That's The Way Of The World

Great opening track, downhill from then on but still some occasional funky grooves going on.

I really wanted to enjoy this. Some little funky nugget of joy and groove, but it was a little wishy washy and I just lost interest.

I listened, I bopped along a bit, then forgot all about it.

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.

They should call this Fire, Fire & Fire.

p353. 1975. 2 stars. Slick but bland 70s R&B. Completely unmemorable.

Obvious 5 stars but one deducted cause its kinda boring

Damn cuz this thing groovin from start to finish!

It's alright objectively, but subjectively it's not my thing at all

First two tracks are great, but there's only so much falsetto and horns I can take in one sitting.

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

Fine. Slick, funky (but not as chewy as, say, Parliament get) and tasteful. I'm not keen on the falsetto vocals, but this purred away nicely in the background

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.

Overall I found this cheesy, but I like Africano and Shining Star

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

I fully loved this album - super upbeat and super fun to groove to as well, I really liked the drums in this, disco drums are something else man. Anyways it was a great album.

Perfect.

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".

Somewhere I heard you are either a Sly and The Family Stone fan or an Earth Wind and Fire fan, and I fall in the Sly camp. There were many moments in here I enjoyed. Obviously these guys are masters I appreciate the prog/jazz stuff. That said, with EW&F I always feel like I'm not quite getting it. This listen I kept thinking about that term "Plastic Soul" that worked so well for Bowie but for some reason here feels like a kitchy tourist trap or something. I reserve the right to become a huge Earth, Wind and Fire guy at some point, but that day is not today.

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.

Amazing quality for both a pop funk and soundtrack record Tons of instruments, wide variety of sounds/genres, surprises everywhere, epic opening track, excellent track sequencing… what else do I need to say? I got through this 3 times already. Not tiring at all as I notice different things each time.

Thought this would be way cornier, but man it’s good. Smooth vocals, rippin’ horns, and dialed production. Hits multiple genres without feeling disjointed. I had probably heard Shining Star but everything else was new to me. Highlights are Yearnin’, Africano, and All About Love. No misses in my book. Hook of Shining Star sounds like Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai, and That’s the Way of the World sounds so much like It Ain’t Over Til it’s Over. Side note, I had no idea that was a Lenny Kravitz song from 1991 - would have pegged it as a much older Motown song. Saw that Miles said EWF was his favorite band - that’s high praise. Giving a bump for that and because this is our 100th album! Now I’m thinking about that photo of Lenny Kravitz’ hog popping out of his ripped leather pants.

Yet again another album I had heard singles from but not the entirety of. it I'll keep it in the collection

Not my cup of tea, but shining star is always great

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 ;-)

Was good, had some classic hits. Liked the variety (vocals, instrumental, etc.) and liked that it was short.

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

Not my thing but not unpleasant.

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.

Very competent musicianship and quality pop songwriting merge in this funk and soul album with some jazziness to it. The instrumentals on some songs, particularly the more up-beat groovy ones, are simply delectable (mmm bass). The slower are more soulful songs are all well-done, but I just prefer their higher energy fun side. Overall, I appreciate this as a musician more then I care to listen to it for enjoyment - it’s well-done but it’s not all for me.

First EWF album on here. This is their 6th album in just 5 years as a group, and it's also the soundtrack to a movie of the same title that they starred in. As expected, but this is VERY '70s funk. This starts really strong with "Shining Star" which is peak for the genre. The title track afterwards is solid too, but then it falls off a bit after that (though "Reasons" is solid later on. Overall it's a solid listen. I don't think a ton is going to stick with me beyond "Shining Star", but it's fun and funky and a good vibe overall. Side note, but at one point I was wondering what might be some of the most famous songs that don't make this list since they're not on a top album. "September" might be a good answer for this, as it was released as a single and it seems like it isn't on any of their studio albums. Favorite song: Shining Star Other: That's the Way of the World, All About Love (First Impression), Reasons 11/12/24

68/100 "With the way this album was made, I wish that there was more diversity and long length in songs. However, their powerful innovation is what created this albums ideas."

What else can I say about this album that hasn't already been said? Earth, Wind & Fire are some of the best musicians. Great dance music with a positive and uplifting message. They were brought to this earth to raise the vibration and bring us back to one another.

