Song for America
| Song for America | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover painting by Peter Lloyd | ||||
| Studio album by Kansas | ||||
| Released | February 1975 | |||
| Recorded | December 1974 | |||
| Studio | Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:01 | |||
| Label |
Kirshner (US) Epic (rest of the world) | |||
| Producer | Jeff Glixman, Wally Gold | |||
| Kansas chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Song for America | ||||
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Song for America is the second studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in 1975. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2004. The 10-minute title track was edited down to three minutes for release as a single. The 45 R.P.M. edit resurfaced 29 years later as a bonus track on the remastered release, which provided improved sound as well as expanded liner notes, rare photos, and a live version of "Down the Road".
A new version of the album, Playlist: Song for America, was released with "Magnum Opus" from Leftoverture (1976) instead of "The Devil Game" on the new album.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Sea of Tranqulity | |
AllMusic, in a retrospective review, praised the "intense energy" of the album's shorter songs, but contended that the longer songs require too much active listening to appreciate. They concluded that the album is "a good (if not adolescent) recording for a group of this genre."[1]
Steve Pettengill, writing for Sea of Tranquility webzine, describes the album as "full tilt symphonic rock with none of the stadium rock numbers that would pop up on later albums. Comprising four lengthy intricate pieces and two very American style romps, Kansas' second album very admirably showcases the band's trademark duality as proggers and rockers."[2]
Track listing
| Side one | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Down the Road" | Steve Walsh, Kerry Livgren | 3:43 |
| 2. | "Song for America" | Livgren | 10:03 |
| 3. | "Lamplight Symphony" | Livgren | 8:17 |
| Side two | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 4. | "Lonely Street" | Walsh, Dave Hope, Rich Williams, Phil Ehart | 5:43 |
| 5. | "The Devil Game" | Walsh, Hope | 5:04 |
| 6. | "Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman" | Livgren | 12:11 |
| Bonus tracks on 2004 CD reissue | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 7. | "Song for America" (Single edit) | 3:02 |
| 8. | "Down the Road" (Live at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio, 1975) | 3:53 |
| Bonus tracks on Japan Blu-spec 2011 CD reissue | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 9. | "Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman" (Live) | 16:10 |
Personnel
- Kansas
- Steve Walsh – organ, ARP and Moog synthesizers, lead vocals (except on "Down the Road"), backing vocals on "Down the Road" and "Lonely Street", piano on "Down the Road"
- Kerry Livgren – electric and rhythm guitars (except on "Song for America" and "Lamplight Symphony"), Moog and ARP synthesizers, ARP strings, piano (except on "Down the Road")
- Robby Steinhardt – violin, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Down the Road"
- Rich Williams – electric, acoustic, and rhythm guitars
- Dave Hope – bass guitar
- Phil Ehart – drums, glockenspiel on "Song for America", Moog drum and gong on "Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman"
- Production
- Jeff Glixman - producer, remastered edition producer
- Wally Gold - producer
- Peter Granet - engineer
- Tom Rabstenek - mastering
- Ed Lee - art direction
- Peter Lloyd - cover painting
- Jeff Magid - remastered edition producer
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Top LPs & Tape (US)[3] | 57 |
Certifications
| Country | Organization | Year | Sales |
| USA | RIAA | 1980 | Gold (+ 500,000)[4] |
References
- 1 2 Allender, Mark W.B.. Song for America at AllMusic
- 1 2 Pettengill, Steve. "Sea of Tranquility review". Retrieved June 20, 2017. Cite uses deprecated parameter
|class=(help) - ↑ "Kansas Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
- ↑ "RIAA Gold & Platinum Database: Search for Kansas". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 26, 2017.