Open Our Eyes

Last updated
Open Our Eyes
Earth, Wind & Fire - Open Our Eyes.jpg
Studio album by
Earth, Wind & Fire
ReleasedMarch 1974
RecordedAugust 1973, Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado, U.S.
Genre
Length39:52
Label Columbia/Legacy
Producer Maurice 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 1974
  2. "Kalimba Story"
    Released: July 1974
  3. "Devotion"
    Released: September 1974

Open Our Eyes is the fifth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in March 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]

Contents

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. [5]

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. [6] [7] "Kalimba Story" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart. [8] Another single, "Devotion", peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [9] [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Billboard (favourable) [12]
Buffalo News (favourable) [13]
PopMatters (favourable) [14]
Rolling Stone (favorable) [15]
Village Voice (A–) [16]
Vibe Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [17]
The Times (favourable) [18]
Tom Hull – on the Web B+ ( Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg ) [19]

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". [15] Dale Anderson of the Buffalo News declared "Open Our Eyes is worthy of the attention of progressive music fans everywhere". [13] The Village Voice's Robert Christgau also described Side 1 as "A very pleasant surprise" and Side 2 as a complete "tour de force". [15] [16]

Music journalist Vince Aletti named Open Our Eyes in his ballot for The Village Voice's 1974 Pazz & Jop critics poll. [20]

Track listing

Original release

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mighty Mighty" Maurice White, Verdine White 3:01
2."Devotion"M. White, Philip Bailey 4:50
3."Fair But So Uncool"Rick Giles, Charles Stepney 3:39
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 Harris 1:50
9."Rabbit Seed"M. White0:31
10."Caribou"C. Stepney, R. Giles3:25
11."Open Our Eyes"Leon Lumpkins5:06

[21]

2001 Reissue

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mighty Mighty" Maurice White, Verdine White 3:03
2."Devotion"M. White, Philip Bailey 4:50
3."Fair But So Uncool"M. White, Rick Giles, Charles Stepney 3:39
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 Harris 1:50
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

[22]

Personnel

Production

Charts and Certifications

Singles
YearSingleChartPosition
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

CountryAward
US (RIAA) Platinum [4]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Great Rock Discography". p. 254.
  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. 1 2 "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". riaa.com. RIAA.
  5. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". 45worlds.com.
  6. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Mighty Mighty (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard.com.
  7. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Mighty Mighty (Hot 100)". Billboard.com.
  8. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Kalimba Story (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard.com. Billboard.
  9. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Devotion (Hot 100)". billboard.com.
  10. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire: Devotion (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard.com.
  11. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  12. ↑ Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes. Billboard Magazine. March 16, 1974. p. 48.
  13. 1 2 Anderson, Dale (April 6, 1974). "Steely Dan Geared for Jazz-Rock Fusion". newspapers.com. Buffalo News. p. 77.
  14. ↑ Warner, Simon. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes/Spirit". popmatters.com. PopMatters.
  15. 1 2 3 Emerson, Ken (May 9, 1974). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone.
  16. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes". robertchristgau.com. The Village Voice.
  17. ↑ Werner, Craig (March 2001). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Open Our Eyes, Spirit". Vibe Magazine . Vol. 9, no. 3. p. 200.
  18. ↑ "Crucial Cuts". gale.com. The Times. August 16, 1998. p. 191.
  19. ↑ Hull, Tom (April 26, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Our Own Critics' Poll". robertchristgau.com. The Village Voice. January 20, 1975.
  21. 1 2 3 Earth, Wind & Fire. “Open Our Eyes”. Columbia. 1974.
  22. 1 2 3 Earth, Wind & Fire. “Open Our Eyes” (Remastered). Legacy’s Rhythm Soul Series. Columbia / Legacy. 2001.
  23. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Earth, Wind & Fire Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1974". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
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