That's The Way Of The World

"That's the Way of the World" is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire. Soul, funk, progressive soul and pop. Yes, sir! The album was a soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. It was produced by band leader Maurice White and Charles Stepney. The bandmembers included Maurice White (vocals, drums, kalimba, percussion), Philip Bailey (vocals, congas, percussion), Verdine White (vocals, bass, percussion), Ralph Johnson (drums, percussion), Fred White (drums, percussion), Andrew P. Willfully (saxophones, flute), AL McKay (guitar), Ralph Johnson (guitar) and Larry Dunn (Moog synth, piano, organ, keyboards). Commercially, the album stayed at #1 for three weeks on the US Billboard 200 and, critically, had mostly favorable reviews. The album opens with their #1 hit "Shining Star." Bass and guitar to blaring horns. The groove gets a going. Maurice and Bailey on lead vocals. Great vocal chorus. Maurice said he was inspired to right the song by looking at the sky during the recording. "That's the Way of the World" is slower with gentle synths, horns and the beat. Bailey's falsetto. A bossa nova-esque beat. Very soulful. This is just a chillin' song. They give us a very Isley Brothers' like guitar solo jam. "Reasons" is another song in the ballad category. A love song at that. Bailey's falsetto again. Multiple backing vocals. Oh, and a flute. Speaking of the flute, "Africano" opens with an extended flute intro. Hey, it is 1975, this is prime time for 70's flute guy. Congas and other percussion join the flute and there is African vibe. Wait, the song changes again going funk with the pace picking up and a wah-wah guitar and horns added. I really like the variety in this album. There's funk, soul, dance R&B and romantic ballads with elements of bossa nova, African, Caribbean and jazz (progressive soul). They get a groove or soulful jam going and just set it on cruise control. No rush in most of these songs. This was released at an interesting time, after the early 70's soul and funk and just before the heights of disco. Regardless, the album would be good any time it was released. A definite recommendation.

Nothing outstanding but still some really solid funk that gets even better if you're already in a good mood

4.5 stars. So good, so groovy. "Africano" is unique, title track, "Shining Star" other standouts.

Not nearly as clever as they think they are.

loved it

It's funky bbq music for a lovely moment.

Groovy baby

8/10 Favorite Tracks: Africano, That’s The Way Of The World Least Favorite: None

That’s The Way Of The World ist mehr als nur ein Album – es ist ein Meilenstein der Musikgeschichte. Die Mischung aus virtuosem Spiel, mitreißendem Gesang und tiefgründigen Botschaften macht es zu einem unverzichtbaren Klassiker. Egal, ob man ein Fan von Funk, Soul oder einfach guter Musik ist, dieses Album gehört in jede Sammlung. Locker gesagt: Es ist schwer, nach diesem Album nicht optimistisch in die Welt zu schauen. Ein wahres Feel-Good-Erlebnis!

siempre suma

It's good. It's got hits and jams even if it is pretty dated.

4/5

It's weird to think that there was a time that this album didn't exist? This just feels like it's just always been in the background of everything. It exists and doesn't. It's good but not good enough to seek out? It's a classic in that it's the perfect example of middle of the road?

8/10

Funk

This has some classics. It sounds like Andre 3000 drew a lot of influence from this on The Love Below

Not as good as I Am but great album 8/10

Poderoso, ritmico e hipnotizante

know it well already! love it! 4 stars!

Groove. Funk. Not sure this is the album.

When it comes to funk (and, truth be told, most other forms of music, especially rock and roll), I lean towards the philosophy espoused by Gabe Roth of Daptone Records; shitty is pretty. Seriously, you should read Mr Roth's article: https://dustynuggets.blogspot.com/2009/04/shitty-is-pretty-by-gabe-roth_6324.html If I was going to nit-pick this album choice, it is too polished for my tastes. The ballads in particular are too syrupy for me. But funk is sadly under-represented on this list, and so I am rating this one high because it was a breath of fresh air after far too many prog and psych albums. Shining Star is a banger (I keep the 7" in my DJ crates) and I really dig Africano as well.

I overall really enjoyed this album, though would say I preferred the upbeat songs to the ballads. Still the ballads are good for the right mood I think. This has a good amount of funk. This album is definitely in line with reinforcing that I like funk and soul music more than I realized. It's not quite a 5 for me but it's definitely a strong 4.

This funk has the right balance of sweet and heat, and the sermon on "All About Love" is nothing if not uplifting. So good. The "yeows" in the vocals might be one's favorite sound of the '70s, the horns slap repeatedly and the cooing backing harmonies couldn't be richer (or creamier). Opener and title cut are great and "Happy Feelin'" very much delivers on promise of title. The scat-singing/spoken-word bits are first rate and awfully good fun (on "All About Lovin'"). The criticism would be that it's a bit baroque, but bonus points for the costumes, which more than makes up the difference.

