(Funk, Soul) [LP] [24/192] Earth, Wind & Fire - Head to the Sky - 1973, FLAC (tracks)

Lineage:
Degritter RCM > Rega Naia Turntable with Rega Naia PSU > Rega Aphelion 2 Cartridge > Rega Aura Phono Stage > Rega Osiris Amplifier > RME ADI-2 Pro FS R BE ADC > AudioQuest Carbon USB Cable > USB-IN > Audition CC 2021 @ 24bit float, 192kHz capture.
Processing:
24bit wav > Run through Click Repair 3.9.9 at 10/0 on DeClick > Volume Boost +3 DB > Remove DC Bias > Saved as 24bit,192kHz WAV > FLAC > Tagged with Discogs tagger through Foobar.
Scans:
Epson Expression 11000XL -> 16bit 600 DPI with Unsharp Mask -> Color Correction in Photoshop CC 2021 x64 -> 8bit 600DPI PNG.

foobar2000 1.6.16 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2025-06-11 17:40:25
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Analyzed: Earth, Wind & Fire / Head to the Sky
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DR         Peak         RMS     Duration Track
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DR13      -0.91 dB   -15.04 dB      4:59 01-Evil
DR12      -1.12 dB   -15.12 dB      5:08 02-Keep Your Head to the Sky
DR14      -0.97 dB   -16.42 dB      3:16 03-Build Your Nest
DR13      -1.68 dB   -16.40 dB      4:48 04-The World's a Masquerade
DR13      -1.44 dB   -15.91 dB      5:23 05-Clover
DR13      -0.90 dB   -16.32 dB     13:01 06-Zanzibar
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Number of tracks:  6
Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate:        192000 Hz
Channels:          2
Bits per sample:   24
Bitrate:           5024 kbps
Codec:             FLAC
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As phenomenally popular as Earth, Wind & Fire was from the mid-'70s to the early '80s, it's easy to forget that the band was hardly an overnight success. With Head to the Sky -- EWF's fourth album overall, second with Philip Bailey, and second for Columbia -- Maurice White's very spiritual and ambitious brand of soul and funk was starting to pay off commercially. The Latin-influenced "Evil" became the soulsters' biggest hit up to that point, and material ranging from the hauntingly pretty title song (which boasts one of Bailey's finest performances ever) to the jazz fusion gem "Zanzibar" is just as rewarding. The lineup White unveiled with Last Days and Time was working out beautifully; Bailey was clearly proving to be a major asset. Also worth noting is the presence of singer Jessica Cleaves, who left after this album and, several years later, resurfaced in George Clinton's eccentric female group the Brides of Funkenstein. EWF still had what was basically a cult following, but that was beginning to change with Head to the Sky. And when EWF took off commercially in 1974 and 1975, many new converts went back and saw for themselves just how excellent an album Head to the Sky was.