Artist: Earth, Wind & Fire Album: Head to the Sky

Year: 1973
Duration: 0:0-1

A Tale of Earth, Wind & Fire's Head to the Sky

Earth, Wind & Fire, a multi-Grammy award-winning American band, is an all-time favorite of many listeners. Their music combines various genres like funk, soul, jazz, and R&B, infusing them with lyrics filled with the universal themes of love, hope, and spirituality. One such album that stood out from their discography was Head to the Sky, released in 1973. This album marked the band's transition from jazz to soul and funk, making it a critical point in their musical journey. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the album, discussing its musical style, the best songs, and our overall review.

Genre and Musical Style:

Head to the Sky primarily focuses on soul and funk music, which is evident from the use of horns, guitars, drums, and keyboard. One can immediately feel the groove in the opening track, Evil, with its groovy bassline and soaring horns. The album transitions effortlessly from slow ballads to quickly-paced funk jams. Earth, Wind & Fire's signature style of harmonizing provides the music added depth and soul, making the tunes even more enjoyable.

The Best Songs of the Album:

One of the best songs on the album is Keep Your Head to the Sky. It features enchanting gospel choir vocals, a calming bassline, drums, and a soaring horn section. This song is a soothing experience and an essential reminder of the importance of keeping your head high during rough times. Another great track is Devotion, which features a catchy melody that gets you moving to the beat almost instantaneously. The melody and lyrics blend well together, forming a beautiful piece of soul music. Zanzibar, with its flourishing piano and horn arrangements, is another highlight of the album. Overall, there isn't a terrible song on the album, as each track is unique and worth a listen.

The Most Innovative Parts:

Head to the Sky's most innovative part is the band's use of intricate rhythms and diverse instruments. The album's instrumentation plays a key role in differentiating it from other funk, soul, or jazz albums of the era. The arrangement of the instruments and the harmonies between the vocals, horns, and guitar are intricate and provide added depth to the album. In each track, the instrumentation is in perfect sync with the lyrics, creating a symphony of notes and sounds.

A Critique of the Album:

Despite being an amazing album, Head to the Sky, like any other record, has its flaws. One critique is that it lacks consistency, with various tracks featuring differing styles and tempos. The album's pacing itself can be uneven, with some tracks feeling slow and dragging, while others feel too rushed. The lyrics themselves provide thought-provoking themes about life and spirituality, but some of them can come off as too preachy or cliche.

In conclusion, Earth, Wind & Fire's Head to the Sky is a soulful album that showcases the band's talent in creating amazing music. The album is a testament to their ability to blend various musical styles with depth and soul, solidifying them as one of the greatest bands of their time. While not every track is perfect, the album is worth a listen and a must-have for any lover of soul and funk music.