How to be apart of a historic underground movement!
I know that Kansas fans are generally more interested in our beloved group attaining artistic, rather than commercial, excellence. And that's the way that it should be. Kansas has always been far ahead of most other artists and has consistently remained at the forefront of musical evolution.
But the reality is that the better than Kansas fares commerically, the more likely it is that they will stay around making music for many more years! The sad fact of the matter is that MTV, format radio and the mainstream music media in general can no longer be counted on to react logically when Kansas releases a new album. Therefore it's time to take the bull by the horns and resort to Drastic Measures!
Kansas's next album, Always Never the Same, a symphonic project with the London Symphony Orchestra, is due out on May 19. I strongly encourage all of you to purchase the album on the week of its release (preferably the very day of its release, if at all possible, as it's easy to procrastinate). But not just at any store. If you live in or near the USA, make sure that it's at a SoundScan venue.
For the unfamiliar, SoundScan is the national electronic system through which Billboard tracks album sales for its charts. And the new symphonic CD will be eligible not only for their Top 200 albums chart, but the Classical Crossover chart as well! Because there is little competition for the CC chart, Kansas has a particularly excellent shot for an outstanding chart position there! (If you don't know which stores in your area are part of the SoundScan system, call the stores to find ou.)
And if at all possible, buy multiple copies of the album. I plan to do just that and give away most of the excess copies as gifts, particularly to overseas friends who have sent me things previously!
Beatles manager Brian Epstein purchased 10,000 copies of his group's first single, which enabled it to reach the UK charts. You know the rest! I doubt that any of us have that kind of individual buying power, but we certainly do collectively! So show the band your support as they could be down to their last major chance to regain superstardom!
Note: At this time, I don't know wheter River North, the group's new record company, has plans to release a single from the album, but if they do, I'll list information encouraging you to call area radio stations and requesting that they play it.