Earth, Wind & Fire

Vol. I was 1978 and there are still only two '80s cuts, with 1980's "Let Me Talk," all that's worth salvaging from Faces, and 1987's "System of Survival," the closest they've ever come to actual protest, both missing. And you know what? At one nullity and one dubiety a side, it's every bit as solid as Vol. I, which happens to be the best album they ever released. I should mention that because I prefer their slick early-'80s decline to their soulful late-'70s ascendancy (not to mention their fusoid early-'70s launch), my tastes in this matter are unorthodox if not crackpot. But if you could scarcely give a sh*t, which at this late date is sane enough, here's some slick, soulful fun. (Grade: A-)