1. Silhouettes in Disguise - One of the most blazing pieces of Kansas's career. It's obvious from the first 10 seconds that a new Kansas era was underway. The new found writing team of the 2 Steves, Morse and Walsh, proved to be an exciting one, combining Morse's phenomenal dexterity with Walsh's rocking intensity. Walsh's vocals, which had grown rougher during his tenure in Streets, were probably at their peak on this album and this song is a great example (though a better one is to come!). The chunky guitar is also great. The song's raw power is heightened by Walsh's Hollywood action flcik-type lyrics and it's an intense trip from start to finish. Morse's speed demon caliber fills could be duplicated by precious few others, the hard hitting drums are also unusually powerful. And then you've got the dramatic choruses. What's not to like about this one?!

2. Power (#84) - The chart peak is all you need to know about what kind of future that Kansas had with MCA. By this point, it was nearly impossible to get radio airplay without a video, so what did MCA do to follow up the top 20 success of All I Wanted, the video of which was often played on MTV? What else? Not do a video for this song, hanging it out to dry. Kansas made a few mistakes in handling their career, but I think probably 90% of it was getting screwed by those record company giants who know next to nothing about music. If I would have been running MCA back then, this one would have been at the top of the charts and created an international sensation with the chorus similar to that of Queen's Radio Ga Ga! They just don't make pop music like that anymore! Hopefully they will again someday! It's got a lot about what I loved about Hall and Oates in the early '80s - infectious, passionate melodies done in a very uplifting way. And Kansas's superior instrumentation and production make this upbeat, mid-tempo track a real treat! Phil's opening drumming, alternating every 2 beats between the snare and bass drum, is one of a kind from him. The jumpy lead and soft background synth chords also fit the song quite well. With the instantly memorable hook and the myriad of meanings associated with the word "Power," this song could have been adopted as a theme by many. Such a tragedy, like dozens of other Kansas songs.

3. All I Wanted (#19) - This song is not only a very pleasant and appealing mid-tempo ballad, it also got Kansas back in position to move back into superstardom, which MCA promptly trashed. Only 3 Kansas singles have charted higher, "Play the Game Tonight" and you can probably guess the other 2. Most of the song is Walsh's, but if you listen closely, you can pick out that Morse composed the instrumental breaks. Almost certainly the only top 40 single that he will ever have, sorry to say.

4. Secret Service - Not one of my favorites, but it has it's share of strong points. The rhythm tracks are rather engrossing and the symphonic section is pretty well done, not surprising as Powell had previously been involved with many Parsons albums that featured full orchestras. So when the Kansas sympho album comes out next year, just remember that their first taste of playing with an orchestra came over a decade earlier! I never quite figured out the lyrics, but someone told me earlier this year that it's about a man who solicits prostitution. Suddenly, it started to make sense to me ("You don't mind giving in to temptation as long as no one knows...").

5. We're Not Alone Anymore - For those of you who haven't closely followed Morse's career, it seems that on every one of his albums, there's a very fast, blazing rocker on which he makes ample use of his guitar skills. The songs are often pretty hard to distinguish from each other. This is basically a vocal version of that song (Morse's albums, with very few exceptions, have been totally instrumental). Not a standout of a composition, but a fun, free spirited rocker.

6. Musicatto - Because of the frequent intensity of Kansas's music, I've always though that it should write theme songs for athletic teams. I've heard that this song actually had such a genesis. Supposedly, Steve Walsh wrote it for the Wichita Wings indoor soccer team, which I like ceased to exist several years ago. Steve Morse added his touch to it and the result is a pretty good progressive instrumental piece. In fact, one of the few overtly progressive pieces that Kansas did on its last 3 '80s releases. Even after this album fell out of print, it was often used an a concert opener. It's not a total powerhouse of an introductory piece like the Alan Parsons Project's Sirius (made famous by the Chicago Bulls in their spectacular pre-game introductions), but the closest thing that Kansas has to that type of song.

7. Taking in the View - A cool down song. Decent acoustic pop; pleasant, but not very impressionable. I believe that it's the only Kansas song other than "Cheyenne Anthem" to feature a children's choir.

