Earth, Wind & Fire Album: “That's the Way of the World: Alive in '75”

Description :

Earth, Wind & Fire: Maurice White (vocals, drums, timbales, kalimba, percussion); Philip Bailey (vocals, congas, percussion); Al McKay (guitar, percussion, background vocals); Johnny Graham (guitar, percussion); Andrew Woolfolk (flute, saxophone, percussion); Don Myrick (saxophone, percussion); Michael Harris (trumpet, percussion); Louis Satterfield (trombone, percussion); Larry Dunn (piano, organ, synthesizer, programming); Verdine White (bass, percussion, background vocals); Ralph Jones (drums, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel: Ramsey Lewis (keyboards). Producers: Maurice White, Paul Klingberg, Leo Sacks. Recorded live at The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia; Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland; Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York in May 1975. Includes liner notes by David Ritz. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is a multi-channel Super Audio CD playable only on Super Audio CD players. Earth, Wind & Fire: Maurice White (vocals, drums, timbales, kalimba, percussion); Philip Bailey (vocals, congas, percussion); Al McKay (guitar, percussion, background vocals); Johnny Graham (guitar, percussion); Andrew Woolfolk (flute, saxophone, percussion); Don Myrick (saxophone, percussion); Michael Harris (trumpet, percussion); Louis Satterfield (trombone, percussion); Larry Dunn (piano, organ, synthesizer, programming); Verdine White (bass, percussion, background vocals); Ralph Jones (drums, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel: Ramsey Lewis (keyboards). Producers: Maurice White, Paul Klingberg, Leo Sacks. Recorded live at The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia; Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland; Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York in May 1975. Includes liner notes by David Ritz. Few '70s-vintage R&B bands were more innovative or more influential than Earth, Wind & Fire. The band's trademark amalgam of pop, funk, and progressive soul can be heard echoing in the work of everyone from Prince to Phil Collins. Still, those who weren't there in the group's heyday (or just weren't lucky enough to see them) may not realize that EWF's dazzling studio creations received an extra amount of punch in concert. This situation is remedied by the arrival of ALIVE IN '75. Some of the group's most memorable songs, including the celebratory "Shining Star" and the transcendent "That's the Way of the World," are rendered all the more visceral for the startlingly high energy level of EWF's live show. The swinging, punchy horn section, Larry Dunn's celestial synthesizer work, and of course Philip Bailey's soaring vocals all combine and mingle with the energy of an enthusiastic audience to create a blissful soul experience. Few '70s-vintage R&B bands were more innovative or more influential than Earth, Wind & Fire. The band's trademark amalgam of pop, funk, and progressive soul can be heard echoing in the work of everyone from Prince to Phil Collins. Still, those who weren't there in the group's heyday (or just weren't lucky enough to see them) may not realize that EWF's dazzling studio creations received an extra amount of punch in concert. This situation is remedied by the arrival of ALIVE IN '75. Some of the group's most memorable songs, including the celebratory "Shining Star" and the transcendent "That's the Way of the World," are rendered all the more visceral for the startlingly high energy level of EWF's live show. The swinging, punchy horn section, Larry Dunn's celestial synthesizer work, and of course Philip Bailey's soaring vocals all combine and mingle with the energy of an enthusiastic audience to create a blissful soul experience.

I may catch it for this one:

I have to preface this by saying that I'm a huge EWF fan. They are the reason I started playing music. I have all of their recorded output (including their early WB lp's) and a gang of EWF associated records (Ramsey Lewis, The Emotions, Pockets, Denice Williams, Caldera, Gene Harris, etc...).

That being said, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this disc to anyone but the most hardcore Earth, Wind & Fire fan. The "Gratitude" versions of Shining Star, Yearnin' Learnin', Sun Goddess and Reasons were much better. The Eternal Dance box set versions of Kalimba Story and Mighty Mighty were better. That only leaves the unreleased Evil & That's The Way Of The World. Two songs aren't enough to warrent the purchase of a CD (contrary to what current record company executives think).

Pound for pound, it's a solid disc. But I'm not in love with it. It was just Sony's haphazzard way of making money off of group that hasn't been on the roster in over 10 years. I'd much rather people pick up the Live In Rio CD.

This is pretty much an alternate take on the "Gratitude" CD. But the flow and sequence is more like an actual concert and gives the listener a feel of what those mid '70's shows were really like. The standouts here are "Happy Feeling" - try not to move your feet to this jam. "Sun Goddess" (were the vocals on the "Gratitude" version overdubbed?) and the next three cuts, "Evil", "Kalimba Story" and "Reasons",(again essentially the same arrangement of "Gratitude"- sans Philip Bailey's histronics, make up the meat and best section of the CD. The title track starts out strong but then runs out of gas towards the end. Overall, this is a CD strictly for fans who probably have "Gratitude" already. Oddly enough, the sound quality is better on the "Live in 75" set and audience participation is more woven in. But new listeners would be better served by the "Gratitude" CD. But on its own this is a fine offering.