LP Review: Faces
Released: 1980
LP Charts: #2 R&B (5 weeks), #10 pop
Earth, Wind & Fire had a good run. Nay, a great run.
Last Days and Time (C+) was uneven, but was the start of something good. Head to the Sky (B-) solidified the progress and Open Our Eyes (B+) institutionalized it. Then came That’s the Way of the World (B+), Gratitude (A-), Spirit (A), and All ‘n All (A). That’s a damn good run of albums. Even though I Am (B) was a comparative slump… it was indeed comparatively a slump. It’s still a really good album despite some flaws.
Then came 1980’s Faces, which saw Earth, Wind & Fire’s musical progression come to a screeching halt.
Predictably, this double album has bloat. So much bloat. 15 songs, which are essentially one carefully crafted four-minute song after another. I almost regret having previously criticized Earth, Wind & Fire’s early days when their music was too rough because this album is way too slick.
Oil slick slick.
Since there are so many songs and so many of them sound the same, I’m only going to focus on the good songs. (For the record, most of the songs are average and don’t really offend your ears, except for the fact that there’s like 10 of them).
“Let Me Talk” (#8 R&B, #44 pop) was the album’s lead single and had lyrics that were more directly political than the average EWF message song. Clearly the band had something to say on this one. Just as they did on the horn-driven funk of “Pride”. At first glance, you might think of the song as a Black Power adjacent, but it’s all about self-esteem regardless of race.
Some say the pride's for the strong
What's the use holding on
We say the pride's everyone
Who wants to come touch the sun
“And Love Goes On” (#15 R&B, #59 pop) ain’t nothing we haven’t heard before from EWF (peppy pop-funk), but it’s very well-done. Same goes for “Sparkle”.
The four songs I’ve mentioned thus far all clock in at about four minutes. They range from 3:51 to 4:11. Thankfully, the one song that broke free from the four-minute shackle is good. That’ll be “Faces”. The title track is mostly Brazilian inspired instrumental funk. That means flute, crisp piano and saxophone solos plus plenty of room for percussion, rhythm guitar, and horns to swing unencumbered. I don’t want to oversell the song as great (it’s just pretty good) but I do wish more of the album had this kind of free-form musicality.
ALBUM GRADE: C+
Faces extracts a C+ out of me, despite my frustrations. Sure there is only one song of these 15 that’s actually bad, but this double album is pretty stale and comes with a huge paradox.
THE PARADOX: If you’re going to do a double album, why have every song (except “Faces”) be of standard pop song length? You have four sides of vinyl to say (or play) something new and different that two sides normally wouldn’t allow. Instead, this double album found EWF at their most placid and safe in years.
That’s fine, I guess.
But if you’re satisfied just making pop/funk songs of standard length with generally the same message you’ve been putting out for years, admit the lack of ambition. Cut Faces in half. That way you keep the best songs and have a good pop album with measured aspirations instead of a gratuitous formulaic double album.
Song Scores
Let Me Talk: 7.5/10
Turn It Into Something Good: 5/10
Pride: 7.5/10
You: 5/10
Sparkle: 7/10
Back on the Road: 5/10
Song In My Heart: 5/10
You Went Away: 4/10
And Love Goes On: 7/10
Sailaway: 5/10
Take It to the Sky: 6/10
Win Or Lose: 6/10
Share Your Love: 5/10
In Time: 6/10
Faces: 7/10