That was a trip that won my whole family over

Funky groove, easy to listen to. Not my main cup of tea but a good listen every so often. 3.25/5

Starts with a banger.

Not averse to a bit of boogie music or funk. And this was ok. A bit mellower than you get from Mr Clinton, but OK. Africano I think was the best. But worth a 3

For some reason, I expected something different to what I’ve just heard. Yes, it’s lovely and positive, in a gospelly way. These fellas have a lot of love to spare for you and me, which has to be a good thing as there’s plenty enough angry music about. But it just sounds dated to me, and not in a nostalgic way. 2 stars as it’s inoffensive and nice and I’m not dropping my rating for some of the mad outros or intros.

Not listened to much by Earth Wind and Fire, but maybe I should. Smooth funky soul stuff which was only done well in the 70's. A high 3.

Oh my God, it's September band!!!!!! I'm a huge fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's alright, though I can't see what differentiates this album from the other funk albums of the time, or the other albums in Earth, Wind & Fire's discography. Still, pretty alright. That 6-minute ballad from midway through the album do be suckin, doe

Interesting ideas but I’m just not really a fan of disco. Favorite Song: All about love Least Favorite song: that’s the way of the world

I like it

Very solid

Soul and funk aren’t usually my go-to genres, but this album has become one of my favorites from that realm. It’s a great mix of soul, funk, and jazz. The soul really stands out on the ballads, while the upbeat, funky tracks add positivity and groove. The jazz element gives it a free-spirited feel, and with the lush arrangements and themes of hope and unity, the whole album sets an uplifting, joyful tone.

Own it, don't love it

Fun, Funky, silky. Love radiates on here

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.

2 stars, i like the song thats the way of the world and reasons! Thats all really tho, didnt fk w/ it for some reason. Jojo referance tally: 1

funky soul brilliance. Not quite 4 star but 3 star is far too low too. 3.67 for me. That's the Way of the World, All About Love (First Impressions), Reasons as the standouts for me. EWF originated in Chicago, but on Spotify they're most listened to in Santiago, Chile and Mexico City, then Paris! Worldwide appeal.

Some bangers; some meh.

2,7

This album made me happy on a really bad day. I have always loved their sound.

absolute fire. short but has all the groove you need in 38min.

Quite disappointing album, I was expecting a much funkier sound, some groovy tunes, more September. Unfortunately, it was just an average pop record. Nothing too exciting.

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.

"Shining Star" and "Africano" both slap. Definitely saving those to my playlists. I didn't enjoy any of the slower songs (most of the rest of the album.)

Not bad. I can see the appeal, but it's just not really my thing. 3/5

a crazy and funky pop album from one of the most eclectic bands from the 70s. combining some bossa, latin, gospel, and a few dreamy stabs and drum lines. many people of course are quick to think of tracks like september and the like, but i feel like this is a good example of why you shouldn't always just mindlessly flock to the top hits. an arguably graceful and fantastic funk album, this is. this album could save a life.

EWF were them ones, had no idea they did Shining Star. So much soul in every song, but different variations of soul that each song feels different, but with so much love and passion put into them like with All About Love.

Listened Before? N Pretty good. I like my 70s funk a little funkier than this, but it's a decent pop record. Didn't hate listening to it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Shining Star

Awesome!!

Infectious. "Shining Star" is an all-time banger, of course, but there's also a lot of "filler" here.

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

Nice variety of styles on here, some really catchy funk and a few ballads - entertaining listen, would probably listen to it again to be fair.

Awesome album.

Love it!

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.

Ritmos bem executados, tem um hit, assim vale a pena escutar pelo menos dessa vez.

Background music. 3.2

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

Langweilig.

Quick album! Never dragged thoufh

Classic joint!

fuego hermano!

I somewhat intensely dislike "September" so I wasn't expecting much from this, but starting off with "Shining Star" is a good way to shut me up, apparently. This isn't something I'd put on to listen to normally, but as a background for those dinner parties I never host, this would be perfect. I wouldn't mind owning this on vinyl to look at and be proud of my well-rounded collection. Seriously though, this is good and funky in an innocuous way, but not so innocuous as to be offensive and boring. Also not innocuous enough to ignore the sometimes-obnoxious falsetto. The album benefits from being relatively short. It just feels a bit like the fabric of black American music at this point that it's hard to deny its power. At times, though, this just sounds like interstitial music for SNL, which is not necessarily their fault. That said, if they were white, they might just sound like the Bee Gees which wouldn't be good at all. I'm confused...

