EWF Good Stuff

[P. Aaron]

My 13 year old daughter asks if we can get a collection of Earth, Wind & Fire tunes [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] "...they're cool dad!"

I knew that, so I went lookin' to review. EWF were everywhere in the 70's so it was hard to miss them, and what's not to like? Solid grooves, and the minute you hear them, you like them. A good time.

Being lazy, any feedback any of you could provide on a CD collection/DVD, etc. would be appreciated. Thoughts?

 

[Everhart]

Their box set is good: The Eternal Dance

3 discs, and plenty of groovy pics...

 

[burk48237]

Gratitude the live CD is very cool too. Verdine White grooved for miles on that stuff. Some Very fine rhythm guitar playin on that stuff too.

 

[markjazzbassist]

Gratitude the live CD is very cool too. Verdine White grooved for miles on that stuff. Some Very fine rhythm guitar playin on that stuff too.

+1

that's the way of the world is a great record as well. those 2 together and you've got a lot of the hits.

 

[JimK]

Back in the mid-late '70s, for me it was-
That's The Way Of The World
Gratitude
Spirit
All 'n' All...some great songs. Is there anything funkier than "Serpentine Fire"?
I Am
...then, IMO, "something" changed. More production, polish...less edge/grit. Could be more of a David Foster infuence over Charles Stepney.
FWIW, I did buy everything up to Electric Universe. Anything after I Am got played minimally.

Recently, I went back & bought up their 5 albums pre-That's The Way Of The World.
Their debut from 1970-71, at times, is a bit Sly & The Family Stone-ish (very cool). EW&F also has roots within the Chicago avant-garde Jazz scene; some of those early albums have extended 'jam' tracks ("Zanzibar", "Power", "Energy").

 

[mcrracer]

Back in the mid-late '70s, for me it was-
That's The Way Of The World
Gratitude
Spirit
All 'n' All...some great songs. Is there anything funkier than "Serpentine Fire"?
I Am
...then, IMO, "something" changed. More production, polish...less edge/grit. Could be more of a David Foster infuence over Charles Stepney.
FWIW, I did buy everything up to Electric Universe. Anything after I Am got played minimally.

Recently, I went back & bought up their 5 albums pre-That's The Way Of The World.
Their debut from 1970-71, at times, is a bit Sly & The Family Stone-ish (very cool). EW&F also has roots within the Chicago avant-garde Jazz scene; some of those early albums have extended 'jam' tracks ("Zanzibar", "Power", "Energy").

That "something" was Maurice getting sick and stepping back from performing with the group anymore. Without him ,at least to me, it just aint EWF!

 

[Dellers]

Seriously, buy every album from the beginning and up until (including) Faces...After that the 80's really started, and as you may know EVERY funk/soul band that were awesome in the 70's made some really boring stuff during the 80's...

 

[JimK]

That "something" was Maurice getting sick and stepping back from performing with the group anymore. Without him ,at least to me, it just aint EWF!

Good point.
...I still think "the David Foster production style" took them into a different direction (other bands that suffered from the same malaise: AWB, The Tubes, Chicago...).