Power (Kansas album)
| Power | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Kansas | ||||
| Released | November 1986 | |||
| Recorded | The Castle, Franklin, Tennessee, 1986 | |||
| Genre | AOR, hard rock, progressive rock | |||
| Length | 39:06 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Andrew Powell, Phil Ehart | |||
| Kansas chronology | ||||
| ||||
Power is the tenth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1986.
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, became significant in the new lineup. Bass guitarist and vocalist Billy Greer (who had worked with Walsh in the short-lived band Streets after he left Kansas in 1981) completed the lineup, which began rehearsing in July 1985 while Walsh was finishing up a tour as sideman for Cheap Trick. They released Power the following year.
The bouncy single "All I Wanted", although out of character for Kansas, fit in well with the mid-'80s pop music scene and sparked a comeback for the band fueled by the song's promotional video receiving heavy rotation on cable music video channels. The video featured clips of a variety of women walking and smiling but only Walsh and Morse from the band appear in the video. Specially mixed by producer Humberto Gatica, the song was a major top 40 and adult contemporary hit that can still be heard on soft rock radio stations, 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 | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Kerrang! |  [2] |
In their retrospective review, Allmusic applauded Kansas's dramatic change in direction, contending that the fact that this new direction was short-lived makes it no less appealing. They especially praised "Silhouettes in Disguise," "Power", and "All I Wanted".[1]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Steve Morse and Steve Walsh except where noted.| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Silhouettes In Disguise" | 4:26 | ||
| 2. | "Power" | Randy Goodrum, Steve Morse, Steve Walsh | 4:25 | |
| 3. | "All I Wanted" | 3:20 | ||
| 4. | "Secret Service" | John Booth Aclin, Ron Miller, Morse, Walsh | 4:42 | |
| 5. | "We're Not Alone Anymore" | 4:16 | ||
| 6. | "Musicatto" | 3:30 | ||
| 7. | "Taking In the View" | 3:06 | ||
| 8. | "Three Pretenders" | Billy Greer, Morse, Walsh | 3:50 | |
| 9. | "Tomb 19" | 3:46 | ||
| 10. | "Can't Cry Anymore" | Tim Smith, Van Temple | 4:01 |
Personnel
- Phil Ehart - drums
- Billy Greer - bass guitar, vocals
- Steve Morse - guitar, vocals
- Steve Walsh - keyboards, vocals
- Rich Williams - guitar
Additional musicians
- The Philarmonia Orchestra arranged and conducted by Andrew Powell
- Travis Bradford, Jerome Olds, Rob Henson, Yonrico Scott, Merle McLain - backing vocals
- Doug Baker, Solomon Olds, Cliff Jones - backing vocals
Production
- Producer - Andrew Powell
- Executive Producer - Phil Ehart
- Nigel Walker - engineer, mixing
- Humberto Gatica - mixing of "All I Wanted"
- Keith Odle, Lance Philips - assistant engineers
- George Marino - mastering
The Philarmonia Orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)[3]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Billboard 200 | 35 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)[4]
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "All I Wanted" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 19 |
| 1986 | "All I Wanted" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 10 |
| 1986 | "All I Wanted" | Adult Contemporary | 14 |
| 1987 | "Power" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 84 |
| 1987 | "Power" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 38 |
| 1987 | "Can't Cry Anymore" | - | - |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Adams, Bret. "Kansas Power review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ↑ Russell, Xavier (11 December 1986). "Kansas 'Power'". Kerrang! 135. London, UK: United Magazines ltd. p. 18.
- ↑ "Power Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ↑ "Power Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||