That's the Way of the World

33⅓ Main Series #168

by Dwight E. Brooks

Understanding That's the Way of the World requires appreciating Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White's multifaceted vision for his band. White created a band that performed various styles of music that sought to uplift humanity. His musicians personified a new form of Black masculinity rooted in dignity that embraced diverse spiritualities and healthy living. A complete understanding of TTWOTW also necessitates an awareness of American racial dynamics and changes in the popular music industry in the 1960s and '70s.

EWF's landmark album TTWOTW presented hopeful messages about the world that were sorely needed at the time. TTWOTW did not tell listeners exactly how to live, but instead how they can live in a quest for self-actualization. The songs encourage us to yearn, learn, love, see, listen, and feel happy. If art can help mold a better future, than EWF's musical legacy of positivity and self-empowerment will continue to contribute to personal growth and social change even as their melodies linger.

Genres: Music

152 pages, Paperback

First published November 3, 2022

Reviews

[Ross Bonaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite being a book ostensibly about and named after the Earth, Wind & Fire album, "That's the Way of the World," Dwight E. Brooks' contribution to the 33 1/3 series is more a retrospective of EW&F's entire career. In fact, Brooks doesn't really explore "That's the Way of the World" until about 2/3rds through the book, and even then, it's given about as much importance as most other albums from the band. If anything, he shows that "TTWOTW" was a major turning point for the band in how it made them far more popular than they had been up to that time, but again, that's sort of a quick note before Brooks moves on to the rest of the band's career.

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I do want to learn more about EW&F when I read a book like this. But, unfortunately, the story of EW&F isn't all that exciting when you get right down to it. This is a story of how Maurice White wanted to start a band with a specific worldview, they struggled for a bit, but then they became huge. That's really the arc we get, and Brooks struggles to make it more interesting than that. He lists the names of members who join and leave the band, and he gives us an in-depth history of their recordings and albums. But none of this really spices up what is essentially a biography, nor does it give me any worthwhile insights into "That's the Way of the World" specifically.

I do appreciate how the 33 1/3 series allows writers to take their own approach to iconic albums, but I do sometimes wish they were reined in a bit more, as I wish this had more focus and specificity. I understand that Brooks has a deep appreciation for Earth, Wind & Fire, and it shows, but that passion doesn't necessarily make for a great book.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's definitely some great information on the band's process, their evolution, etc. That said, there just felt like there were too many digressions, like Brooks didn't want to leave any single detail out, so tons of sub-chapters running through this that seemed excessive. Also, while I get it, the album title acronym definitely led to some tedium on my part. Still, thought that it did delve into a lot of how the album came to be, which, as always, I value in this series. Maybe would have liked an epilogue on its lasting role in current music, etc.

[Jason Gewirtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this but would have enjoyed even more with less EWF history and more history of the album itself.

[Eric Arnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to learn about the creation of the 'That's the Way of the World' album, however, the author only barely touched on the subject until chapter 5...100 pages into the 130-something page book. Instead, he book is about Maurice White's backstory and the creation of EWF, and the constant changes to the band's personnel.
This book reads like a phone book there are so many repetitive names, and don't get me started with the author's maddening over-use of acronyms.
Unfortunately, this story is disjointed, repetitive, and at the end of the day, unfulfilling since what should be the main course of 'That's the Way of the World' is almost a footnote.
At one point, the author describes himself as "an academic", and he definitely tries to show that off in the book, tossing in as many unnecessary big words as possible.
I give it two stars because I did learn a few things about Maurice White's "origin story", but I gained no real insight into this album.