That's The Way Of The World

Groovy fun

mind if a white boy catches a lil funk?

Loved the variety of songs and it was just a vibe

ok good first impression on the song I like the groovessss

Smooth

i've fallen behind on my albums but this is really good - the SIXTH album by earth, wind & fire, proving they're more than just September 4.5

Très très cool

Enfin de la vraie musique YiiiiHAA

This is one of those albums where I recognize the greatness, but soul/funk is not one of my go-to genres, and having Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On so recently (And getting What's Going On? a while back), it's tough to really be into this record in comparison. Some really great stuff here, particularly the title track, All About Love (First Impression), and Africano. Never was huge on Shining Star despite it's popularity. So yeah. Great record, just not really my thing, and there are other records out there from this genre that I much prefer and would rather go back to.

This album opened my eyes to what Earth, Wind & Fire was really capable of. I had no clue what they offered aside from their mega hits like Boogie Wonderland and Shining Star, the latter being on this album. What’s here is distinctly funky and soulful from top to bottom. A couple of the songs in the short track list blend together, but some stand outs bring it above par. Highlight: That’s the Way of the World Surprise Hit: Africano

Fav - shining star, that’s the way of the world

It’s Shaft-errific! Perfect music for your Boogie Nights theme party.

Fun album, but not great. Just good. Can't see this getting less than a 3 or more than a 4 from anyone.

Quintessential 70s album, I obv knew shining star and that’s a bop. Not an album I would go to often but overall enjoyable. 3/5

So good. That’s the way of the world. That’s how sunrise would have sounded like. The rest is also very good. Luxury selection of instruments. Singing also good.

Earth Wind and Fire rocks. They’re just so smooth. I can see myself with this being a record tha I continually flip from A to B side and just let it ride

Such a freakin jam. To have both incredible vocals as well as distinct and unique instrumentation is just such a blessing to the listener.

I think this could be a five star album if All About Love was removed. Between the spoken portion and the weird synth/organ solo it just killed the vibe. I’m glad a message to the audience isn’t a trend that’s continued.

Hot damn! Earth, Wind & Fire are funky! I don't know why I only thought they had one song. This album is awesome. A couple songs on here that I didn't realize were EW&F. I need to listen to more of them. I'm between a 4 and a 5. I think the brevity of this album is going to give it that bump up to a 5.

Groovy, but not spectacular

Nice!

I think this album is incredible—truly one of my all-time favorites. Every song makes me feel something different, and not a single track misses. What makes it even more special is the story of how I got the vinyl. I showed up to this record store tucked away in the basement of a building about an hour after it was supposed to open. When I walked down the stairs, it looked completely closed. As I headed back up, I ran into this disheveled man who turned out to be the owner. He let me in. True to the owner’s vibe, it was the most disorganized record store I’ve ever been in—boxes everywhere, vinyl literally spilling out onto the floor, stacks piled all the way to the ceiling. He asked what I was looking for, and I asked if he had any Earth, Wind & Fire. He pointed to the very first box by the entrance. Right on top: That’s the Way of the World. He told me he’d had it forever—first pressing—and started pointing out all the codes on the sleeve to prove it. He said no one had ever even picked it up, which I still don’t understand. Then he asked if I wanted to hear it. Of course I said yes. He walked me to the back of the room where his record player was teetering on an old shelf. He explained—very seriously—that it was set up that way to minimize vibrations messing with the audio. I know that’s a real thing, but this setup was so extreme that if you sneezed, the whole shelf might’ve collapsed. Still, he put the record on. And I swear to you, it was the clearest I’ve ever heard music. The sound poured out of these beat-up wooden speakers mounted in each corner of the room. It felt like Earth, Wind & Fire were standing right there, playing a private concert just for us. When the music drops out at the end of “Shining Star” and it’s just their voices—that moment will live in my head forever. It was pure euphoria. We listened to the album all the way through. When it ended, all I said was, “Wow. I’ll take it.” That’s when he proceeded to talk for the next hour (maybe longer) about his life in the music industry. Stories about run-ins with legendary artists, including, somehow, a fling with Elvis Presley’s mom (?)—or something along those lines. At a certain point it all blurred together and felt like a fever dream. Eventually, he ran out of breath and I jumped in, saying I probably needed to get on with the rest of my day. He asked if I had cash. I asked if I could pay with card—there was a card reader at the front. He laughed and said it hadn’t worked in years. I told him I’d run to get cash and come back, it was $10 and I only had $5, but he immediately cut me off. “No, no, no. Just take it,” he said. “It was a joy listening to the album and talking with you.” I gave him the $5 I had. We shook hands, which turned into a half-hug, and I left to catch the train. To this day, that’s the best music experience of my life. That vinyl is easily my most-played record—not just because I love the album, but because that random Saturday morning was as perfect as it gets. I’ll always associate the music with that day. Music might be the most universal bond people can share, and if that experience isn’t proof of that, I don’t know what is. So yeah—this album is a 5 in my book.

