SCHEMER-DREAMER (1980; #124) - "Schemer-Dreamer" was Steve Walsh's solo album that was recorded in 1979, but not released until January 1980, following Kansas' "Monolith" tour. Steve enlisted many of his fellow bandmates for the effort, and other musicians appearing included Tim Gehrt (later the drummer in Steve's band Streets, and Allen Sloan and Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs. (Morse, of course, actually later became a member of Kansas in the late '80s.) The album peaked at #124 in March, and it failed to gain a large audience. It also did not produce a hit, which was disappointing, considering that Kansas was at its commercial peak at the time and were on the edge of putting out another certified Gold album. "Schemer-Dreamer" was out of print for many years in the '80s, but it was finally released by Sony on CD as a Japanese import in 1993. The album is a well-balanced collection of seven songs, all written (or co-written) by Walsh. A few of the songs on "Schemer-Dreamer," especially So Many Nights and Every Step of the Way, had huge potential as hits, and, if these had appeared on a Kansas album rather than on Steve's solo album, they may have been as successful as "Hold On" or "People of the South Wind." Despite its commercial shortcomings, "Schemer-Dreamer," which was originally going to be comprised of cover tunes, is a very listenable album, and it captures Steve during a period in which he was very inspired as a songwriter and obviously enthusiastic as a musician.

1. Schemer-Dreamer/That's All Right - The album opens with the title tune, a mid-tempo rocker, which is actually two songs blended together. Steve's own composition makes up the verses of the song, one that examines the seedy side of his life with innuendos to gangs and prostitution (themes that later re-surfaced in Steve's band Streets). The other portion of this work, "That's All Right," is used only as a chorus. Written by Arthur Crudup, this was a tune that was once performed by Elvis Presley. A great opener to this album, this song features some fine keyboard work by Steve and Rich Williams is on lead guitar. Also, it's difficult to listen to this song and not be impressed with Steve's amazing vocals. It's not just the range, but his creative, high-energy style that really stand out here.

2. Get Too Far - "Get Too Far" maintains the pace and energy of the album. This composition is a scathing indictment of Corporate America, political leaders and the elite who try to set social standards on others. Steve rejects them all: "I'm a hard working man, I ain't got time to be good looking." The frequent use of vibes in between the verses make the tune sound somewhat dated, but otherwise, it's a decen rocker, introducing the listener to Steve's "angry young man" point of view.

3. So Many Nights - It the industry really paid attention, this ballad would have been a mega-selling single and would still be played as a first dance at wedding receptions even to this day. This beautifully-crafted love song, which opens to the soothing sounds of a flute, is memorable mainly because of Steve's emotional vocal. Even the background vocals, especialy during the second verse, are impressive, with Steve's yowling voice layered to create the harmony. According to the linter notes of the CD, the drummer on "So Many Nights" was...Steve Walsh!

4. You Think You Got it Made - Kerry Livgren sits in at lead guitar on this song, and it's unmistakably Kerry! (Kerry later returned the favor by having Steve sing How Can You Live on Seeds of Change, Livgren's own solo album, released later in 1980.) The song itself is a straight-ahead rocker and Steve's "angry at the world" personae emerges once again. The lyrics warn against taking comfort in materialism and wealth, but it's difficult to tell if Steve is discussing the music industry or the business world in general. With songs such as this one, it seemed like Steve was taking an interest in the darker side of life and images of fallen heroes.

5. Every Step of the Way - "Every Stepof the Way" is an uplifting composition and the strongest song on the album. It is really an autobiographical tribute to the land of Kansas and the origins of a rock band trying to make a name for itself in a place void of inspiration. Musically, it starts out in a low register, but then progresses higher and with more enegery, finally climaxing in a chorus that sound something like a gospel choir. An excellent tune!

6. Just How it Feels - "Just How it Feels" is another ballad, and, because it includes a violin solo, it is probably the one song on the album that most closely resembles a Kansas song. Allen Sloan does an impressive job handling that chore, although it is curious that Robby Steinhardt wasn't available for that, since he did make a guest appearance on Kerry's solo album. The song itself is a moving requiem to a grandmother and grandfather (Steve dedicates "Schemer-Dreamer" to the memory of Emily Walsh), and, although it is a deeply personal song, there is a universal sense to it as well. Any listener who has lost an elderly relative or friend will appreciate it's eternal message.

