Freaks of Nature (Kansas album)

Last updated
Freaks of Nature
Kansas - Freaks of Nature.jpg
Studio album by
Kansas
ReleasedMay 29, 1995
Recorded1995
StudioCaribbean Sound Basin, Trinidad, West Indies
Genre Art rock, hard rock
Length45:14
Label Intersound (US) [1]
Essential/Castle Communications (Europe)
Sony Music (Japan)
Producer Jeff Glixman
Kansas chronology
The Kansas Boxed Set
(1994)		Freaks of Nature
(1995)		 Always Never the Same
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B− [4]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Freaks of Nature is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Kansas, released in 1995. [6] [7] [8] Two edited singles were issued but did not chart, nor did the album itself, making it the only Kansas studio album not to appear on any Billboard chart. The band promoted the album by touring with the Alan Parsons Project, and then opening for Styx. [9] [10]

Contents

Production

Recorded in Trinidad, the album was produced by Jeff Glixman. [11] [12] Violinist David Ragsdale cowrote four of Freaks of Nature's songs. [13] The band chose to forgo the overproduction of previous albums, including eschewing orchestral instrumentation. [14]

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the techno synths and hoedown fiddles of 'Need' and the AOR schmaltz and African drums on 'I Can Fly' are fairly innovative syntheses." [4] The Washington Post determined that the band "continues to sound like a middle-American knockoff of such British predecessors as Yes." [15]

The Deseret News noted that "the world-rhythm-inspired 'Need' adds a new angle to Kansas' Midwest progression while the album's title cut is pure, blues-based rock-a-rolla." [16] USA Today concluded: "If you insist on listening to overblown art-rock, the band's new Freaks of Nature album isn't any worse than 'Carry On Wayward Son'." [17]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Can Fly" David Ragsdale, Steve Walsh 5:21
2."Desperate Times"Walsh5:25
3."Hope Once Again"Walsh4:34
4."Black Fathom 4"Walsh, Ragsdale5:54
5."Under the Knife"Walsh, Ragsdale4:54
6."Need"Walsh3:59
7."Freaks of Nature"Ragsdale, Walsh, Phil Ehart 4:05
8."Cold Grey Morning" Kerry Livgren 4:14
9."Peaceful and Warm"Walsh6:44

Personnel

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References

  1. ↑ Sculley, Alan (23 June 1995). "KANSAS GOES BACK TO 'NATURE'". The Morning Call. p. D6.
  2. ↑ Allender, Mark W.B.. Freaks of Nature at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music". Omnibus Press – via Google Books.
  4. 1 2 "Freaks of Nature". EW.com.
  5. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "Kansas". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  446. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ↑ Ferguson, Jon (27 Oct 1995). "Kansas dusts off the old tracks". HAPPENINGS. Intelligencer Journal. p. 3.
  7. ↑ Craft, Dan (19 July 1996). "A DEATH IN THE FAMILY". The Pantagraph. p. D1.
  8. ↑ "Kansas Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  9. ↑ Prince, David (21 July 1995). "KANSAS IS NOT JUST A LITTLE DUST IN THE WIND". PASATIEMPO. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 52.
  10. ↑ Kassulke, Natasha (21 Sep 1996). "STYX, KANSAS BRING THEIR HITS". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 4C.
  11. ↑ Cain, Carol (October 27, 1995). "Kansas rocks Saturday". Press-Register. Mobile. p. 1E.
  12. ↑ Cohen, Howard (August 25, 1995). "FROM BARRY WHITE TO MEGADETH, IT'S AN ECLECTIC MIX". Miami Herald. p. 23G.
  13. ↑ Nichols, Natalie. "Eat Our Dust: Kansas Carries On". Entertainment. Tulsa World. p. 4.
  14. ↑ Kinch, Tamara (August 18, 1995). "Carryin' on with the sounds of Kansas". The Times. Munster.
  15. ↑ "It's been 17 years since 'Dust in the Wind'..." The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  16. ↑ Iwasaki, Scott (June 17, 1995). "'FREAKS' SPINS A WELCOME, FAMILIAR SOUND". Deseret News. p. B10.
  17. ↑ Christensen, Thor (July 7, 1995). "Would the real band please stand up and sing?". USA Today.
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