1. Carry on Wayward Son (#11, platinum) - It's impossible to overstate the importance of this song on Kansas's career. It's chart peak in no way is indicative of the phenomenally big hit that it was. Billboard didn't begin charting AOR until 1981, but this song consistently rates among the 10 most played ever on that format and now scores similar results on classic rock radio. There are probably 20-30 Kansas songs that I would rate above this one and wish got the same recognition, but this still is a great song. The energy of the guitar riffs, in particular. And it never fails to deliver live! I especially love the prolonged ending, continually repeating the "E E G G" part over and over, getting slightly faster each time and working into a frenzy! I was really surprised to learn that Kerry wasn't a Christian when he wrote it, particularly because of the lyrics that precede the last chorus - "You will always remember, nothing equals the splendor, now your life's no longer empty, surely heaven waits for you."
2. The Wall - Not the same wall that Pink Floyd would sing about 3 years later, but one maybe even harder hitting. It's astonishing that, being immediately after "Carry On," that more radio programmers didn't discover this one. The Kansas die-hards did, though! In my survey, it placed number 2, behind "SFA" and ahead of "Carry On!" For years, the band stopped playing it live, but I've seen the group 17 times (starting in '89) and they've played every single time! Musically, it's a stunningly powerful, well orchestrated ballad about the symbolic wall that prevents you from knowing the ultimate Truth of life, which Kerry was extenstively searching for at the time. The last verse says it all - "Gold and diamonds cast a spell, it's not for me, I know it well, the riches that I seek are waiting on the other side. There's more than I can measure in the treasures of the love that I can find (enter Robby's awesome violin run!). And though it's always been with me, I must tear down the wall and let it be all I am and all that I was ever meant to be in harmony, shining through and smiling back at all who wait to cross, THERE IS NO LOSS." Enough said!
3. What's on My Mind - To me, this one has "Lonely Street" syndrome - it follows something just too good! One of Kerry's least progressive '70s compositions, it's decent up-tempo pop rock. The lyrics, analyzing relationships with 3 different people in Kerry's life are quite interesting and unique - he has rarely written about involvement with other people.
4. Miracles Out of Nowhere - The instrumental sections don't generally grab me very much, but this song has its fair share of highlights. In particular the verses and choruses are quite strong and capture the feelings of loneliness applied to all of the characters mentioned in the lyrics. Excellent acoustic guitar work, too, something that the band had displayed little of up to that point.
5. Opus Insert - Where the title came from, I have no idea! This mid-tempo synth dominated track if often overlooked, but, I'm glad to say, has been 2nd in every Kansas show that I've seen this year! The melodies are very refreshing and bright bright and the almost marching band like instrumental break (which even features xylophone sounds!) show Kansas's unqiue ability to bridge the gap between progressive and pop music. More spiritually confusing lyrics from Kerry - "There's nothing that we can't do, my friend, 'cause the spirit is with us all. Oh, it's here and it's now, it's up and it's down, you can feel it surrounding usall."
6. Questions of My Childhood - I've heard that Kansas has never performed this song live, which is surprising as I think it's among their better material. Very appealing, optimistic pop with particularly memorable violin and acoustic piano playing the biggest parts. It would have made a good single release, but remember, we are talking about the record industry here.
7. Cheyenne Anthem - The plight of Native Americans was always a subject of interest for Kerry and particularly came to the forefront in the Monolith artwork. But this is the clearest lyrical reference and the subject is dealt with is a very sorrowful way ("You have come to move me, take me from my ancient home, land of my fathers, I can't leave you now. We will share it with you. No man own this earth we're on.") As for the music, it's another Kansas rhapsody. Soft acoustic pop into haunting balladry into a frenzic instrumental break that features some excellent synth work, particularly for the day. Then back to the acoustic section before ending with a surprisingly upbeat instrumental close.
8. Magnum Opus - For an 8 minute song, this is a real workout! It actually seems more like 12 minutes, with the numerous changes! Originally titled "Leftoverture," as it was compiled of sections left over from other songs, a few bits aren't very grabbing, compositionally. But other parts of the song are excellent, particularly the slow, dark, cinematic intro and brief vocal section and the excellent chord progression on the closing jam.