7. Wait Until Tomorrow - Of course, Kansas fans had no way of predicitng it back in 1980, but this song features the nucleus of the Kansas line-up from 1986-1989, with Phil Ehart on drums and Steve Morse on guitar. It is an odd song that goes in many different directions, musically. The beginning half of "Wait Until Tomorrow" is a dramatic and slow keyboard-driven elegy. Walsh wails and narrates a vision of a war-torn town. Then about two minutes into the song, Steve Morse takes over, accompanied by horns, and he lays down some fast-paced riffs. The song closes with a las tvers, but not before the jubliant "la, la..." bridge that Steve Walsh offers up, sounding like a pep rally cheer or a battle cry. It really has to be heard to be appreciated, but it is a powerful ending to a song which closs out "Schemer-Dreamer" in an emphatic fashion.

1ST (1983; #163) - "Schemer-Dreamer" might have been a commercial failure, but it did give Steve Walsh a sense of freedom as a musician and an opportunity to showcase his music outside of the band Kansas. B y 1982, as Kansas was beginning to record "Vinyl Confessions," Walsh found himself at odds with the band. Most accounts say that he was opposed to the overtly Christian lyrics present in the new songs that Kerry Livgren was writing. In late 1981, Walsh left Kansas and formed a new band, Streets. In brief, Streets was an example of a short-lived "good-idea" rock band which was signed to a major label, put out a couple of decent albums, toured around the country in major arenas, but failed to succeed. Many great bands of that era have met with a similar fate, and it was unfortunate that Streets did not attract any critical acclaim. Fortunately, their muisc lives - on vinyl and CD! With the appropriately titled "1st" (released on Atlantic Records, we are introduced to the band with 9 songs, written mainly by Walsh, the keyboardist and lead singer in Streets. Billy Greer, formerly of the Atlanta-based band QB1, handles background vocals, some lead vocals and bass guitar (Of course, he followed Walsh to the re-formed Kansas in 1986 and has been in the band ever since). Tim Gehrt is on drums (He also appeared on "Schemer-Dreamer"). Perhaps the one musician that really stands out in Streets is the talented lead guitarist Mike Slamer, formerly from the mildly successful British band City Boy, which scored a top 40 single in 1978 with 5.7.0.5.), "1st" has been out of print for many years and is virtually impossible to find in record stores these days, but it later re-surfaced on CD. An unauthorized CD released in Italy contains every song on this album and its successor, Crimes in Mind. On that pirate release, "1st" is mistakenly listed as "I." In addition, every song from "1st" except Bluetown appears on the live King Biscuit Flower Hour CD, which came out in 1997. An interesting side note is that the album was produced by Neil Kernon and released almost simultaneously with Kansas's "Drastic Measures!" The production style of the 2 albums is similar - glossy, melodic, hi-tech hard rock. Hopefully an official CD release will emerge one day!

1. If Love Should Go (#88) - "1st" begins with a catchy rocker that contains the two elements that typified most Streets songs, namely 1) the tight and high register vocal harmonies between Steve and Billy and 2) the fluid but heavy chops of Mike Slamer's lead guitar, which lays down such powerful riffs it takes on a musical "voice" of its own and almost forces a listener to play air guitar. "If Love Should Go" was probably the closest thing that Streets had to success (it was the the band's only charting single). It did receive some radio airplay and that must have been an encouraging sign for the band. My feling is that the average rock fan out there probalby recognized this song, but might not necessarily know who the band is, which seems to almost peg Streets as a "one-hit wonder."

2. Move On - "Move On" is a medium-paced rocker, which opens to the boogie sounds of Steve's keyboards. The chorus, coupled with the keyboard refrains, make "Move On" a very listenable tune. Although Steve sings most of the song, Billy shares some of the lead vocals. (This is especially apparent on the "King Biscuit" CD.) The lyrics are partly ribald in nature, with frequent use of the double entendre, but, for the most part, this song maintains the excellence of the first side of the album.

3. One Way Street - A signature Streets song! "Powerful" is the word that best describes this song! Mike Slamer puts on a guitar clinic! The song is chock full of corny cliches (and some more coarse references), but who cares? If order to fully appreciate "One Way Street," put on the "King Biscuit" CD, queue it up to #4 and turn it way up! (Headphones are recommended.)

