Customer Reviews

Illumination

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As I was growing up, I wasn't introduced to Earth, Wind & Fire like most people were. My uncle was a DJ so he always had alot of old school LPs. One day he played "Let's Groove" and "Boogie Wonderland" for me and I was hooked. However, I was still listening to Boogie Down Productions, EPMD and others so I wasn't really listening to too much old school r&b at the time. One day I was over my friends house playing video games and he played this slow jam mix that he had recorded on a cassette. I heard "After The Love Is Gone" and that was one of the first reasons why I started listening to old school r&b and shortly my Smooth Grooves and old school r&b collection was started. The majority of my Earth, Wind & Fire collection includes greatest hits CDs but I had to purchase "Open Our Eyes" becasuse it had my jam "Feelin' Blue" on there and unless you buy the "Eternal Dance" greatest hits CD then that track is hard to find otherwise. My favorite Earth, Wind & Fire songs of all time include "After The Love Is Gone", "Can't Hide Love", "That's The Way Of The World", "Fantasy", "Reasons",
"Feelin' Blue", "Love's Holiday", "All About Love", "September" and "Devotion".

Around March of 2005, my old roomate downloaded some music for me and one of the tracks was a song with Earth, Wind & Fire and Raphael Saadiq. Instantly, the song became a favorite song of mine and went searching on amazon to see when Earth, Wind & Fire would release another CD. I soon learned that "Illumination" would be coming soon. Although, the release date was changed often, the CD finally came out a couple of weeks ago. Now, I understand if diehard Earth, Wind & Fire fans may not enjoy the entire CD. Earth, Wind & Fore definitely made an effore with the guest appearances by Will I Am, Big Boi, Kelly Rowland, Floetry and Brian McKnight to make a CD that younger listeners would be able to relate to. However, when I listen to my "Illumination" CD, I hear a sound that compares to the Earth, Wind & Fire sound that I have come to enjoy over the years.

The CD starts off right with Will I Am from the Black Eye Peas producing and featuring on "Lovely People". Now I will admit that I am not a big Black Eye Peas fan but Will I Am produces a nice funky jam to please Earth, Wind & Fire fans. It's just nice to hear Maurice White get back to the swing of things after everything that he has been through. "Pure Gold" is vintage Earth, Wind & Fire as the combination of Maurice White and Phillip Bailey on the vocals still sounds as strong as when they originally started. This song has a very positive vibe and Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and the other prodcers should be commended for a job well done. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis also produce "Love's Dance" which still stays true to their original sound. The difference in my opinion is that everything matches up to a current sound. You hear the references of old Earth, Wind & Fire with the producers and the sound of r&b currently. This is clearly evident on "This Is How I Feel". You have Earth, Wind & Fire matched up with Big Boi from Outkast, Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child and Sleepy Brown. Now when I first heard this song on the Hitch soundtrack, I wasn't clearly convinced until I gave the song a couple of listens. A song will not "hit" you everytime the first time you listen to it. After a couple of listens, I found myself liking the song. Big Boi starts off the track with a nice verse, Earth, Wind & Fire keep the party going on the verses and Kelly Rowland and Sleepy Brown assist on the chorus and on the bridge.

Raphael Saadiq, known from Tony Toni Tone, Lucy Pearl and his two solo CDs, the stellar "Instant Vintage" and "Ray Ray", which also was pretty good, clearly composes one of the best songs that I have ever heard in "Show Me The Way". The song takes you back to the age when Earth, Wind & Fire was performing songs like "After The Love Is Gone", "Can't Hide Love" and "Reasons" and puts you to how in the year 2005, Earth, Wind & Fire can still hang with the groups of today. This song is clearly the best song on the CD. Maurice White and Raphael Saadiq trade vocals on the verses and as always Phillip Bailey does his thing with the adlibs. "Show Me The Way" and "Pure Gold" alone gives this CD atleast a 3 star rating. On "Work It Out", Raphael Saadiq speeds things up some as Earth, Wind & Fire make one of their feel good songs just like they did with "Shining Star" in the past. "Pass You By" is a nice midtempo song that Raphael Saadiq produced as well. Phillip Bailey clearly shows that he can carry a song by himself just as he did on "songs like "Reasons" and "I'll Write A Song For You" in the past. Floetry shows up on "Elevated".
The combination of the two groups works well together even with the rap verses of the song. It will be hard for core Earth, Wind & Fire fans to relate to the hip hop verses and the fact that it seems that Earth, Wind & Fire are trying to match their sound with the sounds of hip hop and r&b artists of today but as long as the quality of the songs are there, that's all that matters in my opinion. Organized Noize, who worked with Outkast during their earlier days and even sometimes now produced "This Is How I Feel" and they also do a good job on "The One". Maurice White is still able to belt the vocals over the uptempo jam. This is another classic motivational song from Earth, Wind & Fire. "To You" features Brian Mcknight on vocals and he also co-produced the song. "To You" matches classic Earth, Wind & Fire sounds to compose a pretty good slow jam. The only problem that people will have with this song is that too many of the sounds remind you of "After The Love Is Gone" and other slow jams that they have had instead of having better originality on the track. "Liberation" is a nice,uptempo instrumental jam and "The Way You Move" has Kenny G belting the Big Boi jam and Earth, Wind & fire singing just the chorus and the bridge of the song.

