The classic first LP by this stellar Chicago harmony group – and a monster! Heaven & Earth had a wonderful falsetto harmony sound that reminds us a lot of east coast winners like Blue Magic or The Stylistics – and like some of the best east coast groups, this group's vocals work equally well on slow ballads or faster uptempo numbers, both of which are handled extremely well on the record by producer Clarence Johnson. The bulk of the arrangements on the record were done by Tom Tom 84 – one of Chicago's true soul geniuses, and in perfect form on this record. The whole thing's amazingly well put together for an indie soul group album – and is a sure indication of the group's later fame on Mercury. Titles include "Nature's Miracle", "The Message", "I'll Always Love You", "Let Me Back In", and "I Can't Seem To Forget You". CD
Wonderful work from Gecko Turner – an artist who's always had a vibe that's all his own, and a quality level that just seems to improve with each new record! Gecko's brand of soul is loose and free – sometimes a bit of funk or boogie, sometimes a breezier approach that echoes older modes of his native Spain – but never in a way that's Latin-styled at all! Instead, there's a very contemporary, very globe-spanning vibe here – cosmopolitan, but personal too – a quality that's a bit hard to put in words, but which will win you over right away, once you step inside Gecko's world. Titles include "Little Dose", "Twenty Twenty Vision", "Am I Sad", "Come & Try", "End Of The World", "De Balde", "Ain't No Fun Preachin To The Choir", and "The Sibariteo Appreciation Society". CD