as dated, but it still has nostalgic value. It’s only a minor flaw. But the standout instrumental performance on this album is the inventive bass lines by Verdine White, one of the greatest bassists of all time. He synthesizes progressive jazz, funk, and (believe it or not) classical symphonic music. It’s worth listening to this entire album with both ears trained on the electric bass. I dare ya. The album is well constructed, with the splashy lead track “Shining Star”, and the meditative end of “All about Love” to finish out side one, while side two begins ‘back to the splash’, winding up (and down) to the beautiful resolution of the closing anthem “See the Light” (starting with a rapid 7/8 that I actually wanted to dance to. You’ve got to hear it to believe it). The choral arrangement of the closing bars before the outro are ethereal. One could wrap this up with an ‘Amen’. 4/5

My favorite EWF songs are (and pay attention, these are in order) Fantasy, September, and their transcendent cover of the Beatles' Got To Get You Into My Life. None of these are on this album, the lone EWF entry on the list. Shining Star opens the album, followed by the title track. They're both 5's (although not in my own personal Top 5, which tells you how great EWF were). But what I really want to learn more about is that apparently this album is the soundtrack to a movie of the same name starring Harvey Keitel. One would think with all of the streaming options available that at least one of them would have this curiosity available for our ready viewing pleasure. Earth, Wind & Fire actually appear in the film as a fictionalized version of themselves in a group known as...The Group? An IMDB user tells us the movie is worth seeking out and even likens it to the Paul Simon vehicle "One Trick Pony". That's all the inspiration I needed (big props to IMDB user lambiepie-2, as Prince would say, may u live 2 c the dawn), so I found this cinematic marvel on Tubi. The movie is everything I imagined it would be. It opens with EWF performing "That's The Way Of The World" while a young Harvey Keitel runs the control board. And it's pretty much a disaster from there. Keitel's record label would rather Harvey showed more interest in wan seemingly incestuous white trio called The Pages (which is somehow an even worse name than The Group). The Pages are a mix of the Carpenters, Helen Reddy, and the Starlight Vocal Band before they discovered the joy and wonders of a Nooner. White family acts were hip back then, you see. It's a thinly veiled commentary on the music industry and faceless, corporate America. It's cheesy in a way you'd expect from a forgettable film released in 1975. The script goes out of it's way to have characters say the title of the movie at least three times (possibly more, I just gave up after the third time). The movie made me appreciate the album, Harvey Keitel, Maurice White, Philip Bailey, and possibly Karen Carpenter, even more.

Shining Star is always fun, the upbeat tempo and "happy" singing make for a fun, encouraging song. A good one to lead with. Interesting though as the feel is very different than the rest of the album. The sound is the "same" though. Yearnin' Learnin' is, upon first listen, my favorite song on the album. There is something about the beat and the tone of their voices, a sort of exaggerated "meah, meah, meah" sound. At first I did not think I liked Reasons but I forced myself to continue listening and I love her voice being dominant with the guys harmonizing in the background and the jazzy trumpets hitting two beats (?) mixed in. As far as lyrics, All About Love (First Impression) is my favorite. The "spokenness" of the lyrics helps drive it home and easier to listen to. Africano, I am not a fan typically of the flute (it seems to be a tin or small wood one), so the sound of the flute is not my favorite. Towards the end of the intro it has a sound of water that is reminiscent of "Native American" music. A lot of interesting sounds all together in this song, very "Cosby-showish" sounding to me. So, unfortunately hearing Cosy before this song, I hear a TV show and not the song. I am not a fan of the trumpet or sax too much in songs...this is heavy on those. The numerous sounds work well together and keep you entertained, almost as though you don't know where to look. Overall the album has a smooth, mellow sound that is hopeful and enjoyable even as the lyrics call for thinking. I liked Earth, Wind & Fire before listening to this album but I still really enjoyed it. It reminded me of The 5th Dimension's Age of Aquarius a bit.

