Spirit [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Earth Wind & Fire

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 10, 2001)
• Original Release Date: September 1976
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005B17W
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,660 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Elements on fire!!, April 10, 2001

By	Jeffrey Harris (South San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Coming nearly two years after the first batch of EWF reissues, is one of my favorites of their amazing 70's albums. From the initial blast off of "Getaway" to the cool sway of "Burnin' Bush" "Spirit" doesn't drag for a second. Other classic tracks on this album include "Saturday Nite", "On Your Face", and "Imagination" which features one of Philip Bailey's greatest vocal performances ever. This reissue comes with an alternate mix "Saturday Nite" with a humorous spoken intro, an amazing mix of "Imagination" with EWF's peerless background vocals without the track. An extended version of the interlude track "Departure"(only 28 seconds on the original album) and two instrumental jams "Seraphim" and "African Symphony" from the album sessions. Unlike the previous reissues, the song lyrics are reprinted inside the CD booklet(Thank You!!), and sonically the remaster of "Spirit" is crisp and dynamic sounding just like the first vinyl pressing of this album sounded. An excellent reissue of this classic album.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only if you don't have the original release., June 9, 2001

By	Torquemada "dunlopilo" (Atlanta, Georgia USA / Madrid, Spain.) - See all my reviews

Quite excited about the idea of getting to listen to previously unreleased material from EWF, I got this one, even if I already had the vinyl release and the cd that came out some years ago.

My feeling after listening to it several times is that the record company or whoever decided what was going to be on here could have done much better and more, which is why I would rate it closer to three stars than four... Sure enough, the 36 minute original album is now 50 minutes long and the "packaging" (sleeve and drawing on the cd itself) is sexier. But the 5 extra tracks are just that, extra tracks. The saturday nite alternate mix doesn't really vary that much from the original one. "Seraphim" sounds great but only lasts 2 minutes and 7 seconds, and gives the impression of tunes on a demo tape that was never finished. "Imagination" 1 minute and 3 seconds. "African symphony" is less than two minutes.

If you don't have the original release, get this one for the same price. It is a masterpiece anyway (over 5 stars) without the extra tracks. If you have the original release, you will be paying one or two tracks the price of a cd. I'm not really sure that is worth the cash. Unless you are a collector and must have everything these guys have released, in which case I can recommend you to absolutely get the triple cd collection called "The eternal dance".

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album under not so great circumstances, April 15, 2003

By	Milton "miltjones" (Garland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This may be my favorite Earth, Wind and Fire album not only because of the finished product but also because of the very tramatic circumstances the group faced while recording it. In the middle of recording this album the groups longtime co-producer and Maurice White's mentor and friend Charles Stepney passed away. The album title and the song Spirits are tributes to this soul and R&B legend.
Under such circumstances to make an album of this magnitude is simply outstanding. From the opening, this record cooks with the songs "Getaway" and "On your Face", then Philip Bailey gets a chance to showcase his unparalled falsetto on "Imagination" after that comes the tribute "Spirits" where Bailey once again takes the lead and shows why his vocal abilities are second to none. Then the group really starts getting serious with the funky "Saturday Nite", then comes one of my all time favorite songs, the mystical "Earth, Wind and Fire" a song that defines this group like no other. After that comes the interlude "Departure" and the instrumental "Biyo" which showcases one of the Elements greatest strengths, their unbelieveable musicianship. The grand finale is the beautifully written "Burning Bush" with it's lush horns, gorgeous orchestrations and wonderful vocal harmonies. This album and the circumstances under which it was completed once again affirms why Earth, Wind and Fire are one of the greatest bands this world has ever seen.