Now I know where I'm a celebrity get me out of here got the title intro drum from.

von anfang an mitten drin im funk und soul der 70er. packt mich aber trotzdem nicht.

Disco Funk nicht so meins.

A soul classic. Shining Star is ubiquitous but there is not a bad track on the whole thing.

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

Great album

Fantastic!

A solid disco album, enjoyed the guitar licks but some songs felt like they dragged on more than they should have.

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!

слишком фанк (а между фанком опять бойз2мен), расстроена

Is dit een album dat ik gehoord moet hebben voordat ik moet sterven? Dat weet ik niet zeker. Ik kan me voorstellen dat het wel invloedrijk is geweest in de discoscene. Het is lekker funky en vooral lekker als liftmuziek of als achtergrondmuziek in Gall & Gall Gelderlandplein wanneer Wim weer eens Radio Sublime op zet. Drie sterren voor de originaliteit.

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.

Yeah, I mean it's good soul / funk music, but I just don't like soul or funk music. I wouldn't add any of these songs to my playlist, but I also wouldn't actively be annoyed if it came on.

Good, not my type of music but good. Some cool, funky surprises

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

***An ok album

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

some great classics here - I love Maurice White (when he died Bilal singer from Philly kind of took over in terms of range - he's one of the only people who can sing like Maurice) and Philip Bailey!!! But not my favorite EW & F album. I wrote a whole big thing about Every Picture Tells a Story and how much I loved it and how I am happily enjoying keeping alive the dying art of listening to an album cover to cover - no idea what happened to it. Why can't we go back and write or edit reviews if we want hmph.

I love the energy and the message of ‘All about Love’.

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.

First time I heard anything by them other than September

First time listening to an earth wind & fire album from start to finish. It is nice- Shining Star is a great opening song, and the rest of the album settles into a spulful collection of melodies. I do find myself wishing for some more energy at some points- its a little light / airy for me during some songs. But the instrumentation comes back heavy with Africano at the end. Overall- a solid listen. Probably a 3.5/5, not quite a 4

Sure this has so.e hits, but the ballads bring it down too much. A man singing to a sultry piano don't do it.

9/10! This was such a feel-good album, as always with EWF a precise hornline, great songs, and a very unique sound. I enjoyed every song on here and the album has a lot of replayability.

Banging

I love this album, partly because it’s imprinted in my DNA like a baby duck stuck to its mother. Growing up every summer we would drive the 600+ miles to visit family in Pennsylvania, and almost religiously, my parents would play this album and other R&B classics during the long drive. And it never got old. To me, it’s EWF’s ability to have this be so clearly an expression of African-American cultural appreciation and positivity, yet never insular or unwelcoming for anyone else. And it’s tight; less than 40 minutes in total, yet absolutely engaging in the musical journey it takes you on. Easy five star for me, even with the childhood bias called out.

That put the fun in funky!

An album as funky as their 'fros. The upbeat tracks were a great time, though I didn't really care much for the ballad tracks on here. I probably won't return to much, but it was a fun time while it was on for the most part

EW&F holds a special place in my heart. My parents must have been big fans because I recall finding tons of these CD’s growing up. I love me some funky disco. Yearnin’ Learnin’ is such a banger. I guess for this album specifically, I had higher hopes for some reason. Perhaps it’s because a lot of that sound I listen to is the refined and complete version of it in the 80’s?

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.

Earth, Wind, & Fire is one of those groups that really does hit just right on occasion, but only on occasion.

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.

Kinda dentist officey.

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

Never been a huge fan, and this album hasn't changed that.

Pretty good soul album!

This album is SO fun! It is funky, positive, and makes me want to smile. Really enjoyed it.

Enjoyed this a lot!

Groovy, put me in a good mood while i was eating granola

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

Całkiem przyjemne, ale nie urywa. Takie 3,5/5 byłoby dobre.

Relaxing music

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.

Great singing, high energy, soulful and funky, just what I expected from them. I wish there were more tracks. Overall good. Highlights: Shining Star Happy Feelin'

Nice!

80s, Funk & Soul. Only for fans. 4/10

Love the flute solo.

2/5 easy listening

Лёгкий, приятный альбом соул-музыки, но, к сожалению, особо не цепляет музыкально, хотя есть очень красивые композиции.

