Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes Vinyl LP

Why you'll love it

This Columbia / Legacy reissue presents the original ten-track album. Open Our Eyes went to No. 1 on Billboard's soul albums chart, reached No. 15 on the pop chart and went platinum.

This edition

Stereo

About the album

Before the hits got really big, Earth, Wind & Fire went up a mountain. Maurice White and co-producer Joe Wissert took the band to Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado, and came back with the record that set up everything that followed.

"Mighty Mighty" is the punchy opener and became a top 5 soul hit, "Kalimba Story" puts White's African thumb piano right up front, and "Devotion" is a soaring, spiritual ballad carried by the band's soaring harmonies. Larry Dunn's Moog, Al McKay's guitar and Ralph Johnson's drums add colour, and side two heads further out, with "Drum Song," "Spasmodic Movements" and "Caribou" leaning into jazz and Latin rhythms before the title track closes things gently.

Robert Christgau called side one "a very pleasant surprise" and side two "a tour de force," and Vince Aletti put it on his Pazz & Jop ballot. Recorded at a ranch at high altitude, it may be the closest any of us will get to the top of the Rockies without proper boots.

Also at Kops: more Earth, Wind & Fire on vinyl · browse 70s Soul On Up