The band's classic lineup consisted of Steve Walsh (lead vocals and keyboards), Richard Williams (lead guitar), Kerry Livgren (keyboards and guitar), Robby Steinhardt (violin, lead and backing vocals), Dave Hope (bass) and Phil Ehart (drums). The band currently consists of Ehart and Williams alongside Ronnie Platt (lead vocals and keyboards), David Ragsdale (violin), Billy Greer (bass and vocals), and David Manion (keyboards and vocals).
The debut album, 'Kansas', was released in March 1974, nearly a year after it was recorded in New York. It defined the band's signature sound, being comprised of a mix of American-style boogie rock with complex, symphonic arrangements featuring changing time signatures similar to British art rockers. Steinhardt's violin was a distinctive element of the group's sound, which set them apart from other progressive rock groups of the era. The band slowly developed a cult following, due to promotion by pop/rock impresario Don Kirshner and extensive touring for their debut album. Two follow-ups, 'Song for America' and 'Masque', both came out in 1975 and brought them additional acclaim, the releases showing the band's philosophical-based lyricism in songs such as the myth-inspired "Icarus (Born On Wings Of Steel)".
Kansas released its fourth album, 'Leftoverture', in November 1976, which produced a massive hit single in "Carry On Wayward Son" and brought comparisons to other records such as Yes' 'Fragile'. The aforementioned tune has became a kind of 'signature song' for the band and been a staple of rock radio for years, also appearing in various TV shows and video games. Kansas' follow-up, 'Point of Know Return', was released in October 1977. Featuring the title track and "Dust in the Wind", both hit singles, it received critical praise from many reviewers.
'Leftoverture' and 'Point of Know Return' each have sold over four million copies in the U.S. Both "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind" have also been RIAA certified as gold singles, selling over one million units each. In particular,"Dust in the Wind" was certified gold as a digital download in 2005, almost 30 years after its first run, having sold over one million copies as a single. Forming somewhat of a career high point, 'Leftoverture' was certified five times platinum by the RIAA in 2001.
During this period, Kansas became a major headlining act and sold out the largest venues available to rock bands at the time, including New York's Madison Square Garden. The band documented this era in 1978 with 'Two for the Show', a double live album of recordings from various performances from its 1977 and 1978 tours. The band gained a solid reputation for faithful live reproduction of their studio recordings. In 1978, the band was named UNICEF Deputy Ambassadors of Goodwill as well.
The follow-up studio album to Point of Know Return was Monolith (1979), which, like the live album, was self-produced. While the album produced a Top 40 single in "People of the South Wind"--the title refers to the meaning of the Kanza word 'Kansas'--it failed to garner the sales and radio airplay of its two predecessors. Nevertheless, the album went platinum. Kerry Livgren's platinum award for the album is on display at the Kansas History Museum.
Kansas' band members began to drift apart in the early 1980s. Livgren became a born-again Christian, and this was reflected in his lyrics on the next three albums, beginning with Audio-Visions. "Hold On," a Top 40 single from that album, displayed his newfound faith in a pop setting. Hope soon converted to Christianity as well. Walsh left in October 1981 to form a new band, Streets. In early 1982, Walsh was replaced by vocalist/keyboardist John Elefante. Initially unbeknownst to the other members of Kansas, Elefante was also a born-again Christian. Elefante was chosen over other applicants including Sammy Hagar and Doug Pinnick. John and brother Dino Elefante were later successful producers for contemporary Christian artists, including Sweet Comfort Band, Petra, Bride, Rick Cua, and Guardian.
Kansas' first album with Elefante, Vinyl Confessions, released in June 1982, was their most successful studio release since Point of Know Return. The record renewed interest in the group and generated the band's first Top 20 hit in several years, "Play the Game Tonight." The album's overtly Christian lyrics attracted an entirely new audience. Still, sales of the album fell short of gold status, and the album has yet to be certified gold.
Drastic Measures followed in 1983. Because Livgren was holding back some Christian-oriented songs for another solo album, he contributed only three songs to the album. The rest were penned by the Elefante brothers, and without the violin of Steinhardt (who left the group before the recording sessions), the result was a more mainstream pop-rock album. The single, "Fight Fire with Fire," did not crack the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 but reached #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, making it the highest chart position of any Kansas release on any chart.