An image of Elaine Benes from Seinfeld pops into my head. She's jerkily dancing around in front of her bemused coworkers, an undignified routine that George Costanza describes as "a full body dry heave set to music". That music, it turns out, is the opening track of this album, "Shining Star". I recognised it immediately. The song, and the album, kick things off with some seriously funky soul with great guitar solos to measure. This is the type of soul music I love. Songs like "Yearnin' Learnin'" keep that funk going strong, but there's a lull in the songs in between. When the tempo drops it's easy listening, but too easy: there's nothing too interesting happening when the funk stops. The album does, however, end very strongly with two almost experimental songs that blend soul, funk, jazz and afrobeats. "See the Light" leans into jazz harmonies, before dissolving into a frenzied improv session. "Africano" brings jazz flute to afrobeats and funky soul, and it's brilliant. For how enjoyable it is, there's not a lot that's properly exceptional. I'd definitely throw this on again, especially "Africano" and "Shining Star", and if I do, I'll dance to the latter like a full body dry heave.

En fyllesyk søndag verdig.

Middels disco er jo helt greit

Overrasket over hvor variert plata er. World music, jazz, soul, funk. En positiv overraskelse fra et band jeg har sett på som litt kjedelig.

Alt ligg jo til rette for at æ skal like det her, men æ klare bare ikke. Lagra ikke én sang. Har faktisk enda ikke hørt en EWF-sang æ like🧐 Trur kanskje æ like «In The Stone»

Hørt 12/01/26.

Låtene med groovy rytme er gode, men blir fort bakgrunnsmusikk. De andre låtene, som All About Love og Reasons, er bare kjedelige.

Softer than the mid 70s funk i like to jam on. But still great music.

This was a lot of fun. Just some good ass disco through and through. Some of the ballads were less appealing to me, but the bangers banged.

holy heck - best rec to start this off with

In its favour, this is quite diverse in terms of tempo and energy, opening with an upbeat number, but with some reflective moments, like Reasons, and a flute-filled interlude on Africano, before it enters funk territory. On the whole though, perhaps not my thing.

Once, while I was listening to a disco playlist on headphones at the gym, a man came up to the treadmill next to mine and started doing some very elaborate warm-up exercises. They fitted perfectly with the Earth Wind & Fire song that was playing and it looked exactly like he was strutting his stuff to it. It very nearly killed me. Anyway, yes, I love this. I swear you could put this record on at any time of any day, irrespective of what you're doing, and your world will be a brighter, happier place for it. Most songs exude a very pure joy that it's hard not to like. The musicianship is extraordinary, especially the bass on tracks like Happy Feelin'. And Just look at them on the cover. They're loving it, and rightly so. More like this please.

It's hard to deny the joy in this album and although I don't seem to recognise any of these songs specfically it also seems to reflect much of the music that was on the radio when I was, pre-teen, so there is also something nostalgic about it for me in a slightly "background" way. Would I go out of my way to listen to Earth, Wind and Fire again? Probably not. But enjoyed it while it lasted..

not my style, unfortunately song 7

Funk/Electronic, to start with it sounds like it's ahead of it's time from what is usually produced during the 1970s or if I had more knowledge of the 70s goes in line with the progression of tempo in different genres. A very steady drum beat in the background makes alot of the instruments pop in their time signatures. Shining Star really is just a solid first track to the album, high energy and really shows off what Earth, Wind and Fire do. Drums and the extra percussions makes everything stand out on their time signatures. That's the Way of the World is a completely different tone then, again the drum and bass makes the singers stand out and gives them focus. Keeps building on the themes from the Shining Star of self strength. The slow melodic tone is just a nice and chill experience if you're listening to this in a room or while you're going somewhere. Happy Feelin' starting off with that drum pattern, the bass then the brass comes in and damn that's good. This definitely has the genetics of Soul, something you would hear in a church where everyone would sing along and it is so easy to picture. The ending is strange though, the electric piano. All About Love starts again with the melancholic tone, but the lyrics are counter to this, once again themes of self improvement and encouragement. As the 4th song it's like a pattern, energetic movement feeling songs as the 1st and 3rd, while thought provoking ones on the 2nd and 4th. The outro is a change of genre, the electric piano is otherworldy and strangely doesn't fit maybe the part of the song I don't like, feels like it extends the song longer than really needed. Yearnin'Learnin' is a energetic song, again following that pattern of songs, the breakdown of brass gies the song a lot more power in those moments where the singer is missing and enhance the singer when they're there. The technical ability of the drums on Reasons stands out at the start, along with the brass and bass giving the punches to those moments with the singer. Africano is probably the one I'll have the hardest time describing, the progression of the wind instruments and the percussion at the start gives a completely different tone compared to the rest of the song, calm and trance-like. Then it moves into the Soul genre, the fast tempo drums, bass and guitar chords. It gives it a purpose like it has to go somewhere it's moving itself. The brass having it's solo sections just adds so much more to this giving it lyrics without the need of a singer. See the Light sounds like the culmination of all of these tracks, the build-up of every single instrument used in this album and the theme of self-growth and helping others in hard times. The ending being a village playing and singing instruments together kinda ties the whole thing together. Overall the themes, the instruments and just how much mastery Earth, Wind & Fire has over them is on full display in this album.