Going into this album, the only song that I recognized immediately looking at the tracklist was the classic opener “Shining Star.” By 1975 Earth, Wind and Fire were well on their way to establishing themselves as one of the leading R&B/funk bands of the decade. Track two is the monster title track, which somehow I had forgotten about until the opening notes kicked the song immediately back into my brain. The track leaves little doubt the band was as comfortable in mid-tempo territory as when they are dropping classic funk tunes. Mixing jazz and world influences into “Happy Feelin’” the band is just humming and mastering every tool at their disposal. Did someone mention quiet storm? “All About Love” delivers that and more. Creating a template that others, like Luther Vandross, would perfect, the band utilizes spoken word, excellent background vocals, and a tremendous horn section to pepper the track with personality. However, an overindulgent keyboard part throughout the final minute is entirely unnecessary and distracting. “Yearnin’ and Learnin’” is the first sign of filler. It's not a terrible song but feels like the type of funk song the band could write in their sleep. The horn section during “Reasons” saves it from being a generic ballad. Featuring a falsetto vocal, horns, and strings, the group does everything possible to dress it up. The album regains it's footing with the afro-centric beats of the instrumental “Africano.” I’ve heard the band was fantastic live, and it's easy to see this getting an excellent work out in concert —plenty of 70s style funk guitar, horns, and percussion light this track on fire. “See the Light,” the closing track, is a rumination on the struggles of mid70s America with a hint of spirituality as well. Throw in some psychedelic-inspired keyboards and some Broadwayesque backing vocals, and the song leaves an impression. Although, I’m not convinced it's a positive one. I wouldn't call this record a masterpiece; however, there are some highlights and a couple of indisputable classics. Overall, the legendary status that surrounds EWF appears warranted.

I used to think Earth, Wind, and Fire were a joke. I was ignorant, influenced unfairly by my parent’s prejudice of funk and soul music. My dad in particular was in high school when they were at their peak in popularity, and he was very much in his own musical world, one that he’s never really left honestly - the hard rock of the day, blues, and some jazz (but not much). So EWF wasn’t playing in my house as a kid, and whenever they or bands like them came up, they were scoffed at as being just kind of kitschy and a joke. On my own I have since learned how wrong this was. For one, I’ve learned that all music (and art in general) has merit even if I don’t love it or even like it. But regarding EWF and other soul bands like them, I’ve learned that not only does their music have merit but that it’s also, like, good. In a way that surprises and impresses me continually. This album is no different. Such feel. A soft touch when necessary but man can they crank it up when they need to. Such a talented band of musicians. I have to wonder how big the band actually is given all the instruments here. The vocals? Pristine. Not a note or vocal line out of place. The falsetto on “Reasons” is absolutely incredible and makes for legit love-making music. I really can’t say enough here. Excellent album. There’s a couple of songs I could’ve done without so it doesn’t quite hit 5 stars, but it easily, solidly earns 4. Standout tracks: Shining Star, Happy Feelin’, Reasons, Africano,

Half are Super funky, jazzy grooves and half are typically lush mid 70s ballads. Pretty cool. Tracks opening each side are straight up funk. Africano is a wah wah funk jazz tour de force.

Well, that was a discovery. I know EWF but I've never actually listened to them other than what the Radio offers during a hits retrospective. A couple of tracks here I liked, one on different album thatI adore. I was unaware about their funk/soul & Baptist style and how disco era overlapped. I think it's a good album, not huge enjoyment for me though - just interest. An occasional track is a stonker, but this album, for all it being often ranked the best of EWF, it just doesn't connect with me. I'm unlikely to listen to again. I liked the last track the most. I've been unsure if it's a 2 or a 3 for me. I'm not comfortable with it being a low 3 so let's say high 2 stars.

Reminds me of Pop-Pop.

starts off with shining star, reasons, the sax in africano, the xylophones, great album that shows from beginning to end it deserves its place on this list

Opens with some strong funk, slides into some late-night satiny soul (shag-pile carpet, & mirrored ceiling strongly recommended), dives into disco. The flute opening on "Africano" gave me Osibisa vibes; the shift into strong funk for the second half was unexpected but very much enjoyed. It's hard to listen to this with 1975 ears and thus properly appreciate the space this album held.

The title track features a nice combination of funky bass and breezy guitar licks. Cozy atmosphere. Happy Feelin' is great as well. All About Love slows it way down and has a super cool psychedelic outro. Pan flutes feature in the intro to Africano before polyrhythmic drums come in and excellent saxophone. It's a jazzy instrumental but with a real groove, my favourite track. See the Light keeps the same jazz bass but the vocals re-enter. I would love a whole album of this. I debated not giving this full marks but the highs are high enough.

This has definitely been the discovery for me so far (25 albums in). I thought I kind-of knew EWF and classified them with with commercial '70 kitsch disco (think Boney M) which I hate with a passion. How wrong was I! This is an amazing sounding, soulful, funky and at times jazzy album. Excellent musicianship and most songs are just top class, groovy, can't-sit-still tracks. Even the ones I like the least (the ballads like All About Love) are good. But Africano, what a stonker of a funk track (as are several others)! It's a 4 or a 5 but I'll give it a 5 because it made my day, and I can't really find anything wrong with it. Note to self: buy the album.

