Kansas - Point of Know Return [Friday Music 180g LP] 24-bit/96kHz & CD-compatible format

“

This is the definitive Kansas recording and includes their most famous tune, "Dust in the Wind." The band is in peak form and also churned out the single "Point of Know Return," which is still played daily on classic rock stations. - Robert Taylor/AMG

”

Point of Know Return is the fifth album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1977.

The huge success of Kansas's previous effort, Leftoverture, brought a new kind of pressure. While they were no longer desperately poor and starving for a hit, the band wondered whether they would be able build on, or at least maintain the level of achievement the years of recording and touring had brought them. The sessions for their follow-up LP, Point of Know Return, were filled with tension as singer/songwriter Steve Walsh, who had always been uncomfortable with the artistic direction of the band, left the group briefly. Years later, Walsh would admit in an interview with nationally-syndicated radio host Redbeard on the weekly rockumentary series In the Studio with Redbeard (edition #849, week of 9/27/04 and again on the 30th Anniversary Episode for Point of Know Return in 2007) that he had been something of a prima donna at this point. The other members of the group talked him into returning and the sessions continued. As with the previous album, it was a last-minute addition to the track line-up that would prove to be a huge success.

Kerry Livgren had been practicing with his acoustic guitar, working on a chord progression that he had written as a finger exercise. His wife, Vicci, happened to hear what he was doing and remarked that the melody was nice and that he should write lyrics for it. The result was a short song called Dust in the Wind. Again, Livgren was unsure as to whether his fellow band members would like it, since Kansas was not known for acoustic ballads. Needless to say, the song was recorded, securing Kansas's place in the annals of classic rock.

The album marked the commercial peak of the band in many ways. A subsequent tour brought them to the largest venues in the country, such as Madison Square Garden (which was sold out resulting in a second show at the newly constructed nearby Nassau Coliseum on Long Island) and the LA Forum (on New Year's Eve 1977). Marketing efforts were escalated at that point, including a tour book featuring an essay about the band by then Rolling Stone contributor Cameron Crowe. The band became a staple on FM radio at this point, and during this period was one of the most popular rock acts in the country.



Track listing

All songs written by Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh, except where noted.

Side A

"Point of Know Return" (Phil Ehart, Robby Steinhardt, Steve Walsh) – 3:13
"Paradox" – 3:50
"The Spider" (Walsh) – 2:05
"Portrait (He Knew)" – 4:38
"Closet Chronicles" – 6:31

Side B

"Lightning's Hand" – 4:24
"Dust in the Wind" (Livgren) – 3:28
"Sparks of the Tempest" – 4:18
"Nobody's Home" – 4:40
"Hopelessly Human" (Livgren) - 7:17

Personnel

Phil Ehart - drums
Dave Hope - bass
Kerry Livgren - guitars, keyboards
Robby Steinhardt - violins, vocals, Lead Vocals On "Lightning's Hand", Sparks Of The Tempest" And "Hopelessly Human"
Steve Walsh - keyboards, vocals
Rich Williams - electric guitars

Note: The album's performing credits listed one joke "instrument" for each band member, such as "chain-driven gong," "autogyro," "Rinaldo whistling machine" and "Peabody chromatic inverter."

Additional personnel

Rick Williams - pedals

Personal Note

With my vinyl rips I try to catch the whole beauty of records. Therefore I don't use any post-processing or any sound improver. What you get is a clear and flat transfer.
For getting a clear sound I'll do an extended washing of each record with my RCM, which can take up to 30 minutes brushing for each side. Resistant ticks and clicks I try to remove as good as possible, but the priority is not to loose any musical information.
Surface noises, as long they are not to high, are left in place. Only on bad pressings or on records recorded with extremly low level I do a fade in-/-out. As John Peel said, 'Life is full of surface noises'.
In some cases this means I have to do a compromise... The result has to pass my personal quality criteria which is IMO quite high.