LP Review: Spirit
Released: 1976
LP Charts: #2 R&B (8 weeks), #2 pop (2 weeks)
As fantastic as Earth, Wind & Fire had been in 1974 and 1975 with Open Our Eyes (B+), That’s the Way of the World (B+), and Gratitude (A-), I think Spirit is where they get to their musical mountaintop.
And don’t be fooled by the fact Spirit “only” reached #2 on the R&B and pop charts. It was released in September 1976, the same month as Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, which stayed at #1 R&B for 20 weeks and #1 pop for 14 weeks. Ain’t no shame in being second-fiddle to that album in sales.
Our elemental band wasted no time getting your ass to move with the spectacularly funky “Getaway” (#1 R&B, #12 pop). The adrenaline rush created by the song’s opening burst just never lets up thanks to yet another fat bass line from Verdine White, Philip Bailey singing his ass off on the chorus, and the horns and percussion blaring and ticking and tocking. Just a frenetic frenzy befitting a song called “Getaway”.
I appreciate, but often clown the attempts at inspirational music from EWF, but “On Your Face” (#26 R&B) is unabashedly great. The lyrics are clever and more real than some of the other mystical bullshit (I use this term with love) they recorded over the years:
Ain't it funny that the way you feel shows on your face?
And no matter how you try to hide, it states your case
Now a frown will bring your spirits down to the ground
And never let you see the good things all around
Every time we seem to let our feelings flow
Our luck run out and the wind won't blow
Oh and the delivery matters too. The singing is leisurely yet powerful. And it sits upon one of the absolute greatest mellow funk grooves ever recorded.
The ballads “Imagination” and “Spirit”, which conclude Side 1, show just how much progression we’ve gotten from Earth, Wind & Fire. Previous ballads, even the good ones like “Reasons”, weren’t as sharp as these two here. EWF was a lean mean machine by this point. “Spirit” in particular is a sweet song dedicated to the memory of producer Charles Stepney, who died of a heart attack during the recording of this album.
“Saturday Nite” (#4 R&B, #21 pop) kicks off Side 2 with more funk. And this time they make no bones about it being a party track, not a track you can simply party to (like “Getaway”). But since it was EWF, the lyrics are still a little more complex than say KC & the Sunshine Band urging you to “do a little dance, make a little love”.
It was Saturday night, the moon was bright
Shining down its harvest light
Music all around to hear
Set the stage and atmosphere
Many dress to suit their taste
Participate in the ego race
Tonight's the night for you to be
Biggest man in history
We get another tightly structured ballad in “Earth, Wind & Fire” followed by “Biyo” a weird out-of-place disco instrumental. It’s actually a good performance, just much different than all the other songs here since we get musical solos (kalimba, guitar, and saxophone) that are wholly absent from the rest of the LP.
Spirit concludes with the stunningly beautiful “Burnin’ Bush”. It’s everything that the corny “All About Love” from That’s the Way of the World wishes it was. “All About Love” was preachy and hokey and full of itself. “Burnin’ Bush”, while still a bit corny, is far more sincere to me because it is ponderous and unsure.
ALBUM GRADE: A
This album “only” went double platinum for Earth, Wind & Fire, but I don’t give a shit. Their best LP yet and their first where I don’t actually have a real criticism of any song here, just happy observations.
Song Scores
Getaway: 8.5/10
On Your Face: 9/10
Imagination: 7.5/10
Spirit: 7.5/10
Saturday Nite: 8/10
Earth, Wind & Fire: 8/10
Biyo: 7/10
Burnin’ Bush: 9/10