I've heard Shining Star before, that song goes hard. "Thats the Way of the World"- groovy bass lines, really clean vocals, background vocals add really good texture to the sound. It kind of drags tho. "Happy Feelin"- The saxophone eats, loves the energy, xylophone or smth. "All About Love" is similar sounding to the rest of album, less memorable. "Yearnin' Love'" best song since the first one, absolute banger. The trumpets sound so good, the vocals and beat mix so well. "Reasons" I think I've heard this too, its really good, honestly this is my favorite song so far. Vocals and lyrics so good, production is perfect. "Africano" Who ever played sax on this cooked. "see the light" tuff song there vocals are so peak, the elctro funk aspect is rlly good. 4 total likes.

I was expecting something more energetic but it is still nice.

This record makes me want to start a 12 piece band ASAP

Compared to other, less popular albums of the era, this feels… slight. Graham Central Station did the rump-shakers better. Rose Royce and Chic had better uplifting, soaring anthems. The Brothers Johnson did better Love Boat interstitial themes. Good, but not great.

I'm glad I finally listened to an Earth Wind and Fire record in full but the slower songs didn't stand out to me as much, and that's like 80% of the album. I'm glad I gave it a second listen through though, because I found more I liked by giving it a second chance. Still really nice but I'm just not a big ballad person.

As with many things, my introduction to "Shining Star" came from the Muppets, as it was played in "Muppets from Space" in 1999. I knew of the band, and I know they got some hits. I still love "Shining Star" but as I listened to the rest of the tracks, nothing really did it for me. The disco style of music is one that is fun when you're at a party or with friends, but it's not really great for sitting alone in your car in traffic. EW&F are fine, but not essential listening in my book.

You know the noise horses make when their lips vibrate and snort. That’s all I can do right now - I’m so underwhelmed.

Is dit de week van de aalgladde soul? Mijn hemel mijn glazuur!

🥰loved them in High School and 😍them now. As l listened more carefully this time, I felt like they were a mix of Chicago and Elton John and Marvin Gaye all rolled up in one! Great Job Earth 🌍 wind & 🔥

So good

STRONG start and a real groove throughout. I've been into Nu Funk more this year and its beyond obvious how much those folks are trying to be modern EWF. Just cool cool cool all the way. probably a 4.5 but I'm rounding up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Good times.

Elaine dance song

Good stuff

Shining Star and Reasons are so great. The whole album is just right on. Even the album cover is perfect.

Perfect album when you’re in a funk. Every song peaked my interest and made me want to get up and move. Cleaned my house to it and appreciated the dynamic complexity.

Really enjoyed this. The whole album from front to back was engaging and really fun. Funky bass lines and a really cool tone on the guitar mix perfectly with well timed horns and keys. There are times where I wish the drums demanded your attention, but I'm nitpicking. This album makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn't even alive. This was my first time listening to this and I'll come back to it regularly. Favorite track - Shining Star Least favorite track - See the Light

It was dope.

I've always been a big fan of 70's soul/funk (stevie wonder is my favorite artist of all time), but I've never checked out a full album from Earth Wind & Fire. I went into this thinking it would get a solid 4 stars from me but there's literally nothing to dislike about these songs. It's perfect, the recording is pristine without sounding over-produced or flat, the songs have personality and stick out from the others, and there's never a dull moment. I really love this album and I'm glad it came on rotation.

Great record. Pre-disco and surprisingly arty.

U N B E L I E V A B L E

Absolute bangers, all the way through. Probably my second favorite EWF album behind I Am, but obviously still amazing.

Earth, Wind & Fire..whats not to like.

false

Disco - smooth mix of Uptempo grooves and low tempo slow dancing love songs

Ok, die unmittelbare Gegenbewegung zum Abba-Tiefschlag ist abgeklungen. Trotzdem danke ich allen, die daran mitgewirkt haben mich zum tieferen Zuhören und einer relativ ausgiebigen Beschäftigung mit der Platte herauszufordern: das ist nämlich wunderbar warme, cremige und eben nicht zuckerwattige, sondern eher schokoladige Funk/Soul/Popmusik. Rhythmisch total auf den Punkt, aber auch gefühlig immer richtig dosiert, und in ihrer gesamten Mischung auf der Platte perfekt ausbalanciert zwischen Uptempo, Smoothness und Verführung. Wäre ne perfekte 4 gewesen, den zusätzlichen Punkt gibts für die Entdeckung.

Can not beat a bit of feel good funk

So dope Liked the last song a lot

really funky album!

Complete classic. Songs I grew up with and reminds me of family. Great album to listen to while working.

Almost perfect. Track 1 is a masterpiece.

niiiiiiice

Imma be honest, the chimes in That’s the Way of the World sound like my apple watch notification; pretty impressive how they sampled that 40 years before it existed😎 Reasons is also a solid standout. Africano and See the Light are an interesting pair to finish up with, they popppingggg.

They didn’t even need to go this hard. Great stuff. The solos on Africano are very cool

Funky af

5/5. There's a reason this band has the reputation they do. Not my style but it's a perfect album.

