In the Name of Love

Earth Wind & Fire

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 29, 1997)
• Original Release Date: July 29, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B00000343T
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #177,560 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Of the dozen musicians who made up Earth, Wind & Fire and its horn section during the funk band's glory days in the '70s, only four appear on their 1997 album, In the Name of Love. On hand, however, are the three crucial figures--lead singers Philip Bailey and Maurice White, and bassist Verdine White. Bailey and/or the White brothers cowrote eight of the songs, and Maurice produced the whole project. Moreover, the band has largely forsaken its ill-fated late-'80s attempts to update its sound with new-jack moves and has returned to its classic horn-driven funk grooves of the '70s. The result is the best EW&F release in 16 years.

With one harmless exception, the band avoids the sort of political sloganeering and vague spiritualism that made its lyrics so embarrassing in the past, and sticks to the proven themes of dancing and romancing. But what really makes the album so appealing are the juicy chorus melodies that the lead singers and their collaborators have come up with. These refrains are so catchy that you want to sing along, and they're so firmly anchored to the syncopated grooves that you'll want to dance along as well. Most of those beats are built atop programmed drum tracks, but live drummers add secondary patterns that give the arrangements the cross-rhythms this group was once famous for. On uptempo numbers such as "Keep It Real" and the title track, Maurice White's lead vocals engage the horns in a heady call-and-response dialogue. On the slower romantic ballads, such as "When Love Goes Wrong" and "Cruising," Bailey's impossibly high tenor sounds as if it's in a permanent swoon. If there were still a market for this sort of old-school funk, these songs would all become hits. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, January 5, 2002

By	Diana C Pierce (Portales, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This album should have been heavily promoted. It is one of the greatest EWF albums ever produced. I have been a fan of EWF since there was an EWF; I had all their music except this album. I was completely blown away by the power of these "new" songs. The music is exceptional and the lyrics have so much to say. No one does romantic songs better than EWF and, boy, do they meet that promise on this album. When the lights are low, listen to "When Love Goes Wrong," "Fill You Up," and "Keep It Real." I really wish music afficionados would recognize the heavy influence of contemporary jazz in their music. I believe this is one reason the group has been overlooked in recent years, with the exception of a few contemporary jazz radio stations who have their act together.

If you have ever experienced Earth Wind and Fire, please buy this album. You won't be disappointed, this is a true gem.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Dose of EWF, March 12, 1999

By A Customer

This CD definitely merits a careful listening. A lot of the songs are of the slower variety. But I was particularly impressed by the upbeat track "Revolution", in which tribute is briefly paid to such wronged individuals as Mumia Abu-Jamal and Geronimo Pratt. The CD as a whole is very well done, but I wouldn't call it vintage EWF. Their earlier 1993 release "Millennium" is a better place to find a more funky, less R&B, sound.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why was this CD "ever" Promoted?!!, October 7, 2005

By	Eric T. Peterson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I brought this cd because I just happened to see it online and I thought I give it a play, being a HUGE Earth, Wind, & Fire fan! The CD is "Fantastic"! Even though it came out in '97 but still. The songs are gems. My favorites are: In the Name Of Love; Revolution; When Love Goes Wrong (Phillip never ceases to amazes me); Round and Round (Sheldon Renolds is a good vocalist in his own right) Keep it Real; Crusing; and Love is Life (Maurice sounds good on that track) Avatar should have been longer than 2:09 minutes. The Record Industry "SUCKS!!" They rely on "gemics" rather than true "Art!" That Cd is true art. Songs are beautifully written, strong positive messages, great arrangements with the famous EW&F Horns, and Great Production all the way around! This CD should have goten some airplay! If we have more music like this on the radio, I wouldn't be disgruntled as I am now. Good Music is being replaced by Gemic Garbage. I hope one day that will changed!