POINT OF KNOW RETURN

Kansas had scored a commercial home run with their previous release, despite it being a progressive rock masterpiece. The question was not only if they could do it again, but if they could do it again with yet another progressive rock album. Here they proved that they could, even during increasing turmoil within the band. Lead singer and keyboardist Steve Walsh had left, only to have the rest of the band members talk him back into the project. His return would not be a permanent one, however. This album is the last in a string of wonderful masterpieces of progressive rock, and would have been Kansas's last, were it not for an unexpected reunion at the turn of the century.

"Point of Know Return" Cheerful and energetic, the title song was another minor hit that received decent radio airplay. There is a lively introduction played on the organ, bass, and drums. The verses work over simple piano chords, but the organ and violin play a major role throughout the chorus. The bridge has a bit of flair and is worked into the song quite well, showcasing Walsh's clear tenor voice.

"Paradox" Certainly one of Kansas's best short tracks, "Paradox" demonstrates the bands mastery over short but extremely dynamic progressive rock songs. The introduction is fast-paced, full of hammering organ chords and an almost chromatic run up and down the keyboard. The lyrics represent Kerry Livgren's ever-changing spirituality, and he claims he feels like he's "been everywhere before," but that "there surely must be more." The instrumental section has a great bass line, exciting violin playing, and a decent guitar solo (Williams develops this solo much more live). Under four minutes, this song is a concise vehicle for what makes Kansas stand tall in the annals of progressive rock history.

"The Spider" In two minutes, Steve Walsh angers us by demonstrating exactly what he is capable of as a keyboardist and as a composer. Were it not in his heart to hunt commercial success as a mainstream rock artist, we might have more amazing pieces like this. This instrumental spirals into different time signatures and morphs into various things before serving as a segue to the next song. The music moves menacingly, like the creature mentioned in the title.

"Portrait (He Knew)" This is yet another example Kansas gives us that proves a song doesn't have to be over ten minutes long to have changing riffs or a complex structure. The music during the singing isn't multifaceted; in fact, it's extremely simple. It's the music everywhere else that is well structured with a tight progression. The lyrics are a portrait of Albert Einstein (and not of Jesus Christ, as some have believed- that would be Livgren's "Portrait II"). The guitar riff used for the soloing is yet another original riff by the master Kerry Livgren, which is used again at the end of the song, only twice as fast.

"Closet Chronicles" This is another "portrait," so to speak, this time of Howard Hughes. The lyrics are deliberately arcane, sung over a lone organ initially, before the whole band enters. The quiet section after the verses still has Walsh singing quite emotionally, before handing over the microphone to Steinhardt for a bit. The instrumental middle part is pretentious, perhaps a musical representation of Hughes's grandiose eccentricities.

"Lightning's Hand" Fast-paced and guitar-driven, and with Steinhardt taking the lead vocals, "Lightning's Hand" is a decent enough rocker. The chord progression during the verse reminds me of "Belexis" in some ways. The middle section tends to be a little disjointed, but it's full of energy and does a good job of showing off Kansas's skill as musicians. In the end, there is a short hearkening back to one of the riffs in "Carry On Wayward Son." This is definitely one of Steinhardt's most theatrical vocal performance.

"Dust in the Wind" Kerry Livgren wrote this as a finger picking exercise, and while he was playing it, his wife commented that it was pretty, and that he should write words to it. Livgren had no intention of having Kansas perform this, but they recorded it, and Kansas had yet another major hit on the radio. It is beautiful, but poignant; the song serves as a reminder that once we are gone, we are no longer a part of this earth, and no amount of money or prestige can stop the fact that our mortality is a commonality among us all.

"Sparks of the Tempest" This is a weird fusion of funk and rock, and if the lyrics were about lust of some sort, the song could have passed for something from Foreigner. The ending uses a 4/4 time signature, but goes about it in a peculiar manner. Though not awful by any means, this is easily the weakest track on the album.

"Nobody's Home" The lyrics of this song imagine an extraterrestrial being who has come to Earth to teach and learn, only to find that because of our own self-destructive behavior, there was "nobody home." It manages to be pretty and sad at the same time, but is a little bland. Lyrically, it's a weaker version of "Watcher of the Skies" by Genesis.

"Hopelessly Human" Point of Know Return concludes with the best track on the album. It is tightly orchestrated, and stands along with "Journey from Mariabronn," "Apercu," and "No One Together" as one of Kansas's most progressive and overlooked pieces. Kansas does everything they do best in this one seven-minute song: Steinhardt and Walsh trading off on lead vocals, quiet violin passages giving away to full-blown rock and roll, organ and keyboard soloing, and thought-provoking lyrics.