THIS IS A MASTERPIECE FROM THE SUPERBAND "EWF" THE REMASTERED EDITION OF THIS RECORDING IS GREAT,SEEK THIS ONE OUT.......TIMELESS

I love it that is why I bought it.

If someone asked me"What is the EW&F album you must own or start with"? I'd say"That's the Way of the World".
Every song is a winner.You can't say that about every EW&F album
although I love them all in different ways.This one gets the most play from me.It stands apart from everything before and after.It was the first EW&F album that I got into.
Now a review of the treasures

Shining Star-Love the interplay of Johnnie Graham and Al MacKay on guitar to start it off then Verdine and the Horns.WOO!
Never tired of this song

That's The Way of the world-Their national anthem.
Maurice's gospel vocals make this one of their best slow jams.
It talks about the things in this world and what it does to people.


Happy Feelin'-A song about good vibes

All about Love-One of Maurice's best vocal offerings rivaling
"Can't Hide Love" on their next album "Gratitude"
You can find love in some of the smallest and biggest things.

Yearnin' and Learnin'-You learn alot and want alot.You can get it
if u look in the right places.

Reasons-Philip's sig.song in EW&F.
Lust/Love might not be enough to stay together

Africano-One of EW&F's best instrumentals.
This is when I realized that R&B groups could just play and not sing.When I first heard it at 7/8years old.I thought they shouldn't be doin'this. This is jazz.Bad song! I love it.

See the light-Excellent produced/song.Philip's sings
Gospel,Jazz and R&b.What a combination.They pull it off.


I love Larry Dunn's segues in between the songs of his moog synthesizers.Sounds like it's being played underwater or backwards.Great playin'

Buy this album.It's the ONE!

Put this album in the time capsule. This band had one of the most amazing string of albums ever. The career arc, just in terms of hit singles, overall sales, etc, is astonishing. This album was the peak. As far as most people were concerned, it was EW&F's debut, but it was actually their sixth album, the fourth for Columbia. Their albums show an amazing evolution from a fairly loose, fairly generic 70s funk/horn band to an unbelieveably disciplined production juggernaut. The production came to rival and surpass anything heard before. It easily rivaled bands like Steely Dan, known for their production prowess. After this album there was a long plateau; several top selling albums and singles, before a long graceful decline. The production actually continued to evolve, but the songwriting had definitely peaked by the mid-to-late 70s.

Any time a successful R&B / Soul / Hip-Hop performer is asked who are his/her musical influences are two groups continually come up. George Clinton's many incarnations, (Parlement, etc.) and Earth Wind and Fire.
Here is not the first EW&F album, but the first widely known, album of their unique brand of "Funky, Jazzy, Soul".
Back in the Day, when I worked as a dance DJ, I would always let the other DJ's start the dance and when I thought the crowd was ready to get actually dancing I would play the first two cuts from this album "Shining Star', and "That's the Way of the World" back to back. By the time the two songs were finished the floor would be packed. The younger DJ's would always ask How do you do that?" It wasn't me it was Earth Wind and Fire!
"That's The Way of the World" is a great Album, and a Great place to start for your Earth Wind and Fire collection.

This is definitely the place to start with EW&F. Kicking off with the perfect one-two punch of "Shining Star" and the title track, the band delivered their first bona fide masterpiece with this 1975 outing.

"Shining Star" offers the funk laced with some downright scorching rock guitar; "Yearnin' Learnin'" is one of the best non-singles you'll hear anywhere; the title track rivals Stevie Wonder's "Livin' For The City" as the ultimate musical statement about the struggle against despair; "Happy Feelin'" is guaranteed to deliver what the title promises; and "All About Love" is the perfect ballad. Philip Bailey's falsetto in "Reasons" may be a bit much for some to take, but there's no denying the groove.

Throw in a good instrumental jam ("Africano"), and a couple more solid album tracks, and what you have is a basically flawless album.

Fans of Lenny Kravitz should definitely listen to Earth Wind & Fire to see where he got a lot of his ideas.

Anyone interested in exploring the R&B/soul/funk genre should begin by purchasing this CD.

Though it's not the stellar mind-blowing sound of the two SACD live albums "Gratitude" and "...Alive in '75", this remaster is much richer aurally. In comparison the regular CD version sounds harsh and has less fidelity at higher frequencies. The SACD version reminds me a lot of the sound quality from a very good LP setup.

