There's actually still a few original members in the current band...



...Bus Stop (2005)




tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

I know exactly where that is. and 10 bux says they'll be gunfire 25 mins into it.

IAintTheOne said:

Hey...



...you just have to dress to impress!



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Lmao. what's poppin' big brotha

IAintTheOne said:

Just tryin' to get through the "Horrordays".


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

IAintTheOne said:

Do you ever miss living in NY?

I've seen Fatback a few times and they are okay, but that's about it. Bill Curtis is still in the band. Among the 1970s Funk bands, there are few who really still got it. The Blackbyrds are okay, too, and so are Tower of Power. Kool & The Gang and EW&F suck.
The one 1970s Funk band that is still at it 100% is Mandrill.

Oh, and that flyer is an insult. Are they serious??

MrSoulpower said:

EW&F is my favorite band but I've decided not to go see them in concert again.Maurice doesn't tour with them anymore and without him,it's just not the same.They have all these new members that have nothing to do with Earth Wind and Fire.Plus,I find their recent shows to be too glitzy and Vegas-y.I'd rather watch footage of their 70s concerts.

.
[Edited 12/23/08 5:31am]

SoulAlive said:

That's exactly the case with most 70s Funk acts. Few or no original members, greatest hits shows and Vegas-style outfits. I remember when back in Germany I was willing to promote a Kool & The Gang show and the guys refused to play any pre-1974 music (which is really their best and most innovative). I didn't do the show after all.

MrSoulpower said:

Yeah,I know that you mostly prefer funk music that was recorded before 1975,right?

SoulAlive said:

Actually, lately I've been listening to a lot of late 70s Soul, but not the Funk. That doesn't change the fact that Kool & The Gang's best music was released pre-1975.

MrSoulpower said:

Late 70s soul? Who have you been listening to? Raydio? Natalie Cole? EW&F?

MrSoulpower said:

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

SoulAlive said:

Sad commentary for probably the last really great R&B/Pop band.
But I totally agree.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

SoulAlive said:

Naw, I pulled some late 1970s and early 1980s grooves like this ...









You get the idea. Good music.

MrSoulpower said:

You really like the RARE stuff,huh?

theAudience said:

The last time I saw them was in 2005 and I walked out of the arena very disappointed It was like watching a tribute band in Vegas.They lost the magic,the "vibe" that made their 70s concerts so exciting.It was sad to see.

SoulAlive said:

I think that the Family of Eve single or the track by Flowers beats anything EW&F has released after 1975, so if it takes some rare recordings, then you're right ..

MrSoulpower said:

you know you like that woman on it

SoulAlive said:

I do miss it, but I left clubs alone years ago because of this.

SoulAlive said:

MrSoulpower said:

MrSoulpower said:

That's a pretty bold statement that i'd have to strongly disagree with.
(If you had said "after 1980" I wouldn't have even bothered to continue this.)

Just a few examples of their post '75...

Jupiter
Love's Holiday
Magic Mind
Be Ever Wonderful
In The Stone
Can't Let Go
After The Love Has Gone
Wait

...excellence.

Now I enjoy the "Rawer" versions of R&B/Funk/Soul as much as the next person, but these tunes combine stellar production/musicianship/performances with great songs as their foundation.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

I guess it's always a matter of taste. Personally, for the most part, I find these tracks rather dull and uninspired, while I consider For real by Flowers one of the greatest Modern Soul tracks ever recorded. I could listen to it every day, all over again.
But I am a huge fan of EW&F's earlier material, especially the first four albums.

MrSoulpower said:

Welllll!...


It also might be a question of whether or not you want songs in a particular genre to sort of stay "stuck in time" sound wise.
That Flowers tune for example is nice but it sounds old or "Old-School" would be more accurate.
Not a judgement on whether that's bad or good, just an observation.
Maybe that's part of its charm.

I always saw EW&F as more of a progressive R&B/Soul group.
A band that utilized the basic elements of classic R&B/Soul songwriting but incorporated the technology of its day when it came to recording techniques.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Well, in my opinion, it backfired for the most part when 1960s/1970s Funk and Soul groups walked down the progressive path of recording technology. It often resulted in highly over-produced and synthetical music. IMO, EW&F lost the warmth of their sound in the mid- to late 1970s.
But I also think that by the late 1970s, most veteran groups like EW&F, Kool & The Gang and even James Brown and Stevie Wonder had long reached their creative peak and suffered from burn-out syndroms. A progressive approach in regards to recording technology couldn't cover up this weakness, in fact, it enhanced it. Which is why musicologists would always consider the earlier work of these artists as their "prime".
Artists like Flowers or Family of Eve still managed to sound fresh in the late '70s and early '80s, because they hadn't really done much.
So yeah, being "stuck in time" is not such a bad thing after all, unless you're a fan of James Brown's work in the 1980s and 1990s and you believe that Lover Over due is a greater album than Popcorn.
Sounding "old" seems to be the most charming characteristic in Soul and Funk music, which is why so many new groups try to recapture this energy.

MrSoulpower said:

Their intro reminds me of