I am not sure where to place EW&F in terms of genre and significance, but their talent is evident. Emergent disco at its best!

very funky - fav is shining star

4-

- That's The Way Of The World is a beautiful song, the harmonies are just so gorgeous, and is truly timeless - Of course Shining Star is a great track too - Africano, my god what a track

Shining Star is fantastic and I also really enjoyed most of the other upbeat songs on here. There were a few too many slow ballads for me but the highs are high. Best tracks: Shining Star, Happy Feelin', Africano

Uno creería que Earth, Wind & Fire, con el estatus de "legacy act" no tiene mucho con lo que sorprender a quienes investigan su gran catálogo, sin embargo, quedé boquiabierto tras escuchar este LP. Los vientos, las armonías, los sintetizadores e inclusos las psicodélicas pistas de interludio hacen de este LP unos 38 minutos que se disfrutan a cabalidad. Un poco de jazz en mi funk, y un poco de armonías en mis voces es todo lo que necesito para dar 4 estrellas o más. Escúchelo, por favor.

I was excited to see earth wind and fire album. But it did disappoint a bit. Overall not terrible.

4/5

This was a good album. It's still not my preferred style of music, and I'm not sure I'll ever go back to it, but I can't give it below a 3.5, because the songwriting and musicianship is just too good. The whole album is smooth while having funk and is cohesive.

My first album in the 1001 albums! I really enjoyed its upbeat and lighthearted yet funky and experimental sound.

First listen. Pretty good.

Excellent groove, sound, everything, just missing that real catchy immersiveness

Loved the instrumentation. Really loved the interludes.

Played it during social studies and my student said- Are you listening to Granddaddy’s music?? He’s going to be mad at you.

4.5 Stars. Yearnin Learnin and Africano were my favorite tracks, but really not a bad song on the whole album. Love me some horns.

Really really good album. I love the sound of it with the funk

4.0

Gostei

This is #day116 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... I'm not a soul guy per se, but I'm OK with some funk, and this was rather funky and groovy. In fact, I'm revisiting this record for my #day771 today, after I scored a sealed official Ukrainian cassette tape of Timberlake's debut and stumbled upon the story that he listened to a lot of Earth, Wind & Fire at the time of recording it. Anyway, this isn't the only reason. A couple of weeks ago, I also revisited Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye. Sort of rediscovering funk. I'm bumping this up to a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day117.

Pretty good. Fairly or unfairly, I think of EWF as wedding music. Being the soundtrack to happiness is a nice achievement, I suppose. A couple mega-strong songs on here, and the rest are decent.

Vibrant, sophisticated funk

First 2 songs are legendary (Shining Star, That's The Way Of The World), but I'm not familiar with the other songs on the album. Yearnin' Learnin' is upbeat...keeps your body moving. Reasons...another classic! Africano starts like playing around in the studio...then a nice jam ensues. The rest of the songs don't do much for me...but the good ones are GREAT!!!

Soulful funk music. What's not to like. Great stuff.

I was privileged to have a crazy choir teacher in high school... he was white but sported a huge afro and had absurd amounts of energy. He had us singing all sorts of wild stuff, like tunes from Hair the musical... and this in a small town in rural eastern Washington state, population 3,000. Claude, thank you for exposing so many folks to new music and new attitudes. I was already well on my way, as I was DJing and hanging out with people who played a lot of soul and funk records, but Claude was a fantastic influence all the same.

Not the best Earth, Wind & Fire album I've heard, but still fun. Some of the falsetto is a little grating, mind.

Obvious 5 stars but one deducted cause its kinda boring

Not my favorite album by them, but a winner nonetheless.

78/100. While not the artist's best work, this album remains a beautiful and fun addition to their discography. It captures the essence of its genre.

General impression: fire Detailed review: I really need to fucking catch up so I’m giving myself permission to be short. This album was a jam. Great sounds and bops. Another listen could maybe upgrade it to a 5, but also maybe not. Deeper thoughts (context): gonna listen to more of them Score: 4.2 Number of albums left to review: 946 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 32 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 23

A great band. I have an aversion to Earth, Wind & Fire because of wedding bands but that's not their fault. Their versatility and fusion of styles is the most striking thing in listening to the full album. They are at their best when they are boogie-ing (Shining Star, Happy Feelin', Africano). The ballad-y stuff is OK but not great. Takes a LOT of swag to do a spoken word interlude in "All About Love" but I'm not a 60 year old black woman so it doesn't get a full "amen".

Lighthearted and genial grooves with some interesting arrangements and occasionally hokey flourishes. Sounds very much of its time, but not in a limiting way. the vocals are perfect, and the songs only occasionally lean into standard disco tropes. A bit of 70s schlockishness holds this back from greatness, but still a solid album and a really fun time.

I rate the albums I listen to not on the basis of their musical quality (I'm not a musicologist, or an expert, or anything like that!) but on how much I like them and how they make me feel! This one came on a day when I needed something funky and it really made the day better, so my solid 4 It'll go on my 1001albunsgenerator favorites playlist, that's for sure ;-)

Ну такие, весёлые. Опять же большую часть слышала в тт

How can you listen to this and not feel good about the world?

I had a great time listening to this album. I don’t know that every track was my favorite, but it was hard to stay still listening to them. I would go back and give this another listen.