I listened to this album as a high school student and am happy to have the remastered CD in my possesion. See the Light is still my favorite song, however this entire album is in my opinion EWF's 2nd best (All 'n All being my favorite) There does not exist today this kind of musicianship and talent in a band.

EW&F is one of the best groups of all time there style and music is way ahead of its time. The vocal sounds of Maurice and Phillip who can sing better than Phillip Baily the ranges of his voice is extremely great. I have always loved this group and will always be there biggest fan. A group like them will last for all times keep the music coming. I love all there music and my favorite is That's the way of the world songs with meaning and substance.

The elements of the universe.........EARTH..WIND..&..FIRE. By far they are the Greatest Of All Time. And, That's The Way Of The World, may be indeed their best album. They have and will always be a big part of my musical life and history. From my first introduction to them in 1974, at the age of three, to now. I am a proud owner of over 20 EWF CDS, which includes every studio album that they ever released, with some compilations.
PEACE.
I write because I suffer, Inc.
r.l.will.sun.

"That's The Way Of The World" is a wonderful album containing three classic hits-the simmering funk of "Shinning Star" and the jazzy R&B ballads "Reasons" and the title song but
HOLD THE PHONE!!!!The band hadn't yet shaken off their multi-ethnic/Afro-Cuban musical influences so instrumentals like "Africano","See The Light" as well as the bright,percussive pop of "Happy Feelings" look to those earlier stylings but baught it to the masses who baught this album for it's big radio
hits (betcha' alot of 'em didn't hear it coming).Along the way the wonderful piano ballad "All About Love" and the uptempo funk
groove of "Yearnin' And Learnin'" are great counterpoints.So this
album has everything that makes Earth,Wind & Fire the worldd most
dynamic funk group-a sense of being diverse AND commercial.Viva
1975!Those were the days!!!!

To be honest, I don't own the remastered version of this CD with the added tracks. This review is based on the original album, which I have owned in vinyl and CD form. I couldn't find the original CD on amazon.com (I assume it's out of print), so I'm putting my comments here. I'm doing this because I love the original album.

Earth Wind & Fire was a unique and wonderful funk/rock/jazz band of the 1970s that made several very good albums, but this, in my opinion, was their musical high point. Unlike their later albums, which were more disco-y and commercial, this one managed to be musically serious yet catchy and accessible at the same time. They successfully combined the pop funk sensibility of groups like the Ohio Players and Sly and the Family Stone with a jazz-influenced instrumental sophistication all their own.

"Shining Star" and "Yearnin, Learnin" are strong funky grooves that make you want to dance. "All About Love" and "Reasons" are very different but sentimental ballads. "Africano" and "See the Light" are melodically infectious funk/jazz numbers. "Happy Feelin" is an upbeat ode to life featuring Caribbean kalimba music. But my favorite song is the title track, "That's the Way of the World," a mid-tempo groove featuring sharp lead guitar work as well as lead vocal. This CD definitely stands the test of time as a classic of its era.

I think that everyone has gave this album its due props, and I just can't help but say that it is a hard choice for me to choose between this album and "Songs in the key of life" so I have an extra unopened copy of both of these classics. One thing that gets to me though is that in the beginning we were told that this was the soundtrack to the movie of the same name, it even says so on the album. I was so fired up and ready to see this movie and the album just kept making me more anxious and hype. I never got to see this movie which I found out later was titled "Shining Star" and that the group was not the stars of the movie. EWF is my most favorite group in the world and I have been blessed to meet and greet Phillip, Verdine, and Ralph. Two things have not been fulfilled, I have not yet met Maurice nor have I seen this Movie, I would appreciate any help with either. Thank you

This album is the first record that I ever remember buying. It is still my favorite album of all time, by any artist. It pushed the boundaries of rock and R&B in 1975. I have owned five copies of this album. The first three were vinyl and I just simply wore them out (using a very expensive and gentle turntable, mind you! I just played them ALL the time!). The last two were CDs, and the current one is this version with the extra tracks.

"Shining Star" started it all for me with EWF. From the first time I heard that song on the radio, I was hooked! I was the first white kid at my high school to become a fanatic of EWF, but I wasn't the last! "TTWOtW" still gives me chills when I hear it. It's one of those memorable songs that you never tire of and every note evokes great memories. "See the Light" is still one of my favorites with its beautiful sweeping synth. Maurice's voice on "All About Love" makes you glad that he changed his mind in the early years of EWF in that he originally didn't want to sing, and just wanted to sit in the back of the band and play drums!