8. Three Pretenders - A dark, hard hitting piece of hard rocking intensity. This is the only Kansas song on which Billy Greer has received writing credit and it makes me wonder why more of his songs weren't used. The opening piercing guitar chords and snare drum smash is one of the most biting segments of Kansas's career. Add Steve Walsh's mysterious lyrics and Steve Morse's sizzling solo and you have a classic that might have been too hard rocking for some fans. One of my favorites, though. I think that it would be particularly strong live. It would have also made a great conceptual video.

9. Tomb 19 - Another song with the '80s style hook that is virtually non-existant on the radio today, but with much deeper lyrics, perhaps inspired by Hollywood, one of Steve Walsh's favorite sources of inspiration. They call to mind such cryptic films as Raiders of the Lost Ark. The instrumental section is very similar to the Dregs/Morse cool down songs that have appeared often over the years.

10. Can't Cry Anymore - Kansas often closed its albums with a knockout punch and that's the case here in an extreme way, as on "Drastic Measures." First of all, Steve Walsh's ultra-dramatic vocal presentation gets my vote for the vocal performance of all time. Period. He makes the listener feel the pain and emptiness of a broken relationship. Particulary on the bridges and during the last chorus. And the music does the vocals justice. The song is one of the truly great power ballads of all time. The climactic guitar solo and chord progression, timpani fill and guitar dive into the last chorus is just total chills throughout your body type awesomeness and when Steve screeches out "I JUST CAN'T CRYYYY..." for the 2nd time in the last chorus - well, you have to hear it for yourself! By the way, this was was released as a single and didn't chart, proving the legal insanity of the entire staff of MCA, every top 40, AOR and AC radio programmer and many others. Please bring it back for the sympho album guys!

IN THE SPIRIT OF THINGS (1988, #113) - Having been involved with a good number of fan magazines of artists who were on MCA in the late '80s and having met many of those very musicians, I've gotten many similar stories. Supposedly, between 1986 and '88, MCA underwent a radical change in personnel. And the story I get is that the new people at that record giant didn't give a darn about melodic rock. Therefore Kansas as well as Night Ranger, Triumph, Little River Band and Dennis DeYoung (pursuing a solo career during a Styx hiatus), all of whom were extremely commercially viable, were hung out to dry. Their records were released out of contractual obligation without major promotion and all were quickly relegated to cut out bins. And none have ever come close to recovering from this devastating blow. LRB's Stephen Housden told me this past summer that the MCA exec who signed LRB left the company shortly afterward. The group's 2 albums for the label went on to miss the charts entirely, despite some strong potential hits on both. "Spirit" did make the charts, but became Kansas's lowest charting studio album since its debut. And so far, they have yet to return to the charts. In fact, only 1 new studio album has followed. So sad. As for the album itself, it marked a dream team line-up. Not only was there the new incarnation of the band that was coming off an excellent debut, but also the presence of 2 of the men behind Pink Floyd. Bob Ezrin, pruducer of PF's The Wall, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell (my favorite from that group) was on board. So was PF's longtime graphic artist, Storm Thorgerson, whose distinctive, glossy liner notes, always filled with odd photographs, resulted in a very interesting CD booklet (sadly deleted from 1996's re-issue of the alubm). Though not a concept album in a pure sense, several of the tracks and much of the art work deal with the band's venture into the ghost town of Neosho Falls, Kansas, which was almost completely destroyed by a flood in 1952. Musically, it's less hard rocking than "Power." Apparently, Kansas was going for a softer pop sound. This is particularly evident considering that 4 of the album's 12 songs were completely written outside of the band. "Bringing it Back" is the only complete Kansas cover before or after. I don't like "Spirit" quite as much as "Power," but it's still very good and contains several stand out tracks. As usual, Ezrin's production creates a very powerful atmosphere and Steve Walsh's vocals are still in top form. One disappointment is that Steve Morse's virtuosity rarely surfaces here and is perhaps a reason why he was gone from the group shortly afterward. The relative commercial failure of "Spirit," sadly, resulted in the by far the longest gap between studio albums of the group's career - 7 years.

1. Ghosts - The album opens with this very simple but gorgeous ballad that gives a profoundly vivid description of post-flood Neosho Falls, in which all of the buildings are in place, but the people are gone. The piano sound is among the best that I've ever heard, which makes the basic chords more effective. The soft acoustic guitar during the bridge is a nice effect and finally the climactic electric/guitar build up at the end is a classic Ezrin moment. You're probably getting tired of me saying it, but it should have been a monster sized hit.