That was a trip that won my whole family over

I like it

Very solid

Shining star: Banger. Heard it first in Austin Powers but ended up a fav in my playlists for a while later, basically purely for the brass stings (at the start and throughout) and the guitar riffing through the whole song Who knows whats holding up the fella on his side in the bottom left. Must be magic. Right side fella is awfully confused or accusatory towards the cameraman, im sure he has a good reason. Made for killer background music while procrastinating on doing integration by parts. Africano went hard as fuck, you can hear motifs and riffs from the other songs mixed in all throughout it Can't believe this was a digitally mastered analog recording Big fan of See the Light being in 7/8. Wasn't expecting the style and time sig change to 4/4. If it sounds off, trust me, listen to enough stuff in odd time signatures for long enough and 7/8 sounds normal Was very confused when the album "ended" with 45 seconds left. Spoilers.

Great band but an album that I wasn’t especially aware of, previously. Predictably brilliant, funky stuff. Love it.

While this record did not include my all-time favorite EWF songs like "In The Stone" and "September", it introduced me to some new jams that will surely be in the rotation going forward. This album still included the quintessential EWF sound of funk mixed with R&B and even World music that they're known for. Super delightful and upbeat listen. Notable Tracks: - Shining Star - I'd be hard-pressed to find a better album opener on any record - That's the Way of the World - Yearnin' Learnin' - Africano - cool funk instrumental - See the Light 8/10

Funky goodness from way back. Easy to keep listening to.

What a breath of fresh air after having 6 albums in 2 weeks that were released between 1965-1969

I defy anyone to put on this album and *NOT* start dancing. Funk soul pop.

Felt like a warm hug

I liked it and I want to listen again. It's a good time album so looking forward to enjoying it in some sunny weather.

Really enjoyed this. The groove is infectious.

Weird outros on All About Love and See The Light. Banger of an album though.

Classic joint!

fuego hermano!

That’s the Way of the World, All About Love, Reasons, See the Light are too slow

Great album

Fantastic!

Ganska kort album. Det svänger ju något galet. Åter igen, musikerna är ju helt bissart duktiga och produktion och inspelning lika så. Det är jämnbra låtar genom hela albumet. Bra!

A couple of bangers but there’s some filler too IMO

Shining Star - 7.1 That's The Way of The World - 7.7 Happy Feelin - 7.0 All About Love - 7.5 Yearnin Learnin - 7.1 Reasons - 8.2 Africano - 8.0 See The Light - 7.4

Immaculate vibes, velvety voices. Very solid experience, probably the peak of 4*. Songs too long though.

Very good, recognized some songs. Good for a sunny day

Happy feelings was a jam. Overall enjoyed. Definitely a side of Earth Wind and Fire I’d never heard.

Happy Feelin pretty much as up this album. Even slower songs have feel the uplift when the exuberant break in. And when the party's already going on the horns take it into the stratosphere. Not a weak moment here.

Banging

That put the fun in funky!

This is amazing I wanna keep going into EWF. I need to pick a Disco Group and I think EWF will be it. I had heard this one years ago at a Barnes and Nobles before I moved to New York. Instead of talking about the record let me just tell that story. I had a journal that I filled with all my thoughts over 3 years. Well, that entry was the first time I had written in it seriously. I wrote about my goals and my love for Disco and how daft punk was influenced by EWF and ELO. Anyways I remember sitting at the table just thinking about where my life could go and how I was in a book store just mindlessly writing. I have been alone for so long it is nice to finally get past that.

Feel good soul/funk! Not their best album, but good!

Loaded with iconic tracks, though not all of them hit. I can see why it’s on the list.

Ja dit funkt wel! Soms net een beetje te saai, maar vaak genoeg echt lekker.

Pretty good soul album!

Enjoyed this a lot!

Very good album not my genre, fan favorite of the first two tracks, Shining Star and That's the Way of the World

first time listening have heard shining star reasons

8/10 - this album makes me feel indolent and yet full of energy at the same time. A perfect mix.

No fallan EWAF. Mi favorita fue That's the Way of the World. La escuche en el trabajo

Absolute classic, will always be down to listen to Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Favourite songs: Happy Feelin', Shining Star, That's the Way of the World, Africano, Yearnin' Learnin', See The Light Least favourite songs: All About Love (First Impression) 4/5

Really good. Better than I expected actually. Fav Track - Africano

Funk is not my primary genre, but there’s so many great tracks on this record. Some of the slower and sometimes seductive songs end up getting skipped, but it’s still a super solid Funk album.

Fun and catchy songs here.

Nice!

Earth, Wind & Fire are easily one of my favourite bands. They just encapsulate so many elements so effortlessly: funk, pop, soul, disco, and R&B; and they somehow do it so well across nearly all of their albums. ‘That’s The Way Of The World’ is no different. I feel like picking this one out of the first batch of their works reveals them at a very focused level. The funky hit single ‘Shining Star’ is the perfect opener: infectious horns, uplifting lyrics, and phenomenal bass lines. The jazz-y, dance-y, and energetic ‘Happy Feelin’’. The laid back, cool, and wonderful love song ‘All About Love (First Impression)’. The song that gets stuck in my head beyond belief ‘Yearnin’ Learnin’. The absolutely gorgeous ‘Reasons’. And the phenomenal instrumental ‘Africano’ with its amazing flute work, fast horns, and build up nature. 8 tracks. 8 tracks spanning across 40 minutes and somehow it just doesn’t feel like enough. It flies by leaving you wanting at least another 15 songs of this, which is not entirely unusual for Earth, Wind & Fire albums. But this one is regarded as one of their best, and I would completely agree. Is it their absolute best? No. However, it is certainly in the conversation. If you were to recommend an Earth, Wind & Fire album to anyone looking to dive into their work for the first time, this is arguably one of the best places to start. It showcases the band's joyful personality, their incredibly varied musicianship, and positive uplifting lyrics at a very high level; and how they combine many elements to make their music so much fun to listen to without it seeming forced at all. 4/5

Solid!

