This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
I Am is the ninth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in June 1979 by ARC/Columbia Records. The LP rose to number one on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart, and number three on the Billboard 200 chart. I Am has been certified Double Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA, Platinum in the UK by the BPI, and Platinum in Canada by Music Canada. Eric Sieger of The Baltimore Sun described I Am as "faultlessly produced". Sieger added, "The album features a horn and string section, synthesizers, congas and kalimbas and the material ranges from straight boogie to soulful ballads. Lyrically, some of the numbers leave something to be desired, but Earth, Wind & Fire is one group where the musicianship is so sharp and vibrant that the words don't seem to matter quite so much." AllMusic's Alex Henderson noted, "I Am isn't a radical departure from its predecessor, All 'n All. Though not in a class with That's the Way of the World, Spirit, or All 'n All, I Am is a rewarding album that has a lot going for it."
I gave the official EWF album on the official list 5 stars, but this is a better album. I want to travel back in time with Verdine White and make my past self give THAT album a lower rating because this one is so good. And then we'll all groove on.
I just think the album makes the world a happier place. 10/10
The bops here are every bit as strong as the ones on That's the Way of the World (the official album on the list). However, the ballads here are FAR stronger than on the official album. This is absolutely peak RnB/Disco/Funk jam. They may not include water in their entitled elements, but I'd still drink a glass of this any day.
Earth, Wind & Fire found their best sound in the second half of the 70s, with this particular mix of funk and disco sound, 'I Am' arguably being the epitome of it all. Of course, here 'After the Love Has Gone' and 'Boogie Wonderland' overshadow the rest of the tracks, but the album as a whole has a vitality and brilliance that they would never achieve again after leaving the seventies behind
These guys definitely know how to write a harmony, but the songwriting felt so repetitious and homogeneous that even the beautiful vocals felt tiring after a while. Stretches much longer than its 37 minutes, a telling sign of how lacking in dynamics this one is for all its instrumental richness.
10/10. Yeah, it's Earth Wind and Fire, and one of their better albums at that. Always super fun to listen to, though I'm not usually the type to listen to a whole album of theirs at once, and I did like That's the Way of the World better as an album.
Brilliant
Boogie wonderland. Nuff said.
Rating: 10/10
That funk, that schmalz, and that rock, carried by that bass. Should have been in the original list. Favorites: Boogie Wonderland and Rock that.
First album after the official list which is a genuine 5 star.
Kinda the point, one gathers, but this style of music is perfectly represented by its productions, disco string sections singing among other tunes and the always-expected ever-happy vocals. Late enough in the form, Rock That! drops the voices and apes fusion, with periodic rhythmic reprieve so you don't forget where to dance. The mood's not multiple, and it's not deep, but it sure is pleasurable.
Some classic Earth, Wind & Fire tracks on here. Overall it's a banger.
What's not to like? Even the auto-played tracks that Spotify played after the album was over were fantastic. I could stay in this zone pretty much indefinitely.
Just solid soul and funk, nothing to complain about here
100% should've been on the list 4
Classic
Vibrant, funky and unabashedly earnest in a way few artists can get away with. If you're in need of a little positivity in your life, you really can't go wrong with a little Earth Wind & Fire. Slightly uneven in quality from song to song, but when the band gets it right this absolutely cooks. "After the Love Has Gone" is a soft soul ballad for the ages. Fave Songs: Boogie Wonderland, After the Love Has Gone, Let Your Feelings Show, You and I, Star
This was a great album. I did not grow up with Earth, Wind, & Fire but have enjoyed listening to them. I’m more familiar with p-funk and Motown but this is much more smooth and produced. The horns are great and the whole album is very well balanced. I think I’ll be revisiting this one.
I liked this one more than the ones in the original list
This is a fun, vibrant offering. It may be a bit too commercial sounding for me but one can't deny these guys are tight and skilled musicians with a knack for writing happy, brassy, funky tunes.
Solid
Groovy baby
It's a fun boogie wonderland. Not my favorite type of music, but enjoyable to listen to. 3 stars.
Not really a disco-kinda-guy, but still I must say that this is some timeless music. Very well done.
Don't mind these guys. Cool album. 3/5.
A very funky disco-album. A bit too much of the same after a while, but still fun
Superbly played disco funk. More disco than the funk of the book's chosen EW&F album.
Good in places, dragged in others. Still worth a listen.
Yes, it's all very nice and very well played. But it's just too slick and soft for my taste.
harmonious but conventional, a lot of sound and disco rhythm of the time.