4. Lonely Woman's Cry - "Lonely Woman's Cry" is a song that deals with the destitute Hell's Kitchen section of New York City. Steve compares the constant police sirens to "a lonely woman's cry" and paints an existential view of a world without offering any hope of improvement. The song opens up with the pre-recorded sounds of what sounds like a drug bust. Kind of a depressing song, but still a decent rocker.

5. Everything is Changing - "Everything is Changing" is a favorite Streets song among fans. Steve likens the evolving world of technology to the changes that take place in our own lives and relationships - a strange comparison, but that gets lost in the greatness of this song. The bridge of the song slows down the pace briefly and features an excellent harmony passage between Steve and Billy (the band does a very spirited version of this song on the "King Biscuit" CD, although Steve seems to stumble ont he lyrics during the second verse.)

6. Cold Hearted Woman - The only song on "1st" that was written outside Streets, "Cold Hearted Woman" was written by Marty Conn and originally performed by Billy's band QB1. In fact, the QB1 version was something of a regional hit in Atlanta, and it was even an included on an album entitled Hot'Lanta Home Cookin' (1980), which was compiled by an Atlanta radio station and comprised of music from local bands (in fact, it was QB1's only commercial release). When Streets recorded the song for "1st," there was some indecision as to who should sing lead vocals, since Atlantic was considering releasing it as a single and, after all, Steve was the lead singer in Streets, but Billy had sung lead on the original version of the song. It is a little difficult to determine precisely, but a careful listen reveals that Steve and Billy actually share lead vocals on the song, although Steve is given the credit. (Probably because this song requires a rather high vocal range, which must have been difficult for Steve on stage, Billy handles the lead vocals exclusively on the "King Biscuit" CD, and he does an impressive job!)

7. So Far Away - "So Far Away" is a song that deals with unrequited love. It's difficult to take this tume too seriously, because the lyrics are a collection of more pubescent cliches ("What became of you and me/Is history"). Fortunately, the unique blending of Steve and Billy's vocals bring some much-needed credibility to this rocker.

8. Blue Town - The only song for which all four members of the band are given a writing credit, "Blue Town" is possibly the weakest song on "1st" and it is probably no coincidence that it is the only song on "1st" that is not included on the "King Biscuit" CD. The lyrics in this song deal with various people (a war veteran, a drug-addicted prostitute) who seem hopelessly unable to improve their lots in life. When reflecting on his years in Streets on an "Off the Record" interview, Steve admitted that most of the songs he wrote with Streets "were way too dark" and "disturbing" and were "about things that were not going to have a happy ending." That statement seems apparent after listinging to "Blue Town" and several songs that are on the second Streets album, "Crimes in Mind."

9. Fire - "Fire" is a complex song that goes in many musical directions, which is amazing, considering there are only four musicians in Streets. "Fire" features Steve Walsh as a songwriter, keyboardist and vocalist. His singing/storytelling approach is unique in this tune; there are verses where STeve sounds like he's talking rather than singing, a technique that he later used on "Rainmaker" from Kansas's "In the Spirit of Things." Steve was obviously still very influenced by Kerry Livgren during these years, but, measured by those standards, "Fire" makes Streets sound like a poor man's version of Kansas.

Crimes in Mind (1985; #204 on Billboard's Bubbling Under chart) - In all fairness, "1st" was a satisfactory debut for Streets. It didn't produce any huge hits, but some of the songs on the album did receive some radio airplay, and Streets did gain some national exposure by touring around the country in 1983 and 1984, mainly as the opening act for the band Loverboy. The success of the follow-up album, "Crimes in Mind" (released, like its predecessor, on Atlantic), would really be pivotal for Streets, but, unfortunately, the record company did little to promote the album. It was also right around this time that Kansas was re-forming, which meant the departure of Steve and Billy from Streets (Phil Ehart's name is mentioned in the liner notes of "Crimes in Mind," so he was obvioulsy still very involved with Walsh). The end result was that by the time "Crimes in Mind" hit the record stores, Streets was virtually defunct and, therefore, did not tour to promote the album. In an unceremonious move, Atlantic dropped Streets from their labe when "Crimes in Mind" sold poorly. Lost in the shuffle of all this industry haggling is the album itself, which is a fair collection of 10 original songs, written mainly by Walsh and Slamer. Longtime pop writer Randy Goodrum also co-writing four tracks. Because of its quick shelf life, "Crimes in Mind" is a rarer specimen than "1st." There are probably even Streets fan who don't own this release or even know about it. (Evidence of this is the fact that the album was incorrectly identified as "4 Crimes in Mind" in the liner notes of the "King Biscuit Flower Hour" CD.) Although Streets' existence was bried, and although they have a discography of only two studio albums, this second effort is indeed worthy of further attention. Perhaps it will be proplerly released on CD someday. The songs on "Crimes in Mind" certainly measure up well when compared to other rock albums of the mid-80s. And the slick production, via eventual pop metal king Beau Hill (Winger, Warrant, Ratt, Europe Twisted Sister), is excellent. It's been nearly 15 years since "Crimes in Mind" was released, and I'm not sure that I've ever read any critical analysis - in any format - of this album, so let us take a long-overdue look at these tunes.