POINT OF KNOW RETURN (1977, #4, triple platinum) - It's always a tough job to follow up a commercial success, but was particularly so during the '70s as the industry standard was an album a year. But, showing again why they are the greatest band of all time, Kansas rose to the occasion and delivered another knockout punch, just 11 months after the release of "Leftoverture!" I think I like it even slightly more than its predecessor. It's probably helped by the fact that on this one, more collaboration took place - Kerry and Steve wrote 6 of the 10 songs together. Despite their substantial differences - Kerry's heavy progressive leanings vs. Steve's straight ahead rock combined with his desire to be a sex symbol and "rock star" - they seemed to balance each other out exceptionally well and are perhaps one reason why Kansas fans tend to love both the progressive (Yes, ELP, Genesis) and middle of the road (Styx, Boston, Foreigner) side of the '70s. But it wouldn't last. If the truth would have been known at the time, it would have been shocking, but 20 years later, only 2 more Livgren-Walsh co-compositions have been released - Don't Open Your Eyes and Wheels. I guess the, well, Paradox of it is that their greatest assett was also their greatest liability. They simply weren't able to peacefully co-exist despite what they were achieving artistically and commercially.
1. Point of Know Return (#28) - An infectious pop anthem from start to finish! Written by Steve and Robby, with Phil suggesting the title, this very upbeat track is very difficult not to get hooked on quickly, particularly with the sing along type chorus (a quality that many Kansas songs have that often gets overlooked as it's not common in progressive music). And it still contains tough violin fills and 7/4 time during the chours!
2. Paradox - The rocking keyboard intro is one of my favorite Kansas intros. It's a very fun up-tempo song with the verse reminiscent of some of Steve's pop compositions, but with plenty of Kerry's prog influence as well, particularly on the extended insrumental breaks. This used to be a live staple, but for some reason seems to have gotten pushed out of the set list for most of the last 5 years. More of Kerry's spiritual searching comes through in the lyrics - "I've been here and I've been there, it seems like I've been everywhere before. I've seen it all a hundred times, still I think there surely must be more."
3. The Spider - It's surprising that as progressive as Kansas has been that out of their 110 commercially released songs, only 3 have been instrumentals. And the latter 2 were both from very pop oriented albums - Musicatto from Power and T.O. Witcher from In the Spirit of Things. "The Spider" is the first one and is a brief, sort of nightmarish song, very reminiscent of ELP's Tarkus. Another surprise is that Steve, not Kerry, is the writer. Because of his frontman status during much of Kansas's career, few have been aware that he is actually a very good keyboardist in his own right. Now that he, for the first time, is Kansas's only keyboardist, a few are starting to discover this well kept secret.
4. Portrait (He Knew) (#64) - Even when Kansas did a very pop oriented song, it often had a much more sophisticated arrangemnt than most of what was on top 40 radio. Such is the case with this. Though it has a very simple, almost funky, mid-tempo beat, some interesting violins and keyboards are high in the mix. In concert, this one never fails to deliver and, not surprisingly, has become a live staple. The energetic double time coda is much prolonged when Kansas plays this in concert, often leading into "Carry On." It's interesting to me that many people thought that this song was about Jesus Christ (though Kerry would re-write the lyrics to make them so for his remake of this song in 1988). Somehow, I picked up early on that it was a commentary on Albert Einstein, even before reading that fact in Kerry's book.
5. Closet Chronicles - From Einstein to Howard Hughes. These might be the best lyrics of Steve's career. Very touching, very compelling all the way through - and with no lyrical repitition at all - a major accomplishment considering the many vocal sections. Musically, this sentimental, well orchestrated track is also one of Kansas's best. In particular, I love the slow middle section. Robby, known largely for his harsh vocal delivery, shows that he can also sing very effectively in a balladic way ("Allow me to forget the life..."). And the insrumental section adds to the drama of the song without lapsing into self-indulgence, something that has weighed down countless prog songs over the years. Normally, I'm not a fan of songs fading out rather than having defined conclusions, but this is an exception. The fade out works very well here, particularly because of the song's final words ("I heard the king was dying, I heard the king was dead and with him died the chronicles that no one ever read. The closet's fully empty now, it's occupied by none. I'll draw the drapes, now destiny is done.") Another one that I highly recommend for the sympho album, though I don't expect it to happen. I hate to bring up a sore subject, but I don't think that Kansas has played this song since at edit version on the '93 tour and I wonder if it's because of...
