Kansas-Song For America (1975)

Kansas was a band that, in its early years, didn't receive much favor from rock critics. Some accused them of being mere hicks playing progressive rock (it's true they were from a remote town in Kansas called Topeka, hence the "hick" label), while others (the purists) accused them of leaning too heavily towards the commercial sounds of AOR, and the list of unfavorable reviews went on. However, they possessed a gift few could deny them: their remarkable ability to evolve from a simple club band in their small town into one of the greatest bands to ever emerge from North America. "Song For America" ​​was the album that finally gave them the credibility they needed to be considered on a global scale, an album brimming with complex melodies, unique time signatures, and daring harmonic counterpoints, all rooted in American rock with influences like blues and country. The energetic guitar riffs of Kerry Livgren and Rich Williams are masterfully combined with Robbie Steinhardt's extraordinary violin work, while Steve Walsh's warm vocals provide a counterpoint to this whirlwind of dazzling sounds. The album features everything from American rock classics like "Down The Road" and "The Devil Game" to the astonishing progressive piece "Lamplight Symphony", the marathon-like "Song for America", and the epic "Incomudro/Hymn To The Atman". With this second release, Kansas not only created a unique work of art, but also an album that is as essential as it is indispensable in American rock and progressive rock in general.