Overall, I think Earth, Wind & Fire did a good job on "Illumination". It is hard for well respected groups of the past to try and make a CD in 2005 and still have everything sound good. Although Beyonce's dad Matthew Knowles could use some help in the marketing department, Earth, Wind & Fire's "Illumination, The O' Jays "Imagination" and Jon B's "Stronger Everyday" were all CDs that I enjoyed and they were all on the Sanctuary Urban label. If you are a fan of Earth, Wind & Fire you should be able to enjoy this CD if you can deal with them using influnces and artists from the hip hop and r&b scene of today.

James' Top 5

1) Show Me The Way w/Raphael Saadiq
2) Pure Gold
3) Pass You By
4) Elevated w/Floetry
5) This Is How I Feel w/Big Boi, Kelly Rowland & Sleepy Brown

EWF's new 'Illumination' is a nice CD for avid fans & new ones alike. The group updated their sound with contemporary elements, and while I also enjoyed the previous CD ('The Promise', which featured The Emotions & Angie Stone in 2003), 'Illumination' features guests who also seem to complement Maurice White's vision for the legendary band. This approach works well for the most part in that EWF doesn't sacrifice musicianship for an attempt at sales (like the 1990 EWF dud titled 'Heritage'!!).

'Illumination' has several quality tracks which 'got me' at first play including 'Love's Dance', 'Pure Gold', 'Show Me The Way' (ft.Raphael Saadiq), 'This Is How I Feel', 'To You'(ft.Brian McKnight), and the awesome 'Liberation', which is a tight instrumental showcase for Verdine White's skills on Bass. 'The Way You Move' is merely so-so, but I can't really accept this 2 year old song as a true bonus track (and then there's the issue of Kenny G..yuck!). Jimmy Jam / Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Brian McKnight, and the great Maurice White did an outstanding job with production. It's always special having Maurice White conribute as active member, and he sounds great considering his condition.

In closing, there are probably other editions of 'Illumination', but getting the original 13 track edition is fine for starters. HOWEVER, if you're a serious EWF fan, consider adding 5 BONUS TRACKS to create an EXPANDED EDITION of 'Illumination'.

Here's the tracklisting for my own special CD...

1. Love Together (ft.Roots Manuva & Raphael Saadiq)*
2. Lovely People (ft.Will.i.am)
3. Pure Gold
4. A Talking Voice - Interlude
5. Love's Dance
6. Show Me The Way (ft.Raphael Saadiq)
7. Autumn (ft.Musiq Soulchild)*
8. Let Me Love You (ft.Floetry)*
9. This Is How I Feel (ft.Big Boi,
Kelly Rowland, and Sleepy Brown)
10. Work It Out
11. Pass You By
12. The One
13. Elevated (ft.Floetry)
14. Liberation - Instrumental
15. To You (ft.Brian McKnight)
16. The Way You Move (Kenny G ft.EWF)
17. Love Together (Aletrnate Mix 2005)*
18. Gather Round*

This is MUCH BETTER than ANY Japanese Import Edition (sorry, I refuse to pay for those overpriced CDs...W.T.F.!!).
My actual rating for the USA edition of 'Illumination' is 4.5 (round it off to 5!!) stars...failure to include the bonus tracks cost it a star.
Peace, SD
(of Chakas World)

This is one of the best albums for the year period hands down. They have so many wonderful songs on the CD that reminds me how they made music back in the day. I knew this was gonna be a great CD when I heard "Pure Gold" I could tell EW&F was back and real strong with the music. You will be delighted wholeheartily with this purchase. I listen to it just about every single day. They're music has always been uplifting to the Spirit. All I can say is right out EW&F and keep bringing us the good music!

