The Prelude Implicit

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The Prelude Implicit
Studio album by
Kansas
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2016 (2016-09-23)
RecordedJanuary–February 2016
StudioReal 2 Reel Studios, Jonesboro, Georgia
Genre
Length53:19
LabelInside Out
ProducerZak Rizvi, Phil Ehart, Rich Williams
Kansas chronology
There's Know Place Like Home
(2009) 		The Prelude Implicit
(2016) 		The Absence of Presence
(2020)

The Prelude Implicit is the fifteenth studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in September 2016. It is their third studio album without founding member, lead vocalist and keyboardist Steve Walsh, who retired from the band in 2014; the other two being 1982's Vinyl Confessions and 1983's Drastic Measures.[1] It is their first album with lead vocalist and keyboardist Ronnie Platt, keyboardist David Manion, and guitarist Zak Rizvi, who started as a co-producer and songwriter before being named a full member of the band as well as the first album to feature violinist David Ragsdale since Freaks of Nature.

Background[edit]

The first album since 2000's Somewhere to Elsewhere, it marks the longest period between two Kansas studio albums to date. Founding member Kerry Livgren, who had returned as the main songwriter for that album, departed the band again following its release leaving Steve Walsh as the group's sole songwriter. His reluctance towards committing to new studio material left the band without new output. While the group would continue to release live and compilation albums throughout the next decade, Native Window was formed as a side project by Ehart, Greer, Ragsdale and Williams who wanted to record new material as a separate entity.[2]

Walsh's departure in 2014 and the addition of Platt and Manion and later Rizvi paved the way for a new Kansas album.[3]

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Ultimate Guitar Archive7.7/10[5]

Tim Jones of Record Collector magazine found the album "an attempted simulacrum of heyday glories, laudable while not quite scaling the heights", remarking how "the trademark intricate interplay of strings, driving rhythm and golden harmonies is all present and correct" and "should please the faithful, without eclipsing more recent predecessors like Somewhere to Elsewhere".[6] AllMusic's James Christopher Monger praised the album for being "something that sounds both familiar and forward thinking" and wrote that "the technically superb The Prelude Implicit – literally – hits all of the right notes and should please longtime fans, despite the absence of Walsh".[4] Ultimate Guitar staff enjoyed the balance between hard rock, AOR and prog rock of the new songs, signaling in particular "the album's grand, epic piece" "The Voyage of Eight Eighteen", which "could have been written in the same sessions that produced tracks like 'Song for America' and 'Magnum Opus'." The reviewer also wrote that the new Kansas line-up "doesn't at all sound like a band bereft of musical inspiration", but "like a band firing on all cylinders, putting out the music they actually want to make" and probably producing "the most inspired thing they've done since their heyday."[5]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."With This Heart"Zak Rizvi, Ronnie Platt, Phil Ehart, Rich Williams, David Ragsdale4:13
2."Visibility Zero"Rizvi, Platt, Ehart4:27
3."The Unsung Heroes"Geoff Byrd, Platt, Ehart, David Manion, Ragsdale, Rizvi, Williams5:02
4."Rhythm in the Spirit"Rizvi, Platt5:58
5."Refugee"Mike Slamer, Billy Greer, Ehart, Manion, Platt, Ragsdale, Williams4:23
6."The Voyage of Eight Eighteen"Rizvi, Platt, Ehart8:18
7."Camouflage"Rizvi, Greer, Ehart, Platt6:42
8."Summer"Rizvi, Greer, Ehart, Williams, Manion, Ragsdale4:07
9."Crowded Isolation"Rizvi, Platt, Ehart, Greer, Manion, Ragsdale, Williams6:10
10."Section 60" (instrumental)Rizvi, Ehart4:01
Total length:53:19
Bonus tracks (Deluxe edition)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
11."Home on the Range"John H. LomaxDaniel Kelley3:26
12."Oh Shenandoah" (instrumental) traditional3:39
Total length:60:24

Personnel[edit]

Kansas
  • Ronnie Platt – lead vocals, piano on "The Voyage of Eight Eighteen"
  • Rich Williams – electric and acoustic guitars, producer
  • Zak Rizvi – electric guitar, vocals, producer, mixing
  • David Manion – piano, keyboards, organ and sound design
  • David Ragsdale – violin, vocals
  • Billy Greer – bass, vocals, lead vocals on "Summer"
  • Phil Ehart – drums, percussion, producer
Production
  • Chad Singer – engineer
  • James Cobb, Jonathan Beckner, Will McPhaul – assistant engineers
  • Jeff Glixman – mixing, mix and mastering producer
  • Vlado Meller – mastering
  • Denise de la Cerda – artwork
  • Michie Turpin – photography
  • Christine Boyd – logo and title design
  • Thomas Ewerhard – album layout

Charts[edit]

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] 102
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[8] 41
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] 66
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 46
French Albums (SNEP)[11] 105
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 25
Italian Albums (FIMI)[13] 63
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] 112
Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] 54
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[16] 87
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 59
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 23
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[19] 9
US Billboard 200[20] 41
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[21] 3
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[22] 15
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[23] 5
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[24] 14

Also charted on Billboard charts at No. 17 in Vinyl Album Sales, No. 10 in Internet Albums, and No. 14 in Current Albums.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Deriso, Nick (July 4, 2014). "Steve Walsh On His Exit From Kansas: 'Time for Me To Go'". Ultimate Classic Rock.com.
  2. ^ "Backstage Pass: Kansas drummer Phil Ehart on Native Window". Goldmine. June 30, 2009.
  3. ^ Wardlaw, Matt (May 7, 2015). "Kansas Guitarist Richard Williams Confirms New Album Plans: Exclusive Interview". Ultimate Classic Rock.com.
  4. ^ a b Monger, James Christopher. "Kansas – The Prelude Implicit review". AllMusic. All Media Network.
  5. ^ a b "The Prelude Implicit review by Kansas". Ultimate Guitar Archive. September 23, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  6. ^ Jones, Tim (November 2016). "Kansas – The Prelude Implicit". Record Collector. No. 459. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  7. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  9. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  10. ^ "Kansas: The Prelude Implicit" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Lescharts.com – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  14. ^ "暗黙の序曲". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  15. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  16. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  17. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  18. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kansas – The Prelude Implicit". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  19. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  20. ^ "Kansas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  21. ^ "Kansas Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Kansas Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  23. ^ "Kansas Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  24. ^ "Kansas Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
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