Open Our Eyes

Open Our Eyes is the fifth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in March 1974 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Pop Albums chart. Open Our Eyes has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

Overview
Open Our Eyes was produced by Maurice White and Joe Wissert and recorded at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado, US. During 2001, Open Our Eyes was reissued with four bonus tracks.

Singles
The track, "Mighty Mighty", peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Kalimba Story" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart. Another single, "Devotion", peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Critical reception
Rolling Stone called Open Our Eyes "a pleasant miscellany of Africana, Latin rhythms, well-mannered funk, smooth jazz, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder and the Fifth Dimension". Dale Anderson of the Buffalo News declared "Open Our Eyes is worthy of the attention of progressive music fans everywhere". The Village Voice's Robert Christgau also described Side 1 as "A very pleasant surprise" and Side 2 as a complete "tour de force".

Music journalist Vince Aletti named Open Our Eyes in his ballot for The Village Voice's 1974 Pazz & Jop critics poll.

Personnel

 * Philip Bailey - vocals, congas, percussion
 * Larry Dunn - Moog synthesizer, piano, organ
 * Johnny Graham - guitar, percussion
 * Ralph Johnson - drums, percussion
 * Al McKay - vocals, guitar, percussion
 * Maurice White - vocals, drums, kalimba
 * Verdine White - vocals, bass, percussion
 * Andrew Woolfolk - soprano saxophone, flute

Production

 * Earth, Wind & Fire - Musical arrangements
 * Maurice White - Producer (Original recording), Audio Mixing (12-15)
 * Bruce Botnick - Recording Engineer, Remix
 * Paul Klingberg - Audio Mixing (12-15)
 * Leo Sacks - Producer (Reissue), Audio Mixing (12-15)
 * Charles Stepney - Associate Producer (Original recording), Musical arrangements
 * Joe Wissert - Producer (Original recording)