POINT OF KNOW RETURN

Kansas continued the trail of excellence with Point Of Know Return and even scored their biggest hit yet!

The period between 1976 and 78 was simply a time where Kansas could do no wrong. Even though this release was, once again, moving towards a shorter song format it didn't reflect on the quality of its material. I might have some issues with Sparks Of The Tempest but it's not nearly as bad as the filler material off the first three albums so don't look at it as too much of a hazard.

The album kicks off on an excellent streak of songs with the album's title track and Paradox taking the lead. These tunes might not be as commercially appealing as Carry On Wayward Son but feature enough great moments to make them pleasant for my ears. Lightning Hand is an pretty weird tune that cuts through the fine-tuned atmosphere that was created by Closet Chronicles and takes the music into Hard Rock territory that I honestly didn't expect from Kansas. My initial reaction to this composition was negative but it has grown on me over the years and listening to it today brings a nostalgic smile on my face.

Dust In The Wind has never really been a favorite of mine. Even though I don't necessarily hate it, there's just nothing about it that makes me all that enthusiastic and since I'm used to hearing it in this album's setting I always expect to hear the lesser followup in the shape of Sparks Of The Tempest. Finally the two low key moments that conclude the album are quite excellent. Nobody's Home brings a feeling of artificial nostalgia that might not appeal to me too much, but I can still understand if others enjoy it. Hopelessly Human is on the other side of that spectrum, a masterful piece of symphonic music that should be experienced by all fans of the genre!

Point Of Know Return is one of those albums that could only have been made by a band on the top of their career. It's not necessarily as tightly comprised as Leftoverture but the material still manages to work and when the compositions succeed, they succeed all the way! A great achievement for Kansas and an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.

***** star songs: Point Of Know Return (3:11) Paradox (3:49) Closet Chronicles (6:30) Hopelessly Human (7:10)

**** star songs: The Spider (2:08) Portrait (He Knew) (4:32) Lightning Hand (4:21) Dust In The Wind (3:26) Nobody's Home (4:37)

*** star songs: Sparks Of The Tempest (4:15)