Starts strong, I liked the first three a lot but everything after that didn't do it for me. Africano wasn't bad once it got going, but I'm not a huge fan of instrumentals like that. Shining Star and Happy Feeling were good, I went back to hear them again.

Its just kinda fun, first one of the set I would put on as more than passive listening. Whole album is just so chill The end of All about love is odd. I think if I added this to a playlist I'd skip it, but its kinda cool, just a weird intermission from the cohesive vibes of the rest of the album

I've never dived too deep into Earth, Wind & Fire, but I do know that some digging would be worth it. I know this is one of their more popular albums, and sure enough, I know Shining Star, an iconic song. But there's quite a bit here that's worthwhile. It's funk, it's soul, and it's very easy to listen to: There's something positive and pleasant about That's The Way Of The World that makes it hard to dislike. But, I must admit that my favorite material here is all the stuff that adheres closest to funk. Also, the mysticism here really seems to bug some people, but honestly I'm ambivalent to it. This didn't exactly change my life: there are some funk albums I know I prefer, and I didn't gel with a couple songs here: but, this is an enjoyable listen, and regardless of what I say, Earth, Wind & Fire are legends.

3.5, there has to be a certain vibe to want to listen but it's a vibe

3.3 Well-done but not uniformly my style

70s soul / funk which is a genre i know pretty much nothing about. such a fun introduction! i don’t know if i’ll personally come back to this album but there are some songs that felt really joyful like “shining star” and “all about love” will probably go in my romantic playlist if i ever make one.

Love earth wind and fore

loved it

Ritmo disco, me ha gustado. No conocía ninguna canción.

It's okay though not many good songs. Very repetitive.

Loved the album!! i would rate it a 7,4/10 just because i think the songs were kind of extensive, which led to some of them being repetitive, but it’s a very enthusiastic, funky and fun album to listen to :)

Fun and funky, I love this band but I dont think this is their best album

Fun album!! I love funk!

Rhythmically romantic

love earth wint and fire!!! moet ik echt meer luisteren wejo

cool and funky!! LOVED “yearnin learnin” and obviously “sining star”. definitely such a staple and prime example for tight funk and soul music.

A great band. From the first note, a great mixture of funk, soul and Motown sound. A very lively album.

Classic.

Now that’s a way to start an album. Love the synth and funk fusion

Good, but not that good

This was such a great album for going back to work for the first time in 2 weeks! Shining star is such a great intro to this album, and it was such a fun experience the whole way through!

Super fun and funky - really liked this. Very enjoyable to listen to - I know their big singles but liked listening to an album of theirs in full. A 3.5 album for me.

I can enjoy funk/funk-based music, but usually only when it’s quite ‘hard’. EW&F’s album is way too polished and syrupy for my tastes.

A bit of 70's soul never hurt anyone and this album is mostly OK. I didn't much like the high pitched volcals on Reasons but the rest was OK. Musically pretty varied and easy to listen to. I don't think I've listened to an Earth, Wind & Fire album end to end before and quite enjoyed living some of the music from my youth.

1/5/26 - fun, funky & upbeat. 7.5/10

no skips! the songs on average are longer than present day songs and they never felt too long or like they got stale. the only songs i knew on this album were shining star (banger) and that’s the way of the world (also a banger). this album had me captivated with every song and i can’t believe i haven’t listened to it sooner. i need to get this on vinyl! no notes! they really ate with this. This album blends funk, soul, and a little bit of disco and a lot of the songs really want to make you move to the beat. Also Maurice Whites singing is beautiful and I love how they leave room for the instruments to shine with several periods where there is no singing and the focus is on the instrumentation. If they played this at a club I would sweat through my outfit cause i would be on that dance floor for sure

Really good

This is, in fact, my jam.

Excellent musicianship. Prefer the ballads but the instrumentals overall were amazing.

Fun and funky. Favorite songs: Africano and Shining Star

I feel bad rating this a 2 but it just didn’t do anything for me! Shining Star was fun but the rest of the first side was just tooooo smooth, nothing interesting for me to grab onto. The second half was an improvement. It deserves its place on this list but just didn’t excite me at all.

i liked the first portion of the album, essentially the last few songs are for cooldowns but overall its a nice disco album. 6/10

I feel like this album is really frontloaded, it started super strong and then by the end I was ready for it to be over. I think its just the last two songs though, the rest was good. Favorites: Shining Star, Happy Feelin', Reasons

bof. 01/02/2026

Great album and the two times I've seen them live they put on a fantastic show.

