Audio CD review:
Earth Wind & Fire - Earth Wind and Fire

Earth Wind & Fire - Earth Wind and Fire

Band: Earth Wind & Fire Title: Earth Wind and Fire Rating: Release Date: 11 March, 1997 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Help Somebody 2: Moment Of Truth 3: Love Is Life 4: Fan The Fire 5: C'mon Children 6: This World Today 7: Bad Tune

Customer Reviews Fantastic! The genesis of a timeless group of true musicians revealed. This is a must have for any fan of EW&F. . . get it!. Classic R&B from the Elements of the Universe It was the 1st incarnation of EW&F, the white brothers (Maurice & Verdine) put together one of the tightest & funkiest bands i'd ever heard! It's raw power is something that was on par with another album of that time, Maggot Brain, by Funkadelic. It's a shame that many EW&F fans still don't know about this album & it's follow up from the same year (1971) the Need of Love. Maurice White was beginning to put his vision together of what the baddest band alive should be & this album, in my opinion, was a fantastic start. I often wondered how the members of the original group who left after the 2nd album must have felt seeing the glorious ascension that EW&F enjoyed from about 74-81, one of the most influential periods ever in music history for any artist or group! One thing for sure, they definitely made their contribution to usher in the baddest band ever, Earth, Wind & Fire!. Out Of Sly,Kool & Santana Comes Earth,Wind & Fire! In the case of Earth,Wind & Fire that would be a potent brew of funk/latin jazz-rock married to excellent songwriting,musicianship and a humanitarian message. The best way for a band to begin their career is with their own statement of intent. Horn-fueled,uptempo numbers such as "Help Somebody","Moment Of Truth" and "C'Mon Children" are like efforts. "Love Is Life" and "This World Today",both featuring the heavenly voice of the urstwile Shirly Scott,make a similar point in a more slow and soulful manner. "Fan The Fire" has a distinct psychedelic rock influence in with the funk and "Bad Tune" is an instrumental segueing into a vintage Kool & The Gang-like jam and a preview of coming attractions-Maurice White's Kalimba intro. Not all of the group's "official" personel are here,the pop influences arn't as evident and it didn't get any hits but for those who know the group only for their superbly poppified "Shinning Star"-era hits, this will come as a pleasant introduction to the actual artistry and musicianship of Earth,Wind & Fire. . You can see a complete list of all Earth Wind & Fire discography, or go back to the Earth Wind & Fire tabs