Ross Bossineau of Allmusic gave a three out of five stars rating saying "Expatriate Earth, Wind & Fire vocalist Philip Bailey stepped out on his own with Continuation, his first solo recording. Here Bailey got to explore some less-cluttered grooves than in EWF, and he also sang in his natural tenor rather than being limited to his falsetto."[1] Phyl Garland of Stereo Review wrote "'Continuation,' Bailey's debut solo album, is not as consistently excellent as some of his previous collaborations. There is a somewhat lower level of musical imagination in the material he sings here (some of his own compositions). But the album does demonstrate that he is an artist with a singular and highly polished vocal style who is capable of generating considerable heat through his incisive attack, zestful delivery, and firm professionalism. There's not a sloppy note to be heard here".[5] Martin Basch of the Boston Globe claimed "This Is the rare R&B dance album where each cut is outstanding. Philip Bailey, co-lead vocalist for Earth. Wind and Fire, produced the album which will seduce you with its charm and beat."[2] Sharon Davis of Blues & Soul found that "With George Duke producing and vocal support from Sister Sledge, Jeffrey Osborne, and others, the music here is rich and layered; totally immersing itself into emotional experiences delivered by one of soul music's finest voices."[4] Hugh Wyatt of the New York Daily News stated "The first mistake singer Philip Bailey has made in his first solo album is in using many people associated with Earth, Wind and Fire, the band with whom he has performed as co-lead singer for the last 12 years. Thus, there isn't anything significantly new despite the fact that it's a top-notch recording. Bailey's voice remains one of the most spectacular instruments in contemporary rhythm 'n' blues."[6]
George Del Barrio – string arrangements and conductor (2, 3, 7)
Gerald Vinci – concertmaster
Bill Hughes – contractor
Cello – Ron Cooper, Ray Kelley, Earl Madison and Fred Seykora
Harp – Catherine Gottholfer
Viola – Rollice Dale, Pam Goldsmith, Allan Harshman and Dave Schwartz
Violin – Murray Adler, Issy Baker, Brenton Banks, Sherrill Baptist, Tom Buffum, Ron Clark, Ron Folsom, Reg Hill, Marv Limonick, Irma Neuman and Bob Sushel
Production
Producer – George Duke
Executive Producer – Larkin Arnold
Production Assistant – Cheryl R. Brown
Recorded and Mixed by Tommy Vicari
Additional Engineers – Peter Chaiken and Tom Perry
Assistant Engineers – Steve Crimmel, Kevin Eddy, Mitch Gibson, Barbara Rooney and Nick Spigel.