Review: Earth, Wind & Fire—The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. II

Earth, Wind & Fire was the unique combination of Maurice White’s trippy spiritualism, Phillip Baily’s higher than high falsetto singing and some way funky horn-drenched instrumental playing. Oh yes, they also had a ton of hits, as this second ‘best of’ volume clearly illustrates. EWF could funk it up with the best of ‘em, and this side of its repertoire is represented well by the party anthem "Let’s Groove," the disco-ready "Boogie Wonderland" (which also features the vocal trio, The Emotions), and the triumphant "Serpentine Fire" and "Mighty Mighty." What set this group apart from so many other funking party animals like Funkadelic, Ohio Players, Parliament, as well as a plethora of others, was its ability to shift gears down to a tender ballad now and again. "After The Love Is Gone" is one of those universal heartbreak sentiments, and a showcase for what Phillip Baily does best—sing sky-high and pure. Rather than be a tears-in-the-beer rant, though, it’s thoughtful and reflective. The song "Fantasy" falls somewhere in the middle. It rocks along a little too much for a ballad, but it never truly gets down with its bad self to bring on the funk. As with any great major league pitcher, such a song reveals one of the many different approaches this versatile outfit had for putting the proverbial ball over the plate. The number of legitimate hits on this its second greatest hits album drives home just how successful this group was. In case anybody might have somehow forgotten it, these gentlemen were ten highly talented musicians.—Dan MacIntosh