Audio CD review:
Kansas - Power

Kansas - Power

Band: Kansas Title: Power Rating: Release Date: 01 January, 1995 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Silhouettes In Disguise 2: Power 3: All I Wanted 4: Secret Service 5: We're Not Alone Anymore 6: Musicatto 7: Taking In The View 8: Three Pretenders 9: Tomb 19 10: Can't Cry Anymore

Customer Reviews Kansas - Steve Walsh And Steve Morse Together With Excellent Results After spending several years in the band Streets, original vocalist / keyboardist Steve Walsh decided to come back to the fold and a new Kansas was born. Kansas for all practical purposes disbanded in 1984. Original members Walsh, Guitarist Rich Williams, and drummer Phil Eheart were augmented by bassist Billy Greer and legendary guitarist Steve Morse. For me "Power" is one of Kansas most underrated albums. I have always really liked it, and I think it still holds up well today. With Kerry Livgren out of the picture Kansas had definitely become Steve Walsh's band and it is reflected in the overall heavier writing style that Walsh had been using in Streets. Steve Morse absolutely kills on guitar throughout the album and the rest of the band is all in fine form. Most of the songs are short, but they are all well written, and band does throw in a progressive rock bone with the great little instrumental "Musicatto". "All I Wanted" was the single from the album that actually cracked the top 20 and got a lot of MTV airplay. Still, the album did not sell all that well and the second single "Can't Cry Anymore" charted briefly and then dropped out of sight. Speaking of "Cant Cry Anymore" this is another one of those songs that came along at a perfect time in my life. I was going through the breakup of a relationship and could have literally written the lyrics for this one myself. It is a great power ballad that really shows off Walsh's voice. Really, I think every song on this album is good and to me this is a must own Kansas disc, and was a great artistic comeback for the band at the time. . It's Kansas... The addition of Steve Morse gave them one hell of an axeman. This album saw Kansas change there lineup. Listen to the solo at the end of Track 1, Silouettes in Disguise and you'll see what I mean. Most early Kansas albums had a couple of tracks that were listenable but the remainder of the album would contain songs that were too long and would make the listener lose interest. With this album they only did it once. It is an album that is more mainstream rock with Kansas' edge. I believe this to be their best album, yet when you see any compilation albums, this material is left off. Too bad. Bottom line though. . . Do yourself a favor and get this album and you won't be disappointed. I wore the cassette out when this was first released in the mid-80's and was pleased to finally see it on CD. Not As Bad As I Thought However, this is actually an attempt to merge band members from Chicago, and Survivor into Kansas. . . well that's how I heard it anyway. Kansas is just one of those bands that sound the way they want to sound. I mean I heard some of thier earlier material before "Point Of No Return", and it passed easily as an earlier rendition of the sound on this album. I enjoyed most of this album as it kicks off appropriately with "Silohuettes In Disguise" a fast moving song that just gets the blood flowing, and could be a good way to kick off thier concert. The title cut follows, and from there the direction gets askewed, and then comes the power ballad "All I Wanted". The haunting memories of this song take me back to Monday January 5th, 1987, and I got ridiculed by my mother again. I made a mistake, and she gets all over me for not thinking, and all the while this song's playing on my stereo. It was a bad time for me as I was still out of school with no job, and coming off a horrendous semester in college, so I know I was at a low in the self-esteem department, and I look back, and ask myself: Why didn't I look for a job then?" I just sat there, and took it all in, and now I have to free this from my soul. The long weekends as I had no money, no car, no nothing except sitting in my room. I have many regrets not having done this back then; I ask myself "Why didn't I just face my fear, and take it upon myself to look for work?" I know that it's something I can't do anymore; I have a little boy depending upon me, and I have to deliver. I leave this almost 20 year old memory where it belongs right here. The rest of this album is more of the same, and to me it's about average for the music that was coming out at this time. I will say though it was one of the better albums that came out in 1986, and for me that's saying alot. . You can see a complete list of all Kansas discography, or go back to the Kansas tabs