| Open Our Eyes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1974 | |||
| Recorded | August 1973, Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado, U.S. | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:52 | |||
| Label | Columbia/Legacy | |||
| Producer | Maurice White, Joe Wissert | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Open Your Eyes | ||||
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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]
Open Our Eyes was produced by Maurice White and Joe Wissert and recorded at Caribou RanchinNederland, Colorado, US. During 2001, Open Our Eyes was reissued with four bonus tracks.[5]
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]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Billboard | (favourable)[12] |
| Buffalo News | (favourable)[13] |
| PopMatters | (favourable)[14] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[15] |
| Village Voice | (A–)[16] |
| Vibe |  [17] |
| The Times | (favourable)[18] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ ( )[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]
| No. | Title | Writer(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 Altman | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Kalimba Story" | M. White, V. White | 4:03 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Drum Song" | M. White | 5:10 |
| 7. | "Tee Nine Chee Bit" | M. White, C. Stepney, P. Bailey | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Spasmodic Movements" | Eddie Harris | 1:50 |
| 9. | "Rabbit Seed" | M. White | 0:31 |
| 10. | "Caribou" | C. Stepney, R. Giles | 3:25 |
| 11. | "Open Our Eyes" | Leon Lumpkins | 5:06 |
| No. | Title | Writer(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 Altman | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Kalimba Story" | M. White, V. White | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Drum Song" | M. White | 5:10 |
| 7. | "Tee Nine Chee Bit" | M. White, C. Stepney, P. Bailey | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Spasmodic Movements" | Eddie Harris | 1:50 |
| 9. | "Rabbit Seed" | M. White | 0:31 |
| 10. | "Caribou" | C. Stepney, R. Giles | 3:25 |
| 11. | "Open Our Eyes" | Leon Lumpkins | 5:06 |
| 12. | "Ain't No Harm To Moan (Slave Song)" | M. White, Larry Dunn | 5:21 |
| 13. | "Fair But So Uncool (Walkin' In N'Awlins Mix)" | C. Stepney, R. Giles, M. White | 3:37 |
| 14. | "Step's Tune" | M. White, C. Stepney | 2:33 |
| 15. | "Dreams" | M. White, C. Stepney, L. Dunn | 3:23 |
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
| 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 |
| Country | Award |
|---|---|
| US (RIAA) | Platinum[4] |
