VINYL CONFESSIONS

6 Members; 3 born again Christians and 3 secular walked into a bar?? Okay but it did seem like the start of a good joke. This album is no laughing matter though. It was pure irony that put this album together. After Kerry's Christian lyrics turned off Walsh, especially since he would be singing things he didn't believe in, Steve walked away and sadly the band was broken up. Dave Hope now also catches the Christian bug.

I do think that Elefante was the right pick to replace Steve with his similar range but Steve Walsh is one of a kind. What is funny is that Kerry & Dave had no clue John was also a born again! What are the odds? Divine intervention!?

Regardless, they headed back into the studio and what came out was in my opinion an album that had better songs on it than the last 2 with Walsh. As I stated in my review of Audio Visions Kerry really should have reserved his Christian songs for his solo work since Kansas was a democratic 6-member band. His decision to integrate this way led to the fracturing of this band. I am a born-again so I can say it would be best to defer to the majority in the band. It was a mistake that destroyed the band. Robbie left after this tour due to the fact that they now had 2 sets of fans: The old school and the Christians and those silly born-agains chose to use the lyrics to put them in evangelical tracts and gave them out at concerts. Bye-bye priceless violin and amazing singer.

As far as the album is concerned it sounds fresh in places but way too commercial. With the first wave of prog fading away in the late 70's which turned my favorite prog band Genesis into a bad rendition of Hit Parade! What a tragedy??. But that's another sobfest. I have to admit I am not much intro lyrics. I am very much an instrumental music lover and classic Kansas has some of then most amazing and complex instrumentation of any band which is the definition of true musical talent. Anyone can play an instrument but with prog, you have to be incredibly proficient to be successful.

I sensed more flavorful instrumental passages on this album than Audio Visions. I could do without the hit "Play the Game Tonight" but it did make Kirshner more happy. The first side of the album for me was a complete waste of vinyl. Side 2 redeems the album much better. I liked Face It and John shows his Walshy abilities as he hit a great high note rolling intro the solo.

Windows is probably my favorite track and it is one of the better songs they have done since "Point Of No Return". I wish they had done more with the middle solo section as it could have been a great prog song. "Play On" was good with its beat and flow. "Crossfire" was another back to Old Kansas kind of song and obviously has Kerry written all over it.

Audio Visions marked the end of Kansas as we knew it and this album solidified that end. Robbie's violin got them a record contract and his contributions in the studio and on stage as the MC can never be discarded. What Kansas was about to face was a head on collision with disaster.