Really enjoyed this album, funky and iconic. Perfectly fit 1975

Makes me want to get jiggy with it

Mix of mellow and soaring trumpet lines, mixed with some funky beats - highly enjoyable! Largely instrumental.

I play bass, therefore I love Earth, Wind and Fire. 4⭐️

85% Best: Shining Star; The Way of the World; Happy Feelin'; Africano Must-Hear? Sure

Love

Classic 70s disco and chill good sax in Americana

Cool feel relaxed

Nice to go beyond that 'best of' album!

Listening notes: Excited for this one! Have never listened to the album but respect EW&F. Shining Star: Didn't realize this was them! And ok wait that little intro guitar riff... did Stevie Wonder lift that for I Wish?? vice versa? Am I crazy? Hm. Well anyway this song rules. Happy Feelin': Loving this beat immediately Africano: Started slow but then picked up into a really fun instrumental track. Quick 8-track album that is a lot of fun to listen to. A little too much falsetto singing. Shining Star is the standout, but I would listen to this again any time. Liked it more the second listen through, increasing my score a bit. 3.7/5

That rhythm section tho

Cool as fuck, and super recognizable at its best

A fine soul album with some standout songs. Great arrangements, thoughtful lyrics and beautiful singing. Just not a genre that grabs me enough to demand my attention for a full album. 4 stars

Solid Mid ‘70s R&B with great musicianship and vocals.

Can’t say I really listened to the actual lyrics but it was a really fun listen while going for a drive

Great sounding early E,W&F tracks.

All About Love is great. I love when older songs take a minute to give you advice or a pep talk. Great sound. Great vocals and instrumental complexity. Enjoyed this one a good bit. Bit of a battle between a 3 and 4 on my vote. The pep talk brings me up.

Sets the bar pretty high starting with Shining Star. The production and compositions are above average. I think you get your money's worth in this 39 minutes Solid like 4.6

Very good 70s vibe...ripe with funk, soul, jazz, and on the cusp of disco. Very strong album But I prefer some of the later 70s albums by the same group.

4.1 - Yeah, some smooth groovy music

So smooth, a couple of great EW&F slow jams on this one, really solid all round album. Fave Tracks: Shining Star, That's The Way of the World, Reasons 4.4/5

Classic album with cool rhythms and vocals. Earth, Wind, and Fire is a solid 70's group. My only issue is the falsetto voices on some of their songs is just not my thing. However I understand their rightful place in the music world.

Cool

superbra superchill bästa låt: that's the way of the world, yearnin learnin

Skitnajs album Bästa låtar: That’s the way of the world, All about love

Great group of musicians putting out great soul music. I didn't recognize any of the songs on this album so I was happy to listen to it! See the Light stood out as my favourite, although I should probably listen to Shining Star again.

Everything here is great but Shining Star is an absolute banger.

My random connection to Earth, Wind & Fire- my wife taught music to Philip Bailey’s son.

Pretty much the definition of good vibes music. Tracks are brilliantly layered with an astounding variety of instruments. Very jammy (am I reviewing a wine?) There are a few rough spots on the vocal side in the beginning, but for the most part they also layer in very well, acting as another instrument. Listened to: walking through Prospect Park. Favorite tracks: Reasons, See the Light

Funky and fun

Earth, Wind & Fire made a soulful version of funk, characterized by expressive, harmonic vocals. That's the Way of the World was the band's sixth studio album, and the soundtrack to a film of the same name. The result is concept album, of sorts: an expression of the rules of life. The songs bass driven funk songs, with near-choral vocals as a consistent, defining element. The songs' messages are energetic and uplifting, and supported with a range of interesting rhythms.

fun

Earth, Wind & Fire, fellow haters of the Oxford comma, deliver again. I come away significantly more impressed with them, every time we get an album of theirs. It's strong stuff! The first three tracks are kind of unbeatable. I’ll dock them a bit for the album cover, which seems pretty hastily put together. Fantastic, musical, 4/5

Sometimes a funky album is just what you need!

Pretty funky, I enjoyed :)

This is some good stuff right here. Earth, Wind & Fire is a fairly well known band all things considered, but I've never really dived into their stuff before. I've always liked what I've heard though, and this album is no different. This is just a great funk album. The singing is very pleasant. I like it. The instrumentals are well made. They're very fun as well. The writing is also nice. Everything contributes to this being a very feel good album. It's not the most complex thing ever, but it doesn't need to be. It was also a movie soundtrack. It's not the best movie soundtrack I've gotten for this project. Hell, it's not even the best funk movie soundtrack I've gotten for this project. But this is still a very nice album to listen to. 4/5.