I have to admit; when I looked at the track listing for Earth, Wind & Fire's latest album Illumination and found that the guest roster includes the likes of Kelly Rowland and will.i.am, I was a little skeptical. I was even more worried when I noticed that the lyrics to the first song, "Lovely People", begin with: "Party people/Let's get together/Have a party". But this album turned out to be great and then some.

Before I go any further, though, I'd like to say something about the negative reviews for this album. I understand that everyone has a right to his/her own opinion, but I noticed that the one and two-star reviews don't really go into detail; they don't say WHY the album is bad. At the same time, though, I don't know if it would be fair to compare the songs on this album to smashes like "After the Love Is Gone" and "Devotion". (But if you want to hear some songs with that `70s feel, try "Work It Out" and "Pass You By" on for size.)

In contrast to how this formula usually works, the songs featuring the artists of the moment are actually the better songs, like Floetry on "Elevated" and will.i.am on the aforementioned "Party People". And while some people may think the cover of OutKast's "The Way You Move" (albeit with different lyrics) is unnecessary, I think it's good. Although Big Boi and Sleepy Brown aren't included on this version, they do appear on another highlight, "This Is How I Feel" (Philip Bailey and Sleepy Brown singing together? That even looks good on paper!).

The only song I really have a problem with is the Raphael Saadiq-assisted "Show Me the Way". Don't get me wrong; it's not that it isn't a great song, but it just drags on too much. I know that Raphael has a habit of making long songs sometimes, but after eight minutes, I kind of got the point. Still, Philip, Maurice and the rest of the crew did a wonderful job with this album because it illuminates just fine.

Anthony Rupert

If you've been listening to EWF for your entire life the way I have, you'll enjoy this CD because it sounds like the EWF that most of us fell in love with during the seventies, when they first made it big. Although they employ current vocalists on this disk, probably in order to sound up-to-date and current (like Brian McKnight, Floetry, and Big Boi of Outkast), it still has the traditional, old-school Earth, Wind, and Fire vibe that we all know and love. Standouts are "Show me the Way," a classic ballad in the style of EWF--and Tony Toni Tone, "Pure Gold," which sounds like 100% classic EWF, "Liberation," an overwhelmingly instrumental (and very cheerful) track with a little Afro-Latin flavor, and "Pass You By," a lovely, soft ballad. Earth, Wind, and Fire has put out a LOT of music over the past thirty years, and along the way they have gained MANY fans. Those who were listening from the very beginning--even those like me, who first heard the music being played by our parents, for I'm only 29--will be pleased to know that this is the sound they fell in love with back in the day--only it's updated. This gets five stars; it's hot.

Back in the day, I was that kid outside the local record store before it opened, the one waiting to get his hands on the latest EWF release. I would grow up on the group's unique "world music," its complicated syncopation, sassy horn lines, and sweet harmonies.

But then 1983's Electric Universe was released, marking an awful slide from which I feared the world's greatest r&b band would never recover. Heritage, which was released in 1990, made matters worse as EWF compromised their unique sound further in an effort to connect with the growing hip hop craze and become relevant to a new generation.

Millenium (1993) was okay, In The Name of Love (1997) was alright, and The Promise (2003) was a pleasant reminder. I was just happy to hear something, anything from my beloved EWF that reminded me of the glory days. But I have to tell you, this new recording, Illumination, is the real deal! As I type, I'm listening to the end of Show Me the Way. Brilliant! Simply Brilliant! This passage is on par with anything the group has composed in the past. I'm no musician or music scholar, but my soul tells me that they are doing something special here.

I must admit that I was a little hesitant about getting my hopes up for this new recording. Sure, I was going to buy it because I have every recording the group has dropped since 1971. But I didn't have high hopes for it. What a wonderful surprise. I strongly disagree with a few of the negative reviews I've read here that accuse the group of selling out yet again. Where these reviewers perceive compromise, I hear a beautiful fusion of old and new that has EWF's unmistakeable signature. This is most definitely not Heritage! From the the very danceable Lovely People, to the funky This is How I Feel, to the upbeat Work It Out, the group has managed to refashion some of the sounds more accessible to today's youth in ways that make them EWF's own. Then there is the instrumental Liberation. Think Brazilian Rhyme -- it has the feel of this classic without being derivative. And my favorite piece on the recording may just be The One. It has a mystical quality that is simply hypnotizing. Then there is the beautiful cut, Pass You By. This is a classic Phillip Bailey vehicle with signature EWF harmonies, piano chords, and thumping bass line. (BTW, once I got over the fact that Kenny G plays sax on The Way You Move, I actually started to feel the track. That said, the track is among the CD's weaker ones, which speaks volumes about the strength of the other tracks.)

