Kansas - Point Of Know Return (1977) [FLAC]

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              Kansas - Point Of Know Return
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Artist...............: Kansas
Album................: Point Of Know Return
Genre................: Progressive Rock
Source...............: CD
Year.................: 1977
Ripper...............: EAC (Secure mode) / FLAC Frontend & LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1693S
Codec................: Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC)
Version..............: reference libFLAC 1.1.3 20061120"
Quality..............: Lossless, (avg. compression: 58 %)
Channels.............: Stereo / 44100 HZ / 16 Bit
Tags.................: VorbisComment
Information..........: 

Ripped by............: Varangio on 10/12/2006
Posted by............: Varangio on 10/12/2006
News Server..........: 
News Group(s)........: 

Included.............: NFO, MD5, LOG, CUE
Covers...............: Front Back 

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                       Tracklisting
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01. (00:03:14) Kansas - Point Of Know Return
02. (00:03:51) Kansas - Paradox
03. (00:02:08) Kansas - The Spider
04. (00:04:35) Kansas - Portrait (He Knew)
05. (00:06:32) Kansas - Closet Chronicles
06. (00:04:24) Kansas - Lightning's Hand
07. (00:03:29) Kansas - Dust In The Wind
08. (00:04:19) Kansas - Sparks Of The Tempest
09. (00:04:40) Kansas - Nobody's Home
10. (00:07:09) Kansas - Hopelessly Human

Playing Time.........: 00:44:20
Total Size...........: 261,95 MB

NFO generated on.....: 10/12/2006 12:17:04 p.m.


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Personnel:

Phil Ehart - percussion, chimes, drums, gong, tympani 
Dave Hope - bass 
Kerry Livgren - synthesizer, acoustic guitar, guitar, percussion, piano, electric 
guitar, keyboard, clavinet, Rinaldo whistling machine 
Robby Steinhardt - violin, cello, viola, vocals, lap cello 
Steve Walsh - organ, synthesizer, percussion, piano, celeste, keyboard, 
vocals, vibraphone, Peabody chromatic inverter 
Rich Williams - acoustic guitar, guitar, electric guitar 

Additional personnel:

Rick Williams - pedals

Producer: Jeff Glixman 
Engineers: Terry Becker, Jeff Glixman 
Mastering: George Marino 
Arranger: Kansas 
Art direction: Tom Drennon 
Cover art concept: Kansas 
Cover design: Rod Dyer 
Artwork: Peter Lloyd 
Artwork: Bob Maile

Point of Know Return is the fifth album by American rock band Kansas, 
released in 1977
The huge success of Kansas's previous effort, Leftoverture, brought a new 
kind of pressure. While they were no longer desperately poor and starving 
for a hit, the band wondered whether they'd be able build on, or at least 
maintain the level of achievement the years of recording and touring had 
brought them. The sessions for their follow-up LP, Point of Know Return, 
were filled with tension as singer/songwriter Steve Walsh, who had always 
been uncomfortable with the artistic direction of the band, left the group 
briefly. Years later, Walsh would admit in an interview that he had been 
something of a prima donna at this point. The other members of the group 
talked him into returning and the sessions continued. As with the previous 
album, it was a last-minute addition to the track line-up that would prove to 
be a huge success.

Kerry Livgren had been practicing with his acoustic guitar, working on a chord 
progression that he had written as a finger exercise. His wife, Vicci, 
happened to hear what he was doing and remarked that the melody was nice 
and that he should write lyrics for it. The result was a short song called "Dust 
in the Wind". Again, Livgren was unsure as to whether his fellow band 
members would like it, since Kansas was not known for acoustic ballads. 
Needless to say, the song was recorded, securing Kansas's place in the 
annals of classic rock.


A Detailed Description
Point of Know Return begins with a brief song of the same title, clocking in at 
3:12. It was a later addition to the album, along with giving the album its 
name. After this track is "Paradox," in which the violin takes center stage as a 
solo instrument in an extension of the prototypical Kansas style. Following is 
the disjointed instrumental "The Spider," composed by Steve Walsh and so 
named for of its alleged likeness to the arachnid. This piece segues into the 
Einstein tribute, "Portrait (He Knew)." "Portrait" is a straightforward collection 
of rock riffs and somewhat strained phrases, building upon a relentless theme 
and weaving a unique patchwork of counterpoint. "Closet Chronicles" is a 
Howard Hughes allegory, which is an unusual subject for a progressive rock 
epic. Nonetheless, this song includes a truly unique instrumental break and 
makes use of the contrasting vocal timbres of Steve Walsh and Robby 
Steinhardt. Next is a somewhat dated generic rock tune called "Lightning's 
Hand." In this song, Walsh attempts vocal caracatures similar to Peter Gabriel 
and Phil Collins in their respective tenures in the British progressive rock 
group Genesis. Following this song is the work by which many listeners judge 
the band, "Dust In The Wind." The song in no way reflects any other song in 
the entire Kansas canon, particularly because of its sparse acoustic nature. 
In this song the band explores the prospect of death and the insignificance of 
one lifetime in the endless thread of time. "Sparks Of The Tempest" comments 
upon the cyclical nature of rebellion and the claim of power through a purely 
Kansas-esque brand of accessible rock. "Nobody's Home" chronicles an alien 
encounter with the world of a fallen civilization, and reflects the pensive 
atmosphere of "Dust." This song makes effective use of Robby Steinhardt's 
soft and sensitive voice and his virtuosic skill on the violin, particularly the 
latter in the bawling cimax of the instrumental break. The album closes with 
"Hopelessly Human," a progressive epic in the vein of those on Leftoverture. 
The piece features many instrumental solos.





Cultural Impact
In the 1989 movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Ted (Keanu Reeves) may 
be referring to the "Dust in the Wind" lyrics "all we are is dust in the wind" as 
he said, "All we are is dust in the wind, dude", where he and Bill (Alex Winter) 
met Socrates while travelling back in history.


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