Finished

• This is one of the 16 albums I listened to last time I tried this. The album didn't really stand out to me back then, but I already know I'll enjoy it more this time around. • Shining Star is a classic and starts the album off with a bang • The title track is a nice change of pace, having a bit of a slower vibe sandwiched between two high energy tracks • EWF's bass playing is always amazing, but Happy Feelin' is really standing out • All About Love is the slowest EWF song I've heard. It sounds almost like a theme from a film, especially once the horns kick in. The ending is a really interesting sound, very different from anything else I've heard from them • Reasons is the first song on the album that hasn't really done anything for me, which is pretty surprising since it's the second most listened to track on the album • Africano is a really cool instrumental • See the Light is another song that didn't stand out much, which is a shame for the album's closer. That doesn't take away from the highs the rest of the album had. Favourite song: Shining Star, maybe Happy Feelin'?

Love

Quite the palate cleanser from the last album. Some nice upbeat tunes!

A beautiful palate cleanser and a welcome, celebratory, uplifting listen. It's sadly not my genre but still merits a 4.

3.5 !!! so fun

Groovy, everything I imagine the 70s to be. Not really my vibe though. 2.5/5

Nothing really stood out to me and not my favorite genre.

One of the most consistent soul aöbums out there. Not the greatest hits on this, but every song is consistent and great. One of my favourites

That was easy! Sometimes I look at the album choice and think, oh this is gonna be a slog, but not with these boys! Always loved EWF and always will. Joyest music and vocals and oh such great production, always make your system sound ace!

Only half

Mostly inoffensive disco music, was nearly a 3 but too many cheesy tracks after halftime ⭐⭐

Started off strong, but lost speed after the second track. Pretty much just ok.

chill but in a positive way

Great album opener but got a bit boring at certain points, but good background album

I can see how some people listen to this to feel good and happy. I just find it incredibly annoying. I wonder if by the end of this experiment I can tolerate some genres I've never liked (funk, soul, disco, r'n'r, reggae...) or if my tastes are just more narrow than most

Like the band but the album not so much.

Sexy times with Earth, Wind & Fire. I like the funkiness and flute on "Africano." The rest doesn't do much for me.

Excelente

They definitely have a great sound. I can see why they are loved by many, just not what gets me moving though 2.5 stars

nice, soul and warm. Like it. 3/5 ——————————— Added to Liked Songs Playlist: — Shining Star; — That's the Way of the World;

It's fine, and easy to listen to.

Just more good stuff

i really enjoyed this album!! definitely will be revisiting this in the future :)

Fun and poppy

Shining Star is the standout on this album, the rest is just ok. I had to skip through a few (All About Love, Reasons, See the Light) and the others were fine.

Not all of this has aged well, but some of it has carried through. Nothing outstanding in either direction.

Amazing vocals and some all time classics.

Classic. Listened to this growing up with my moma

Groooooovyyyyy!!!!

liek an 8-9/10 kinda was distracted when listening and then my dog bit a random guy so points off for that but the first song is fire

It's a vibe

Great album. Love the sounds and the moods and the vibes. Songs added to the playlist: Shining Star That’s the Way of the World All About Love (First Inpression) Africano

Very groovy and I liked all the songs. 9/10

I don’t typically listen to Jazz, but I did like this album. I listened to all but two songs, hence why this is only getting four stars instead of five.

Funk, disco-y and pure 70s. It’s probably considered great for the genre, but I really really don’t like the genre.

i love ewf

This is peak cleaning the house music

my first 4 star! this album is so fun i love it. favorite songs are reasons and see the light.

Has to be a 5 star surely?

Really good album

2.5/5 fun but similar songs to each other - they have a sound they follow religiously great opening song similar to bee gees sound doesn’t tell a consecutive story through the songs, more so a list of songs in a row

Love love love

Can you dig it? I dig it.

I live for the funk, I die for the funk

3,5

Actually alright

Wow, what a banger of an album! I heard a lot about the band, but it's my first time listening to their album from start to finish. Now, I understand why everyone loves them.

Some real bangers, but a few that didn't resonate with me.

loved it!!!

🕺🏻

Favorite Songs: That’s the Way of the World, Reasons, All About Love Least Favorite Song: Africano Just makes me want to break out into a little dance. So fun from start to finish, and I now fully understand why these guys were so popular back in the day. Will definitely be checking out more of their stuff.

Never really listened to EWF before as never took them seriously, but this was brilliant just chilled out and grateful.

This is definitely my favorite album i’ve listened to so far.

They are such a vibe. Also just seeing 'compact disc' on the album is so nostalgic

It’s okay but I just prefer other albums

volevo troppo che mi piacesse

Meh 🫤 niet mijn ding

R&B/Soul, Jazz. Bu türde fazla bilgi sahibi değildim, hoşuma gitmeye başladı açıkçası.

Very funky. Reminds me of my childhood, reminds me of home. Optimistic and full of love. Philip Bailey voice is unmatched. Soul music personified with touches of Afro-futurism. The outros on a couple of the tracks really lean into that. 9/10 I wish they leaned more into it though personally

Very very fun! 4.5* on a distracted listen, if I had to round it would be down to 4, but definitely worth a repeat!

Not really my cup of tea. I'm sure there is a time and place where this would fit perfectly though..

Smooth funk and disco. I’m a fan of Prince and can see he was probably influenced by this band as well as others like Sly and the Family Stone. Listenable and enjoyable with a positive message that is so needed today. Solid 3.

