Drastic Measures is the ninth studio album, and tenth album overall, by Ame… Read Full Bio ↴Drastic Measures is the ninth studio album, and tenth album overall, by American rock band Kansas, released in 1983.
The shift in direction that Kansas took with Vinyl Confessions took its toll before recording began on this album. After hearing that Christian fans of Kansas were using lyrics from Vinyl Confessions in religious tracts and handing them out prior to the band's live appearances, violinist Robby Steinhardt grew tired of Kansas' new Christian affiliation and quit the band at the end of the 1982 tour.
Despite the success of Vinyl Confessions, both among mainstream and Christian audiences, the album was criticized in some quarters--especially by Rolling Stone--for being too repetitive of Kansas' prior efforts. Drastic Measures was new lead singer John Elefante's attempt to change that perception, and his compositions dominate the album, with Kansas co-founder Kerry Livgren only contributing three tracks. Because the sound of Drastic Measures is closer to the successful records that Loverboy and Foreigner were putting out at the time, Livgren was greatly displeased. This is bluntly expressed in his lyrics for "Mainstream," which are as much a criticism of the band's new direction as they are a slam at the music industry in general.
With the exception of the last three songs on the record, the Christian lyrical content was mostly indirect and oblique as well, although this was primarily due to Livgren holding back a number of songs for his future projects. Combined with a strange choice for an album cover, the new Kansas presented on Drastic Measures confused long-time fans and disappointed Christian listeners. The album was the band's least successful record since their debut in 1974 and the tensions within the band eventually became too much. Kansas officially disbanded after giving a New Years' Eve concert at the end of their 1983 tour.
Livgren and Dave Hope left the band to found AD, while Elefante went on to become a successful producer of Contemporary Christian music bands like Petra as well as a popular CCM performer in his own right.
One of the first rock videos (along with "Beat It" and "New Frontier") to be blown up to 35mm film and exhibited in movie theaters as a trailer, the music video for "Fight Fire With Fire," directed by Dominic Orlando, was released theatrically across the USA in 1983 as a short subject with Francis Ford Coppola's Rumblefish.
The album was re-released on CD in remastered form in February, 1996 on Legacy/Epic Records. However, the album is currently out of print.
Track listing
"Fight Fire With Fire" (Dino Elefante, John Elefante) – 3:40
"Everybody's My Friend" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 4:09
"Mainstream" (Kerry Livgren) – 6:36
"Andi" (J. Elefante) – 4:15
"Going Through the Motions" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 5:43
"Get Rich" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 3:43
"Don't Take Your Love Away" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 3:44
"End of the Age" (Livgren) – 4:33
"Incident on a Bridge" (Livgren) – 5:37
Personnel
Phil Ehart - drums
John Elefante - keyboard, vocals
Dave Hope - bass
Kerry Livgren - guitar, keyboard
Rich Williams - guitar
Additional personnel
Terry Brock - vocals, background vocals
Kyle Henderson - vocals, background vocals
David Pack - vocals, background vocals
Production
Producers: Kansas, Neil Kernon
Engineer: Neil Kernon
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
Year Chart Position
1983 Pop Albums 41
1983 The Billboard 200 75
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Fight Fire With Fire" Mainstream Rock 3
1983 "Fight Fire With Fire" Pop Singles 58
1983 "Everybody's My Friend" Mainstream Rock 34
The shift in direction that Kansas took with Vinyl Confessions took its toll before recording began on this album. After hearing that Christian fans of Kansas were using lyrics from Vinyl Confessions in religious tracts and handing them out prior to the band's live appearances, violinist Robby Steinhardt grew tired of Kansas' new Christian affiliation and quit the band at the end of the 1982 tour.
Despite the success of Vinyl Confessions, both among mainstream and Christian audiences, the album was criticized in some quarters--especially by Rolling Stone--for being too repetitive of Kansas' prior efforts. Drastic Measures was new lead singer John Elefante's attempt to change that perception, and his compositions dominate the album, with Kansas co-founder Kerry Livgren only contributing three tracks. Because the sound of Drastic Measures is closer to the successful records that Loverboy and Foreigner were putting out at the time, Livgren was greatly displeased. This is bluntly expressed in his lyrics for "Mainstream," which are as much a criticism of the band's new direction as they are a slam at the music industry in general.
With the exception of the last three songs on the record, the Christian lyrical content was mostly indirect and oblique as well, although this was primarily due to Livgren holding back a number of songs for his future projects. Combined with a strange choice for an album cover, the new Kansas presented on Drastic Measures confused long-time fans and disappointed Christian listeners. The album was the band's least successful record since their debut in 1974 and the tensions within the band eventually became too much. Kansas officially disbanded after giving a New Years' Eve concert at the end of their 1983 tour.
Livgren and Dave Hope left the band to found AD, while Elefante went on to become a successful producer of Contemporary Christian music bands like Petra as well as a popular CCM performer in his own right.
One of the first rock videos (along with "Beat It" and "New Frontier") to be blown up to 35mm film and exhibited in movie theaters as a trailer, the music video for "Fight Fire With Fire," directed by Dominic Orlando, was released theatrically across the USA in 1983 as a short subject with Francis Ford Coppola's Rumblefish.
The album was re-released on CD in remastered form in February, 1996 on Legacy/Epic Records. However, the album is currently out of print.
Track listing
"Fight Fire With Fire" (Dino Elefante, John Elefante) – 3:40
"Everybody's My Friend" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 4:09
"Mainstream" (Kerry Livgren) – 6:36
"Andi" (J. Elefante) – 4:15
"Going Through the Motions" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 5:43
"Get Rich" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 3:43
"Don't Take Your Love Away" (D. Elefante, J. Elefante) – 3:44
"End of the Age" (Livgren) – 4:33
"Incident on a Bridge" (Livgren) – 5:37
Personnel
Phil Ehart - drums
John Elefante - keyboard, vocals
Dave Hope - bass
Kerry Livgren - guitar, keyboard
Rich Williams - guitar
Additional personnel
Terry Brock - vocals, background vocals
Kyle Henderson - vocals, background vocals
David Pack - vocals, background vocals
Production
Producers: Kansas, Neil Kernon
Engineer: Neil Kernon
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
Year Chart Position
1983 Pop Albums 41
1983 The Billboard 200 75
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Fight Fire With Fire" Mainstream Rock 3
1983 "Fight Fire With Fire" Pop Singles 58
1983 "Everybody's My Friend" Mainstream Rock 34
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Drastic Measures
Kansas Lyrics
Andi Andi won't dance Andi won't sing Andi won't play She sits in…
Don't Take Your Love Away You can take away the money Take away the flame Take away…
End of the Age When the light dies down and you blood runs cold Then…
Everybody's My Friend Someone calls out my name They ask me how I've been So…
Fight Fire With Fire There's a hole in the wall With a light shining in And…
Get Rich Columbus sailed the ocean blue To see what he would fine Wit…
Going Through the Motions Standing in line At the usual time With a dollar and a…
Incident On A Bridge It began in the underground, with visions of light and…
Mainstream Overkill, have you had your fill Come to expect it Off the…
Sid
on Sparks of the Tempest
Interpret who or what is the king and the queen