Customer Reviews

Need of Love

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The critic that wrote that review above, needs to go back under the rock he crawled from. This album was the funkiest and grittiest sound to ever come from EWF. Before the funk was polished and pop radio ready. I prefer the sound they were giving here more than the sound they're giving on later albums. I'm talking pure black mystic here y'all. If you love stax and the old early 70's ( 72-73) of soul you'll love this album. Don't miss out. Forget what the critics say, they don't know jack.

I also do not know what the critic (for lack of a better term) was listening to. This was an exceptional album and now CD. If the critc listened, I mean really listened he would hear the seeds being planted for what we subsequently heard on Last Days and Time and Head to the Sky. Maurice White and the rest of the EWF crew where not waiting for Phil Bailey (although he was another good addition to the organization)to get serious. In case you didn't know Maurice Played with Ramsey Lewis and was already an established talent.

The history of the team that was put together on this and the previous albmum included some the best talents in R&B at the time. The music was prolific and cutting edge. The passages were robust the lyrics were soulful and thought provoking. In some instances maybe too deep for the ill informed. absolutely fab-bu-lous.

This is early,primal Earth,Wind & Fire-heavier on the fire
then the wind."Energy" is a free jazz-funk number more indicative
of the Art Ensamble Of Chicago then anything else while "Beauty"
and "I Think About Lovin' You" are both Sherry Scott-led soul
ballads of the first degree while "I Can Feel It In My Bones" and
"Everything Is Everything" are more classic EWF funk jams.Yes it
will be a shock for "Shinning Star"-era fans to hear this gravel
raw album but remember-this is another record label,another group
lineup and really another era in music.Delectable!

I really Liked this disc.very raw&unpolished.this is when Groups had a chance to devolop and try many different styles.this Album has Strong Music&Writing.very up-front.Maurice White & Crew Pull no Punches here.

Even though this qualifies as EWF's second release it wasn't particularly well known in it's day. Their label apparently didn't do a whole lot to promote it and therefore it went unnoticed even more so than their self titled debut Earth Wind & Fire. All the same it did have the effect of having somewhat more commercial success on another sense of the word. And even though in many ways it followed a similar musical pattern as the debut there were some significant differences. The music and vocals on the album were beginning to take on a less collective flavor,showcasing individual talents more in the context of the whole. Also their songwriting was starting to develop something more of a popcraft to it. It's still squarely in the R&B/funk/jazz context they had at the time. But their strong growth process continues.

"Energy" is likely the last of these kinds of songs EWF would do. Starting out with Sherry Scott in full June Tyson circa Space Is the Place era Sun Ra during her opening recitation,the music heads straight for a likeminded cosmic free jazz free-for-all after that,before taking on the more technically oriented jazz-funk style towards the middle. There are two ballads here in "Beauty" and "I Think About Lovin' You". The latter proved highly significant for them as it provided them with their first Top 40 hit and was very much in the harmony rich early 70's Motown ballad style. Still the album retains it's hardcore jazz-funk crunch on "I Can Feel It In My Bones" and the closer "Everything Is Everything". Usually associated with Donny Hathaway EWF's really bring a more psychdelic flavor to the song-along with the idea that their first cover song was actually based in the R&B rather than the pop/rock ideom.

In a year or so from this time Maurice White would completely re-form this group with the earliest addition of the lineup most people know of EWF,especially with the addition of Philip Bailey. Things would never be the same and on all fronts,it was a totally positive change. At the same time that takes nothing away from the accomplishments of this EWF lineup. Sherry Scott and Wade Flemons are superb and sometimes even otherworldly vocal counterparts whereas Chet Washington and Alex Thomas provide emotional horn accompaniment that had the feeling of being both ragged and sophisticated. Something about the funk coming out of the first couple years of the 1970's had a certain quality all it's own. It was being borne directly out of a fusion of other styles. And this represents a superb example of that-a period I'll call the "funk process". And it's one of those processess you won't mind being a parcipant in when listening and experiencing this music on it's own terms.