It's all a bit dated, just nothing there to want me to listen again

it makes me love r&b, good vibe, love the instruments

Was really good I love the melody

Never really listened to James Brown before and now I want to do more of a deep dive. There’s so much energy and emotion in his music that makes you want to hear more. Loved the instrumental bridges between songs. This album is quick and easy to listen to, but it also has so much depth. Love

1- já tinha ouvido, mas não sabia de quem era. muito boa 2- amei 3- amei 4- mais lenta, me deu vontade de pular ela, termina com um prog estranho 5- animadinha, gostei 6- lentinha, groove gostosinho 7- somente instrumental, bem doida 8- groove progressivo, muito louco acho que só gostei das 3 primeiras mesmo, mas é um som bem groove, negro, gingado, bem feito de ótimo gosto

I was around when this album was released and listened to it a lot. Love this album. huge influence on my playing as a musician.

Fortunately, soul will never grow old for me. This is such a funky album - I'm defo storing it away for when the warmer months reappear or when I'm in need of a mood booster. Liked songs: - Thats the Way of the World (chill groove that I could see being a go-to chill out song for me) - Happy Feelin' (Awesome instrumentals) - Reasons (BRING BACK HIGH PITCHED MALE VOICES! What a song) - Africano (Every good album needs at least one fully instrumental song. Had me feeling like I'd just stumbled into a random tent at a festival that just happens to be playing the best music I've ever heard) Favourite song: Between Reasons and Africano

165/1001 Earth, Wind and Fire - That's The Way Of The World Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ Where this really shines are the funky, jazzy songs, which have a far looser sound than the more soulful ballads. The mix of the two seems evenly spread and wish it was more in the formers favour.

Solid album with the grooves you'd expect from Earth, Wind & Fire. There were so many moments with only instrumentation that were an absolute beaut

Funky

Not my thing. Also too much falsetto and vibrato for my taste. 2/5

Hyvä levy. Pitää joskus paremmalla ajalla kuunnella uudestaan. 3/5.

Some of the songs sounds like they belong to a musical, the endings in particular. Not a fan of the horns on this album they pierce my ears. I really like the positive attitude these guys have. This is definitely an album where I wouldn't turn it off if it was on, but I wouldn't go seeking this.

The best album. I loved the strings.

not a musical genre i'm usually familiar with but it was a really good album! every song had something diff to offer. my favs are shining star and that's the way of the world.

It was a vibe lwk.

Sind schon 2-3 banger dabei aber alles in allem nicht ganz meins

Cool, man!

Dug that

Bangers

I liked it, very fun and interesting.

EW&F are awesome. This album isn't great, but it's solid. Shining Star is a classic and will make the playlist.

Rather irritating.

Starts strong, but gets weak. Still, it's fun funk/soul/disco.

Listened 12/13/25 830am

Some tracks just knock it out of the park with tempo and harmony- while others are just a litany of high notes that make you reach for that skip button.

Not typically my style, but I liked it more than I thought I would. I also love that the album was short. Auto +.5. Takes it to 3.5.

Loved some of this album. Reminds me of my parents

I was a junior in high school when this album came out and the songs were everywhere. It’s hard for people listening to it for the first time today to understand how huge this album was at the time. This is not as some people have mentioned a disco album but rather a funk and soul album.

it s a really good album

It's good to build out your understanding of artists by listening to works other than their big hits, but ultimately this did to me what other R&B and Soul tend to do - just wash over me, leaving little lasting impression.

Ég var að vonast eftir einhverju sem kæmi mér í gott stuð þegar ég sá hvaða hljómsveit var í vændum en hún náði mér aldrei í eitthvað rosalegt stuð.

YES!

Pleasant enough, not what I would usually listen to. Bit too much use of falsetto and some tracks have instrumental parts that seem unnecessary (All about love and See the light, i'm looking at you)

Good fun

Stompin, shakin, soul groovin, love makin music. I felt like I was in New York in the 70s, but an alternate 70s where I don't get robbed in Times Square. They don't make em like this anymore, which is why I believe the birth rate has declined.

This is typical Earth, Wind And Fire. They're their own genre that's difficult to explain. Sorta soul, funk, and disco mixed. I probably won't listen to this again though. Favorite Track: "Shining Star".

Aight

Not my jam really but it’s a good listen.

I enjoyed this one. It was fun but didn’t make a huge impact on me. I liked the instrumentation and it felt nice and varied but I’m not sure I would go back and listen to the whole album. Fav song: Africano Least fav: All About Love (First Impression)

Funky as hell and I love it - some serious bangers in there as well. Maybe just because it’s on right now but those drums in one of the songs reminded me of I’m a celeb. Liked it quite a bit. Thought the song where the guy just talks to you for like 2 mins was actually quite relaxing. Specific rating - 4.4 Fav song - reasons Least fav- see the light

Think I reached my funk limit at some point listening to this album. Maybe I'd enjoy it more if it was playing at a party rather than at my desk. Favourite song: Yearnin' Learnin' Least: Africano

This was a tough one. It was popular I guess in the studio 54 scene, but not my bag.

