EARTH, WIND & FIRE
That's the Way of the World: Alive in '75
(Columbia/Legacy)
That's the Way of the World: Alive in '75 is a collection of live tracks recently discovered in the Earth, Wind & Fire archives. Recorded at a handful of May, 1975 dates, these recordings capture EWF at the height of its powers and popularity.

And powerful it was. For a band that spouted (and spouts) so much mystical and ideological mumbo jumbo, it did manage to capture something unique both on record and in a live context. The musicians bring the funk ("Shining Star"), mix it with jazz ("Sun Goddess," with guest pianist Ramsey Lewis), and smooth it out with love-man R&B ("Reasons," featuring Philip Bailey's amazing falsetto). Their lead vocals, harmonies and musicianship are all sterling, and the band feeds off of the crowds' appreciation well enough to sustain extended workouts. After a few listens it's hard to believe this CD is unsweetened, and contains no overdubs. And for better or worse, the listener could almost forget that this was all done in elaborate spaceman costumes.

EWF already has Gratitude, a killer live album from about the same period, though the two only have four songs in common. That's the Way of the World: Alive in '75 would work well to essentially upgrade Gratitude to a triple album. One could certainly do worse at a party than to put the two on back to back. Brian Briscoe

For fans of: Marvin Gaye, 1970s Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone