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Power (Kansas album)

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Power
Studio album by
Kansas
ReleasedNovember 28, 1986
Recorded1986
StudioThe Castle, Franklin, Tennessee
Abbey Road Studios, London, England (orchestra recording)
GenreHard rock, arena rock, art rock
Length39:06
LabelMCA
ProducerAndrew Powell, Phil Ehart
Kansas chronology
The Best of Kansas
(1984) 		Power
(1986) 		In the Spirit of Things
(1988)
Singles from Power
  1. "All I Wanted" / "We're Not Alone Anymore"
    Released: 1986
  2. "Power" / "Tomb 19"
    Released: 1986
  3. "Can't Cry Anymore" / "Three Pretenders"
    Released: 1987

Power is the tenth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1986. It was the band's first studio album for MCA Records.

A year and a half after Kansas disbanded at the end of the Drastic Measures tour, former lead singer Steve Walsh returned to revive Kansas along with original band members Phil Ehart and Rich Williams. Guitarist Steve Morse, who joined at Ehart's invitation after the two met at a concert in Atlanta, contributed greatly to the songwriting and to the sound of the new lineup. Bass guitarist and vocalist Billy Greer, who had worked with Walsh in the short-lived band Streets after the singer left Kansas in 1981, completed the lineup. The new Kansas began rehearsing in July 1985, while Walsh was finishing a tour as sideman for Cheap Trick. They released Power the following year.

A promotional video for the single "All I Wanted", featuring clips of a variety of women walking and smiling, was shot with only Walsh and Morse from the band appearing. Mixed by producer Humberto Gatica, the song was a major top 40 and adult contemporary hit, yet the band has not played the song in concert for many years.

The follow-up singles "Power" and "Can't Cry Anymore" failed to receive significant airplay, though the former is the last Kansas single to date to hit the Billboard Top 100 pop charts. A video featuring comedian Richard Belzer was produced for "Can't Cry Anymore" but was never widely released. Both songs were edited and remixed by Gatica for release as singles.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Kerrang![2]

In a contemporary review, Xavier Russel of the British magazine Kerrang! called the pompous sound of Kansas "very dated" and, despite a few pleasant rockers like "Musicatto", found other songs "embarrassing beyond belief".[2] In his retrospective review, AllMusic reviewer remarked Kansas' dramatic change in musical direction, "more hard rock and pop than prog rock", which "probably surprised longtime Kansas fans" but gave the band "an interesting - if ultimately short-lived - new direction."[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Steve Morse and Steve Walsh except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Silhouettes in Disguise" 4:26
2."Power"Randy Goodrum, Steve Morse, Steve Walsh4:25
3."All I Wanted" 3:20
4."Secret Service"John Booth Aclin, Ron Miller, Morse, Walsh4:42
5."We're Not Alone Anymore" 4:16
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Musicatto" (instrumental) 3:30
7."Taking In the View" 3:06
8."Three Pretenders"Billy Greer, Morse, Walsh3:50
9."Tomb 19" 3:46
10."Can't Cry Anymore" (The Producers cover)Tim Smith, Van Temple4:01

Personnel

Kansas
Additional musicians
Production
  • Andrew Powell - producer
  • Nigel Walker - engineer, mixing at Jacobs Studio, Farnham, England and Lion Share Studios, Los Angeles
  • Mike Sheady - orchestral recordings engineer
  • Humberto Gatica - mixing of "All I Wanted"
  • Keith Odle, Lance Philips, Darrin Goodwin - assistant engineers
  • George Marino - mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
  • Andy Engel - design, illustration

Charts

References

  1. ^ a b Adams, Bret. "Kansas Power review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Russell, Xavier (December 11, 1986). "Kansas - 'Power'". Kerrang!. No. 135. p. 18.
  3. ^ "Kansas Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  4. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 45, No. 14, December 27, 1986". Library and Archives Canada. December 27, 1986. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Kansas Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  6. ^ "Kansas Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Kansas Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  8. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 45, No. 16, January 24, 1987". Library and Archives Canada. January 24, 1987. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
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