2. One Big Sky - Ordinary mid-tempo rock, heightened by slick production, but hurt by mediocre composition. It's hard for me to imagine why the band picked this song, which they didn't write, to record.

3. Inside of Me - A style that I don't remember hearing from the band before, this has the effect that Asia always used to well - a very dark verse well contrasted by a bright chorus. Good middle of the road pop with more hit single potential.

4. One Man, One Heart - Another very dark piece of music, very sorrowful and dramatic middle of the road rock. It's pretty good, but nowhere near their best.

5. House on Fire - One of 2 exhilarating hard rockers on the album, the forthcoming The Preacher being the other. It begins with metal edged guitar effects from Morse. A few snare hits from Phil bring in the band with a grinding rock organ and melodramatic Walsh lyrics. Morse also contributes perhaps his best Kansas guitar solo, which is very aggressive, melodic and dexterious. The way that he plays 16 or so notes to lead up to a hold and bend has always been fabulous to me. And I love the way that Steve throws his voice when he sings the word "house" during the choruses. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why he underwent surgery to have noduls removed from his larnyx that year.

6. Once in a Lifetime - I heard that it was slated to be the album's 2nd single, but that it was cancelled after the failure of its first single, the upcoming Stand Beside Me. As for "Once in a Lifetime," written outside of the band, it's an acoustic guitar oriented ballad, sweet and sentimental. Certainly nothing revolutionary, but a nice song. I particularly like the beginning verses, which remind me of the very grabbing post-solo section of Boston's "Amanda."

7. Stand Beside Me - Richard Marx was hot in 1988, so why not record a song written by 2 of his associates, Marc Jordan and Bruce Gaitsch? It certainly made good commercial sense and given that Marx's material was always as least respectable, wouldn't be too much of an artistic compromise. Like "Once in a Lifetime," there's nothing ground breaking here, but it is certainly much better than standard pop radio fare circa 1988 and better to an even far greater extent than the same format today. It's a bright, pleasant mid-tempo ballad that, given the proper promotion, would have been a very successful top 40 follow up to "All I Wanted." The key change in the instrumental break is particularly effective. A stylish accompanying video was produced for this, the album's only single release. But it failed to make the Billboard Hot 100, via the poor promotion listed is the above album analysis. So sad.

8. The Preacher - One of Kansas's great feel good songs! An unusually simple chord structure led by grinding guitar and organ trade offs works remakably well. Indeed, this rhythmically persuasive mid-tempo track should have been an AOR smash! The infectious hook ("We all gotta come to the light together") provided great sing along opportunites for audiences, had the song become well known. And the lrycis - dealing with a travelling preacher in a Midwestern town such as Neosho Falls in the 1800s - created great opportunites for a conceptual video. Unfortunately, conceptual videos were virtually a thing of the past already, as if the aforementioned problmes with MCA weren't enough of an obstacle.

9. I Counted on Love - One of those songs that has a promising introduction, but which isn't quite as good as it could have been. The instrumental opening is very typical of Morse's very soft, maybe slightly country edged songs, which were particularly prevalent on his High Tension Wires solo release, which came out just months later. The verses are very deep and sentimental, but also a little rhythmically complex, which is unusual for this type of song. But the chorus is rather formulaic and prevents this one from being one of my favorites. Perhaps they should have spent a little more time polishing it.

10. The Rainmaker - Without a doubt, one of the eeriest pieces of Kansas's career and almost certainly their eeriest of the '80s. Very, very dark and mysterious throughout. Steve speaks the verses in ultra-dramatic Broadway musical fashion, which was a first for him (he would later recite the verses of "Play the Game Tonight" in concert in a similar fashion). And he sings the bridges very screechingly, which makes for a great effect as well, particularly considering the theatric lyrics about a con man trying to convince the people of a town such as Neosho Falls that he could make it rain. A choir led by the late Rev. James Cleveland provides the somber chorus. And the instrumental section is off the wall, even by Morse's standards. Even on Kansas's most pop oriedted releases, which this album was certainly among, they never totally abandoned their progressive roots. Ezrin is a master of enhancing experimental songs such as this one, Pink Floyd's The Trial being another great example. This would also have great live potential.

11. T.O. Witcher - Originally released on the ultra-rare Dixie Dregs album The Grand Spectacular (1976), this is a short Morse acoustic guitar piece, done in a very pleasant way. It is very soft and country edges, but still shows off his dexterity. His use of harmonics to play a whole section of the song is amazing. I can't think of anything comparable.

