Rusty Reid is an American indie-folk-pop-country-rock singer-songwriter, originally from Texas, now based in the Pacific Northwest. 2024 marks the fifth anniversary of the initial release of Head to Heart by Rusty Reid. As with his singles, Rusty felt that Head to Heart deserved the superior mixing skills he has developed since the album’s original public debut.
This remixed version of what Rusty refers to as his “opus” brings a more refined aural quality to this unique collection of substance-charged songs, and hopefully will find a larger audience for this very important musical work and philosophical discourse. Rusty Reid’s album Head to Heart is subtitled, “A Revolutionary Manifesto in Song.”
Though presented through the genre of indie-pop-folk-country-rock, from a thematic perspective, it is most certainly one of the most “revolutionary” albums ever released. Idealism, vision, wisdom, philosophy, spirituality such as presented here usually requires a lifetime to achieve. And that’s why perhaps only a seasoned troubadour could deliver an album like Head to Heart.
Essentially a double album, Head to Heart is divided into two parts. Part One delves deeply into philosophical and spiritual matters, veering into mysticism, extolling the beauty and meaning of the world, providing a framework for a
worldview of awe, wonder, connection, belonging, affection and love for people and planet and universe. In Part Two, Rusty takes direct aim at the pervasive, oft unquestioned but nonetheless stultifying dysfunctions of modern culture. And there are many.
Not just a single-issue screed, not just cry for justice for this or that constituency, not a primarily economic critique, not merely an intellectual proclamation, Head to Heart is a spiritual call to action to rethink and remake much of human civilization. Every single song calls for a new worldview. It is post-postmodern, or integral, not content with simple deconstruction but circling back around to integrate the best of human cultures, including the classical virtues: love, truth, peace, courage, equality, goodwill, justice for all, happiness, real (not religious) spirituality and abiding affection for Mother Earth. The problem is that such a vision, such a world requires sacrifice from all of us.
Beloved, but harmful “traditions” must be abandoned. One or more of the songs on Head to Heart will challenge whether YOU are willing to participate in this transformation toward a revolution of love. Especially during this fraught era of democracy under attack and the fracturing of society into hostile tribes, a blueprint for “Another Way” as suggested by Head to Heart is sorely needed.