Ugh, I really didn’t like this one. Rating: 1

I don’t think I knew any Earth, Wind & Fire songs outside of September and Boogie Wonderland, before listening to That’s The Way Of The World. And I think that’s a shame. I was pretty amazed by this album; the Jazz influence was clear, which I adored, and the songwriting and performances were top notch throughout. I will definitely be looking out for more Earth, Wind & Fire now

Good bouncy soulful album that is a pleasure to listen to but doesn't stand out.

Once in a while there are songs albums or artist you know you should enjoy but just don’t fully hit. This is of them. I enjoyed a few songs but not the complete album

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

Started strong, but ended weak

Solid!

Nice groovy and smooth 70s tunes for a Tuesday morning.

Liked the first half, second not so much

Great jams. Really enjoyed myself. Some of the songs wore out their welcome a bit, but I'd be happy to listen whenever this came on via shuffle or something.

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

Starts off strong, dips in the middle, and ends pretty strong. Some of these songs didn’t need to be 6 minutes plus, they could’ve been shaved down. Maybe get rid of the spoken word portion or cut a chorus here and there. There are good songs that just went on too long.

Makes me want to get jiggy with it

Great. 3.5

Not their best album but I liked the jazzy aspect to it.

So boring. Generic 70s funk/R&B. 2.5/5

I was expecting this album to be so much more upbeat I actually found it super boring and I hated the whiny parts in the songs 2 ⭐️

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

Groovy without a doubt though EWF is another one of those groups where I love the singles but the deep cuts dont really do it for me. Still, can't deny the absolute greatness of their danceability.

Decent listen

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

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

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

cheeeesyyy

Funky glockenspiel!

Love

Classic 70s disco and chill good sax in Americana

Az Africano remek volt, a többit inkább hagyjuk.

Cool feel relaxed

Started out strong, liked the first three songs, but then it kinda fell apart for me. I was wondering if it was the same group. But, they are a great band, and brought us some great music.

Nice to go beyond that 'best of' album!

This album starts out strong, just what you'd expect from and EW&F album. Then it quickly turns into a hot mess of styles and rhythms and tempos and I don't know what. Yearnin' Learning and Aficano are mid album bright spots for me. Because this is an EW&F album, I'm rounding up on stars

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

Not for me. 1

I love this album.

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

Funky and chill listening, 3.5

Listening to this is pure sunshine. From the opening of "Shining Star," Earth, Wind & Fire deliver tight grooves, incredible vocals, and iconic horn arrangements. Verdine White’s bass work is phenomenal, and the album balances high-energy funk with smooth tracks like "Reasons" perfectly. While clearly a product of its time, the top-tier musicianship makes this 38 minutes of infectious, near flawless perfection.

That's the way of the world ist sehr bekannt, der Rest nicht. Aber typischer EWF Sound. Kann man mal hören, ist aber für mich nicht herausragend. 3/5

Nunca había escuchado un lp suyo. Sin más (bien para la disco).

3

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

Was expecting funk, but this is more jazz heavy. Disappointing for me, but I’m sure there will be others who will find this very satisfying. The musical talent is upper level.

Great sounding early E,W&F tracks.

So smooth it hurts. Schmaltzy disco funk but without any of the fun. This is cruising down the soda aisle at suburban 90s supermarket music, it's what's playing while you argue with your mom over getting Mug vs store brand root beer. Africano is ok smooth jazz blacksploitation soundtrack material.

At times this album is brilliant with excellent funky musicianship all around. At other times it's cheezy romantic 70s shlock. Liked songs added: - Shining Star - Africano

I admittedly did not listen to this as thoroughly as I would’ve liked but I really enjoyed it and would definitely return to it. I like that I can hear the influence of jazz here; I know that jazz obviously was a precursor to R&B but I feel like on this album I can really Hear it in a way I haven’t been able to hear it before (specifically on “Yearnin’ Learnin’” and “Africano”).

Fantastic album; so much funk, soul, and R&B. Superb instrumentals and even better vocals. 9/10.

Fun journey and enjoyed the gospel closer.

Shinning Star is a brilliant song. Rest of the album is pretty good too 3/5

Don’t really get it.. This is an ok album, but why on this list. The really great ones came later..

