Masque (1975) by Kansas

-- Their 3rd studio album, and the Pinnacle (pun-intended, see below) of their unique American brand of Progressive Rock, before their big commercial hits.

Tell almost anybody "I'm listening to some cool music by Kansas" and most likely they'll say, "Yeah! 'Dust in the Wind' is great!" or, if they are more into classic rock, "Cool, 'Carry On Wayward Son' is rockin'!" Until the past year, that 'anybody' was me. Thanks to the treasure of YouTube surfing, I discovered their full albums. Did you know their breakthrough hit "Carry On Wayward Son" was on their 4th album? Did you know they were all very gifted musicians? Either way, read on!

Why do I like this album?

1. It is a nice balance between the lengthy and creative progressive pieces on their first-two albums, and the shorter, more radio-friendly pieces on their well-known 4th and 5th albums.

2. It has a blend of songwriting from the band's ringleaders, Steve Walsh, Kerry Livgren, and Robby Steinhardt

3. It showcases the band's talent: the powerful lead vocals of both Steve and Robby as well as their superb harmonizing, the keyboard wizardry of Steve, the violin prowess of Robby, the guitarwork of Kerry and Rich Williams, and the strong bass and drum work of Dave Hope and Phil Ehart.

4. The music outshines the album cover. (Okay this isn't a real reason. It's just that most of their album covers are cool, but this one is rather creepy - don't look at it too long!)

5. It has my all-time favorite song by Kansas, "All the World." It isn't their best, it isn't the best in any category, I just really, really like it.

The songs:

1. It Takes a Woman's Love: a straightforward rock n' roll number driven by organ and piano, a little out of place due to an added horn section with saxophone solos, but I like it.

2. Two Cent's Worth: Another short rock number with more soul than prog, nicely done but one of the weaker tracks.

3. Icarus Borne on Wings of Steel): The first progressive-leaning song of the album, this rocker has it all: changing tempos, driving organ, harmony vocals, piercing guitar solos, frenetic violin solo, lengthy instrumental introduction and middle sections, and more sophisticated lyrics. The song flies away into the sun, with accelerating tempo and upward modulations. Listen to Icarus (Borne on Wings of Steel) from their Masque Tour in 1976, on YouTube (I usually don't prefer the live performances, but for this song they make it easier to distinguish the violin from the synth, and show how much energy and talent the band had).

4. All the World: You'll get a whole blog post just on this; I like it that much. No more about it here.

5. Child of Innocence: Robby takes the lead on this hard rocker, with Steve singing a more gentle, subdued bridge section. This is Kansas at its heyday as rockers.

6. It's You: This rollicking tune may be the weakest track but still showcases Steve's powerful vocals and Robby's energetic violin.

7. Mysteries and Mayhem: Originally set as the introductory part of the finale (The Pinnacle) but the publishers required the split into two tracks -- it would have been 14 minutes as a single track. A good progressive rocker, with odd key signatures, prominent organ, and a lot of instrumental.

8. The Pinnacle: Possibly the best progressive piece of their career. Quickly moves from the introduction (which is a segue from the prior track) to a series of Renaissance/baroque-sounding motifs, with repetitive instrumental duets pairing synthesizer and organ, violin and synthesizer, guitar and violin etc, before finally entering an ethereal rhythm with layers of synthesizer, organ, and violin. Vocals enter around 2:45, among Steve's best, shortly followed by Robby's harmony vocals on the main refrain/melody of the tune. Steve's organ in this piece is fabulous, both when underneath Robby's vocal section as well as later in a funky organ solo section, followed by some searing guitar solos. Some of the sections repeat, but nothing is overly predictable. Phil's drumming is also intense and admirable (as it always is, but especially noticeable on parts of this track). Listen to The Pinnacle on YouTube