12. The Bells of St. James - A touching love story about the struggles of a soldier in the Korean War and his girlfriend back home. Another very deep song which, despite it's pop leanings, retains a rich musical foundation with a somewhat elaborate arrangement and a good mix of keyboards and guitar.

New song from KANSAS (box set) (1994) -

Wheels - It was just for 1 song, but 14 years after their last new song together, Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh were captured writing and recording a new song together! And what a song it is! A gorgeous, bittersweet, mid-tempo ballad about the brevity of this life but also the joy of looking forward to Heaven. So apparently Steve became a little less conscious about Christian lyrics as the time went on. The violin from newcomer David Ragsdale is just simply stunning, especially his lead into the section that immediately precedes the last chorus -that extremely uplifting section being another outstanding moment in Kansas history! The choruses are also very inpsiring! Too bad it was just a 1 time thing, but after all the years, it was wonderful to have! I'm told that Kerry, Steve, Phil and David are the only people who played on it. Should've been a huge hit, but no need to get started on that again...

FREAKS OF NATURE (1995) - For the first time in a career of more than 20 years, a Kansas studio album was released that had almost no commercial expectations. "ITSOT" having been a huge disappointment, the record industry moguls considered the group to no longer be commercially viable, apparently not realizing that it would only take a good promotion job, music that is both sellable and artistically excellent already being there. Making things tougher for the band was the domination of grunge on the album rock format, which had been Kansas's most reliable ally during the '70s well into the '80s. Because pop metal, which dominated in the late '80s, largely had its roots in 3 classic '70s bands - Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Queen, it could somewhat peacefully co-exist with older, established artists on that format, even though the pop metallers largely shoved older artists off of MTV. But grunge, being a dark, nihilistic genre that opposes nearly everything that rock has ever stood for, leaves almost no compatability for other forms of music. Having gotten nothing going with a major label, Kansas settled for Intersound, a small, Roswell, Georgia-based company that had released the group's Live at the Whisky 3 years earlier. The line-up from "LATW" returned in tact - Steve Walsh, Ehart, Williams, Greer, Ragsdale and keyboardist Greg Robert, the latter becoming an official member after being a sideman for the band since 1986. A welcome return was producer Jeff Glixman, who produced "SFA" through "POKR," but didn't work with Kansas again until "LATW." Perhaps realizing that such a band recording for such a label in such an era had little chance at hitting the charts (indeed, "FON" became the first Kansas studio album not to do so), the group went back to its old sound and released its most progressive album since "Masque." It also is often on the hard rocking side, with heavier guitar and harder hitting drums than usual and violin sounds that are often more frenzic than melodic. This was a bit surprising as Steve, for the 1st time in his career, ended up being the group's dominant songwriter and his material has always been more on the pop side. Though his prog skills aren't and probably never will be as polished as Kerry's, he gave a great effort that produced solid results. While this album is not the masterpiece that I hoped it would be, considering the 2/3 of a decade that they had to make it, it is a good, legitimate Kansas album.

1. I Can Fly - One of those songs that's appeal is more in performance than composition. Often used as the opener when this version of the band toured, its pulsating intro of distorted guitar, bass drum and wild violin create exciting energy that indicate that the old Kansas sound is back. Steve also sings his heart out, which his voice hitting the high notes quite well, especially considering his throat surgery in 1988. Many die-hards have complained that his voice sounds strained, but I've always though it sounds better that way, more emotional. Eventually, the song cools into a very classically influenced violin section, followed by pounding symphonic fury and an angry, mid-tempo, hard rocking conclusion. The lyrics are some of the most ominous of Walsh's career and seem not to be too far away from the religious themes that he used to be uncomfortable singing about ("Give me life, give me life and I'll make a vow/I'll resist temptation, I promise here and now/You see it all started when I was younger they said I was good/But I thought they said great/I crown myself the king of liars, I am what I have learned to hate.") Pretty heavy stuff!

2. Desperate Times - Another frenzic rocker, much like its immediate predecessor, this song also has prominent guitar and violin in the mix, but more keyboards and less orchestration. It was actually released to album rock stations, but with almost no airplay. Rich has a nice, melodic guitar lead in the slowed down section, but the song is not as engrossing as "I Can Fly." In a rare case of Kansas virtually repeating itself, the well orchestrated instrumental section is almost identical to the middle section of "Musicatto."