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

Pretty decent. Liked africano

Damn funky and bonus points for the mallets! This band is always so much fun. Love it.

3.5 70's AM funk grooves. stoner summer jams

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.

Was expecting to like this a lot more, not particularly wrong here but nothing to get excited about either 3*

Bill, you’re taking too long. This album is gold. 5/5

I remember in the early 80's a friend was a huge fan of Earth,Wind & Fire, we would hang out in his room reading comic books while listening to this record and others. I can only feel better after listening to any album by Earth, Wind & Fire.

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

3/5

Funny how listening to the new album off the list can set the mood for your day… Earth Wind and Fire will get you off to a fun start!

Fine background music but nothing particularly excited me about this

Jazzy, didn’t like it THAT much 2**

Good fun album but lack of stand out songs

Okaish progressive soul. Unlikely to listen again.

“Shining Star” is fantastic. There are some other decent elements, but most of it is too cheesy. 2.5/5

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

I got them confused with Blood, Sweat & Tears, who I really enjoyed, so I was kinda disappointed that this album didn’t give me a similar feeling. Then I realized it was a different band. But it’s still decent middle-of-the-road soul/funk. It does alright.

Rating: 6/10 The danceable tracks are great, the ballads not so much.

Pleasant but no peak single to be found.

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.

Yearnin' Learnin' is an awesome song. I'm moving my entire body in my office chair. This album was super smooth. Lots of variety in the songs and a great run-time. I wasn't bored for one second. 9/10

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

Super chill and easy listening. This album came at exactly the right time.

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

I think setting this album in its mid-1970s context is quite difficult. But the opener (Shining Star) is a cracker. I felt the following tracks were a bit too mellow to hold my attention. Some massive flares on the sleeve photo!

boogie, smooth, romantic. I like it. Classic bangers

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

All right. Soul, Funk, Afros and bare chests on the album cover. 3/5 Elements.

this album is so fun fresh and cute !!

I did listen to this album but tbh i mind blanked through it mostly, but from what i heard it seems chill, nothing bad, but nothing extra to make me love it. 6.75/10

40 minute album! love to see it! This is the first album I will say I think is not 'headphones music' in any capacity, so I definitely didn't get the full experience. It's specifically designed to be played out loud, and I think environment is a huge part of the feel. Despite this, it's pretty solid, very fun, funky, groovy, silly and crazy!!! Shining Star, Yearnin' Learnin' and See The Light were great 3/5

Amazing. Funk has really grown on me since getting it on this challenge, and the upbeat, brassy groove on this album is so infectious, I came back to this album three or four times today after the first listen.

Good soul music but get's a bitboring as the album progresses

And water! After a strong opener, this goes a bit too far into balladry for me to love it. At its best when it's upbeat party funk, but too often saccharine.

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.

Very hit or miss record for me. The funk and soul tunes were great. The more disco-y songs just didn’t work for me.

Shining star Very Stevie. That’s the way of the world, better Isley Bros Happy world All About Love, welcome to jazz club… nice! Yearnin’ Learnin: this is decent party music, but it lack the depth of a Stevie Reasons: That 70s soul falsetto never really works for me. Understand you have to give everyone a go songing lead, but stay on the harmonies mate

That’s the Way of the World Firstly, EWF as a band are tight as fuck Secondly, they are excellent musicians Thirdly, some of their songs are superb Fourthly, some of their songs are cheesy as all balls Shining Star is one of the superb songs, a fantastic bit of disco soul pop - groovy, propulsive, excellent musicianship, great melody. Can’t help a bit of white man’s overbite with this. That’s the Way of the World’s horn part is lovely, and the song is great 70s soul ballad with some lovely floating harmonies and backing vocals, and continues the great start to the album. However, as a side note, the ‘Yeaows’ are pure Lonely Island. Happy Feelin’ a song Jamiroquai wish they could write. The bass is a bit mental, as there doesn't seem to be a single moment without a bass note, but it’s not irritating like Jamiroquai, and the song is another strong disco soul groove. All About Love, here comes the cheese, nice and soft, like a melting brie being slowly caressed into your ear canal. The instrumental breakdown with the cinematic horns is great, but the rest of the song isn’t great. Although I do love the weird bit tacked on the end, with the excellent keyboard bass, it sounds like a bit of experimental pop like something of McCartney, if Macca was a 12 piece disco soul band. Yearnin’ Learnin’, some more ‘Yeaows’, and a fun but ultimately a bit of a forgettable track, and the production sounds oddly ‘spread out’ and less intimate and interesting than the rest of the tracks. Reasons, ready for a nice bit of melted mozzarella, nice and stringy, slowly dripped all hot onto your face? Unfortunately this does feel very dated, the vocal on is ludicrous, no wonder this sort of thing gets parodied so much, it’s such a silly very unsexy slow jam. Africano is pretty good, I like the jazz flute intro before it becomes a decent bit of disco funk. See the Light, this is on the cheesy cusp, but despite never going full cheddar, it is a bit soul by numbers and is kind of forgettable. The musicianship on every track is superb, and there are excellent moments - keyboard parts, bass, horns etc, everywhere - and while some of the songs are excellent, the cheese and some of the more forgettable tracks diminish the whole somewhat. It is fun though and those first two tracks are bangers, but it’s not quite enough to push it into the 4s, so I’ll stick it in the high 3s. 🌎💨🔥 Playlist submission: Shining Star

