Kansas...what an awesome band. They're fantastic, really. This album is fantastic. It's a good picture of what they normally do. Or at least as far as I know of them. When I was like, 7 years old, I began with their song Dust in the Wind (which is on here). Yes, I was exposed to strange things when I was a child. (I promise, there was a good reason for it!) So anyway - I started Kansas with Masque, and so then I decided to get this one, because, well, it had my favorite childhood song on it. I was no disappointed. You won't either, I assume.
Point of Know Return: Upon first getting the album, I thought two things. "Why do they spell it that way?" and "You mean like from Phantom of the Opera?" No, this has nothing to do with Phantom of the Opera. But it's quite good. It gives one quite an adventurous feeling, like something really exciting is happening. Actually - this is what happens when I'm riding in the car and it's going real fast and I stick my head out the window like a dog! (Yes, I really do that.) Hooray for oddly-spelled title track openers!
Paradox: I often find myself spontaneously humming this song, which means it's either very catchy, or (more likely), it just got caught in my brain. It's really nothing very special, but it's a good little song.
The Spider: An instrumental...interesting. You didn't have any instrumentals on Masque. Now there's a couple on this record. Okay, that's good with me. I wonder why they titled it "The Spider", though. It has a rather urgent feel to it. Maybe it's about people who are deathly afraid of spiders and there's one in the room and they're trying to kill it as quickly as they can. That's what it means to me anyway.
Portrait (He Knew): Here we see Kansas getting a bit philosophical on us. Or at least, I think this is what it sounds like when Kansas gets philosophical. So they're singing about some guy who was treated like a crazy by society. And this fellow was also a genius. All I want to know was who was this guy? Or, actually, maybe I shouldn't ask that. Maybe it'd spoil it for me if I knew. Quite thought-provoking.
Closet Chronicles: After some of the excitement of those first four songs, this piece settles things down somewhat. This is another one where I have a bit of trouble figuring out what it's about. I don't mind it this time, however. The lyrics don't drive me as crazy as Portrait's. These guys can be very philosophical if they like.
Lightning's Hand: Yay! It's Lightning's Hand! This is one of the main reasons I listen to this record! This track stands out to me. It sounds bipolar. Like Seven Seas of Rhye or something. It makes me feel excited, like Point of Know Return. Except this time, it's a megalomaniacal sort of feeling, the sort of thing that makes you want to say "BWA HA HA HA! THE WORLD IS ALL MINE I SAY!" Like that.
Dust in the Wind: Kansas does another relaxed number, but at a price. It's depressing. Somehow, this song doesn't sound like Kansas. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it has no keyboard. They were always very into using keyboards, or so I gather. Well, it was my favorite song as a kid, so it deserved special notice for at least that.
Sparks of the Tempest: I always find myself forgetting this song for some reason. I don't know why. It's cool enough to remember, and it gives me some of that powerful feeling I like (from Point of Know Return or Lightning's Hand).
Nobody's Home: It's got a good beginning. Sounds quite grand and theatric. This is the sort of thing that Kansas was aiming for! The lyrics - well, it's Kansas being philosophical. How many times am I going to have to use the phrase "Kansas being philosophical"? (More than I want, apparently...) But as for the song - a bit of drama, a bit of philosophy. Nice mix.
Hopelessly Human: This song is even more dramatic than Nobody's Home, and it's quite emotional-sounding. This isn't a bad thing, though. It actually makes it an even better closer. It's not too much like Point of Know Return, which began this record, but does it have to be? Noo...Funny how Kansas can always make an album sound like there was tons of drama throughout the whole thing and now they're bringing the whole story to a close, even when there was no story to start with. Good job, Kansas.
Best tracks: Point of Know Return, The Portrait (He Knew), Dust in the Wind, and Lightning's Hand.
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