Earth, Wind & Fire – Head To The Sky

This is "Culture Music"...any further descriptions misses the point. ""SOul FreE" is how I'd describe this album....speaks to the times and inner-city transformational journeys of the 70's...we had a true community then. All who grew up in cities like Oakland,Chicago,Cleveland ect.....felt the "what's going" on vibe and our communities had diverse culture near them which is the beauty of a flavela/barrio/hood. Sly Stone set the stage and as an fyi...Philip Bailey has family in Oakland...I know his niece... and EWF took it to the multicultural reality newly in those communities basically Jewish, Black & Brown new citizens like the one I grew up in Berkeley- the Bay Area. Beautiful Culture displayed through this album...SIMPLY! THis album is A true Cultural Statement...ENJOY!!

Album Revolution #1:

This is my introduction to "Earth Wind & Fire"!!!!!

I it like it was yesterday....I was 2 1/2, and I heard "Keep Your Head To The Sky", and from then on I was hooked (I know People don't believe that I it, but I DO!!!!) !!!!! This is the album Everyone discovered after "Earth, Wind & Fire" became Superstars (around 1975), and since then People are kicking themselves in the head for overlooking this CLASSIC!!!!!

The Band got modified just a little...

"Roland Batista" went to pursue other opportunities, so 2 Guitarist in "Al McKay" (from "Charles Wright & the Watts 103 Street Rhythm Band") and "Johnny Graham" (from "The New Birth") took his place....With "Ronnie Laws" also leaving for a successful solo career, he was replaced with "Phillip Bailey's" childhood friend, "Andrew Woolfolk"...With these new "Elements", the sound really seem to come together....

The 1st Ultimate Crown Jewel, "Evil" is the 1st song I really paid attention to...With the "Thunder", then the "Kalimba" and Keyboards, it was the perfect opening....

The "Title Track" (2nd Ultimate Crown Jewel) is the first song that really has the voice of "Phillip Bailey" on display......

"Clover" (named after the Studio they Recorded the album from), is a Moody Affair, with once again having "Phillip" showing off!!!!!

"Build Your Nest"....With its COUNTRY FUNK Groove, I believe this Crown Jewel is the reason why "Dr, Funkenstein, George Clinton", came after the group, calling them "Earth, Hot Air & No-Fire"!!!!! "Maurice", LAUGHED it off, until he saw "Funkadelic" live and said to the group, that it was "TIME TO PRACTICE"!!!!!!

The 13 minute closer "Zanzibar" is PERFECT!!!!! This Crown Jewel just CONTINUED to show the groups LOVE for "Jazz", keeping those ROOTS in tact.....

My favorite is, "The World's A Masquerade" (the Ultimate, Ultimate, Ultimate, Ultimate, Ultimate Crown Jewel), because it is telling it like is, in People and how they behave!!!!

It's crazy though, in the middle of promoting this album, "Jessica Cleaves" disappeared, only to resurface years later with "Parliament- Funkadelic"...

With this album things were really coming together Musically for the group....This also started the Album Revolution for the group....If you don't know anything about this album, try it, and you'll kick yourself in the head too!!!

1973's Head to the Sky essentially represents a band on the cusp of realizing their full potential. While Earth, Wind & the Fire already explored a heady mélange of free jazz, soul, and funk on their first three albums, it is here where they draw closer to a singular, accessible approach that would herald their crossover peak. Founder and visionary Maurice White embolden the band to further employ raw Latin rock influences that emerged on this album's 1972 predecessor, Last Days and Time. They're fleshed out all on the scorching social statement, "Evil," the esoteric psych-funk jam that predates neo-soul, "Clover," and the expansive 13-minute jam, "Zanzibar," which deftly shows the band's embrace of Brazilian and Caribbean music flavors. The Sly Stone-influenced funk of "Build Your Nest" shows off their funk mastery, while somewhere in between lies brooding message songs like the inspirational title track, "Keep Your Head to the Sky" and the low-key, introspective gospel soul of "The World's a Masquerade." Overall, this transitional classic marked a step in the right direction for the band and it only got better from here.

You can't go wrong with a vinyl copy of this great album. My 1973 Terre Haute pressing sounds snazzy in every way. Full and lively, which is surprising, given that this wasn't a well-recorded album. If you must own a CD copy of this, beware of the original CD from the late '80s. Sony Japan's 2004 DSD remaster is miles superior with optimum mastering. Sony's first CD run of EWF's CBS catalog was heavily plagued with glitches. I don't know why this album and several of their later albums weren't part of the 1999 Mark Wilder remaster campaign. Although I don't own the band's Complete Columbia Masters box set from 2012, which contains a remaster of this album, I'd imagine that it would suffice if you want to hear this album digitally.

How is it possible to not mention guest soloist trumpeter Oscar Brashear (Zanzibar) in the credits?--that's wrong.

huuuge soul funk album : unmissable for soul lovers far & better from thier 80' disco boogie commercial productions