Good album added to my library

fun

All the right vibes

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

Really enjoyed this one

It's disco... A couple of decent tracks. Yearnin' Learnin' and the title track stood out but I can't keep it up for a whole album!

Favorite

some amazing songs and some that are just good, this would have been a 4 but i really did not like reasons

Drop into the groovy 70s

Cool, men oldschool

Earth, Wind & Fire has never been a band I've listened to much, and I don't think that's really going to change after hearing this. The album is -fine- but I have to admit that their tracks kinda meld together for me and I would be unable to identify pretty much any other number than 'September' by name. And that song isn't on this album. I like the bassline, it's funky, it's groovy. But it also becomes a bit samey. The vocal doesn't do much for me most of the time. I can't help but to think that if you are an American baptist this would hit different. But I'm neither of those things so maybe I just don't really get it Standouts Shining Star All About Love (First Impression) 3/5

Sometimes a funky album is just what you need!

Pretty funky, I enjoyed :)

fuck it 5 stars

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.

Mag ich nicht so gerne vor allem die schnellen Stücke

Their influence on the Bee Gees, strong.

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.

Perfectly chill Monday morning vibes with this great R&B/Soul album. Great listen.

Solid funk/R&B album. I've always enjoyed the sound and vibe of EWF

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

My first thought when this album started was, "Wait, what? This isn't Stevie Wonder?" Obviously I've heard "Shining Star" before, but I didn't recognize it until the chorus. The song slaps, though. Then the second song opens with one of those lush, 70s smooth rock instrumentals and I was a little hesitant. Was it about to become really cheesy? This is the band that does "September" after all — the most overplayed song in history, and one that I banned from my wedding reception playlist (though to be fair, that's less the band's fault than it is people ruining it the song for me). But I didn't mind it, and the guitar solo is nice. It does probably run about a minute longer than it needs to — when you're on the fifth run-through of the chorus and start scatting on the mic it's time to wrap it up. Happy Feelin' is a fun song. Ridiculous bass line, nice horn section, and some quirky xylophone (or maybe marimba?) part that would be right at home on an Oingo Boingo or Talking Heads track. "All About Love" is another slow song that I was a bit torn about. It's well done and sounds nice, but it's too overwrought and schlocky for my tastes. It's like if Boys II Men did a soundtrack song for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The last minute of it gets really weird, with a spacey organ solo that reminds me of being at the dentist and hearing/feeling the drill attachment's polishing instrument against your teeth — not a fan. "Yearnin Learnin" goes back to the upbeat funky sound that bears a striking resemblance to Stevie Wonder. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of the lead falsetto vocal on "Reasons Why" — it's on the shrill side. And it gets weird again at the end. "Africano" is a fun upbeat jazzy funk instrumental. The album closes with a song that's part spacey prog-funk jam, part Beach Boys love song. Kind of meh. Basically, I liked the odd-numbered, upbeat songs and didn't much care for the even-numbered slower songs. The vocal harmonies are on point all the way through (even though falsetto guy is a little irritating when he's on lead), and they're great musicians. The mixing is also pretty cool when listening on good headphones — they make good use of stereo and space so it feels immersive. I get why these guys are legendary, but this album didn't fundamentally change how I feel about them — a good band that's hugely influential to funk music but just not really my style. 3.5/5

almost a part of soul

Another group I know.