6. Lightning's Hand - It rocks! Robby's vocals are powerhouse level! And the sizzling guitar during the bridge is among Kansas's best! The semi-classical guitar patterns on the solo are interesting as well. It seems that this one would go well live also. I guess being from the "Point" album makes it easy to get lost in the pack. Several other songs from this album have met the same fate.
7. Dust in the Wind (#6, double platinum) - A double edged sword, maybe as much as any song has ever been for any artist. One one hand, it is by far the biggest hit of Kansas's career ("Carry On" was a monster hit on AOR, but this one was an across the board smash). It's not uncommon to hear easy listening stations play this song along with Air Supply and Barry Manilow. But, obvioulsly, that's not the kind of artist Kansas is. This song is very atypical of their style and they were never able to get another song anywhere near as popular. In short, the song remains far more popular than the band. I regularly mention to people that I do a magazine and web page for Kansas and get no reaction, but when I say "Dust in the Wind," they're response is usually something like "Oh yeah, I know that song." Still, without this song, Kansas's drawing power today would be significantly smaller. Indeed, "Dust" has become a popular culture icon. It's very simple and equally relatable lyrics about the brevity of life and the search for some meaning to it have reached many people, many of whom don't know the band from the state. The song has even received references on several TV shows (can a movie be far behind?). It has also been covered by numerous artists. I know very few Kansas die-hards that cite "Dust" as their favorite Kansas song (it placed #9 in my survey). But most agree that it is a great song. I do, too. As Kerry, the song's writer, put it in his book, something simple "can be profoundly beautiful." And this one certainly is. I especially love the violin solo. Still, it's sad that as many phenomenal pieces of music that Kansas has released that this one so strongly overshadows them all.
8. Sparks of the Tempest - Probably the least compelling song on the album, but it's still solid. A mid-tempo rocker with organ and distorted guitar chords about equal in the mix. Kerry's lyrics were inspired by the classic George Orwell novel 1984. The fade out section is very, very similar to the chorus on Shooting Star's Tonight, which came out less than 3 years later.
9. Nobody's Home - The intro is probably as great as Kansas has ever done! I want this one played at my wedding when my bride is walking down the aisle! The violins and keys are simply gorgeous! It worked out as an outstanding introduction to the medley that opened Kansas's 1982 concert for MTV, later commercially released as The Best of Kansas Live. The rest of the song is great, too, a nice, melodic ballad. But the lyrics really mystified me. It wasn't until Kerry's book that I understood them. It's about a benevolent creature from another galaxy who ventures on a peace making mission to earth only to find that everyone has died in a nuclear war - in other words, "Nobody's Home."
10. Hopelessly Human - Another forgotten classic. The road blocks that Kerry continually encountered on his spiritual journey led to another timesless masterpiece. (Hey, you coordinators of the sympho album, are you reading this?!) The orchestrated, balladic vocal sections are very hard hitting and the drama filled instrumental break (featuring some of their best synth leads ever) is excellent as well. The way the church bells fade out amid the power chords leaves the listener hanging on in great anticipation for more great Kansas music and lyrics - which would not come for nearly 2 years, by far their longest break between studio albums up to this point.
MONOLITH (1979, #10, gold) - The Kansas die-hards weren't disappointed by this, the long awaited follow-up to "Point," but something went wrong. While this album was hardly a bomb, it sold only a fraction of what its 2 immediate predecessors did and began the steady downward path that would eventually lead to Kansas's desintegration as a major commercial force. Ironically, this came on what was Kansas's most mainstream sounding album up to that point - the album was the first of their career on which every song featured lyrical repitition, a trend that they followed from that point on, almost without exception. The growing division between Kerry and Steve was obvious as this album contains 4 songs by Kerry, 3 by Steve and 1 by Steve with other members, while on "Point," the 2 men wrote 6 of the album's 10 songs together. The results were similar for the following year's Audio-Visions. Still, the album features much for Kansas fans to embrace.