1. Don't Look Back (#88) - This song has an interesting history. For one thing, "Don't Look Back" was originally entitled Streets of Desire a song that Streets never recorded in the studio, but usually performed live in concert ("Streets of Desire" is the closing song on the "King Biscuit" CD.) The lyrics in both tunes are ifentical in many parts ("...you had six in the pistol, now I look and there's five"), but "Don't Look Back" is definitely the more polished and cohesive version. Another note, which admittedly is somewhat trivial - "Don't Look Back" was once used as a background song in a scene from a daytime soap opera. I'm not making this up! In the Spring of 1986, I was flipping through channels, and I came across a soap opera that had this song playing as theme music for a scene. I don't remember the name of the program, but obviously some television producer agreed that this Streets song had some Hollywood appeal.

2. The Nightmare Begins - This tume included an ever-repetitive guitar riff that, along with the chorus, make the song rather addictive. Also impressive in this song are the expansive drum sounds, present throughout the song. There can be little argument that Steve was at his peak as a vocalist during these years. He has such great control, and on this song he delivers emphatic highs without straining. There are, however, a few songs on this album which were simply written too high for him.

3. Broken Glass - This song really falls into the category of "power ballad," a genre that was made popular by bands such as Journey during the early '80s. It is disappointing that this song was "wasted" on this album, because it definitely has all the elements of a great rock classic. Sadly, it went largely unnoticed by the public, due to the relatively short time that "Crimes in Mind" was actually available. "Broken Glass," however, took on a second life in 1989, when it was included among a short list of songs that Steve Walsh recorded with Jethro Tull drummer Doane Perry and Vince DiCola, the keyboardist best known for his contributions to the film Rocky IV. The project never really got off the ground and, as of this writing, these songs have never been commercially released.

4. Hit 'N' Run - Streets definitely had an accomplished axeman in Mike Slamer, and on this high-energy rocker, his talents are showcased. The unfortunate thing is the song written around the guitar parts is rather weak, and the chorus is somewhat grating. Taken as only a display of guitar mastery, however, this song ranks up there with "One Way Street."

5. Crimes in Mind - The title song to the album is among the weaker songs on the album. The chorus is not especially memorable, and the vocals are almost annoying. The album would have probalby been better served with a stronger title song and a more indentifiable album cover, which it way too dark. What is it, anyway? A bullet? A turntable? Is that supposed to be somebody's gloved hand holding a cigarette? I'm not sure. Even a photograph of the band would have at least given some identity to "Crimes in Mind."

6. I Can't Wait - The second side of the record begins with a mid-tempo rocker, which features some excellent keyboards by Steve. He again reaches for some vocal highs toward the end of the song, but this time it sounds less irritating than on the previous song. It's interesting that the phrase "vision quest" is used in the lyrics, because there was a popular movie out around this time with that very title. Apparently, Steve was aiming for Streets to have something of a media-wide connection with its fans, which also seems to be the case on the following song.

7. Gun Runner - This song was originally supposed to have been included on Kansas' "Vinyl Confessions" album. Imagine the stark contrast this song would have had with what ultimately appeared on that record! "Gun Runner" is a mediocre tune that deals with the themes of organized crime and contraband trafficking. My guess is that Streets was trying to capitalize on the popularity of such hits as Glenn Frey's Smuggler's Blues and other music that was inspired by the TV show Miami Vice, which was concurrent with the release of "Crimes in Mind."

8. Desiree - It is embarrassing to actually listen to this song and write about it, but "Desiree" is a very lame and campy rocker about a girl whose telephone number is written on a bathroom wall ("If you got a dine, you can take your chances.") The lyrics are reminiscent of the Tubes' She's a Beauty and the song sounds like something you would expect from Loverboy during their Lovin' Every Minute of It period. From a Kansas fan's perspective, it seems inappropriate to have a song written by Walsh so full of sexual references, but maybe he figured it would help Streets win over a younger audience.

