Yeah, the guitar and the weird little bit of dialogue at the very end of the track are straight from the Clinton playbook.
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 8 November 2018 18:34 (five years ago) link
I know I've never heard this album, but somehow I don't even recall ever seeing the cover?! Love the opening cut.
― Drunk Charles Nelson Reily violating Paul Lynn at a toga party (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 8 November 2018 18:42 (five years ago) link
I agree with most of what has been said about this already: the guitars have some Funkadelic abrasion not usually heard on EW&F, but when this gets rolling, its more Sly than anything else. I basically hear them still grasping for a sound here (and on the rest of the album, which I listened to once through in sequence when we started this thread).
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Thursday, 8 November 2018 22:04 (five years ago) link
always been kinda taken with D'Angelo's assertion that in terms of funk fandom you were either a PFunk head or a EWF stan, and that at heart which one you preferred said a lot about you as a listener/musician/person
― Οὖτις, Thursday, November 8, 2018
I don't know. Fans of one ten dto like the other.
― I like queer. You like queer, senator? (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 8 November 2018 22:07 (five years ago) link
*tend to
I like Westbound-era Funkadelic (liked them a lot more 20 years ago), have no use for Parliament, and love EWF.
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 8 November 2018 22:21 (five years ago) link
Let's start Side Two!
"C'mon Children" (Earth, Wind & Fire, 1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CjkEolqNTg
As sampled by Masta Ace:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKiIeLXO1ek
― grawlix (unperson), Friday, 9 November 2018 12:51 (five years ago) link
Maurice White was a pretty good drummer, eh
I can hear the Sly Stone influence -- an obvious point but it hadn't occurred to me.
― I like queer. You like queer, senator? (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 9 November 2018 12:54 (five years ago) link
From Wikipedia:
By the mid-1960s he found work as a session drummer for Chess Records. While at Chess, he played on the records of artists such as Etta James, Chuck Berry, Sonny Stitt, Muddy Waters, the Impressions, the Dells, Betty Everett, Sugar Pie DeSanto and Buddy Guy. White also played the drums on Fontella Bass's "Rescue Me", Billy Stewart's "Summertime" and Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher." ...By 1966, he joined the Ramsey Lewis Trio, replacing Isaac "Red" Holt as the drummer. Holt and bassist Eldee Young left to form Young-Holt Unlimited with pianist Hysear Don Walker. Young was replaced by Cleveland Eaton. As a member of the Trio, Maurice played on several of their albums. One of these was 1966's Wade in the Water. The album track "Hold It Right There" went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Group . With the Trio White also played on 1966's The Movie Album and Goin' Latin of 1967. He also performed on The Trio's 1968 LPs Dancing in the Street, Up Pops Ramsey Lewis and Maiden Voyage. While in the group White was introduced in a Chicago drum store to the African thumb piano or kalimba. With this so the track "Uhuru" upon the Trio's 1969 LP Another Voyage featured the first recording of White playing the kalimba.
...
By 1966, he joined the Ramsey Lewis Trio, replacing Isaac "Red" Holt as the drummer. Holt and bassist Eldee Young left to form Young-Holt Unlimited with pianist Hysear Don Walker. Young was replaced by Cleveland Eaton. As a member of the Trio, Maurice played on several of their albums. One of these was 1966's Wade in the Water. The album track "Hold It Right There" went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Group . With the Trio White also played on 1966's The Movie Album and Goin' Latin of 1967. He also performed on The Trio's 1968 LPs Dancing in the Street, Up Pops Ramsey Lewis and Maiden Voyage. While in the group White was introduced in a Chicago drum store to the African thumb piano or kalimba. With this so the track "Uhuru" upon the Trio's 1969 LP Another Voyage featured the first recording of White playing the kalimba.
― grawlix (unperson), Friday, 9 November 2018 13:09 (five years ago) link
I need to check out some of those Ramsey Lewis albums.
(reminds me a bit of Sing a Simple Song)
should've saved that comment for this one!
― fred-a van vleet (voodoo chili), Friday, 9 November 2018 13:55 (five years ago) link
For an album that wears its influences on its (non-literal) sleeve, here's where the James Brown groove finally makes its appearance. Otherwise, another clearly Sly-indebted track.
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Friday, 9 November 2018 16:36 (five years ago) link
this sounds like a Sly track from 1967 except not as interesting
― Οὖτις, Friday, 9 November 2018 16:40 (five years ago) link
I took the weekend off, but I'm back, so let's finish this first album up. First, the relatively weak soul track "This World Today":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrmHapuVIxk
And finally, "Bad Tune":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFP0K8RirR8
As sampled by Brand Nubian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBM52Hd-KAQ
― grawlix (unperson), Monday, 12 November 2018 22:33 (five years ago) link
"This World Today" is filler, but "Bad Tune" is an enjoyable instrumental trip.
