Not exactly a concept album, All 'n All (1977) nevertheless was Earth, Wind & Fire's biggest attempt yet at making a big statement. With several interludes providing musical links--and cultural and spiritual heavies such as Shakespeare and Buddha depicted on an inside-cover spread--it had all the trappings of a major extravaganza, while keeping the songs at radio-friendly lengths. That those songs included the perfectly named "Serpentine Fire" and the Stevie Wonder-style brotherhood anthem "Fantasy" helped make the record one of EW&F's most popular: as of the mid '90s, 3 million copies had shipped.
This sparkling remaster includes three bonus demo, live, and alternate-mix cuts. --Rickey Wright