MASQUE

Less progressive as the previous album, 'Song For America', 'Masque' nevertheless has some killer tracks. 'The Pinnacle' is one of the greatest American prog epics of all time; too bad the song that plays before it, 'Mysteries And Mayhem' was seperated from it as it would have been a massive epic. Still, 'The Pinnacle' has some of Walsh's best keyboard work and singing; flat out beautiful. Starting from the top of the album, "It takes A Woman's Love (To Make A Man)", (although true ;-)) is your standard southern boogie rock song and sticks out like a sore thumb. "Two cents Worth" also boogies, but with more prog tendencies. "Icarus (Borne On Wings Of Steel)" is vintage Kansas prog that ROXS, along with the classic "Child Of Innocence" and "It's You". No one does this kind of prog better then Kansas. Overall, the album is more rock/prog heavy then symphonic. Not until the next two albums do they merge more cohesively. In my book this is the lesser of the first three and garners a 3.5.