3. Hope Once Again - The closest thing on the album to a traditional ballad, this song seems to be a favorite with most Kansas fans. In fact, it reached #20 on my magazine's survey, the highest for any song not from the original line-up. I'm sorry to say that I'm 1 of the few who isn't as crazy about it. I find it to be very pleasant and with some very appealing melodic guitar and violin work, but the chord progression, I think, should have been more creative and the arrangement more elaborate and dramatic. The lyrics warrant better musical enhancement and again, like on "I Can Fly," reflect possible self-evaluation and condemnation - surprising for Steve. ("If a picture could talk we would all look away/There'd be too many voices/Rain come on and wash away this hot city skin.")

4. Black Fathom 4 - The mysterious title got me very excited, but I ended up thinking that this song could have been much better than it was. The lyrics, possibly about gang violence in Los Angeles, deserve better musical support. The musicianship and arrangement is strong and menacing, especially the time changes and Phil's poudning fury into the last chorus. But by Kansas standards, there's nothing special about the composition.

5. Under the Knife - Another very dark song. The opening keyboard chord progression, though basic, works well as support for the squeaky violin while Phil's occasional drum hits heighten the intensity. The melody is very sentimental and the lyrics again suggest self-evlauation and repentance ("Under the knife, sharp and shiny key/repair, redeem, resueection"), Apparently the title is symbolic of the need for improvement. It's rather compelling and might be my favorite song on the album.

6. Need - Kansas had never released a song with any Latin flavor before, but they hadn't recorded in Trinidad before, either. The most lightweight song on the album, this is pretty good bright, Latin influenced (even the drumming) pop.

7. Freaks of Nature - A very blazing piece of hard rock, featuring some of the toughtest guitar riffs if Kansas history. I wish that the granding rock organ was up higher in the mix. Compositionally, it doesn't stand out with me for the most part, but the surprising instrumental section near the end is my favorite bit on the album - a very majestic, powerful section that is a truly classic Kansas moment - full of violin beauty and backed by a series of deep stacatto guitar notes with the snare drum moving in sync. Too bad it's so short!

8. Cold Grey Morning - Though Kerry was long gone, he did contribute this song to the album. The instrumental introduction, with heavy echoes of "The Pinnacle," is the total Kansas classic sound. But the vocal sections are fairly typical of the serious minded, moderately slow, semi-hard rock on his 1995 solo album When Things Get Electric. Not one of his best pieces. Now if Kansas had recorded that album's Throw Me Down, it would have been one of their best ever!

9. Peaceful and Warm - This one became a lot more touching to me when I took notice of the lyrics, which are quite reflective, describing a return trip to one's hometown and the memories that it sparks. And through it all, Steve wishes compassion to all people (Every hometown should be peaceful and warm/Every father, mother, sister, brother, friend of the family/Peaceful and Warm). At first the music is quite like the title, with soft acoustic guitar and violin. After that, it's almost as if a whole other song begins. With a dramatic, cinematic introduction, a slow, sentimental symphonic section opens, somewhat reminiscent of parts of both "The Pinnacle" and "Hopelessly Human." The violin is particularly beautiful. And the closing leaves me longing for more great Kansas music, but feeling a bit sad that the wait will probably be a long one, considering the way that the music industry in general and Kansas's career in particular have been going. And sure enough, it's now been over 2 1/2 years!

Sadly, "FON" turned out to be the only new material ever to emerge from this line-up. In early 1997, David and Greg left the band to pursue careers as a solo artist and a realtor, respectively. But the dismay caused by the departures of the 2 men who toured with Kansas for a combined 15 years was more than offset by perhaps the biggest shock in Kansas's nearly quarter century of existence: Robby Steinhardt - who was rumored to be dead as recently as the early '90s - returned to Kansas after nearly a decade and a half; a move that long seemed impossible. This brings us to the present day with the new quintet preparing to record a symphonic album with the London Symphony Orchestra on larger River North Records for scheduled release in Spring 1998! Some new material will be present! Afterward, a new studio album is expected (hopefully before the end of the millineum)! And with signs that grunge and alternative music and steadily losing their momentum and with many new proggers emerging in the musical underdground, by the time new Kansas material is released, the trends might have very well changed in their favor! So don't count out the band returned to the top 10, where it belongs! Stay tuned for the continuing saga of the greatest band of all time!


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