In 1969, faced with both the departure of founding member Al Kooper and the pressures of following up the critical acclaim of their smash 1968 debut Child Is The Father To Man, Blood, Sweat & Tears stood tall and delivered the goods with their self-titled sophomore release. Welcoming vocalist David Clayton-Thomas aboard, the band advanced beyond its R&B/blues roots to create what can only be described as a masterpiece, culminating in a Grammy Award for Album Of The Year.

Utilizing Erik Satie's "Variations On a Theme" to quietly open and close the album, in-between the band expertly mixes songs from contemporary writers like Laura Nyro ("And When I Die"), Traffic ("Smiling Phases"), and Barry Gordy ("You've Made Me So Very Happy,") along with classic original material such as "Spinning Wheel" and "Sometime In Winter," creating a virtual greatest hits of concert staples. Blood, Sweat & Tears' brilliant blend of jazz-pop arrangements and just a hint of classical, yielded another landmark recording chock full of timeless songs that have been a part of popular culture ever since.

Gatefold 180g vinyl pressing from Friday Music mastered by Joe Reagoso and manufactured at RTI.