Enjoyable to listen to. Upbeat.

Great stuff from that era...

Two amazing tracks followed by an album's worth of experimentation from a group of talented musicians with suspect capacities for self-control and an obvious love of, to use the parlance of their day, mary jane. Not only does the lunacy that ensues make me smile, I actually found myself laughing out loud more than once.

This was fun!! I'd never listened to Earth, Wind & Fire before, outside of probably just "September" and "Let's Groove." The groovy vibes of this were perfect for my Monday morning commute. The instrumental songs were decent but less memorable.

Enjoyed

Great album. Hard not to feel amazing when hearing it!

Si la música funk de los años 70 tiene un nombre, ese es Earth, Wind & Fire. Su estilo fusiona a la perfección con jazz, soul suave y gospel ("See the Light"), incluso podemos encontrar trazas de pop, rock & roll, psicodelia, blues, folk y música africana. Por no hablar de sus brillantes incursiones en la música disco. Este fue su gran álbum, empezando por el fantástico primer tema de vigoroso funk, "Shining Star". Me gusta la balada "Reasons" y, por supuesto, el tema de R&B tranquilo que da título al disco, una llamada a ser positivo en la vida para alcanzar la felicidad. Con menos éxito comercial, también destacaría la exhuberante "Happy Feelin'" y la bailable "Yearnin' Learnin'".

Really good and fun

All About Love reminds me a lot of Outkast (specifically Andre 3000) in the way he has spoken word interludes. Can't recall the song off hand, but the whole structure of it is nearly identical. Spottieottiedopalicous maybe? Not sure exactly what I expected, but this album was very enjoyable end to end. All About Love was a great centerpiece and Africano > See the Light were fantastic closing material. Digging the vibes here and can hear a lot of influence on modern artists. 4 / 5

Exactly as good of an album I would expect from EWF. Africano was a favorite, as was See the Light

Give me all of the funk! I am so happy that this style of music is still made today and might even be picking up way more. These guys are just absolutely iconic. I knew more songs on this album than I thought I was going to. Africano absolutely ripped.

Very fun album

One of the most delightful albums on this list! The year of this album's release is 1975, so it's slightly pre-disco, but with the soul and funk, That's the Way of the World borders on disco. It isn't quite as jumpy as disco music but the smooth vibe is right there. The vocals of Maurice White, Philip Bailey, and Verdine White are positively exquisite. At times their voices could be described as sultry, kind of Marvin Gaye-esque. Of course, there's some African tones toward the end of the album. I appreciate the nod to their heritage, though it was very much a seventies theme. But I love how Earth, Wind & Fire still made the sound their own! The horn in "Africano" or the keyboards in a few songs provide a more modern sound.

Excellent

Little bit of funk. Little bit of soul. Some get up off your feet stuff and some lounging easy going stuff. Great mix of music here.

I had just listened to a different album with a horn line, and maybe it was the engineer, but the horns here seemed so much warmer. Loved the quick transition from "Shining Star" to the title track. I don't think it would have worked any other way. A xylophone in "Happy Feelin'"?! More of that, please! That was just so... joyous. I think the only thing I wasn't big on was the noodling at the end of "All About Love" although I liked the little extra bit at the end of "See The Light". This was just a damn good album, all the way around. I did feel the singing in "See The Light" was a little too falsetto, but I really enjoyed this one. It was just... fun. Top tracks: "Shining Star," "Happy Feelin'", "Africano"

7/10

Funky, but at times a bit to talkey for me. Fun listen though

Another wedding banger, in the best way. So much groove and joy. Feels like celebration.

A pretty fun listen, from a group who probably does not get enough respect from music critics as they deserve. Though some of it seems corny by 2020s standards, no song on here was bad. Shining Star" is a fantastic opener with a great groove that I wish lasted longer and "That's the way of the World" would not leave my head after I heard it a couple of times. I do think the album is front-loaded with its best songs, so while it's not that long it did tend to drag a bit for me towards the end. Having said that, there is some great singing, lush arrangements and musicianship throughout the album which made it very enjoyable.

I have this on vinyl so I already knew what to expect. EWF is always bringing the disco energy around. Definitely a top 3 in their discography, it's quick, it's full of soul and the production is absolutely disgusting at most points. One of the best projects for busting a move to. Not too much to say when it comes to Earth Wind and Fire but I will say I'm never not impressed by what they do. So much funk and groove that you can't sit still to.

Such a full bodied sound with all the brass and those keyboards! Great listen!

Funk and jazz. Even had great instrumental

Apparently this is the only EWF album on the list which… seems wrong (I’d go for I Am personally). Still a fantastic record though - it opens with Shooting Star which is about as perfect an opener as you can ask for, and just keeps delivering hit after hit from there

such an interesting juxtaposition between funk and elevator music. funk parts are soooo good

I know Earth, Wind & Fire's hits so I knew what to expect here, but there were still some surprising moments like the outro of All About Love and Africano.

