Rating:
Genre: R&B
Release Date: 08/26/2008

Columbia/Legacy's double-disc set The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire lives up to its title by offering 34 tracks of the groundbreaking funk band at its peak. All of the hits, whether they're R&B or tunes that crossed over to the pop charts, are here, along with important album tracks that capture the range and depth of EWF. Since this focuses on their peak of the '70s and early '80s, there's very little here that doesn't qualify as "essential," which makes it a better bet than their box set. The single-disc Greatest Hits remains the choice for the casual and the curious listener due to its concise concentration of classics, but anybody who wants a thorough retrospective should choose this. [Columbia/Legacy's Limited Edition 3.0 appeared in 2008 and included a bonus CD - in addition to the original, two-CD set.]

~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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Philip Bailey - Collaboration
Ralph Boyd Johnson - Group Member
Steven Berkowitz - A&R
Roland Bautista - Guitar
Verdine White - Percussion
Sandy Spieser - Photography
Bruce W. Talaman - Cover Photo
Maurice White - Group Member
Maurice White - Kalimba
Andrew Woolfolk - Percussion
Philip Bailey - Group Member
Joseph Wissert - Producer
Rahmlee Michael Davis - Trumpet
Charles Stepney - Arranger
Clark Duval - Product Manager
Deodato - Arranger
Verdine White - Bass
Maurice White - Compilation Producer
Maurice White - Collaboration
Verdine White - Vocals
Al McKay - Percussion
Art Macnow - Direction
Roland Bautista - Group Member
Leo Sacks - Compilation Producer
Ralph Boyd Johnson - Percussion
Andrew Woolfolk - Flute
Tom Tom 84 - Arranger
Philip Bailey - Vocals
Maurice White - Timbales
Tom Tom 84 - Horn Arrangements
Bill Meyers - String Arrangements
Johnny Graham - Percussion
Ben Wright - String Arrangements
Maurice White - Rums
Michael A. Harris - Flugelhorn
Michael A. Harris - Trumpet
Richard Salvato - Direction
Johnny Graham - Group Member
Deodato - Conductor
Al McKay - Vocals
Ralph Boyd Johnson - Drums
Urve Kuusik - Photography
Louis Satterfield - Trombone
Ben Wright - Horn Arrangements
Andrew Woolfolk - Sax (Soprano)
Mark Wilder - Mastering
Johnny Graham - Guitar
Andrew Woolfolk - Sax (Tenor)
Jeffrey Mayer - Photography
Maurice White - Producer
Seth Foster - Mastering
Philip Bailey - Percussion
Preston Glass - Producer
Philip Bailey - Conga
Maurice White - Vocals
Tom Tom 84 - String Arrangements
Earth, Wind & Fire - Arranger
Charles Stepney - Associate Producer
Verdine White - Group Member
Charles Stepney - Producer
Verdine White - Production Assistant
Andrew Woolfolk - Group Member
Bill Meyers - Horn Arrangements
Jerry Hey - Horn Arrangements
Don Myrick - Saxophone
Rahmlee Michael Davis - Flugelhorn
Al McKay - Group Member
Al McKay - Guitar

Release Date: 08/26/2008
Genre: r&b