"The Need of Love" is aptly titled in a sense of the band actually getting serious compared to their debut album, which is still fun to listen to (Look at the album cover! Being far from "Faces" or "All 'N" All", they were in an abandoned house and throwing down the gauntlet). If one should pick up a copy of "The Need of love", e can also pick up the self-titled debut from the Elements and (or) a copy of Steve Reich's "Early Works" with the ever popular "Come Out" (I did). Earth, Wind & Fire were leaning towards avant-garde and free jazz with the first number "Energy" (one sample of such is even more intriguing). I thought that it'd be a good idea to have Steve Reich along with the Elements because of "Energy" and "Everything is Everything" (which I will discuss later). They were through and through jazz musicians tapping into the likes of Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, etc!
The following number after "Energy" is "Beauty" which was very relevant. "I Can Feel It in My Bones", with a little Native American tribal feel in a few parts, is sure to keep people listening, thanks in part to Wade Flemons (RIP). Sherry Scott delivered with "I Think About Lovin You", helping the Elements enter the music charts, period. It would not be before they, with "Keep Your Head to the Sky", have a hit single and a breakthrough with "That's the Way of the World".
"Everything is Everything", a Donny Hathaway remake, was a definite closer for the album. The organ intro, even from the listening samples, is ambient in a way that they could be a precursor to Eno! Nevertheless, it was Earth, Wind & and Fire all the way (If one could listen closely, there are snippets of what sound like "Fantasy" and "Shining Star" before either were created).
There was supposed to a non-album track on the CD reissue, but whatever. One pet peeve: no kalimba:-(. "The Need of Love" was to be their second and last album together before regrouping later with another lineup (Phillip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Ralph Johnson, et al). Thankfully, I am one of the people to hear them out after looking at the 'EW&F's hitless years' sidebar on Amazon.com. Everyone should give their early years a chance and understand that they were from the beginning esoteric, mystical, and not just about playing "Boogie Wonderland".
There should be more reissues of their earlier albums and less

This was my first purchased EWF album which was borrowed by my cousin.I am grateful for its release on cd.

I agree with the other reviewer's statments that this album was, in a sense, more of a raw product than what they were about to embark upon, however, it is a funk filled album by the elements that has a certain level of sophistication that would be expounded upon in later releases and truly set them apart as one of the true innovators of the time. You began to see and hear the beginning of what would become 2 major transitions that's about to take place with the group. First, this is the last album made with the original memebers founded back in 1969, after this, Maurice and Verdine would be the only carry overs into the 2nd incarnation of the band.

Second, the bands contract would expire with the completion of this album and Maurice decided it was time for a change to a company that would invest more into the growth of the band and help to market them to a more wide variety of audience. Their live shows were already legendary and he felt that if they could get the added promotino dollars from their record company that the group would begin to have the kind of world wide appeal that he'd always invisioned. So in 1972, the band signed with Columbia Records and he found the core memebers who would truly allow the band to become "The Mighty Elements" and have a platform to truly show off their musical genius.

As for the proper review of this album, I love their earlier work as it's a much "harder" and "grittier" sound than what would come later. And although, their later albums would become the stuff of legend and truly establish them and rightful so as the greatest band ever, I always felt that these early albums were more along the lines of what you would hear in their live shows and gave you that incredible energy that only a live performance can sometimes bring. The band was being produced at this time by Joseph Wissert, he was Maurice's first production mentor prior to the late, great Charles Stepney. Wissert would produce the bands first 4 albums and was instrumental in the development of their lives shows and sounds.

You can hear this formula on the song "Energy" with it's nasty funk influenced instrumentations that are the perfect jam to start this album off with. The intro to the song has some great lyrics that are very spiritual and sets the stage for what the bands lyrical content would feature as a foundation from then on for both this and later incarnations. Those with a desire to actual reflect, study and think rather than just listen to lyrics will certainly get the message. The next track, "Beauty", is one of my all time favorites by the band which again introduce simply yet profound lyrical content that allows the mind to soar as you think about what true "Beauty" is really all about. "Think About Loving You" which is a beautiful ballad led & written by the female vocalist in the group, Sherry Scott, is unique in that it's the only time that a female vocalist would lead and write one of their recorded songs.

As a matter of fact, the female vocalist as a part of the actual band would be something that would be gone altogether after the next 2 albums. Altogether, this is a great album that truly showcases the bands musical talent and allows for them to throw caution to the wind and from certain restrictions that were the order of the day for how an album was put together. They truly were "polishing" up the act so to speak for the remarkable things yet to come. This may be their most relaxed release and the one where you could tell they had fun recording it. I would highly recommend this album for those who are may not be familiar with EWF's earlier pre-Columbia Records/Charles Stepney period. You will be pleasantly suprised and pleased.

This is vintage Earth,Wind&Fire. These songs are very very good and if you listen closely you can see how they foretell of future top 10s by the group. This album is a must have in the Earth,Wind&Fire collection.

Marc McCoy

The title says it all.

Thanks,
Larry 4good