Customer Reviews

Live in Rio

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first heard about this CD, I thought it would be somewhat like the "Live In Concert" video (1982) and subsequent live CDs (Live in 75 excluded), where the some of the vocals and some of the instruments were augmented by tracks. Boy was I in for it!!! This CD is GREAT. No tricks, no overdubs, just a great recording of a RAW EW&F performance, in Rio no less!!! The musicianship on this CD is superb (check out Larry Dunn's chops while the band grooves on "Getaway"), the 3 women on backing vocals add so much to the mix, and the sound quality is really good. Unfortunately, Philip Bailey is relegated to backup singer for 95% of the CD. That is no knock against Maurice White's mighty voice, but Philip's voice is angelic!! It was great to hear the live versions of songs like "Can't Let Go" and "Boogie Wonderland" not too long after they were released on the "I Am" album. Hits, instrumentals, jams, "Live in Rio has it all. Get this CD!! You won't regret it.

Earth Wind and Fire aka "the baddest band in the land" were a phenomenal force of nature. One can never get enough Earth Wind and Fire live. Especially during their prime years.

After a short dialog by Verdine and Maurice, Live in Rio hits hard with explosive horns, funky percussion, Verdine's head-bobbing bass & the incredible vocals the world has come to love. The audience participation is infectious and fuels the energy on the stage. Maurice works the crowd into a call and response frenzy on songs like "Can't Let Go" and "Get Away". He brings everyone to their feet on "Serpentine Fire". There are even female backing vox on this set.

The Phenix horns are blazing and fierce, punching with perfect syncopation and pitch. Case in point? The extraordinary opening to "In the Stone", "Magic Mind"'s last minute and the incomparable cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get you Into my Life". Johnny Graham is working the guitar like a 9 to 5, while Larry Dunn puts it down on keyboards as only he can. Phillip's smooth falsetto soars on "Fantasy" and "After the Love is Gone" is simply one of the best live versions ever put on an EWF album. This version even features a spoken intro in Portuguese. "Rio After Dark" features a spicy trombone solo by Louis Satterfield and drum solo by Maurice's brother Fred White. The disco anthem, "Boogie Wonderland" and universally loved "September" close out the set, which should have been LONGER!!!!

Today's musicians (ie: Prince) have definitely incorporated the sounds of EWF in their music. It's too bad there aren't more musically adventurous LIVE bands out these days. So. What are you waiting for? Get this joint now!!!! Peace. CLB.

Probably the best successor to Gratitude (which will stand as the best EWF live set ever recorded). Why would I make such a statement?

(1) Contains the original band lineup.
(2) Contains hits from the great albums released after Gratitude and prior to the groups downfall in the mid-late 80's (Greatest Hits 1, All N' All, I Am).

In my opinion, the perfect collection of EWF live would be Gratitude, the HBO concert from '81 on DVD, and this disc. What are you waiting for? Stop reading this dribble and go get your copy :)

While we patiently wait for a new EWF studio CD, 'Live In Rio' should make the time pass faster. Taken from EWF's 1980 world tour, this CD MAINLY focuses on material from the classic 'All n All' & 'I Am' CDs, and that's a bonus because many of the songs on 'Live In Rio' have NEVER been available as 'live versions' before. The sound quality of 'Live In Rio' also benefits from today's remastering process, so your system will get a workout! The only song which was previously available is 'Brazillian Rhyme', which was a bonus track on the remastered version of 'All n All' (1999, Legacy/Sony). The downside of 'Live In Rio' is that it's too short (BARELY 56 MINUTES LONG!!!), and many classics were left off of the CD ('Reasons', 'That's The Way Of The World', and 'Sun Goddess' to name a few!!). This EWF concert CD seems somewhat incomplete without these 'signature songs'!! My verdict:'Live In Rio' is an essential addition to every EWF completist's collection. New EWF fans shuld start off with BOTH the 'Gratitude' (remastered edition!) & 'Alive In 75' CDs. 'Live In Rio' is COOL, but it's not up there with 'Gratitude' & 'Alive In 75'. [I just added the BONUS TRACK 'Ain't No Remedy' to my CD, and it was worth waiting for! This track was recorded during sessions for 'The Promise' in 2003!!!!]
Peace, SD of Chakasworld

I just got my copy today and the music is FLAWLESS...The difference in maturity between this concert and the concerts from 1975 shows the level of growth that the band displayed...The music is soooo tight and the arangements are great..I suggest you check it out...

Earth Wind & Fire Live, and in their prime! This is all an EWF
fanatic like me has to hear! This live concert is PHENOMENAL!
Maurice, Philip, the Pheonix horns, all at the peak, of
perfection! The only thing that could top this, is having this
concert on dvd! Soon I hope! Make yourself very happy, buy this
fantastic EWF live concert, ASAP!

Great live album!! WOW! This was in 1980 when all the original members were still in the band, Larry Dunn and the great Don Myrick (R.I.P.). When you listen to this album it REALLY makes all the current R&B sound awful. This was time when the music and musicianship mattered the most. Great arrangements of Magic Mind and Runnin'.

The "Live in Rio" recording comes from a tour date in Brazil during EWF's 1979-1980 "Tour of the World" outing. I remember catching this tour back in 1979. The musical pace is very fast (compared to "Gratitude" and "Alive in 75") and very BASS heavy. Expect your subs to get a very decent workout on "Rock That". The CD offers the best live recording of "In the Stone", while "Serpentine Fire" is TIGHT (odd hearing the female chorus). "Fantasy" has Phillip Bailey hitting his highs, of course, and the guitars and keyboards have a nice flavor. "Can't Let Go" has more amazing horns, but then trifles into disco. "Getaway" offers more of the same. "Brazilian Rhyme Theme", leads into the -horn-o-amazing- "Magic Mind". Toward the end of the song, Maurice tries to disrupt the horns by leading the band to play in a confusing manner. "Runnin" is executed very nicely. The rest of the CD is anti-climactic except for "Rio After Dark"(minus the drum solo) and "Got to get you into My Life". The audio quality of "Live in Rio" exceeded my expectations. In fact, a few well-known music reviewers mistakenly believed that the CD was recorded within the last year!

Earth Wind and Fire are still around. Maurice still sings with the group, Philip is the lead on tour, Verdine is still crazy, and Ralph still brings it together.
This album, released in 2002, reminds longtime fans of how well EWF performed live. This group really knew hot to perform at a level that far exceeded what you heard on vinyl. The best portions of the CD are those when the band is absolutely jamming like in "Getaway" and "Rock That". One of the biggest surprises was the reworking of "Serpentine Fire". At first I didn't dig it, but after the 2nd and 3rd listen, it became my second favorite behind "Getaway." I must say, it was great to hear "September" live, and hear the crowd really respond to it. It's a great song. This is must-buy for a collector, and for a starter, I dont' think you can appreciate it unless you have delved into the catalogue of music (avoid the compliations and get the original albums/cds so you can see how it was all put together. It's something special.). This is clearly the second greatest live album by EWF behind Gratitude.

The first time I heard this CD, I was immediately hooked! To truly appreciate this show, you've gotta listen to it on a good Digital Audio System. You can feel the joy in this performance. It's so powerful, it moves me emotionally!!! Earth, Wind & Fire's music and The Phenix Horns have always touched my heart. I want to meet Maurice White one day, give him a big hug and thank him personally for sharing his gift of EWF with me and the entire world!!!! My eyes are tearing up already!!!