3 ORIGINALS

As a repackage of 1973's "Atlantis" (a symphonic progressive classic and easily ***** in every way), 1975's "To The World Of The Future" (a crossover album, with some excellent progressive moments but also straighter pop/rock - overall about ***) and 1977's "Gate To Infinity" (a sort of pop/prog/disco-ish hybrid of wildly varying quality - their last album of interest and again about ***) and various obscure singles and B-sides from the early and mid seventies, "3 Originals" is a curious set indeed. However, at least half the music is great, it's excellent value for money and some of the B-sides are previously unavailable on CD, so it's definitely worth getting. But ultimately, it's so disparate that I just can't imagine anyone (whether they prefer the band's progressive or pop sides) enjoying the whole thing from start to finish.

A double CD set containing 3 very different Earth and Fire albums and an album's worth of singles and B-sides, "3 Originals" is more than just an introduction to Earth and Fire. While it is missing arguably their best album, "Song of the Marching Children", it details the evolution or devolution of the band into pop and disco by the late 1970s, by way of "Atlantis", which could also be considered their best, the good "To the World of the Future", and the fair "Gate to Infinity". If you can get this set for about the same price as the first two albums, and don't mind some drivel, then by all means get it. Most of what you will like will be on the first CD anyway. The singles and B-sides are of limited interest but contain a few good songs like "Hazy Paradise" and "Vivid Shady Land", the show the band's propensity for psychedelia. Some of the songs sound more like 1960s holdovers, but no matter. "Earth and Fire" was a fairly unique band and "3 Originals" is all you need, and more, from the mid 1970s peak, and beyond.