LEFTOVERTURE

Kansas' best known album is definitely known for a reason. Often considered the peak of their career as the leading American Progressive band this is an album to buy and cherish, for sure. While it doesn't quite reach the levels of some of the other progressive acts that were coming out at the time (even if it was released at a time of musical turmoil for most bands), it does have a certain feel to it that just makes it so enjoyable to listen to. It's a warm, embracing album that is highly uplifting, symphonic and still approachable at the same time.

Both sides of the album are incredibly strong, and worth listening to repeatedly. Most people likely know the album from the single to be released from it and likely the 'biggest' song ever to be released by Kansas. Clocking in at just under 6-minutes, the band opens up the fray with Carry On Wayward Son, a song that is, by itself, highly influential, catchy, memorable and hard to wear out. Also on the first side is the incredibly noteworthy The Wall, another one of those tunes that sounds simply larger than life and highly motivational thanks to the keyboards and emotional guitar playing led by some very noteworthy lyrics. Ending off the first side is yet another standout for the album, the heavy and charging Miracles Out Of Nowhere with its memorable reprise.

The second side is likely the one to get the most attention from prog fans, being that it has some of the band's lengthiest and best known (from a prog standpoint) tunes on it. Magnum Opus is likely the one that most people will be looking forward to, and it actually bookends the side thank to the impressive Opus Insert that starts the side off with a bang. Magnum Opus itself isn't the band's lengthiest tune to date, but it is a good one, and at 8-minutes in length, most of which being instrumental madness, it's very much one to look forward to. Also on the second side is the ever impressive Cheyenne Anthem, likely the darkest song on the album, but still an excellent song to rock out to while maintaining all the complexities of a more 'traditional' prog arrangement.

Being that this is an album with many near religious followers it's hard to add anything to it than that. But when all's said and done it's an excellent release that makes a great addition to any progressive library. 4.5 stars! A hard one to give the full mark to (for, honestly, inexplicable reasons), but definitely a deserving album, and a classic one at that. Highly recommended - and essential for Kansas fans (though they already knew that).

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