Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Kansas
Label: Epic Records
Release: 1979
Length: 41:41
Rating: 4.5/5
On “Monolith”, the follow-up to the creative and commercial triumph of “Point of Know Return” (1977), Kansas briefly revived ancient Native American legends and delivered another superb, if relatively overlooked, record. The album was made when they were at the peak of their popularity, playing huge venues. The media, meanwhile, coined the label arena rock for their style, which until then had mostly been known as symphonic progressive rock. The tag came both from the fact that they were playing big arenas and from the fact that their arrangements usually boasted a high degree of pomp, drama and theatricality.
“Monolith” continued their transformation from British-school symphonic prog, with its high complexity, longer instrumental sections and orchestral arrangements, toward shorter, more direct songs. Dropping the complex symphonic arrangements and unpredictable rhythmic sections brought them closer to hard rock and melodic rock than ever before. Hard rock elements, mostly down to singer and occasional keyboardist Steve Walsh, had always been present in their music, but they usually didn’t play the central role.
Even though they became more “down to earth” musically, the album doesn’t lack the mysticism that had followed them since their early days. Guitarist and occasional keyboardist Kerry Livgren, long the songwriter and mastermind behind the highly complex arrangements, hadn’t yet turned into a fervent Christian. He was still fascinated by Eastern mysticism and Native American legends. The latter play a symbolic role on the album, which you can see both in the cover art, featuring a Native American shaman in an astronaut helmet, and in the lyrics of some songs, such as “People Of The South Wind”. A fun fact: the name of the band and of the state of the same name comes from the Kansa tribe, who are said to have called themselves the “people of the south wind”. Besides the Native American legends from their home turf, the lyrics were also inspired by the religious text The Urantia Book, which was Livgren’s favorite reading at the time.
Given the quality of the individual songs, it’s hard to believe that after the tour they only rarely played them live. The individual pieces admittedly aren’t as spectacular as most of the material on “Leftoverture” (1976) or “Point of Know Return” (1977), but every single one is at least solid, and together they give the album remarkable consistency. The instrumental sections are shorter and the signature baroque arrangements aren’t as pronounced, since violinist Robby Steinhardt plays a somewhat smaller role than before. Apart from hardcore prog purists, for whom high complexity and unpredictability are everything, their mix of art rock and melodic rock should appeal to any music connoisseur. Kansas were always outstanding instrumentalists, so even with shorter, less complex song structures, you can’t help but marvel again and again at their virtuosity. Both guitars are pushed much further to the front in the production, which will go down best with those who prefer the sound of guitars over keyboards.
“On The Other Side” is a very Kansas-style album opener, proving they’d kept their exceptional knack for dramatic symphonic arrangements and subtle melodies. With its enchanting acoustic guitar passages and emotionally charged vocals, it has plenty of power ballad elements. They also slip in a short instrumental section with some interesting solo action. Front and center the whole time, though, is a dramatic chorus that pairs beautifully with the central triplet motif on the guitars.
Next comes the excellent “People Of The South Wind”, the album’s centerpiece, which combines their best compositional and instrumental strengths. Here they pulled off a brilliant blend of charming symphonic arrangements, a light but intense rhythm and subtle guitar passages with a hypnotic melodic rock chorus that stays in the listener’s ears for a long time. The chorus especially showcases their sense for crafting great backing vocal harmonies, which further enrich Walsh’s superb singing. In many ways, this classic already hints at their future direction toward the AOR style. Its lyrics toy with an intriguing hypothesis linking the North American Kansa tribe with visitors from outer space, who they supposedly remained connected to through religious rituals and art. First and foremost, it’s a song dedicated to the spirit of this oppressed yet proud and unbending people. With it, Kansas wrote one of the most beautiful tributes to Native Americans in the history of rock. In this respect, it’s matched only by their early classic “Cheyenne Anthem”.