9. Rat Race - "Rat Race" is the only Streets song for which Billy is officially given a lead vocal credit. A listener would have a difficult time determining that, because his voice sounds nearly identical to Steve's. At any rate, the song is not very memorable, except for the echoes that are used during the the bridge of the song. The song itself is another stab at the unethical values of corporate America.

10. Turn My Head - This uplifting rocker opens up with a strange introduction that includes the sounds of a piccolo playing, something like you might hear on a children's amusement park ride. Then a Popeye-sounding character gurgles out "no, no, no!" (That introduction was perhaps inspired by the music of Steve Hackett, the former Genesis guitarist, on whose solo album, Please Don't Touch [Charisma 1978] Steve Walsh and Phil Ehart appeared.) The main part of the songs kinks in with a jubilant guitar flourish, which really carries the song, even in between the verses. "Turn My Head" is actually a refreshing departure from the many Streets songs that deal with the sinister side of life, and, with the fading sounds of its catchy refrain, the song brings "Cirmes in Mind" to a confident conclusion.

Previously unreleased songs from King Biscuit Flower Hour (1997) -

Streets must have attracted a considerable underground following in the late '80s and much of the '90s. Even after the break-up of Streets in 1985, there was still some interest in the band and its music. In fact, by 1997, there was even a web-site dedicated to Streets and its fans, a crowning achievement for a short-lived band that had been defuncy for nearly 15 years! Partly due to a letter-writing campaign begun by Streets enthusiasts, King Biscuit finally released a live concert on CD, the first commercial release of Streets music on CD! Considering that the vinyl recordings of "1st" and "Crimes in Mind" were vague memories and out of print for many years, this CD serves as both an introduction to Streets for new fans and a must-have for completionists. The booklet that accompanies the CD contains some rare photos of the band and a brief history of Streets. (Any Kansas fan, however, can easily identify several innacuracies in the booklet, including dates and titles, and the notion that Kansas "tried, unsuccessfully, to attain commercial success" during Walsh's tenure in Streets.") The concert itself was originally recorded on October 28, 1983, shortly after the release of the debut album "1st", and it's apparent that the audience at Entertainment City in Pittsburgh, PA was sparse that evening and unfamiliar with the new material. The band, however, didn't let that humble environment hinder the performance. All the songs on "1st" - with the exception of "Blue Town" - are performed with authority and in almost the same sequence as the studio recording. In addition to those tunes, three previously unreleased songs - which must have been candidates at the times for Streets' second album - are included in this set:

Shake Down - Another song recorded by Kansas for the "Vinyl Confessions" demos, "Shake Down" was regularly played by Streets in concert. It is a fast paced rocker that features some pwoerful guitar parts, but it doesn't really measure up among the great Streets songs. Steve would sometimes introduce this song in concert by saying it was going to be on their next album, but obviously it didn't make the cut. Interestingly, the Kansas version of the song is entitled Breakout and the reason for the name change is probably because the song's hook is identical to that of the Shooting Star song Breakout!

I'm Not Alone Anymore - It's hard to imagine that this song never surfaced on any subsequent studio albums by Streets of Kansas, because it has such obvious commercial appeal. The song sounds like something you would expect from Night Ranger, and the harmonies between Steve and Billy that are present in the chorus are similar to Shaw*Blades. On this live recording, "I'm Not Alone Anymore" is weakened a bit by the frequent guitar solos, but the song would have worked out well in the studio. (In 1986, Steve wrote a song called "We're Not Alone Anymore," which appeared on the Kansas album "Power," but, other than the title, it doesn't appear to have any similarities to this tune.)

Streets of Desire - "Streets of Desire" closed out the "King Biscuit" CD, and it was really another song-in-progress for Streets. Many parts of this song became "Don't Look Back," which was the excellent opening song for Streets's second album, "Crimes in Mind." The performance of "Streets of Desire," however, has very little structure, but it is interesting to hear Billy and Steve swap back and forth on lead vocals so seamlessly. My guess is that Streets ended with this song, because it allowed ample opportunities for showcasing and soloing as the concert was drawing to a close.

The Music of Walsh/DiCola/Perry.