LEFTOVERTURE

With their third album, Leftoverture, Kansas has firmly planted their prog roots, but also sees a slightly more commercial approach. I would also venture to say this is their most consistent album, with really no poor tracks included.

The opening song is the classic rock standard 'Carry On My Wayward Son.' Kansas garnered much radio time with this song, as it is rather simple in terms of structure and rhythm compared to their other songs. Surely constant radio play has warped my opinion, but I still think it's a fantastic song.

'The Wall' is a vocal heavy song with some great guitar work in the middle, and a beautiful melody at the end (which do doubt inspired the title track from Dream Theater's Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence).

'What's On My Mind' is a pretty simple song with a pretty structure, and really isn't terribly interesting besides some decent guitar work.

'Miracles Out of Nowhere' is mostly a ballad with an epic instrumental break in the middle which has parts in 7/4 time.

'Opus Insert' is an up-tempo song with some heavy, driving bass. The vocals are very strong on this song as well; but it's the lighthearted proggy middle section that always gets me.

'Questions of My Childhood' Opens with an epic flurry of keyboards. Unfortunately the rest of song doesn't reach the same level of symphonic prowess.

'Cheyenne Anthem' opens with acoustic guitar in a slower, methodical manner, but slowly adds piano, and by the middle section is a full on prog extravaganza filled with keyboard madness.

'Magnum Opus' is a full on prog adventure similar to something off their previous album. The structure is really diverse on this song, with no section really sounding like another. This shows the masterful compostitional skills of whole band, but it's the arrangement that makes it into the controlled chaos this song is.

Overall, I would say Leftoverture is a more consistent release than Song For America, and more prog than Point of Know Return, making this their strongest album for me, and a very strong addition to a symphonic prog collection.

8/10