There's not a bad performance on this CD. It is truly a masterpiece and the added tracks (original, unreleased sketches which give an alternative preview into the early formations of several songs) are icing on the cake. "TTWOtW" still sounds as innovative today as it did the first day I brought it home in 1975. That's the definition of a classic -- an album which is valued by it's ability to sound as fresh and inventive today as it did over a quarter century ago. This was the end of the era where talent was required to win a recording contract, and EWF was absolutely LOADED with talent! Unfortunately, I fear that there will never be another group with the talent level of EWF.

The later years of EWF were good, but this is the finest album EVER by EWF and places itself alone in musical history as a lifetime achievement by an extraordinary group of musicians.

This album is a certified classic, ...this album is very much on par with Stevie Wonder's best 70's material. From the opening lines of "Shining Star" to the last note (a beautiful falsetto by Philip Bailey)on "See the Light", this soundtrack helped to define what R&B and Funk was all about while beginning one of the greatest and most influential periods in music history.
Maurice White is a true musical avatar, like Stevie, he was able to blend several different types of musical influences while maintaining an underlying African foundation upon which he built such masterpieces as "That's the Way of the World", "Yearnin Learnin" and one of my personal favorites "Africano".
The Elements are, without question, one of the greatest musical forces at any point in music history and my favorite band of all time. Soaring vocals, majestic melodies & harmonies, outstanding musicianship and awesome lyrics are what made Earth, Wind and Fire a group not just for the 70's but for all ages.

...from consistent playing as a youth. Even as I listen to the songs today on CD, I remember parts in each song where the record would skip. I didn't own a whole lotta records back then so I intimately knew each song. EWF was always more spiritual than political in their approach to songwriting and at the same time they seem to be embraced by the party people who may have missed the message in their music.

In the 'hood where I grew up, everyone digged EWF; blacks, Latinos, Samoans, you name it. "Reasons" was THE slow jam to slow dance to with the girl you liked. But the one song I played over and over was "Happy Feelin'". I was just drawn to that funky new instrument, the kalimba, that was solo'd in the song's choruses. And it was an up-tempo number that you could boogie to (that was the term we used back then).

This album is a must-have if you are serious about collecting R&B/soul music from the 70s. It catches them at a time before they too fell into the trap of commercialism.

This album was originally a soundtrack for a long forgotten film. In fact I have never seen the film. However, the songs have been quite the opposite - unforgettable classics.

Earth Wind and Fire have always been extremely talented musicians and posses amazing vocal harmonies. What is not always realized is just how out in front they were with combining the elements of jazz, and horns, infused into smooth R&B dance tracks and ballads.

This CD contains some of their best work - namely the songs "Shining Star" and "That's the Way of the World". Both are classics and are worth the price on their own.

The additional, previously unreleased, tracks are excellent, with my only complaint that they are too short. Of particular interest is the track "Caribou Chaser (Jazzy Jam)", which showcases the ability of this band to play jazz with the best of them.

Most everything they released from the early 70's through the mid-80's is simply classic music from one of the best bands ever. Now that these great albums are being re-released with extra bonus tracks, its time to revisit them again.

This album made earth wind and fire a pop group. Shining Star, That's the way of the world and reasons are hot. However, the songs are just as good.

That's The Way Of The World was the soundtrack to film that featured a young Harvey Keitel as a record producer and Earth, Wind & Fire as a band with big potential. The band is dropped in favor of what record company executives feel was more commercial group and they gone on to major success. The film mirrored EWF themselves as the album propelled them to the top of the charts. After several years of moderate success despite making excellent records, this soundtrack album showed all the band's talents and mixing of jazz, soul, funk and positive themes. "Shining Star" opens the album with a pumping beat that set it up to the number one position of the charts. The title track starts off with a slow, smooth beat and then erupts into a harmony-fueled explosion. "All about Love" has some jazzy elements while "Africano" explores some world rhythms. "Yearnin', Learnin'" is an underrated song in their catalog and "Reasons" is a powerful ballad. That's The Way Of The World tanked at the box office and was quickly forgotten, but the album hit number on the charts and made EWF superstars.

Anyone who went to college in the late seventies will remember this album. The song selection, the sequencing, everything about this CD is just perfect. You will not regret this purchase.

