Earth, Wind & Fire - All 'N All (1977)

Note: this CD is the 1999 reissue containing 3 bonus tracks.

from the CD back cover

I wish I had this LP when I was in high school. I had I Am and loved it, so I should have gone into the group's back catalog. Ah, well. Lovin' it now, though. Solid from start to finish. The band was really in their prime on this, their 8th studio LP. Influential? You bet - songs from this album have been sampled by Grandmaster Flash, The Fugees, Blackstreet, and A Tribe Called Quest. In 2008, Tom Moon placed this album on his list of 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die. Check.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "It's easy to be seduced by the artfulness and grace of Earth, Wind and Fire's music and accept it for its craftsmanship and listenability."
• Record Mirror (++++): "It's an EWF album and I like it. Unashamedly."
• Record World: "has already shipped platinum"
• Billboard: "one of [Earth, Wind & Fire's] most appealing efforts."
• Stereo Review: "The music is delightfully earthy in its appeal, an aural collage of rich vocal and instrumental textures underscored by highly danceable rhythms that never surrender to triteness."
• Robert Christgau (B+): "Focusing soulful horns, high-tension harmonies, and rhythms and textures from many lands onto a first side that cooks throughout."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #3
• Billboard R&B albums: #1
• CashBox album: #3

Tracks: I love the hits Serpentine Fire and Fantasy, but there are so many other great tunes, including Jupiter and Love's Holiday. Philip Bailey really shines on I'll Write A Song For You. In typical EWF fashion, even the filler on this album is awesome - funky and soulful. Just check out the horn outro on Magic Mind. Don't skip any of this good stuff.

Bonus tracks: A demo track, an alternate mix, and a live version. Interesting to listen to once or twice, but they don't really add too much to the CD.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: A few months ago, my youngest son (a huge EWF fan) spotted this CD and 1975's Gratitude in the bargain bin at our local Hasting's for $3 each. How could I resist?

I love the EWF album art from that era. Pyramids and spaceships.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Illumination (2005)
The Eternal Dance (1992)
I Am (1979)