1. On the Other Side - Where "the riches that I seek are waiting." 11 years before pop metallers Poison, in by far their most compelling release, cried out for Something to Believe In, Kerry knew that's what we all needed. Musically and lyrically, this song epitomizes what Kansas is all about. Never a hint of a dull moment in its 6 1/2 minutes. The intro lead is similar to that of "The Wall" and comparable in quality. The philosophical, semi-balladic verses features some of Kansas's best most beautiful acoustic guitar ever. The anthemic hook is one of the most powerful that Kerry ever did, which, as you know, is saying a lot. Right there, you have a great song! But, one of those things that elevates Kansas above the rest of the pack is the bonuses - like the 11/4 xylophone/vibes laden instrumental break, that fits perfectly with the song's theme of confusion, and it's speed up into violin madness! Yes! The last verse is particularly touching considering that Kerry had no way of knowing that his "wall" would finally come down just 2 months after the album's release - "Desperation shows its ugly fact in many ways. No one can escape the times we're living. The answers are so simple and we all know where to look. It's easier just to avoid the question. And if I seem too inconclusive, that's just because it's so elusive. And though I've said it all before I'll say it once again, everyone needs something to believe in."
2. People of the South Wind (#23) - I keep having this feeling that one of these days I'm going to see this song turn up on one of those commercials for the many disco compilations sold on TV these days! Of couse, this is not disco in the sense of the Bee Gees or that crowd (not that there wasn't some merit there), but it certainly is the most dancealbe song of Kansas's career and probably could have been played without any complaints at Studio 54! This is a great, energetic pop song. In particular, the hook is irresistable. But releasing it as the first single from the album was a mistake. One of the biggest misconceptions that people tend to have about the late '70s is that disco was totally dominant. While it was certainly phenomenally successful, people often forget that Boston, Peter Frampton, Heart, Foreigner, Styx Queen, Electric Light Orchestra and even Kansas all enjoyed immense popularity at the same time. An edit version of "On the other Side" probably would have fared much better (top 10, perhaps) and given the album more staying power. And it would have avoided the perception, however ridiculous, that Kansas might be "selling out."
3. Angels Have Fallen - If I had to guess, I would have reversed the writing credits on this song and its predecessor. "People" is probably the most lightweight commercially released song of Kerry's career. Meanwhile, this is one of the deepest of Steve's. Very dark, very progressive, haunting and mysterious lyrics, many time changes and diverse instrumental breaks. The verses are sort of balladic, the choruses very theatric. The song also features prominently displayed power chords on guitar, something which was largely new for the band and would be used often on the band's subsequent albums.
4. How My Soul Cries Out for You - Difficult to draw a solid comparison to any other Kansas song. Perhaps the biggest reason why this was one of only 9 of the 110 commercially released Kansas songs to receive no votes on the fan survey that I conducted with my magazine. The introduction is very dark and speedy, featuring a blistering guitar riff. And the section between the verses and choruses features and equally dexterious violin riff. The vocal arrangement in one of the instrumental sections (I called you on the telephone {No one answered, no one answered...}) features the kind of background response to the lead vocals widely associated with Queen and ELO. The non-musical break - which sounds like someone throwing an object through a window in a room where a party is going on - is something that I have yet to figure out. Very Pink Floydian, but no obvious reason for its inclusion, as far as I can tell. To top it off, it's also the only Kansas song that I can think of that fades out, fades partly back in and stays there for a while. And the only Kansas song on which the tape was intentionally speeded way up. If nothing else, an interesting experiment.
5. A Glimpse of Home - Another real beauty from Kerry. The fanfaric opening and closing are just awe-inspiring. And the jubliant, uplifting music in between tie it together extremely well. I was told that Steve was uncomfortable with the lyrics to this one, which easily could have been about a recent Christian conversion, but which, according to Kerry's book, were about the Jesus Christ of The Urantia Book (a very obscure religious book that Kerry was following at the time) rather than the Bible.
6. Away from You - The last 3 songs on the album never made much of an impression on me. None are bad, but all are several notches below Kansas's best work. This one, I think, had some potential as a jumpy, lightweight pop song, but could have used a lot of polish. The hook, in particular, isn't very remarkable.
7. Stay out of Trouble - One of Steve's many songs about street life, this one, unfortunately, doesn't have much interesting or fun about it, although Robby's vocal performance is strong.
8. Reason to Be (#52) - Perhaps this one was included because the record company wanted an acoustic song to capitalize on the success of "Dust in the Wind." It's very gentle and very pleasant and would make good background music for a coversation, but isn't one likely to make many say "Wow, now that was a great song!" By far the weakest of Kerry's 4 contributions to the album