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'".

Already know the most popular ew&f songs, but this album represented a similar vibe as what I expected and know from them Very groovy, like bee gees and Bobby Caldwell a bit, smooth feeling and like the background to a "lovers at first sight catch each other's eyes from across the dance floor while dancing with different partners and through a slow motion sequence make their ways towards each other and their first words are just like hi or something equally stupid for no reason" kinda movie or track Shorter starting track, but the 2nd, with the title of the album is a solid 5:45 length that doesn't feel too long 3- (happy feelin') different beat, but brings in the keyboard shortly with the sax to being a disco groovy vibe, interesting lines for sax, glock and xylophone or whatever, simple phrases for lyrics in equal ish groups, not super unique feeling though, not incredibly interesting, but a fun listen still 4- (all about love (first impression)) slow start with smooth talking vocals and piano, not really my vibe or interest honestly, slower and more purposeful feeling, interesting talk ending that feels like it could end a movie or a scene with lovers dancing slowly, linger track that was a bit hard to sit through for me, but was worth the listen, fade out into an electronic keyboard and synth sound 5- (yearnin' learnin') powerful start and opening, groovy, but a more car race kinda vibe than dancing 6- (reasons) slower, more dancy feeling again like bee gees, slow and high vocals, might be my favorite on the album so far, interesting flute like ending (seems a common theme with this album of very different endings than the rest of the song) 7- (africano) jazzy vibe, still very disco-y and lots of sax riffs ans solos, lyric less song that could also back a car race or some other version of a chase by foot or otherwise 8- (see the light) different vibe almost, also really like this one, more techno sounding with less trad? and mote thing keyboard and synth sounds, interesting hand drum sound in the back rather than rock heavy beats and drumming which i love, so this is not my favorite, bit still very good, love the end before the last bit end with voices and in a different language with laughing Very 70s kinda sound maybe? Disco- 1975 (mid of the era and decade) Would give a 3.5 if possible, but can't, so a 3

Really good and fun

Good for just chilling out.

nothing here really held my attention. none of it was groovy or catchy enough and the production aint all that good. 5/10

5/5

I think for the time period, it was an excellent album. There are a couple of songs I know and I wouldn’t tell you to turn it off but it just doesn’t move my needle these days

121/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

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

Shining star is a dope classic song. These guys definitely jam and are super funky. Good listen. 3 stars

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.

What an absolute banger of a song to start an album with. Happy Feelin' is great with the sax and whatever xylophone sounding instrument that is. Africano is a great instrumental jam. This album had some funky tunes mixed in with some soulful (albeit a bit boring to me) ballads.

Very fun album

Groovy, did not strike me emotionally though

Superb. Made me feel bad for any other album I’ve given five stars to. So good.

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.

Most of what I know from Earth, Wind & Fire is stuff from a bit later in their career. It was interesting to hear more of what they sounded like before they took on disco! Granted, I seem to like their disco stuff better, but this was still a good education and a good album! One thing that was evident to me is that EW&F was already being fairly progressive with their music at this time! This isn't just standard funk or soul; it's got a progressive edge to it, and you can hear the initial bits of disco peaking out around the corner.

Nice soul album with some funky instrumentals and entertaining vocals. I have to admit that at times I struggled to get into the groove with this one, but I can still admire it for what it is.

Excellent

All time

Legendary

I saw Earth, Wind & Fire at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium which used to be a church & the original Grand Ole Opry. It was one of the most memorable live music experiences of my life. They played several songs from this album & it was incredible. What a nice day I had after listening to this album.

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"

These guys are a BIG band and Shining Star is a BIG tune (maybe their first real big one) but I wasn't blown away by this album. It's a step up from pure disco of the era (thinking Chic) but it's not quite the same awesome funk or soul as some others from the era (thinking George Clinton and all his bands). Honestly, after the big single and the title track I just kind of shrugged my shoulders. Feels like max 3.5.

7/10

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

“All About Love” was my favorite! Such a great album, good feelings all around. They’re doing their thing and it’s beautiful.

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

I think I want to like this more than I actually do

An unfortunately heavy chunk of this is overproduced schlock, though what is good here is quite good. Besides, even the songs I don’t care for are performed pretty professionally and convincingly. Best song: Shining Star