A wonderful balance of harmony, sophistication and eclecticism. The title truck still to this very day is one of the models for R&B excellence. The playing is looser and jazzier than on the albums to follows. In this album there is more of a complete group identity. Maurice White(the brain thrust) and lead vocals and Philip Bailey, are not quite as out front as they are later, the group concept is the thing here. There is an evenness in the quality of the songs. This album is a MUST, complete record collection or a complete Earth, Wind & Fire. This album was the flower blossoming and opening to reveal Earth, Wind & Fire as it was to be. The additional pieces are also quite nice, a tad short, but then again, you have the original album here and that is enough. Earth, Wind & Fire, innovators who were always inventive and original.

"That's The Way Of The World" finally nailed down the formula which had been developing in Earth, Wind And Fire's sound over their last two albums; the result was a massively successful #1 smash that spawned several hit singles. The album basically takes the premise of side one of "Open Our Eyes"--alternating uplifting funk rockers with slow ballads--stretches it through the length of both sides, and adds a sheen of production polish through the use of sweeping string arrangments. The results include all of the group's finest singles ("Shining Star", the title track, "Yearnin' Learnin'"), the best instrumental since "Power" ("Africano") and a majestic closing number "See The Light" which features some great harmonies and keyboard work. The overall sound is uplifting, slightly mystical, highly commercial and completely definitive. If any complaint can be lodged against TTWOTW, it is that it also marks the beginning of an increasing slickness which would eventually steer itself toward disco as the decade progressed; funkmeister George Clinton railed against this sound with good reason, but at least on this album the formula is still largely on the safe side of the funk/disco divide.

"Shining Star" was the first song I ever heard from these guys, but back then, I didn't know WHAT to make of it! I'd never heard music like this before-- it was so different from anything I was used to, and it took a while to "grow" on me. But DID it EVER! Their 6th album was another consecutive step UP the ladder-- by here these guys were really on a ROLL! One fantastic highlight after another-- "That's The Way of the World" (beautiful), "Happy Feelin'" (funky!), "Reasons" (gorgeous) "Africano" (try playing this song back-to-back with Chicago's "The Approaching Storm"!). WOW! One of their best; for proof, check any of the various "Greatest hits" collections and see how MANY of these turn up again.

this was there crowning jewel.this album had all the great trademarks of ewf on them horns,african grooves,pop hooks,great vocals and more importantly it had soul.shinning star still sounds first rate as does the title track Ewf's anthem and reasons which phillip bailey does better&better with each passing moment. this is a must have from my favorite group of all time.

This, put very simply, is the greatest recording of all time. The opening riffs of "Shining Star" followed by the explosion of the horns signals the birth of a musical world the likes that have never been duplicated. The seamless edits between songs and the small interludes lets the journey flow without interruption. The incredibly tight music of the band coupled with Maurice White and Phillip Bailey's vocals are unmatched, especially on "That's the Way of the World," the best cut on the CD. "Reasons" still never fails to unite lovers to this day. The best thing to do is just grab a bottle of wine, hit play, and let it go from start to finish. It never fails to satisfy.

This is one of those "desert island" albums (as in, "if you could only take five albums to a desert island..."). Timeless, poetic, and incredible musicianship. If you were born between 1975 and 1976, you were likely conceived to "Reasons." What else is there to say?

One of the greatest (if not the greatest) Lp's of all time. Excellent musicianship combined with superior vocals (everyone knows about Philip Bailey but Maurice White is under-rated). The main things that are missing today's music are in abundance here (originality , content & character). I remember when it first dropped, it sounds just as tight today as it did then.My favorite cuts "That's the way of the world", "All about love", "Reasons". Ahead of it's time but always right on time.

This album is too cool! The quintessential R&B ablum of the 70's. Dig the testifying that Maurice White does in the middle of "All About Love" It may be alittle heavy on the 70's "soul brother" lingo, but the message is timeless and beautiful. And nobody's gonna tell me Lenny Kravitz didn't listen to the title track before writing "It Ain't Over Til It's Over"!

The way these brothers clicked, it was amazing that they weren't all related. The title track is practically a world theme in itself, and "Yearnin' and Learnin'" is a galloping gourmet feast of funk, and who can forget the classic "Reasons"? Check out the final track, "See The Light": it's Philip's gosphel falsetto at his best, and an incredibly uplifting song that boosts your spirits on a bad day. They are not as polished as in later years, but still mesmerizing. Essential EWF.