Delightful from start to finish.

Does not contain that perennial wedding reception classic guaranteed to get your proudly fat auntie works that double hip replacement barefoot on the dancefloor like it ain't no thing. Does not contain any of the songs said auntie would know unless she is a very hip lady (and a pot head). Does contain a kaleidoscope of sumptuous pop, elegant funk, jazzy changes and songs looking toward a better future. EW&F were always headed toward something that transcended small genre considerations toward a cosmic totality of human being music. Maurice White is fucking genius. Philip Bailey has the voice of a space angel. You like sophisticated dance music? Don't sleep on this.

Great harmonies, feel-good classic 70’s sound.

It was fun, tho nothing remarkable

Fun album, enjoyable listen, and overall great vibes!

Great playing, great grooves, great sound overall. Doesn't feature either of my favourite bangers - Fantasy or Boogie Nights - but it was really enjoyable!

Shining Star is a wonderful track and I enjoyed the rest of the album

So good

You’re a shining star

Such a fun album.

Pretty fun album.

Incredible instruments. Bass steals the show. Not a fan of the vocal style, but that is more personal taste than lack of artist ability.

Really tight band. The jamming worked just as well as the hits.

Thoughts before listening: 70s funk band with some massive hits. Outside of the hits I don't really know their music so this should mostly be new to me. I'd assume there will be some big songs on this album, but I don't recognize the cover. Review: Well, I know the first track. "Shining Star" is one of those songs that everyone recognizes without really knowing who actually wrote and recorded it. Its a great, fun song which is a pretty good description for this whole album. This is the sound of 70s radio friendly funk and soul music, with a mixture of upbeat party songs and more introspective ballads. The musicianship is top notch with jazzy bass lines and horn punches throughout, and its just overall a pleasant listening experience. 4-stars

Not my favorite EW&F album but damn good all the same. Highlights were Shining Star, Yearnin’ Learnin’, Reasons, and Africano.

Class

Earth, Wind & Fire is a great band. One of the most carefree, tight, badass sounds of any band – and certainly any 70s band. Up there with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Tower of Power, and Steely Dan in terms of consistently great feel-good tunes that are known for their sharpshooter horn hits, high-level musicianship, and impeccable incorporation of jazz/funk into pop music. That being said, this album doesn't showcase any of Earth, Wind & Fire's absolute best tracks, leading me to question why it's the only EW&F album here. Don't get me wrong – the tracks are all very good (particularly the two openers) and generally kick some serious bum – but they don't quite reach the heights I know EW&F's capable of. And as good as some of the songs are, some are pretty forgettable (See the Light, All About Love). Not a huge fan of the vocals in Yearnin' Learnin' either. EW&F pulls off the proto-disco falsetto better than the rough vocal fry. Key tracks: Shining Star, That's the Way of the World, Reasons

I see why people like this

I love them! Takes me right back to my college days.

Starts out super funky. Slows down a bit in the middle, but overall a very nice listen.

So funky, jazzy, just wonderful. I know most of these tunes, but even the ones I didn't know were good. Four stars.

Super cool album

this was a good album but i don't think it reaches the upper echelon for me. the two big songs on here, the title track and 'shining star' are fantastic, great mid-70s r&b songs. the rest of the album is not quite filler but is not equal to those two songs. don't get it twisted, i enjoyed the rest of these songs to a certain extent - particularly enjoyed 'reasons' (which i could swear i have heard before... it doesn't look like that was a single but it sounds so familiar). the rest of the album is ok but feels like it's mostly r&b ballads, which are nice, but not anything special to me. the ending of 'all about love' is a bizarre mishmash of synthesizers which feels out of place. so yeah, not an all timer for me, but decent enough.

i cannot believe that i havent listened to this in full before. what an amazing album

Class :)

Soulful, funky upbeat 70’s.

The kind of album that makes me wanna pick bass up again. Incredible.

7/10 Better than expected

Pretty funky. Liked the first few tracks to dance to and the drum elements of the last track.

It’s so hard to rate this album knowing that they’re about to make one of the best albums of the century in just a few years. I am grading them against themselves and I know that’s not totally fair but it feels hard to give it a five compared to what comes three years later for them. Still loved it but I know they’re music is about to get a lot better then this.

Shooting Star!

Groovy as hell!

I really like Earth, Wind & Fire. I own one of their hits albums. I feel like this is an essential part of my musical listening repertoire.

No AI, no autotune, just real musicians making art. One of the finest bands of the 70s IMO. Thanks for this one. :)

Starts off really strong and brings it down for a chill vibe. The final track, See the Light, is an absolute delight.

Fun funk

I don't have any doubt that this is objectively god, that was a typo, it amused me, good, but my general desire to listen to disco funk or soul ballads isn't that great and it didn't increase over the course of this album. I think my left brain had more fun with this, dissecting it. When in "That's the Way of the World" André 3000, pretty sure that's him, starts singing, in my right ear "never never" over the other, main lyrics and then that becomes louder and center to BE the main lyrics? Some pretty cool bits in here. I'll keep this one in mind. Not entirely my cup of tea, but I might want to listen to it again.

Joyous! Love the weird tangents woven into the solid radio hits.