A decent enough listen. But in the end…too much earth and wind, and not enough fire.

I could do without the slow jams on this, but the upbeat stuff is good and you can see why these guys get respect. Not bad.

Meh. Too cheesey for me. Also everytime I see the band name reminds me of a deeeeep cut in Fresh Prince of Bel Air where there was a law firm called Firth, Wynn and Meyer and he made a joke about it. 🤣

Good and funky but didn't hit as hard as I was hoping. Thought it would be a 4* or higher after the opener. Slipped to 3* over the course of the album. 3.5/5

Interesting listen, great instrumentals, but just too many total cheeseball moments.

3. It’s good, not my favorite EWF.

EWF is a great band but, imo, they didn’t make great albums. Killer singles, no doubt. This is one of those cases where the hits collection should have been considered, as theirs is absolutely impeccable. This record? Good but not great

Really good mix of genres. Will happily listen again

Hard to imagine funk and soul getting much better than this

Never listened to EW&F growing up. Only recognized Shining Star by name, but I'd definitely heard 3 or 4 others before. All in all it was enjoyable but kinda wore out it's welcome a little by the end.

Groovy Loved all the hits

Funky, cool, me likey but wouldn’t listen again lol

Great group, great sound, and music. Even better with ties to Denver. Sounded it great with all genres they would play, R&B, Disco, pop.

Cruising down I15 about 10 over the speed limit blasting this shit. Roads are a little icy, but not that bad. Car in front of me going 7 over is camping the left lane. I ignore him and just keep maintaining my speed and lane and let him safely move out of the way. The car happens to be the same color, make, and model as what my boss drives. I think nothing of it. 30 seconds later, boss man texts me "What are you doing up so early?" Honestly, this is such a vibe that I didn't even notice that my boss was ahead of me. Would I have changed anything? Probably not. If anything I would have been more aggressive. But how could I drive aggressively listening to this? The music reminded me a lot of Catch A Fire, but somehow had both more upbeat and slower songs. The album still felt cohesive. Such a good album.

Funk is not my favorite genre. The singing on this album is not great. The instruments are fun sometimes, but overall I am bored and unsatisfied. I know Earth, Wind & Fire has the capability of being great, but I didn't find that with any songs here.

Not a lot to say other than in this particular genre of music EW&F stand amongst the giants. Wonderful album.

I dug it. True classic 70s soul.

Are there any pop music bands this large today? Is this even possible? In any event, when “That’s the Way of the World” cooks it throws out funky grooves that would make the most stoic among us want to cut some rug. The more soulful tunes are good too. My issue, is that the combination of songs, the composition of the record, doesn’t always work, for me. The individual songs all work, but it is hard for me to pinpoint what mood I’d need to be in to want to listen to the album. Several songs are now on my cocktail party playlists, but that is not what this project is about. 3.5*

Önnur hress og skemmtileg. Gaman gaman, áfram gakk.

01) Shining Star - 7,5 02) That's the Way of the World - 7,5 03) Happy Feelin' - 7,0 04) All About Love - 6,5 05) Yearnin' Learnin - 6,5 06) Reasons - 6,0 07) Africano - 5,5 08) See the Light - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,50 (65/100) Current ranking: 521/748

A good album. I probably would have gotten into it more if it had been a bit funkier. Loved the first three tracks, and "Africano" was quite good, but the rest didn't do much for me. Not bad, just not great.

This one started off great but then started to fade. But still some good funk!

yeah idk, was ok

Earth, wind, fire and funk to your heart.

Man, I just cannot get into EW&F.

Álbum de um Funk bem polido com vocais suaves mas mesmo assim não falta Groove. Muito dançante. QoA Cloudscape.

Funky and enjoyable. A bit forgettable towards the end but the start was fantastic.

Lekker vibe

Bueno

Good record, funky. Nothing exceptional imo

Nice

Kod mene nema dobitne kombinacije kad je funk u pitanju. Ako je sve živahno onda mi je statično. Ako uspore onda mi je to dosadno. Svakako jedan od boljih funk albuma dosad.

Groovy beats. Each song had instrumental breaks I found it easy to nod along to. Shining Star kicks off the album, which is a classic motivator I was happy to revisit.

Too much falsetto

фанки соул диско, ну нормально, люблю послушать но надо ли оно мне? вопрос

мега кайфово, стильно, фанково и на расслабончике

See the light. Parece mario kart

I am slowly being consumed by a love of the soul and funk of the late 60s and early 70s. This is a great listen. I had always associated EWT with their later disco stuff, but this rocks (funks?). A funky five.

Ikke noget specielt.

Like Seinfeld!

Sounds great. 70s and funky

Now this is how you make music

smooth uplifting album!

Groovy, vibey lil album. Starting off strong with the classic Shining Star. I didn't save a ton of songs off the album individually (Only Shining Star and Happy Feelin') but I could definitely see myself putting the whole album back on again in the future.

Nice allrounder

Shining Star was sweet, the rest was good but didnt wow me. I’m sure I’ll see another EW&F album on here.

