Earth, Wind & Fire (album)

Earth, Wind & Fire is the self-titled debut studio album by the band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in February 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. The album got to No. 24 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.

Overview
Off the album the track Love Is Life rose to No. 43 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.

Critical reception
Of the album Lester Bangs of Rolling Stone complimented its "heavy Sly influence", with "rippling flute streams" and "highball bop" being present throughout. . In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "C+". Christgau was ambivalent towards the album's various musical "cross-references", including "the expert vocal harmonies [that] neither fit the concept nor assert any personality of their own", and said that even its successful songs have "a way of slipping away unnoticed once the record is over".

As well AllMusic editor John Bush gave the album four-and-a-half out of five stars and complimented its songs' "freewheeling arrangements". Bush found the songwriting "as strong and focused as the musicianship" and praised the songs' social context, noting "unerringly positive compositions, reflecting the influence of the civil rights movement with nearly every song urging love, community, and knowledge as alternatives to the increasing hopelessness plaguing American society".

Samples
"Bad Tune" was sampled by Lupe Fiasco on the track "Carrera Lu" off his album Food & Liquor and Brand Nubian on the track "Dance to My Ministry" off their album One for All.

Rapper Ghostface Killah sampled "Love is Life" on the track "Miguel Sanchez" off his album More Fish. As well "Moment of Truth" was sampled by LL Cool J on the track "Murdergram" off his album Mama Said Knock You Out and Kid N' Play on the track "Energy" off their album Funhouse altogether.

Musicians

 * Michael Beal – guitars
 * Leslie Drayton – trumpet
 * Wade Flemons – electric piano, vocals
 * Sherry Scott – vocals
 * Alexander Thomas – trombone
 * Chet Washington – reeds
 * Maurice White – percussion, drums, vocals, electric kalimba
 * Verdine White – bass
 * Don Whitehead – acoustic piano, electric piano, vocals
 * Doug Carn – Hammond organ
 * Phillard Williams – percussion, conga

Production

 * Producer: Joe Wissert
 * Recording engineer: Bruce Botnick
 * Arranger: Earth, Wind & Fire
 * Horn arrangements: Leslie Drayton
 * Art direction: Ed Thrasher
 * Design: Mary Ann Dibs
 * Artwork: Russ Smith

Charts
Album – Billboard (United States)