7.5/10

2 sleepers on a short album. Solid 4. The rest stand out and are pure funky soulful goodness.

Enjoyed this album. Fun to listen to

that was not bad, shinning star was a decent one

funky!

Very great

Funk Shining Star - funky That's The Way of The World - super stvar Africano

Funky and soulful, favourite tracks shining star, happy feelin', africano & see the light

O álbum é muito bom, as músicas são animadas e dançantes

EWF is an incredible band but I've never listened to a full album before. I'm surprised this is the one that makes the list. The high moments are great. Shining Star, That's the Way of the World, and Africano really stood out to me, but there's also some corny 70s schlock ballads on here too. My gut says there are better albums out there even if this one sold well because of the movie. Still a fun listen.

Not totally my style, but good fun and groovy music.

Was not expecting to love that as much as I did!

Solid offering from a true pro outfit. This is probably their best album but trying to decide with whole stars… 4.25

Going into listening to this album, Shining Star was the only song I knew. Turns out this is a great collection of Funk, Soul and Jazz! Great harmonies, full sound. Upbeat and positive throughout!! High 4

That’s the Way of the World. So good

Обаятельная смесь из соула и фанка. Ощущение праздника на этой пластинке преобладает над всем, слушается все очень легко, временами создается ощущение что музыка здесь буквально тебя согревает; красиво, не напряжно, чувственно и как то весело что ли. Тусовка в стиле 70-х на которой хочется бросить все и просто начать танцевать-нраица))

You know those bands that are best recognized for their greatest hits album? Like, unless you are a die hard fan, you probably aren’t familiar with most of their music past the most popular songs. Earth, Wind & Fire seems like one of those bands to me. But I respected them enough from the music I did know, like September. This is surprisingly another soundtrack album. Obviously, I have never seen the movie. But I can just imagine how much of a vibe the movie is based on these songs. This is grade-A, high quality disco music. I feel like you would be hard pressed to find another group who lived and breathed funk and disco grooviness as hard as these guys did. The only other ones I can think of that even come close are Kool & The Gang and Sly & The Family Stone. The 70’s were just the perfect time for this sort of sound, and this album transports me right back to that moment in history. Thankfully this is another one of those soundtrack albums where you don’t need to be familiar with the movie to appreciate this. It’s just some positive music that hopefully everybody will get a kick out of. But I was also shocked to hear just how skilled these guys really were. The bass lines are fantastic, the horns are snappy, and the vocal harmonies sound incredible. All together, they make one killer disco album that I totally dig. Rating: 7/10

Some tunes

A solid soul album. Feels comforting and nostalgic. It falls into that populous category of albums that are good and that I enjoyed, but am unlikely to specifically seek out again.

Easy listen. Preferred the faster, funkier songs. 4/5

Solid EWF effort

Funky good times. Might have earned an extra star from me but for the slow jams, which I'm just not that into.

Heerlijk funky, zelfs zonder de bekende hits van Earth Wind & Fire.

Very good RnB, soul, funk record

How can you be sad when you listen to this album? Delightfully funky!

So close to 5 stars great songs

Clean, Funky, Groovy. Dinner album to dance to. Enjoyed it alot.

Fun album with catchy songs.

Can't hate on Earth, Wind & Fire! Great album.

Groovy as hell

The whole album is very upbeat. Almost too upbeat, with no variation of high and low emotions. I can appreciate how influential this change of music was to the culture in the 70s and paved the way to the Disco 80s.

I really enjoyed this album. Earth wind and fire is an excellent band due to the fact that they are fun and easy to listen to. It is hard to hear a majority of their songs without tapping a foot. Whenever I hear them my mood changes for the better.

4/5 Nice grooves and good vibes. Listened to on 2/22/24. Lost a point due to repetitive theme.

Great album. Fun and funky. Plenty of great percussion and organ.

4/5

Good sounds! I liked it. Something I would listen to again!!

well known band with magic sounds

This album is dated and a bit campy but I can't help enjoying it. The funky rhythms, the smooth synths, and the ultra cool brass all come together perfectly. Despite being such a huge group (by my count, there were nine members at the time of this recording), everything fits right into it's place, even with a refreshing amount of empty space in between sounds. I could pass on some of the more ballady songs but the rest is hard to hate. Classic album.

funky og deilig

4.5

Saw them live last summer with Santana. Both were still amazing. They did all the hits including the title track, Reasons and Shining Star. So many amazing hits in their history and this album is a great wxample of why they are and remain popular.

Very groovy. A lot of tracks were missed in my opinion though. Got a bit monotonous.

Genuinely thought Africano was going to be the I'm a Celebrity theme song at first.

*голосом Тинькова* Итс окэй.

Instant funk IV In your blood, must obey beat Rhythms flow through you

feeeeeeeeeeeliiing happy feeling happy feeeeliiing

The fact that this is the only Earth, Wind & Fire album on this list but there are two by Kings of Leon should put both this project and the concept of ranking things in serious doubt.

Feel good groovy-disco

A surprising delight. Good vibes. Will be listening again.

