1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
The first five minutes of what I deem to be a classic album are actually very average indeed, but from then on the album turns into one of the bands greatest achievements.
2. What did you think of the opening tracks?
The opening and title track is a decent song, but the problem with "Paradox" and "The Spider" is that both of these songs actually sound like stereotypical prog tracks for the era. In that they actually sound like that they've been recorded for the benefit of somebody that really doesn't know prog that well and the songs serve as a kind of introduction to prog. It's kind of like they've used ELP for this example.
3. What did you think of the later tracks?
"Portrait (He knew)" is where the album comes up quality wise and the band move into a sound that they know how to dominate, which is earthy mid western rock with a strong rhythm section. "Closet Chronicles" a great song that I can't fault as it combines the concept of a slow song with that of a prog track. "Dust in the Wind" a timeless classic. Then the three closing classics "Sparks of the Tempest" "Nobody's Home" and the stunning "Hopelessly Human".
4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?
Steve Walsh is primarily the lead vocalist of the band and the heavier vocals on other songs are provided by Robbie Steinhardt. Steve Walsh vocal wise always had a hearty voice that usually was employed on the more commercially sounding tracks of the band. He always reminded me of Tommy Shaw of Styx vocal wise. Robbie Steinhardt has a much heavier vocal presence and the band seem to have got things right with vocal choices for their songs.
5. Whether or not you enjoyed the vocal performance, did the music throughout the album generally appeal to you, or not?
Kansas with keeping up to what's expected in a prog band have always been top-notch musicians. I'd be hard pressed to pick an individual out in this but I guess in you like heavy keyboard work and don't mind violins then musically the listener is going to enjoy the instrumentals of Kansas. Saying that though, I've always had a soft spot for Rich Williams on guitar.
6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?
First heard this album in the 1980s and bit by bit it grew on me.
7. What did you think of the lyrical content?
Most of the songs seem to reverberate around man and his turmoil with civilisation.
8. Did you like the instrumental tracks?(Note: For any albums without any purely instrumental compositions, this question should not be answered or answered as "not applicable")
"The Spider" was nothing special.
9. What did you think of the production?
I've always liked Jeff Glixman's earthy production.
10. How well do you already know the band/artist?
The whole discography really well, have listened to it like a million times and it's one of the most solid from any 70s band. The band went off the boil in the 1980s with too much of a switch to a christian sounding band and line-up changes.
11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?
Progressive rock meets AOR = Pomp rock and this was something that was uniquely the realm of both Kansas and Styx in the 1970s. Kansas are distinctly an American band and a mid-western one at that, as they mixed American root sounds to British progressive rock.
12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?
I've heard it so many times and it always gives me a warm feeling on every listen.
13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?
"Closet Chronicles" "Dust in the Wind" "Sparks of the Tempest" "Nobody's Home" and "Hopelessly Human"
14. And the one you liked least?
"Paradox" and "The Spider".
15. Did the fact that this album is a debut allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?
N/A
16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?
Not really as I know them all already
17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?
In the early days Steve Walsh would write the more commercial material whilst Kerry Livgren (the brain of the band) wrote the proggier epics. On this album they combine their powers together and as far as I can perceive, they've come up with man's notion of creating a belief about something when there is no actual proof. The cover lends credence to this as it shows a ship sailing off the end of the world, when man believed the Earth to be flat.
18. Did the album end well?
After a few duff tracks the album picked up brilliantly with "Dust in the wind" and sort of never really flagged from there on. The closer, "Hopelessly human" is a great track, though I did see some resemblance to the one that preceded it. Nevertheless I'd still class it as a really strong closing track.
19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?
Remove the second and third tracks and replace them with something more focused in line with rest of the album.
20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?
Despite a few duffers, this is a classic album of its time.
Ratiing:9.0 out of 10