Funky as hell, got me schmovin. Fave track: Shining Star

Soul disco vibes

As someone who loves sampling the classics, this album was right in my wheelhouse. It would be hard for someone to not dance when this album comes on. Absolutely a great album!

A record I’ve loved for years. EWF totally in the pocket on this one.

The best

These guys are so frickin cool. Great arrangements, good songs, great wind section. It was fun to listen to songs by them that I've not heard before.

A feelgood album. 3.5/5

Very slick. Nice. Not sure if I like it that much.

I will essentially never seek out funk music, but this was good stuff. Really glad this album's on the list. 4.2

Solid

More “accessible” funk than a lot of George Clinton’s work, but funky enough to avoid being annoying pop.

I won’t nitpick over how good this is. Today it had all the elements of a great album both times I listened to it. Refreshing to have songs whose length left me wanting more.

3.5

I thought I'd like this more. It was OK.

Looks like all of us were biased, all of us were wrong. Great stuff

Fun and funky!

fun

A real treat for the earholes.

loved it

Again, not my genre but a musically good album. However, it has Africano on it which is nostalgic for me as a UW HMB alum. I have to say the marching band version is a lot more exciting, though. Wikipedia classifies this as a soul / funk album. Totally makes sense.

This album was groovy and smooth with a blend of soul and jazz. It's uplifting and laid back.

This is such a fun album

An album with a little bit of everything. You've got a radio mainstream hits. You've got some jamming going on in the back half. Overall, it's a great balance for a full record. Big fan.

Vibes: 5/5 Instruments: 4/5 Production: 3/5 Emotional Value: 3/5 Storytelling: 3/5 Stand Outs: All About Love, Africano Overall Rating: 3.6

Brilliant reference album. Great soul n funk with hints of jazz n prog. Outstanding musicians vocals horns keys guitar and definitely drums n bass. I'm not to familiar with their repertoire but they are v comparable with the Average White Band, who are also in the list. Good varied album perhaps just lacks a standout track. 4+++

Once they made us do an arrangement of Shining Star in my Catholic high school choir. Imagine approximately 40 white girls—no, actually, I'm sorry, stop imagining. Don’t do that to yourself. Anyway, you'll understand why even thinking about that particular song has filled me with a visceral dread and repulsion for years... imagine my surprise upon learning/rediscovering that in its original context it actually IS kind of a bop after all. So, extra star to the whole album just for overwriting some extremely unpleasant memories associated with that particular track. 👍 Some other pretty good stuff happening here too lol

Groovy baby

It was pretty enjoyable. I can’t think of one song that really stood out

First non-rock album in a while, and it's from these legends. I'm excited for this one. Shining Star is a classic. Super groovy banger. I would be surprised if people hadn't heard this one before. The title track is great. I enjoy the way they break it down about halfway through. This is a slower vibe, but I really like it. Happy Feelin' wasn't doing too much for me at first, then they got the steel drum involved and I said alright I see the vision. I also really like the sax on this one. All About Love is a beautiful little ballad. Halfway in he says I'm gonna rap to you, respect. We get some spoken word/rap going. I love it. He's talking about self-love, love of nature, love of the world. It's All About Love gang. Fuck with this song. Also really enjoyed the synth outro. The horns on Yearnin' Learnin' have a really infectious energy to them. This whole album has had me head boppin. Reasons is really great, but Africano stole the show for me. They're popping off on that fuckin saxophone. As a long-retired saxophonist it made me yearn for the days of old. I was bouncing along to this one nonstop. I really loved this album. It's short, sweet, no skips, and some really high highs. If that's not a 5 then I don't know what is.

Yup. Solid. Never listened to a complete album of theirs and I’m happy the album generator gave us one.

Bass, bass, bass 3.5/5

We stan the White brothers in this house.

4.3 Groove city. Adding some of these to my cooking playlist so I can shake my hips while sautéing some onions. Impossible to hear EWF and be sad

Breathe of fresh air holy shit. Maybe it was the switch up after only rock albums but this album was nearly perfect to me in every way. I know it’s still November but only thing I can compare this album to is the first time I nutted 4.1

I think I'm starting to get Earth, Wind, and Fire. I'm not too familiar with their music beyond the radio hits, but what I've heard seemed a bit thin. The vocals feel too far forward, robbing the disco of any punch. That seems backwards for what I've always assumed was intended to be 70s dance funk, which I usually like. Unfortunately, I'm still not a fan of EW&F. But I now understand that their vocals are a cut above most disco faire. Their music is more like funky R&B, and I see the appeal there when if it creates a bit of dissonance for me personally. I was even moved in places. I look forward to hearing more EW&F, but right now it's cool but not for me. Three stars

This album is outta sight. Listen to the title track and know it was played at every school dance and roller rink that year. I remember hearing EW&F at the video game arcade when you still got 5 balls for a quarter on pinball. Asteroids was still pretty new. The old days. I've listened through a few times, this style of music with the horns and percussion is enjoyable to me. The album cover is odd. Why does the guy look like he's going up a skateboard ramp?

