nedjelja, 09.08.2009.
Kansas - Monolith (1979) (Japan Mini LP Remaster 2008)
Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this 1979 album from the American heartland Prog Rockers comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Sony. 2008
Seven-album Kansas cardboard sleeve reissue series featuring the albums "Kansas," "Song For America," "Masque," "Leftoverture," "Point Of Know Return," "Two For The Show," and "Monolith." 2008 Remastering featured on "Monolith" and "Two For The Show."
After the unexpected commercial success of 1977's Point of Know Return, Kansas was faced with the daunting task of following up their hit album. A fine live effort in Two For the Show bridged the gap to Monolith, #6 in what I like to call the "Lucky Seven" (seven consecutive quality albums in a row). This self-produced effort, however, is a portent of major change & eventual schism. A collection of eight 4-6 minute tracks, Monolith's rich packaging suggests a concept album, but the Native American theme so intriguingly presented on the cover is merely hinted at in the lyrics to just one song. This seemingly aborted concept, along with the exclusion of Kerry Livgren's mini-epic "No One Together" from the final LP (shelved for later inclusion on Audio Visions), and the lack of musical cohesion suggests that Monolith was an ambitious project that never came to fruition. Monolith and it's 1980 successor offer Kansas at it's most bi-polar: Livgren's full emergence as a born again Christian contrasted with Steve Walsh's more primal leanings into decidedly secular, straight-ahead rock. However, the mix makes for some fine moments: Livgren's oddly cryptic balladry of "The Other Side," the quality synth-pop of "People of the South Wind," Walsh's beautifully psychotic masterpiece, "Angels Have Fallen," and the blistering hard rock bloozer, "Stay Out of Trouble." The "Icarus" riff is resurrected amongst the ambitious prog of Livgren's "A Glimpse of Home," while Walsh's "Away From You" serves up some hook-laden, harmony infused prog/pop that Mozart would've loved if he were alive 20 years ago. Somewhat misplaced are Walsh's "How My Soul Cries Out For You," a "Heart of the Sunrise" on speed kicker which features an ill-conceived drum solo interrupted by restaurant drive-by audio, and Livgren's attempt to follow up "Dust in the Wind" with the fluffy, Styx-like "Reason to Be." Monolith's jagged path makes it apparent that Kansas would soon be split down the middle by its principle songwriters' respective runs for different borders...S. R. Fleck
Codec: flac
Size: 270 MB
Genre : Prog. Rock
2000mustangs
Tracklist:
01 On The Other Side 6.25
02 People Of The South Wind 3.40
03 Angels Have Fallen 6.40
04 How My Soul Cries Out For You 5.46
05 A Glimpse Of Home 6.36
06 Away from You 4.26
07 Stay Out Of Trouble 4.15
08 Reason To Be 3.52
