A very different Earth, Wind & Fire than what one might expect. This is their second album, recorded shortly before vocalist Philip Bailey joined the group and they began their lengthy reign as the kings of funk/R&B. This record is rough and fascinating, its feel very much influenced by some of the sounds coming from the Chicago underground at the time (
AACM and the Art Ensemble of Chicago both certainly come to mind). The bracing free jazz introduction to the first track, the 10-minute "Energy," might be off-putting to listeners expecting it to sound more in line with "Shining Star" or one of their other hits. It's great all the same, though. And while Earth, Wind & Fire made many excellent albums during their commercial peak, it's honestly a little unfortunate to think about the promise unfulfilled from an album like this. Their integration of funk/R&B with experimental elements was fairly seamless by this point, but how far could they have taken this free jazz/funk hybrid? That's not to say the entire album is an audacious experiment. The second track, "Beauty" isn't too far off from the direction they later took, but with significantly less polish. If EW&F's later albums are a little too slick for your taste, try this one on for size.
https://open.spotify.com/album/3EkU0XjJLHN6OBcxbFxgHB
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