I could go on an on. My reaction to this album takes me back to 1977 and my first playing of All N All. I remember being a bit disappointed at first. It didn't seem to move me the way the previous release, Spirit, did. But the more I played All N All the more I began to appreciate the innovation and genius behind the recording. Over the years, All N All has become, bar none, my favorite EWF recording. Only time will tell whether I will feel the same way about this recording, whether I will treasure it 30 years from now the way I currently treasure All N All. But one thing is for sure, Illumination is good enough that I can seriously ponder the question. EWF affectionados, don't walk, run to your nearest record store!

I love this album. I'm only 19, but EWF is one of my Moms favorite groups so thankfully she passed down their wonderful music onto me.

As for this album I'm feeling the way they combined the EWF sound with contemporary producers. Now, I know some die hards may see this as selling out, and in a sense it may be, but I just have to say I am thankful this album is here now. It is just like a burst of fresh air because so much of the music out now is so vulgar and just too nasty to listen to [yeah I know I probably don't sound 19 haha].

As for favorite songs, that's hard because I like so many of them. But, the one I had on repeat first was "Show Me the Way". Althought I love the song, I do agree with what some of the others said. Raphael could have [and in my opinion should have] stepped back and let Maurice do the singing because if you didn't know it was a EWF track you may think it was Raphael's. I also really love Liberation. AND... one other thing, if you buy the CD from target you get 2 extra tracks [total of 15 tracks] one with Floetry [really chill] and another with Raphael.

All in all, I love the CD. But, by no means would I recommend it to someone who is trying to get the authentic Earth Wind & Fire sound. But I would definitely recommend it to fans that are open to a new sound and side of the group or anyone who would like an album to chill to, ride around in the car, or even lay back with that special somebody.

Happy Listening
Stay Blessed

I have listened to "Illumination" for weeks before wrting this review. Why? The reality is it took me a while to really listen to the whole album. I don't expect Philip and Maurice to take us back to the 70's, but to incorporate hip-hop into the "elements" for this 44 year old was a very hard sell. I really dug "The Promise", and I thought E,W&F would take us to a new level - instead this move was lateral.

There are wonderful highlights on "Illumination" these cuts are:
1) "Liberation" - the only true E,W&F cut on the CD.
2) "To You" - This cut took a while to sink in... but boy has it sunk in!!!
3) "Show Me The Way" - This is most reviewers' favorite cut.
4) "Love's Dance" - I could've heard this on "Millennium".
5) "The Way You Move" - Smooth Jazz radio should be playing this cut to death!
6) "Pass You By" - Don't let this song pass you by!
7) "Elevated" - Floetry is OK, but the "hook" is what really sold me on the song!
8) "The One" - I'm playing this cut more and more.
9) "Work It Out" - Very catchy!
10) "Pure Gold" - Very soulful and deep!

I have mixed feelings about:
"Lovely People" and "This Is How I Feel". I feel these two cuts really give us fans who've been with E,W&F since "Head To The Sky" pause to question the direction of this great band.

E,W&F dosen't need all this collaberation from today's artists... they need to stay true to who they are! The recent summer tours with Chicago was absolute perfection. More than ever it shows that E,W&F's future lies in the past. Today's pop music is so full of crap... we need E,W&F's rhythm, melody, harmony and spirituality more than ever!!

I bought this CD today, and as always EWF has proven that they still 'got it". They have a sound that is like no other artist anywhere, and mixing the new with the old on the project was "pure genius". True EWF fans that truly appreciate their talent, and anyone else that recognizes real musical genius can't help but love this CD. As for EWF Fan "Ed", that gave this CD a very bad review; I say to you that you need to know what you're talking about before you make reviews. EWF still has FOUR ORIGINAL MEMBERS. Maurice White is still very much a part of this group, and records with them in the studio, he just doesn't tour with them any longer because of medical reasons. So there is not 1 member using the EWF name. If you were a REAL FAN, you would know that. I too saw them in concert in Greensboro recently, and although their shows may not be of the same magnitude as "back in the day", the exhilerating sound and the energy the group puts in their performances is still AWESOME. All of us true EWF fans, and also everyone that recognizes real talent knows. So sad for fan impersonators who "missed the boat" on this one.

While I am enjoying the new CD, I only wish it was more Earth, Wind & Fire and not other people doing their version of them. There has never been another group like Earth, Wind & Fire and all of their 70s and 80s material prove this. No one can arrange the horn section like Maurice did back in the day. My favorite tracks... "Pure Gold," and "Love's Dance" but for a better EW&F CD check out "The Promise" from 2003.