First time listening to an entire album from the group, liked the sound

The jazziest of funk bands, or perhaps the funkiest of jazz bands. It's not my favourite EWF album but, having been introduced to them via their cover of "Got to Get You Into My Life" and "September" I listened to later albums before this one. It does contain "Shining Star" and title track "That's the Way of the World" but there are other excellent songs here and whether dance numbers or ballads, they all groove. The rhythm section is incredibly tight, the horns huge and driving, and the vocals from Maurice White, his brother Verdine and Philip Bailey are superb, weaving and winding in and out of each other. Maurice White's experience as a drummer is evident in the syncopation. It's great, and they did better albums...

This album started strong and hit so many styles within a short run time. Made up for in fun what it lacked in cohesion. Great driving music.

a tight 38 minutes with endless energy throughout AND a sick xylophone solo? 5 stars

forgot to rate this one when i listened — hard to argue with earth wind and fire. i liked almost every song on this album

You know I love a short album!!!! And a dancey dance moment!! We got a little jazzy on Africano, I got a little worried, but this was fun overall and a real breeze.

Excellent

Took me way too long to hear my first EWaF album, this was really great. Funk is something I really enjoy just based off the instrumentals a lot of the time, this being the case here with the groovy bass and smooth guitar playing to match. The overall energy of the album was energetic mostly but with some smooth jazz moments which makes for a great combination. Love the vocals as well, the variation from the smooth falsetto in the more slower paced songs mostly (other than some which had this despite being quicker paced, very upbeat songs) and the deeper chest voices in other parts with of course the powerful harmonies all make the songs great. Favourites: Shining Star, title track, Happy Feelin’, Yearnin’ Learnin’, Africano and see the light (pretty much all of them). Overall, 8/10.

5/10 I spontaneously sprouted bell bottoms and platform shoes. Send help, may groove to death. 11-06-2025

enjoyably funky

nice vibe

Mahtista tanssimusaa! Tykkäsin tosi paljon instrumentaaliosiosta, etenkin Happy Feelin' saksofoni-sooloista.

Funky and groovy. Classic Earth Wind and Fire sound with all songs that were new to me.

I enjoyed it, but not a repeat listen.

I've come to realize that I quite enjoy Earth, Wind, & Fire's sound. I've listened to a couple of their albums recently and have enjoyed all of them. I'll have to make more of an effort to dig into their discography. Good album with some excellent songs.

I just accidentally took the most sexually charged bike ride

Hot damn!

Just fine - didn't really do much for me

So funky fun

Classic funk.

Just not into this one from them as much as I'd hoped.

I felt that this was very middle of the road stuff. There were bits that I enjoyed but, overall, I've heard a lot better from similar artists.

Album #949 I love Shining Star. The other stuff just isn’t as good. It doesn’t help I listened to The Temptations album yesterday. Similar music, but that one was superior.

9/10 Nice to listen to

I don’t think you can be in a bad mood listening to Earth, Wind & Fire. Ya dig.

Smooth soul with some funk.

I don't know...don't got much to say on this one. They're good songs.

That's a lot of falsetto and funk.

First track a banger. 2 is mellow, not bad, some cool guitar and keyboard play. 3 is uptempo with drums forward. A xylophone?I like, base is driving

inoffensively bland radio music that I really only see myself dusting off when I need something harmless to play for company, didn't *dislike* it, but I don't know that I MUST have heard it before I died.

First EW&F album I've ever listened to. Took it through 4 spins. Some of this is really fun, some of this I kind of fall asleep to. It kept growing on me with subsequent listens though - even the slower tracks. It's probably a 3.5 for me, but the positivity and good vibes push it to 4.

Some bangers but not an overall hit

This list has a suprising number of movie soundtracks. Previously I knew Earth, Wind, & Fire as the 'Spetember' band. This album is infectiously groovy. Shining Star and All About Love were the standouts.

nice, soul and warm. Like it ——————————— Added to Liked Songs Playlist: — Shining Star; — That's the Way of the World;

Such a fun album.

To be honest, I only remember the first 2 tracks then I zoned off. But... it was a nice zoning off so I'm going to give this a 4.

THIS hits the spot this Monday morning! It makes me just want to have sex and dance all day! SUPER FUN! I had only heard a couple songs by this band before today and knew the name of course but I had never heard a whole album, and MY GOD was I missing out! Funk. Check! Soul. Check! Rock. Check! Africano. Check! Groovy. Check, baby, CHECK! I just ordered a copy of That's the Way of the World on blue vinyl and will take a deep dive all week into their back catalog. I guess there is also a movie that uses this album as a soundtrack that I have never heard of but will look into today. Albums like this make all the bumps on the road of The 1001 Albums Journey worthwhile as it's highly unlikely I would have ever discovered this gem on my own. Bring on the day!

Listened on 26th October 2025

Some stinkers on here. All the slow tracks are too smooth, too slick. I don't like those. But the other tracks (Shing Star, Happy Feelin, Africano) are so good. Because of those tracks: 3/5

☀️