Classic 70's soul-funk pop. Great start with Shining Star and That's the Way of the World. Overall a pretty solid album. Reasons is a great slow dance, and Yearnin' Learnin' and the instrumental Africano have great grooves.

Hot damn! Any album that starts with Shining Star has to be fun. This is a really nice record. Lots of good stuff. Very mid-70s. Lots of falsetto. But good. As much as I love this band, I do prefer the greatest hits.

An entertaining and varied listen. I definitely prefer the funkier more upbeat tracks to the ballads. Fave tracks - "Shining Star" is a banger. Also enjoyed "Africano".

Groovy disco vibes, loved that it wasn’t too long. Good time

Smooth grooves. Funky grooves. Brass and bongos and percussion oh my! Earth, Wind & Fire are always a win.

Beautiful album, great notes, tunes, voices, meaningul... short! Enjoyable... 4 out of respect.

enjoyed that

This is brilliant. Got 2 plays today. It'll get more in future

Lekkerder dan ik had gedacht. Meer experiment en veelzijdiger vooral. Jammer dat ze toen nog niet zo goed konden opnemen

Shining star is gas This album is a little old for me Yearnin’ Learnin’ is serving JJBA Very much a groovy album Not my style tho

Loving the amount of “YEOOW” they’re dropping on these songs. Never has a band been more synergized the EW&F and this album is proof

From the first song i was groovin. it’s so clear why this band is iconic.

Dancing through most of the whole album

A different style for Earth, Wind and Fire, with jazzy and soul songs that i think i liked. Another thing it's that it's not hard to listen cause it doesn't last long and the songs are enjoyable

The beginning of the album was great - very chill, very nice, very relaxing... but then things started getting a bit too much towards the end because there were too many instruments at the same time, but that was just the last 2 songs, I think. Overall - better than this jazz guy that we got last time.

Really really enjoyed this one. There's something so comforting about this album. Maybe it's that my Mom was such a fan of Motown/Soul when I was growing up. It definitely made me dance and feel a good vibe throughout.

The first two tracks are bona fide hits and I could hear them just about any day. The rest of the album is pretty high level as well - as first-time listens I also enjoyed Africano and See the Light. The band is tight, super uplifting, and makes you want to dance around with your friends. What's not to like?

Album number one. This project kicks off with Shining Star by Earth, Wind & Fire. A great song to start with because it reminds me that all of the artists in this project are stars in their own right. Props to them for making the list! This album has great 70's soul energy. It's super groovy. Happy Feelin' bass line is awesome. I did not love All About Love but it's kind of a gem in it's own 70's soul-love kind of way. The freaky keyboard part at the end feels pretty tacked on. Africano is an absolutely fabulous get down and groove song! It might be my new favorite instrumental. See the Light makes it feel like the album ends up in heaven or something which is a pretty good way to end an album.

Great classic album.

Lots of hidden guitar licks, etc. that I'd never heard when this was new. Headphones are a marvelous invention, are they not. HAPPY FEELIN' is wild...I don't think I ever heard it before. In fact, most of the non-hirs on this album are terrific.

I liked it

I forgot how funky they are. Awesome horns and lots of love

Great album, great songs, great groove.

- oh hellll yeah - so many good vibes - i feel myself healing - i thought "All About Love (First Impression)" was initially a skip cause it's not an immediate banger but really u just gotta slow down and feel the message

So 70s and dope asf bass lines

Cool

Perfect Friday afternoon

I really loved this album! All around great funk and disco.

Classic soul feel-good music that nobody makes anymore. Best way to start this journey 😊

what does it say abt me if my first thought at the start of the album was minions: the rise of gru.

funky!

Some classic funky tunes

Packed full of soul and rhythm and doused with jazzy groove, this record is full of indefatigable good vibes. If you would like something like that, put on Earth, Wind & Fire and let yourself be transported to a 70s discotheque. Highlight Tracks: Shining Star, Reasons, Africano 8/10

smooth & breezes by fave track: that's the way of the world

Funk!!!!!

Groovy and fun

Standardica za gospodu, nije lose, ofc fanki af, malo tugy

funky af, 3.5 rounded up

Apparently I’m a bigger fan of funk than I thought. No skips at all on this. Just infectiously upbeat rhythms and melodies. My only minor nitpick, which is what prevents this getting a perfect score, is that two or three tracks tack on an extra few seconds of random noodling that I could do without. 4.5/5

A great soul album. Loved the bass lines!

Enjoyable listen! Nice mix of jazz and funk and great voices!

Pretty banging. A lot of these songs have been used as samples in hip hop songs.

It won't get groovier than this! EW&F are a reliable source of good feelings and this record is clear proof. My favorite track in the album must be "Africano". The amount of happiness this instrumental gave can not be described in words. I need to find a kind of scenario in my life in which I would replay this album. This is not my go-to kind of music sadly.

Excellent songs. Different feel to September but very good

Cor this was fun. I really enjoyed bopping my head to this. It felt current too, in ways I hadn't expected. Glad I went back for a listen.

This is distilled funk. Great album.

Er et par skikkelig gode låter her, men overall litt tamt? Er stor fan av EWF men dette var litt for monotont og nedpå for å bli en innertier

A ton of funky fun