Open Our Eyes

Open Our Eyes is the fifth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 25, 1974 on Columbia Records.[1] The album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Pop Albums chart.[2][3] Open Our Eyes has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.[4]

Open Our Eyes
Studio album by
Earth, Wind & Fire
ReleasedMarch 25, 1974
RecordedAugust 1973, Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado, U.S.
GenreProgressive soul, funk, jazz
Length39:52
LabelColumbia/Legacy
ProducerMaurice White, Joe Wissert
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
Head to the Sky
(1973)		 Open Our Eyes
(1974)		 Another Time
(1974)
Singles from Open Your Eyes
  1. "Mighty Mighty"
    Released: February 1, 1974
  2. "Kalimba Story"
    Released: June 14, 1974
  3. "Devotion"
    Released: September 7, 1974

Overview

Open Our Eyes was produced by Maurice White and Joe Wissert and recorded at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado, US. During 2001, Open Our Eyes was reissued with four bonus tracks.[1]

Singles

The track, "Mighty Mighty", peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[5][6] "Kalimba Story" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[7] Another single, "Devotion", peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[8][9]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Billboard(favourable)[11]
Buffalo News(favourable)[12]
PopMatters(favourable)[13]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[14]
Village Voice(A–)[15]
Vibe[16]
The Times(favourable)[17]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention))[18]

Rolling Stone called Open Our Eyes "a pleasant miscellany of Africana, Latin rhythms, well-mannered funk, smooth jazz, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder and the Fifth Dimension".[14] Dale Anderson of the Buffalo News declared "Open Our Eyes is worthy of the attention of progressive music fans everywhere".[12] The Village Voice's Robert Christgau also described Side 1 as "A very pleasant surprise" and Side 2 as a complete "tour de force".[14][15]

Music journalist Vince Aletti named Open Our Eyes in his ballot for The Village Voice's 1974 Pazz & Jop critics poll.[19]

Track listing

Original release
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mighty Mighty"Maurice White, Verdine White3:01
2."Devotion"M. White, Philip Bailey4:50
3."Fair But So Uncool"Rick Giles, Charles Stepney3:39
4."Feelin' Blue"Kenny Altman4:28
5."Kalimba Story"M. White, V. White4:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Drum Song"M. White5:10
7."Tee Nine Chee Bit"M. White, C. Stepney, P. Bailey3:45
8."Spasmodic Movements"Eddie Harris1:50
9."Rabbit Seed"M. White0:31
10."Caribou"C. Stepney, R. Giles3:25
11."Open Our Eyes"Leon Lumpkins5:06

[20]

2001 Reissue
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mighty Mighty"Maurice White, Verdine White3:03
2."Devotion"M. White, Philip Bailey4:50
3."Fair But So Uncool"M. White, Rick Giles, Charles Stepney3:39
4."Feelin' Blue"Kenny Altman4:28
5."Kalimba Story"M. White, V. White4:03
6."Drum Song"M. White5:10
7."Tee Nine Chee Bit"M. White, C. Stepney, P. Bailey3:45
8."Spasmodic Movements"Eddie Harris1:50
9."Rabbit Seed"M. White0:31
10."Caribou"C. Stepney, R. Giles3:25
11."Open Our Eyes"Leon Lumpkins5:06
12."Ain't No Harm To Moan (Slave Song)"M. White, Larry Dunn5:21
13."Fair But So Uncool (Walkin' In N'Awlins Mix)"C. Stepney, R. Giles, M. White3:37
14."Step's Tune"M. White, C. Stepney2:33
15."Dreams"M. White, C. Stepney, L. Dunn3:23

[21]

Personnel

Production
  • Earth, Wind & Fire - Musical arrangements
  • Maurice White - Producer (Original recording), Audio Mixing (12-15)
  • Bruce Botnick - Recording Engineer, Remix
  • Paul Klingberg - Audio Mixing (12-15)
  • Leo Sacks - Producer (Reissue), Audio Mixing (12-15)
  • Charles Stepney - Associate Producer (Original recording), Musical arrangements
  • Joe Wissert - Producer (Original recording)[20][21]

Charts and Certifications
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1974 "Devotion" Billboard Hot Soul Songs 23
Billboard Hot 100 33
"Kalimba Story" Billboard Hot Soul Songs 6
Billboard Hot 100 55
"Mighty Mighty" Billboard Hot Soul Songs 4
Billboard Hot 100 29

Certifications
Country Award
US (RIAA) Platinum[4]

See also

References
  1. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". 45worlds.com.
  2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  3. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes (Top Pop Albums)". billboard.com.
  4. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". riaa.com. RIAA.
  5. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Mighty Mighty (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard.com.
  6. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Mighty Mighty (Hot 100)". Billboard.com.
  7. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Kalimba Story (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard.com. Billboard.
  8. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Devotion (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
  9. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Devotion (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard.com.
  10. Henderson, Alex. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  11. Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes. Billboard Magazine. March 16, 1974. p. 48.
  12. Anderson, Dale (April 6, 1974). "Steely Dan Geared for Jazz-Rock Fusion". newspapers.com. Buffalo News. p. 77.
  13. Warner, Simon. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes/Spirit". popmatters.com. PopMatters.
  14. Emerson, Ken (May 9, 1974). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone.
  15. Christgau, Robert. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". robertchristgau.com. The Village Voice.
  16. Werner, Craig (March 2001). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes, Spirit". Vol. 9, no. 3. Vibe Magazine. p. 200. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  17. "Crucial Cuts". gale.com. The Times. August 16, 1998. p. 191.
  18. Hull, Tom (April 26, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  19. "Our Own Critics' Poll". robertchristgau.com. The Village Voice. January 20, 1975.
  20. Earth, Wind & Fire. “Open Our Eyes”. Columbia. 1974.
  21. Earth, Wind & Fire. “Open Our Eyes” (Remastered). Legacy’s Rhythm Soul Series. Columbia / Legacy. 2001.
  22. "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  23. "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  24. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  25. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
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