Earth Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits

Earth, Wind and Fire made some excellent songs and they are all here. I love this CD!!

I have loved Earth Wind & Fire from the very beginning. I love their creativity and the energy of their music. I purchased the album when it was orginally released. We listened to the album quite a lot back then. Since we no longer have a turntable, I wanted to have it in the CD version. This will enable us to extend the life of the album. This is definitely a collector's item and should be one of the all time best soul music albums.

Earth, Wind and Fire was in a zone on this CD. You got most of the extended versions of their hits of the 70s and early 80s. I just wish "Devotion" was included on this. Still, you can't go wrong, this is THE CD to own from the group.

In their seventies heyday, Earth Wind and Fire were one of the hottest touring acts in the world and an unstoppable singles machine. Band leader Maurice White and main singer Phillip Bailey had a chemistry that was almost unbeatable, and top notch musicians brought the chops. White eventually hit a supple groove that was both funky and popular, and when the hits started coming, like "Shining Star" and "September," they helped make disco into a bit less of a dirty word.

They had another secret weapon in the EWF Horns. Punchy when they needed to be, smooth jazz when required, they often provided an 'x' factor in the band's best work. The band mixed these elements into a dynamite stage show that rivaled George Clinton's Mothership era for sheer audacity and showmanship. While there are no live tracks here, if you've ever seen the camp classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, you'll see a tiny fraction of the excitement when the band performs "Got To Get You Into My Life."

Listening to this CD several years after what EWF tunes had been trimmed from my library is a real trip down memory lane. From the opening Black Pride Themed "Shining Star" to the road-trip classic "Getaway," these are all memorable hook-fests that livened up many an AM radio in the 70's. White often had a Utopian vision that he emphasized in his lyrics making these tunes both danceable and uplifting. Bailey's distinguished falsetto livened the ballads (like "After The Love Has Gone"), but EWF's real genius was making songs that were irresistible funky grooves. If you don't find yourself bopping to "Boogie Wonderland," check and make sure your feet are still attached.

Only frustration - missing "Love's Holiday," "Magnetic," "System of Survival" or anything post 1983. Could have been a double disc, easily. But really, even without them, this single disc EWF CD is indispensable if you're an oldies buff.

One word: dance!
When I play this CD I just have to start dancing!