Light of Worlds [Original recording remastered]

Kool & The Gang | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 1996)
• Original Release Date: 1974
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B000001EKE
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,138 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Light of Worlds..., October 13, 2006

By 

D. S. HARDEN "a movie fan" (L.A.,CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Light of Worlds (Audio CD)

It was the fall of 1974, I was a junior in high school, and I owned no music at that time. My mother frowned upon me listening to that type of "sound" at the time.

Well, I gotta tell ya, I heard "Light of Worlds/Rhyme Time People" on AM radio and my mind was blown away by the sound I heard.

I didn't buy it.

Next, I heard "Light of Worlds/Summer Madness" on AM radio and flipped out, but still,

I didn't buy it.

Finally, I heard "Light of Worlds/Higher Plane" on AM radio.

Right then and there, I decided that my mom was just going to have to "kick my behind." I marched down to VIP Records on Crenshaw Blvd. (between Adams Blvd. and 28th Street - for the curious), paid my $3.88 and proudly took the wax home.

I walked through the door, and guess who was waiting for me? Yep, my mother. I stood there and waited for the fireworks to start, but to my surprise and relief - she said absolutely nothing. But, she gave me that "look" that all moms (and dads) can give kids when they are sorely displeased.

I sat the LP in front of the Family Stereo. It was the first album that I ever owned, and I was in heaven everytime I played it. 32 years later, whenever I hear any of the music from the album (or "Summertime" by Will Smith, who sampled and up-tempoed it for his rhymes), I think of that day when I brought "Light of Worlds" home. Kool & the Gang, thank you for the memories (and the music). I'd give you 10 stars if I could, but I'll settle for the five that Amazon offers!!

Five stars!!

P.S., The second album I ever owned was "That's the Way of the World" by Earth, Wind and Fire!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Light of Worlds", February 13, 2003

By 

K. R Sadler (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Light of Worlds (Audio CD)

I purchased this album in November 1974. It is one of the best R & B albums ever! During this era of their careers they were playing serious R&B with a Jazz overtone. The title track is unbelievable. "Summer Madness" is a standard. In fact it was recently used in the movie "Baby Boy". However, this track did not make it to the soundtrack. We used to do the "Bump" to "Higher Plane". I was a sophomore in high school when this came out. "Light of Worlds" brings back many fond memories.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kool & The Gang On A Higher Plane!, September 8, 2004

By 

Andre' S Grindle "Funk Meister" (Bangor,ME.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Light of Worlds (Audio CD)

Musically this has to be one of Kool & The Gang's strongest
overall peformances as a band!On "Street Corner Symphony","Rhyme
Tyme People" and "Higher Plane" the band stretch out into some
kind of unreachably funky place-blasting horns and all!On
"Fruitman" and "Whiting H & G" they look to a more vintage soul
direction saddled with meaningful lyrics (the former nodding to vegetarianism) while "Summer Madness" is simply unbelievable,as
is the brilliant title song-building to a climax of funky spirituality.This is a deep record-not only in terms of the music
but the lyrical content and maintains a strong connection to the
person on the street-speaking to K&TG's ever evolving ability to
communicate with it's audiance.
If this album has one minor flaw it's that of every
single pre JT Taylor Kool set released-the band members are very
weak as vocal soloists and only seem to work well in ensamble
situations,which is what they often do.But that little gaffe aside 'Light Of Worlds' is an essencial part of what writer
Ricky Vincent refers to as the 'united funk era',when bands could
both produce popular songs that had alot of meaning.And I don't
think the genre of funk,fusion or soul in general has had as much
bubbling under the surface since these times.Hard to believe it's
true-this is a gold nugget of an era showerd with them!