MASQUE (1975)
“Sail on, sail on, I will rise each day to meet the dawn”1. It Takes A Woman’s Love (To Make A Man) (Walsh) 3:08
2. Two Cents Worth (Livgren, Walsh) 3:08
3. Icarus – Borne on Wings of Steel (Livgren) 6:03
4. All The World (Walsh, Steinhardt) 7:11
5. Child of Innocence (Livgren) 4:36
6. It’s You (Walsh) 2:31
7. Myseries And Mayhem (Livgren, Walsh) 4:18
8. The Pinnacle (Livgren) 9:44
Kansas’s third album is interesting for a number of reasons. The overall sound of the album is dark, both musically and lyrically. The album continues the band’s search for identity, blending more straightforward rock tunes with progressive rock compositions. Also, while recording the album at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana, the record company really pressured the band about the need for pop hits. As you can see, that’s not exactly what they received.
However, listening today to the first track “It Takes A Woman’s Love (To Make A Man)”, it seems odd that it didn’t do well. This sounds like a prototypical hit rock song of the era – in fact, I have often thought of this as a Boston song done by Kansas. Nice hooks, great vocals, nice arrangement – nothing not to like, right? Wrong. The version released as a single was heavily edited, remixed, and rearranged, sounding little like the album version. It tanked. Way to go, executives.
Next up is “Two Cents Worth.” This is a mid-tempo rock song, and if the first song reminds me of Boston, this one reminds me a little of Steely Dan. Opening with a nice bass & drum groove, the song is tasty, although nowhere near the elite of Kansas’s catalogue. But it is a nice example of Kansas drawing on their various influences to go in a new direction. And then it ends in a fadeout (the second of the album thus far).
The album’s third track, “Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel” would go on to become a Kansas classic, and a staple of their live performances for decades. Steinhardt’s violin is a real standout on this track. Lyrically, the song is about the joy of flying in an airplane (fighter plane?), but also carries the knowledge of death in the skies as well. The band would revisit this concept later. Oh, and the song ends in a fadeout. Really?
“All The World” is a strange song for me. It can’t decide if it wants to be a sappy 70s ballad, or a progressive rock song. It is apparently a weird hybrid of the two, but it doesn’t work for me. There are definitely some nice musical moments here, and the a capella ending is really nice to hear (especially since it isn’t a fadeout). But the song is a little too schizophrenic for me.
“Child of Innocence” would also go on to become a classic for the band. The inevitability of death is the major theme of the lyrics, and the music goes along with it, contributing relatively dark riffs and accompaniment. This song features some great vocal melodies & harmonies in the chorus, and the instrumental bits are fantastic, some really tasteful soloing here, both guitar and keys. And then it ends in a fadeout.
“It’s You” is a shorter rock song with some nice instrumental pieces, but overall it seems kind of like a filler track. For me, it doesn’t really get interesting until about the two minute mark, which is sad since it’s only about two and a half minutes long (the last 15 seconds or so being another fadeout!). But nice violin work from Steinhardt throughout this one.
“Mysteries and Mayhem” features lyrics of nightmarish visions, and the music is a perfect companion. It is a more straightforward rock song with dark guitar riffs throughout the verses and choruses, and while the bridge gets a little more progressive-sounding, it then comes back full circle to the pure rock. Cool song. But it ends in a fadeout. WTF
The album ends with “The Pinnacle,” which at almost ten minutes in length joins the family of Kansas progressive masterpieces. Reminiscent of earlier pieces like Journey to Mariabronn, Death of Mother Nature Suite and Song for America, this song takes you on a journey through different moods and time signatures. Although the lyrics are, well, what they are, Walsh does such a good job singing them that they are easily overlooked. Absolutely one of my favorite Kansas songs. And more importantly, it doesn’t end in a fadeout!
The album was released in October 1975, and was in the Billboard 200 for 20 weeks, topping out at # 70 in February 1976. Although it sold around 250,000 copies (which would now be a success!), it was not viewed as successful by the record company. It probably would have done better if it didn’t have all those fadeout endings (just a guess).
But the band toured furiously, appearing in theaters and small halls throughout the country, continuing to build a rabid fanbase through word of mouth and hard work, since they weren’t succeeding on the radio.
The album was eventually certified Gold in 2010. A 2001 remastered reissue features demo versions of “Child of Innocence” and “It’s You” as bonus tracks.
Topic: The Kansas Discography Thread - THAT'S ALL, FOLKS (For Now) (Read 44990 times)