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 13 November 2018 04:40 (five years ago) link
Earth, Wind & Fire's second album, The Need of Love, came out seven months after their debut (the first was released in February 1971, the second in November of that year). There were no singles, and it opens with a 10-minute track that transitions from BYG free jazz circa 1969 (seriously, compare those first two-three minutes with Archie Shepp's "Blasé") to Westbound-Funkadelic-with-horns, then goes into hardcore jazz-funk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VjcfhLJJNI
As sampled by DJ Shadow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDom9eXLUdI
― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 13 November 2018 13:19 (five years ago) link
this world today isn't bad, seems like it would serve well as soundtrack music. but there's not so much going on except those hilarious louis armstrong-esque background vocals at the end.
― voodoo chili, Tuesday, 13 November 2018 13:36 (five years ago) link
Wow, who's playing sax on this? I caught up with the rest of the first album this morning, and there are some nice tunes that I might come back to, but this is far more ambitious and exciting to me, and sounds fantastic.
― Locked in silent monologue, in silent scream (Sund4r), Tuesday, 13 November 2018 14:34 (five years ago) link
beginning of "Bad Tune" almost recalls Konono No. 1
― Greta Van Fleek (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 13 November 2018 15:07 (five years ago) link
“Energy”: They’re still searching for their sound, but what an ambitious way to do it!
Loving The sample feature, btw.
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 13 November 2018 18:32 (five years ago) link
"Energy" is amazing to me. I only own their Columbia albums (I bought the big box set with all of them), but there's a UK CD that has remastered versions of these first two on a single disc, and I'm gonna be buying it for sure.
― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 13 November 2018 18:53 (five years ago) link
lol this is the one I thought was the debut that I have a trashed copy of, it was also just reissued on vinyl
Blase comparisons are scarily otm
did they sign to Columbia after this one?
― sleeve, Wednesday, 14 November 2018 01:33 (five years ago) link
"Beauty" (The Need of Love, 1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDSrxMuQisc
Surprisingly not a single...or a sample source!
― grawlix (unperson), Wednesday, 14 November 2018 14:59 (five years ago) link
Really get glimmers of what was about to happen in that one.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Wednesday, 14 November 2018 15:33 (five years ago) link
Obv a more straightforward tune than "Energy" but it makes a more indelible impression than most of the first album for me. Dreamy layered vocals and horns.
― Locked in silent monologue, in silent scream (Sund4r), Wednesday, 14 November 2018 15:47 (five years ago) link
Yeah, the band actually broke up after this album, and re-formed with a whole new lineup and signed to Columbia.
― grawlix (unperson), Wednesday, 14 November 2018 16:26 (five years ago) link
I don't love it, but probably the most EWF sounding thing so far. The horns are nice.
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 14 November 2018 18:54 (five years ago) link
The first two EW+F albums are their best.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Wednesday, 14 November 2018 20:48 (five years ago) link
Thank you for that. Looking forward to your thoughts on the first half of I Am in a few months' time.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Wednesday, 14 November 2018 21:07 (five years ago) link
"I Can Feel It In My Bones" (The Need of Love, 1971)
Another Sly Stone/George Clinton knockoff...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD8kk4V6DkM
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 15 November 2018 14:33 (five years ago) link
"I Think About Lovin' You" (The Need of Love, 1971)
A plush ballad. Not a single, but it landed on Billboard's Hot Soul Songs chart anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PyUfKNdCuk
As sampled by the Fugees:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8sNnNRhQ2g
― grawlix (unperson), Monday, 19 November 2018 12:30 (five years ago) link
Who's doing vocals on this?
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 02:13 (five years ago) link
I got a little ahead of myself and am listening to Open Our Eyes.
― I like queer. You like queer, senator? (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 02:20 (five years ago) link
"Everything is Everything" (The Need of Love, 1971)
Yes, it's a cover of the Donny Hathaway song "Voices Inside (Everything is Everything)", released the previous summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hw_GtTLZs4
That's it for album #2; tomorrow, we start their Columbia Records debut, Last Days and Time. Note: that album contains three very short interludes, which we won't be bothering with.
― grawlix (unperson), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 13:03 (five years ago) link
I'm afraid I don't have much to say about the first two albums on the whole, but there are definitely rough draft sketches of "Shining Star" in that last tune.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 13:34 (five years ago) link
"I Think About Lovin' You" stands out most from the last three for me. I can see why the Fugees sampled it. Other two are not bad.
― Locked in silent monologue, in silent scream (Sund4r), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 14:19 (five years ago) link
hammond tone on everything is everything is A+
― twin sinema (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 15:31 (five years ago) link
no Salty Peppers at the top? for shame
kidding. great thread!!
― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 15:32 (five years ago) link
xp The vocalist and songwriter for I Think About Lovin' You was Sherry Scott. She and the rest of the band quit after The Need of Love leaving Maurice and Verdine White. They also got dropped by Warner Bros.
― Ρεμπετολογια, Tuesday, 20 November 2018 17:01 (five years ago) link
"Time Is On Your Side" (Last Days and Time, 1972)
They've switched labels, from Warner Bros. to Columbia, and assembled an almost entirely new lineup as discussed above, including Philip Bailey on vocals for the first time (accompanied by female singer Jessica Cleaves, who would leave after 1973's Head to the Sky). Smooth jazz saxophonist Ronnie Laws was also a member at this time. The music is still very Sly Stone-ish, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7gdjhox3vs
― grawlix (unperson), Wednesday, 21 November 2018 12:57 (five years ago) link
One other note: the cover painting is by Mati Klarwein, who did Miles Davis's Bitches Brew and Live-Evil, Herbie Hancock's Sextant and Santana's Abraxas, among others.
