Search - Earth Wind & Fire :: Avatar

Just passable

Surendra Kumar | Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia | 02/23/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD after a long absence of material from the Kings of groove. After the first listen, I hadn't noticed any outstanding tracks. But the material grows on you after a couple of listens. "Keep it real" has a rare funky groove that seemed to be missing since the days of 'Raise!' and 'Powerlight'. Other than that track, the other notable ones are "Round and round", "Take you to heaven" and "The right time". It seems that the band was trying to revive their old 70's and 80's funk but didn't quite succeed. All in all, I'd say that this is a passable album and nothing like their greatest work so far, 'Raise!'."

A Return To Form for EWF....Somewhat!

chakasworld | Atlanta, GA United States | 09/16/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With 'Avatar', EWF abandoned its ill-fated late 1980s attempts to update its trademark sound, and returned to its classic horn-driven grooves from the '70s. The result is a solid followup (or continuation!) to 1993's underrated 'Millenium'. This 13 track CD sounds contemporary and retro at the same time, featuring productions utilizing full horn sections stuck inside ballads ('Cruising'), and guest raps complementing the vocals on 'Revolution (Just Evolution)'. For the most part, Maurice White's production is VERY good, up to his 70's tricks of using link tracks and interludes to shift moods, and dropping in loud electric guitar when you least expect it (the heavy funk 'Rock It').



After EWF satisfied the Japanese fanbase with 'Avatar', they altered the original tracklisting, and included 'When Love Goes Wrong' on the American edition of 'Avatar' titled 'In The Name Of Love' (1997). 'When Love Goes Wrong' sounds like it was originally slated to be on Philip Bailey's solo CD (no group credits on the song!), but it found a home on this project because 3 solid tracks from 'Avatar' ('Change Your Mind', 'Take You To Heaven', and 'Bahia') weren't included (for some $$$ reasoning I guess!!).



The music on both 'Avatar' & 'In The Name Of Love' is mostly catchy but never monumental like the band's best days. EWF displays their sense of fun but not their missionary zeal, and for a moment, they reverted to their past attempts to sound hip & street (the opening track 'Keep It Real' for example). Still, even with that song, EWF is to be commended for more solid tracks, great musicianship, and the release of these CDs without having a major record deal.



For EWF fans who never heard 'Avatar', I would recommend investing in the Import CD for the 3 songs not included on 'In The Name Of Love', but please don't break the bank for the Japanese Import. Buy a semi-expensive used copy on Amazon, and be done with it. After getting 'Avatar', I remastered it, and included 'When Love Goes Wrong' & the 'EWF Megamix' as bonus tracks! Personally, I don't accept any reasoning behind the price inflation for imported CDs. EWF fans in the United States deserve the same (if not better!) product than those in Japan. If you have $40.00 to spend on a CD, my hat's off to you! [NOTE - In 2006, Kalimba Records plans to reissue 'In The Name Of Love', with the 3 tracks that were once exclusive to 'Avatar'!!]

Enjoy

SD

(fr.'Chaka's World')

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