The very good power ballad “Angels Have Fallen” opens with a short baroque violin solo and trades off lead vocals between Steinhardt and Walsh, which, thanks to their completely different voices, brings strong contrast to the composition. The excellent backing vocal harmonies are in play here too, ramping up the high drama. In between, they work in a lively instrumental section with some outstanding guitar solos by Livgren, as well as the rhythm work of guitarist Richard Williams. There’s also a magnificent finale with triumphant symphonic arrangements on keyboards and violin.
“How My Soul Cries Out for You” brings out their hard rock side, with considerable emphasis on Livgren’s sharpened guitar riffs. Of course, it would be futile to expect a straight-ahead hard rock charge. Quite the opposite. With unexpected rhythmic shifts, baroque symphonic arrangements and dramatic instrumental sections, Kansas deliver remarkable variety, and even the most experimental piece on the album. The middle section even features a short, slightly satirical instrumental interlude with sounds that conjure up the atmosphere of a brawl in a cowboy saloon. It’s cut short by an excellent drum solo from Ehart. After that they return to the main motif, with a hellish guitar riff up front, and a phenomenal guitar solo carries it out to the finish.
The epic “A Glimpse Of Home” is yet another Kansas classic. Here they manage to get close again to the dramatic symphonic prog of their earlier years. Majestic symphonic arrangements are woven between punchy guitar passages and dramatic choruses, occasionally interrupted by inventive solo breaks. You can hear better than ever here how rhythm guitarist Richard Williams, who until then had mostly played a supporting role, had matured by this point into an excellent guitarist, as Livgren gives him a lot more room. One day he would replace Livgren as lead guitarist, but that was still a long way off.
“Away From You” is another interesting piece, drawing on symphonic prog elements, especially in the keyboard sound, while acoustic guitar accompaniment wanders through in between. They once again combine a direct chorus with majestic symphonic arrangements and complex rhythmic passages that enrich the classic rock skeleton and keep it interesting after countless listens.
“Stay Out Of Trouble”, on the other hand, is the most direct piece, with strong hard rock and even blues leanings. That goes above all for the piano accompaniment, the central guitar riff and the rebellious lyrics. Here too the two guitarists stand out, with Williams’s riffs complementing Livgren’s witty passages. Walsh’s unyielding vocals fit the boisterous rhythm perfectly.
The charming ballad “Reason To Be” is a superb closer for the album. Up front is a gentle, pastoral acoustic guitar melody, while subtle orchestral arrangements flow in the background. Superb singing rounds it all out. Walsh once again proves that he belongs among the elite of singers who can conjure up unforgettable emotional magic. Alongside the unforgettable “Dust In The Wind”, it’s without a doubt one of their best ballads.
“Monolith” is a very good album that passed a tough test with flying colors: following up a masterpiece like “Point of Know Return” (1977). Past their peak, the band squeezed out everything they could here and proved themselves with another top-notch record, one that closed out their golden era. Even though “Monolith” reached a high number ten on the charts and gave them a hit with “People Of The South Wind”, the band was disappointed with its commercial performance, since it failed to repeat the success of its two predecessors. This indirectly led them to avoid playing anything from this album at their concerts for the rest of their career. Today that seems completely senseless, because it’s their last album that deserves the attention of everyone, including those who aren’t among their loyal followers. And they never managed to reach its artistic scope again.
The stepmotherly treatment from the band and the label of the time is largely to blame for “Monolith” being a lot more overlooked today than it deserves. All the more deserved, then, is the recognition it enjoys, given that its cover hangs on the wall of the Kansas state history museum.
Line-up
Steve Walsh – vocals, keyboards
Kerry Livgren – guitar, keyboards
Rich Williams – guitar
Robby Steinhardt – violin, vocals, anvil
Dave Hope – bass
Phil Ehart – drums
Production
Kansas
Track list
1. On the Other Side
2. People of the South Wind
3. Angels Have Fallen
4. How My Soul Cries Out for You
5. Glimpse of Home
6. Away from You
7. Stay Out of Trouble
8. Reason to Be