This is delightful. It has an unselfconscious seventiesness to it that I love.

Delightfully uplifting. Super smooth. A great accompaniment to the day.

These guys had it figured out.

Sonzera, groovadão dá pra por no rolê dboas

tava doido pra dar 4 estrelas mas vou ser obrigado a dar 5

Best band of all time....FIRE

Perfection.

Can never get enough of such music!

They've got the funk. They've got it right here in this box. They found they could see around corners. Ohhh gimmi that funky milk!

One of many classic EWF albums. There is a lot of great music on the first five EWF albums. Head to the Sky is also 5 stars for instance and striongly commendable, but this one (album number 6) is the first one that is really perfect from beginning -> end. Soul / funk music combined with proper, high-quality song-writing played very skilfully.

Great album from start to finish. Very funky.

Fantastic album

Favourite so far!

I can almost smell my grandmother's cooking when I listen to this album. I've heard all of these songs 10,000 times just by simply growing up around my family and being black, really. Initially, I didn't want to give this album 5 stars because this isn't something I regularly come and listen to, but then again, I never NEED to come find this album to hear it throughout the year. You'll kinda just hear these songs everywhere as long as you exist on planet earth and don't live under a rock. Earth, Wind & Fire is a ubiquitous part of world musical culture.

Some classics, some jammers, all around fantastic album.

smooth, easy listening with great voices

Great album, lots of favorite songs!

Absolutely fantastic. Pure funk. Head starts bobbing of its own accord. Not too sure about "All About Love" even though it has some good moments. Everything else is great though. Too short.

EWF sounds like you're on the bus heading home on a perfect fall afternoon when you have no homework and you're blissfully unaware of the problems of the world. Just endless freedom. Best track: Shining Star

Hell yeah. One of my favorite ever music acts comes through again. Favorite track: Shining Star

Loved it! So bluesy and groovy!

Such a smooth listen, and not too long either!

yessssssss

Absolutely perfect.

It’s great

I play bass, therefore I love Earth, Wind and Fire.

Really enjoyed this apart from tracks #4 and 8, was just a bit lukewarm on those but they might be growers. Nice surprise as I only knew a couple of songs from this band. Soundtracked a chilly and wet trip to and from Galway, one listen each way. Also, top notch cover photo!

Pretty good songs

sonzao nask demais

Great!

Smooth funky goodness

Pretty fun! Easy to listen to. More instrumental tracks than I expected.

slayed the boots down houston im deceased

Earth, Wind, and FIRE. I'd probably put it as more of a 4.5 if I could, but a 4 just seems miserly.

Classic

God, where are we in the world today. 9/10 Likes: 'Shining Star,' 'Happy Feelin', 'That's the Way of the World,' the horns of 'Yearnin' Learnin',' dear god 'Reasons' is a perfect masterpiece, best song on the album, fight me, is 'See the Light.' Dislikes: First half of 'All About Love,' though that synth part is phenomenally mesmerizing, Y'all know this is just my opinion right?

I can't imagine giving this album fewer than five stars.

Ahh so groovy and classic. Starts off strong, vocals are fantastic and really its the occasional growl and the a cappella ending of the first song for me. Loved Yearnin' Learnin', All About Love, and Africano. 4.5-5 stars

This album didn't contain my most beloved Earth, Wind & Fire songs, but I greatly enjoyed every track. Lots of fun and a light, warm spirit to it.

I love Earth, Wind and Fire so I was excited to set this. Never heard this album before but knew the first two tracks and they are excellent. The rest of the album? Loved it! I was surprised to learn that this was a soundtrack for a movie. Think I may have to check that out too.

They really are the real deal - complex, surprising music but also catchy, fun and lively. I wish every band was so spectacular!

If I lived in the 60s I would put this album on and be happy all day long 🧡

A melhor coisa do Album generator é me mostrar que o que diferencia um clássico de um som comum é a atemporalidade. Você escuta o Funk e o Soul de Earth Wind and Fire em Adele, em Amy Whinehouse, em Norah Jones, em Diana Krall... é fantástico...simplesmente fantástico. "That's The Way Of The World" tem a responsabilidade musical de ser todas as músicas de Marvin Gaye em 5:45min

A groovy experience through and through. It might not be the most complex album in the world, but I loved listening to it. Each song made me want to move my body, which is what I try and look for in songs. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's certainly mine. Favorite track: Reasons

Awesome funk/soul

what a vibe

Brilliant!

Hot fire!

What you'd expect from EW&F + some prototypical party rap, wow

Absolute banger start to finish

Perfect funk album. Incredible.

I quite liked this album. I had only heard one or two songs by Earth, Wind & Fire previously, so it was nice to hear more by them.