Earth, Wind & Fire’s eighth studio album arguably marked their artistic high point, aptly symbolized by the pyramid on the cover. (Is it mere coincidence that Iron Maiden pulled the same trick with 1984’s Powerslave?) The opening one-two of “Serpentine Fire” and the swooning, stunning “Fantasy” set the tone for a lush, intricately produced set of songs that meshed jazz, funk, and R&B balladry into a truly epic whole. Earth, Wind & Fire’s brand of funk may not have been as hard-driving as other contemporaneous acts, but no other band could match them in terms of virtuosity and arranging — some of these songs are practically big band charts, and their use of instruments from around the globe, and the studio as an instrument, was unmatched. And when they strip it down to just acoustic guitar and Philip Bailey’s crystal-clear voice on “I’ll Write A Song For You,” the results are just as glorious.