― grawlix (unperson), Wednesday, 21 November 2018 13:00 (five years ago) link
Yeah, this is def my fave EWF record cover. I so wish I'd picked up the coffee table book on Klarwein's album art before it hit the collector's market.
― doug watson, Wednesday, 21 November 2018 14:16 (five years ago) link
Surprised those horns haven't been sampled!
― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 23 November 2018 12:11 (five years ago) link
Skipping a 23-second interlued brings us to...
"They Don't See" (Last Days and Time, 1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rxb4IP0vg4
Slick Philly-style soul. Their trademark style is starting to come together, but this is still pretty derivative of others' work.
― grawlix (unperson), Friday, 23 November 2018 12:29 (five years ago) link
Nice tune
― Locked in silent monologue, in silent scream (Sund4r), Friday, 23 November 2018 14:10 (five years ago) link
"Energy" is definitely my favourite so far, with "Beauty" next.
― Locked in silent monologue, in silent scream (Sund4r), Friday, 23 November 2018 14:23 (five years ago) link
"Make It With You" (Last Days and Time, 1972)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdoU_iT3Q48
― grawlix (unperson), Monday, 26 November 2018 21:54 (five years ago) link
Jessica Cleaves
is this the only overlapping personnel between EW&F and P-Funk?
― Οὖτις, Monday, 26 November 2018 21:57 (five years ago) link
does anything interesting ever happen in this catalog, asking for a friend
― Οὖτις, Monday, 26 November 2018 22:01 (five years ago) link
Prove it.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Monday, 26 November 2018 22:02 (five years ago) link
There are bad/cringey moments throughout the mid-80s and beyond, but basically the next 10 albums in line here are monolithically uniform -- whether that means, to you, middling or superior.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Thursday, 13 December 2018 17:44 (five years ago) link
And the latter camp (to which I belong) hardly needs a listening thread, especially when it'll be filled with people who can't comprehend the majesty of "Be Ever Wonderful," "Fantasy," "Reasons," "Getaway," et al.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Thursday, 13 December 2018 17:45 (five years ago) link
thx shakey
― тпсбlack (Spottie), Thursday, 13 December 2018 17:46 (five years ago) link
right, so on to the Bee Gees then right
xp
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 13 December 2018 17:46 (five years ago) link
You had a good run, EW&F listening thread, but sad to say you did not meet down to the standards of badness.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:00 (five years ago) link
listening to "Evil" now this is awesome
― No Smockin' (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:02 (five years ago) link
it's ok - that descending 4-note riff kinda wears out its welcome imo
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:07 (five years ago) link
I meant to keep this thread going but I've literally been on planes half of the last two weeks (3 days in Oslo followed by 3 days in Stockholm) - my life is a tidal wave of chaos right now and getting it together to do a daily post kinda slid down the ladder of priorities. My apologies.
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:26 (five years ago) link
no worries, do you want to just put this on hold for awhile or...?
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:27 (five years ago) link
Honestly, response has been fairly minimal, and once we got a little deeper into the Columbia albums it really would become one awesome song after another with no goofy weirdness or anything - it'd be really hard to just say "Yeah, this song is amazing" over and over again. If folks wanna move on to the Bee Gees, I'm fine with it. Especially since the chaos I just described has in no way abated and will probably get even worse in early 2019.
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:29 (five years ago) link
I'm fine for now just saying that Open Our Eyes through Powerlight is one banger after another and I can think of no other band that managed to sustain a longer run of pure pleasure, and leave it at that.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:33 (five years ago) link
^^^
Pretty much, yeah. Also that Gratitude is one of the great live albums of the 1970s (the golden era for live albums).
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 13 December 2018 18:35 (five years ago) link
I only know the singles and a couple of albums, but I can see now that EW&F might have been better served by an artist poll than a listening thread.
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Thursday, 13 December 2018 20:20 (five years ago) link
Let's fast track that, please.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Thursday, 13 December 2018 20:27 (five years ago) link
Glad you mentioned Powerlight because the singles at least rule.
― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 13 December 2018 20:28 (five years ago) link
I even stan for parts of Electric Universe but I realize that's probably taking it a step too far.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Thursday, 13 December 2018 20:29 (five years ago) link
I love that thin slinky post-disco sound of Raise!-Powerlight
― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 13 December 2018 21:02 (five years ago) link
I just went through a EWF binge after reading Maurice White's book, and as much as I like them I think it would be a hard slog, because there are none of the obvious missteps or just plain crap songs that made the Eagles or Rod Stewart or Billy Joel fun to comment on. You need the good and the bad. How about Marvin Gaye post WGO, or Aretha?
― Ρεμπετολογια, Tuesday, October 30, 2018 8:16 AM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Don't say I didn't warn you
― Ρεμπετολογια, Thursday, 13 December 2018 23:42 (five years ago) link