During the band's time with Elefante as lead vocalist, Livgren became increasingly uncomfortable with Kansas representing his Christian worldview. After a final New Year's Eve performance on December 31, 1983, Livgren and Hope left to form AD with former Bloodrock member Warren Ham, who had toured as a sideman with Kansas in 1982, and Michael Gleason, who had done the same in 1983. They were joined by drummer Dennis Holt. Elefante, Ehart, and Williams sought to continue as Kansas, and recorded one more song, "Perfect Lover," which appeared on the retrospective The Best of Kansas (1984). That was to be the final Kansas recording with Elefante, and the group disbanded after its release. Since leaving Kansas, Elefante has become a popular contemporary Christian music artist but has never again performed with the group.
n 1985 Ehart and Williams reformed the band with Walsh, but without Livgren, Hope or Steinhardt. The new line-up included bassist Billy Greer (of Streets) and guitarist Steve Morse (formerly of the Dixie Dregs). The re-formed band released Power in November 1986. The first single, "All I Wanted," became the last Kansas single to hit the Billboard Top 40 chart, peaking at #19. Two more singles, the title track and "Can't Cry Anymore," were less successful. The new lineup released a second album, In the Spirit of Things, in 1988, but it was met with weak sales and Morse left the band at the end of the tour in 1989.
In 1990, a German promoter arranged to reunite all the original members of Kansas III (except for Steinhardt) for a European tour. Greer joined them, along with keyboardist Greg Robert, who had first joined Kansas on tour in 1986. At the end of the tour, Hope left again, but Livgren remained on into 1991. That year, violinist David Ragsdale joined the group and the return of the violin allowed Kansas to perform earlier material in arrangements closer to the originals. Livgren left during the 1991 tour, to be replaced temporarily by Steve Morse again. After the tour, Morse left and Ragsdale took over the extra guitar parts, leaving Williams as the primary guitar player. The resulting lineup of Ehart, Greer, Ragsdale, Robert, Walsh, and Williams lasted from 1991 to 1997. This period saw one live album and accompanying video, Live at the Whisky (1992) and one studio album Freaks of Nature (1995). On July 28, 1996, Kansas was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood.
In early 1997, Robert and Ragsdale left the band and Steinhardt returned. The following year Kansas released Always Never the Same, which featured Larry Baird conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The album was a mix of older Kansas material (with new arrangements by Baird), several new songs, and a cover of "Eleanor Rigby". Somewhere to Elsewhere, released in July 2000, featured all the original members of Kansas, plus Greer, with all songs written by Livgren.
In 2000 Kansas was the opening act for Yes during their "Masterworks" tour. In 2002, Kansas II (the lineup prior to the recording and release of Kansas' first album) released an album under the group name Proto-Kaw, featuring demos and live material recorded from 1971 to 1973. This led to a new studio album, Before Became After (2004), with most of the Kansas II members participating. Proto-Kaw released a third album, The Wait of Glory, in 2006.
Kansas has continued to tour every year. The 2006 tour was delayed for a few weeks due to Steinhardt's second departure, and Ragsdale subsequently returned to the lineup. In 2008, the Kansas website announced that four of the five current members (Ehart, Ragsdale, Williams and Greer) had formed a recording group called Native Window, and they released their self-titled debut album in June 2009.
In February 2009, Kansas recorded a concert in Topeka, Kansas featuring a full symphony orchestra, with Larry Baird conducting. Morse and Livgren appeared as special guests on several songs. The performance was released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray and the DVD hit #5 on Billboard's Music Video Chart the week after its release.
As of July 13, 2010, Kansas had recently completed a 30-day "United We Rock" tour with fellow classic rock legends Styx and Foreigner.
Kansas will be touring September 2010 to January 2011. They will be performing with Symphonies of various colleges around the U.S. in an effort to raise money for the individual schools' music programs. The final show of the series, on January 28, 2011, is to be performed at McCain Auditorium on the campus of Kansas State University to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the state of Kansas being granted statehood. The concert will be filmed by PBS to be used in a future broadcast special in the region. Kansas will perform live on stage at the Glasgow, Kentucky Kentucky Plaza Theater on Friday May 13, 2011.
Mysteries and Mayhem
Kansas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It came to me in a dream one night, when a voice began to call
I heard my name being summoned as I looked around to see
A hooded judge and jury
There was no mercy there for me
Well I can't make it, I can't figure it out
This dream is drivin' me crazy
I gotta know what it's all about
And the mark of Cain brings fear
A cold wind is a blowin' oh right down my back
I'm runnin, I'm runnin', I'm runnin'
From a figure that's dressed in black
I think my legs are made out of lead
'Cause I'm runnin' but I'm gettin' nowhere
The bad dream's coming closer and closer
I got a feelin' he'll always be there
Forever is a long time to spend in agony
And the demons of confusion have got a place for me
The mark is upon me
And the mark of Cain brings fear
I was tired, so tired of runnin'
I had to turn and look around
I saw eyes that looked right through me
And a voice that made no sound
My body froze, I stood and stared
Unearthly face before me
From the depths of a hooded nightmare
I saw what could not be
Mysteries and mayhem from the pinnacle I see
There's no answer when there is no question
The mark of Cain bears hard on me
The lyrics to Kansas's "Mysteries and Mayhem" describe a dream-like sequence of events where the singer is pursued by a hooded figure, possibly the Devil or Death. The first verse mentions a dream and a voice that called out the singer's name, after which the hooded judge and jury appear, indicating a trial of some sort. The singer feels there is no mercy for him and he can't figure out what's going on in this dream. The chorus describes a mark on the singer, the mark of Cain, which brings with it fear.
