Leftoverture is the fourth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1976. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2001, and later reissued as Playlist: Leftoverture, although "Magnum Opus" was replaced with "Child of Innocence" from Masque.
Background
Steve Walsh began to experience writer's block prior to the recording, and his contribution to the album would ultimately be limited to co-authoring three songs. It fell on Kerry Livgren to fill the void. The new compositions retained much of the classically inspired complexity of Livgren's previous work. Kansas recorded the album at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The Studio in the Country was so named because, as Kerry Livgren described on In the Studio with Redbeard in the episode spotlighting Leftoverture that "It was in the middle of a swamp. We'd walk out of the studio and there would be gators in front of the studio, mosquitos the size of B-52s and at times armadillos would run into the control room, laughing."
Leftoverture begins with the hit single "Carry On Wayward Son". Kerry Livgren wrote the song as a sequel to the final song, "The Pinnacle", from the previous album, Masque (1975).
The album's title, Leftoverture, is a portmanteau word.
Reception
The album was met with mixed reviews. Rolling Stone called Leftoverture Kansas's best album to date, and said that it "warrants Kansas a spot right alongside Boston and Styx as one of the fresh new American bands who combine hard-driving group instrumentation (with a dearth of flashy solos) with short, tight melody lines and pleasant singing." In contrast, Robert Christgau said the album lacked the intelligence and conviction of European progressive rock, and that the self-deprecating humor implied in the song and album titles is completely absent from the record itself.
Track listing
All tracks written by Kerry Livgren except where noted.
Personnel
- Steve Walsh â€" organ, piano, lead vocals (all tracks), additional synthesizers, vibraphone
- Robby Steinhardt â€" violin, viola, backing vocals, lead vocals ("Miracles Out of Nowhere" and "Cheyenne Anthem")
- Kerry Livgren â€" electric guitar, clavinet, Moog, Oberheim synthesizer, ARP synthesizers, piano
- Rich Williams â€" electric and acoustic guitars
- Phil Ehart â€" drums, percussion
- Dave Hope â€" bass guitar
Additional personnel
- Toye LaRocca â€" vocals
- Cheryl Norman â€" vocals
Production
- Producers: Jeff Glixman
- Engineer: Bill Evans
- Mastering: George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York City, New York
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
Singles - Billboard (North America)
References