The second verse is about the singer running away from the figure dressed in black, but despite his efforts, he's getting nowhere. The singer has a feeling the figure will always be there, and forever is a long time to spend in agony. The demons of confusion have a place for the singer, and the mark of Cain continues to bring fear. In the final verse, the singer turns and sees the eyes of the figure that had been pursuing him, and its face is unearthly. The singer is frozen in place as he stands and stares, and the mark of Cain bears down hard upon him.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of dread and confusion as the singer tries to understand the meaning behind his dream and the figure that pursues him. The mark of Cain serves as a metaphor for the singer's ultimate fate and the consequences of his actions.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been trying to tell you about a thing I thought I saw
I'm attempting to explain something I believe I witnessed
It came to me in a dream one night, when a voice began to call
I experienced it while sleeping, hearing someone speak
A hooded judge and jury
A court that is hidden from view by garments
There was no mercy there for me
I encountered no compassion when facing them
Well I can't make it, I can't figure it out
I'm unable to comprehend it
This dream is drivin' me crazy
It's upsetting my mental state
I gotta know what it's all about
I need to discover the meaning of it
The mark is upon me
I've been marked in some way
And the mark of Cain brings fear
It's a source of apprehension like the mark of Cain
A cold wind is a blowin' oh right down my back
A chilly wind is blowing on my spine
I'm runnin, I'm runnin', I'm runnin'
I'm fleeing away as quickly as I can
From a figure that's dressed in black
I'm moving away from a person wearing dark clothes
I think my legs are made out of lead
My legs feel as heavy as metal
'Cause I'm runnin' but I'm gettin' nowhere
Even though I'm fleeing, I'm not making any progress
The bad dream's coming closer and closer
The nightmare is rapidly approaching me
I got a feelin' he'll always be there
I suspect that he'll continue stalking me
Forever is a long time to spend in agony
Suffering for eternity is an extended period of pain
And the demons of confusion have got a place for me
I'm going to be lodged with perplexed fiends
I was tired, so tired of runnin'
I was exhausted from running
I had to turn and look around
I was compelled to stop and examine my surroundings
I saw eyes that looked right through me
I spotted eyes that seemed capable of seeing through me
And a voice that made no sound
There was a silent voice audible to me
My body froze, I stood and stared
I became motionless, staring at the entity
Unearthly face before me
An unusual countenance was in front of me
From the depths of a hooded nightmare
It emerged from a frightening being covered in a hood
I saw what could not be
I visualized something that wasn't possible
Mysteries and mayhem from the pinnacle I see
I perceive confusion and chaos from a high point
There's no answer when there is no question
In this case, there is no response since there isn't an inquiry
The mark of Cain bears hard on me
The mark is weighing heavily on me, like Cain's mark
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kerry Livgren, Steve Walsh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edmundo Aguilar R.
Great song & great album. Esta mélodia me pone de buenas, su energía está en la batería.
Roy Douglas
The most progressive band America ever produced and reasonably so.I saw them before this came out on LP(remember those?).Kerry what a great guitarist,writer and all around musician!I like the live version on Two for the Show as it goes into Lamplight Symphony excerpt,then the Wall.Only KANSAS could connect 3 songs together so well!
pottery27
Exactly brother!! I went to see Kansas in 75 to see if the could pull off doing this stuff live, and my word did they!! I thought Steve W. was gonna bounce right off his seat into the lights when they did this. I'm more of a simple rock lover but this was on my turntable quite a bit. When I learned Carry On it forced me to use all 4 fingers and it helped change the way I played. Kerry wore a shuny turquoise suit with a guitar to match, Steve in some gym trunks and a tank top. Stellar musicians!
pumkinbreath
this album is burned into my brain! ,im not complaning,theres alot of musical inspiration that can be attained by listening to MASQUE for thirty five years!
throwsand
I wish the record company didn't split up the original version of "The Pinnacle". It was originally a 14-minute epic, and this was a part of it
Subsoonyk
Best american band ever!
VINCENZO ROSSINI
bellissimo questo pezzo...fortissimi i Kansas !!!!!!!!!!
VINCENZO ROSSINI
molto probabile...
che siano stati gli Iron a coppiare ???
Roberto Amedoro
@VINCENZO ROSSINI ASCOLTA 2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT DEGLI IRON MAIDEN LA PARTITURA DELLA CHITARRA è UGUALE CHI HA COPIATO?
staubatn
I am pleasently surprised! I'm 21 years old and I grew up listening to Dust in the wind and wayward son, but I like this album better than those, and I found this by accident!!!