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Freaks Of Nature (Kansas Album)
''Freaks of Nature'' is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Kansas, released in 1995. 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. Production Recorded in Trinidad, the album was produced by Jeff Glixman. Violinist David Ragsdale cowrote four of ''Freaks of Natures songs. The band chose to forgo the overproduction of previous albums, including eschewing orchestral instrumentation. 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." ''The Washington Post'' determined that the band "continues to sound like a middle-American knockoff of such British predecessors as Yes." The ''Deseret News'' noted that "the world-rhythm-insp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual Phonograph record#78 rpm disc developments, 78 rpm records collected in a bound book resembling a photograph album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl LP record, long-playing (LP) records played at revolutions per minute, rpm. The album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption from the mid-1960s to the early 21st century, a period known as the album era. Vinyl LPs are still issued, though album sales in the 21st-century have mostly focused on CD and MP3 formats. The 8-track tape was the first tape format widely used alongside vinyl from 1965 until being phased out by 1983 and was gradually supplanted by the cassette tape during the 1970s and early 1980s; the populari ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations. The United States is also in free association with three Pacific Island sovereign states: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. It is the world's third-largest country by both land and total area. It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. With a population of over 333 million, it is the most populous country in the Americas and the third most populous in the world. The national capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. and its most populous city and principal financial center is New York City. Paleo-Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Greer
Billy Greer (born January 26, 1952) is an American musician, singer and songwriter known as the current bass guitarist for the band Kansas. He joined the band in their 1985 reformation, making his debut appearance on ''Power''. He had previously worked with Kansas keyboardist/vocalist Steve Walsh in the band Streets, and works with his own band Seventh Key when not performing with Kansas. He also was a member of the 2009 Kansas side project Native Window along with Kansas members Phil Ehart, Richard Williams, and David Ragsdale. In addition to performing, Greer manages his son's band 3 Story Fall and produces their music. Discography Kansas Studio Albums * ''Power'' (1986) * ''In The Spirit Of Things'' (1988) * '' Freaks of Nature'' (1995) * '' Always Never the Same'' (1998) * ''Somewhere to Elsewhere'' (2000) * ''The Prelude Implicit'' (2016) * ''The Absence of Presence'' (2020) Live Albums * ''Live at the Whisky'' (1992) * ''King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Kans ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rich Williams
Richard John Williams (born February 1, 1950) is an American guitarist, primarily known for being one of the only consistent original members of the rock band Kansas alongside drummer Phil Ehart. Both have appeared on every Kansas album to date. Career Williams shared guitar duties with keyboardist/guitarist Kerry Livgren until 1984 when Kansas first broke up, and later from 1990 to 1991 as well as 1999–2000. From 1985 to 1991, he shared guitar-playing with Steve Morse, and later with Zak Rizvi from 2016 to 2021. Since April 2021, Williams has served as the bands only dedicated guitarist, as he also did from 1991 to 1999, and 2000–2016. David Ragsdale will sometimes serve as a second guitarist when the band plays songs with little or no violin, such as "Portrait (He Knew)", "Fight Fire With Fire", and "Carry On Wayward Son". Williams and Phil Ehart are the only two founding members of Kansas who have never left the band and have played on all Kansas albums. Among the songs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kerry Livgren
Kerry Allen Livgren (born September 18, 1949) is an American musician, best known as one of the founding members and primary songwriters for the American rock band Kansas. Biography Livgren was raised in Topeka, Kansas, by his father Allen Leroy, an industrial engineer, and his mother Betty ( McElhiney). He was drawn to music at a young age, and his first musical interests developed with classical and jazz influences. His first equipment included an electric guitar he built using a cheap Stella guitar, a Sears amplifier and a low-quality Astatic microphone. Along with learning guitar, Livgren also focused on learning to write songs due to his desire for more creative expression and originality. He attended Washburn University for some time. Early years: 1960s–1973 Livgren was a member of numerous bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s and developed a reputation for complex compositions and poetic lyrics that explored spiritual themes. His investigations into various reli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phil Ehart
Phillip W. Ehart (born February 4, 1950) is the drummer in the progressive rock band Kansas. He and Rich Williams are the only two members who have appeared on every Kansas album. Though his songwriting contributions to the group were few, he co-wrote two of their biggest hits, "Point of Know Return" and " Play the Game Tonight". He has also taken on the band's management responsibilities in recent years. Early life Born in Coffeyville, Kansas on February 4, 1950, Ehart took up the drums in grade school. He lived all over the world as his Air Force father was stationed in such places as England, the Philippines and Japan. Career Ehart contacted Kerry Livgren about joining a band named White Clover after hearing that Livgren's band Kansas (the second band of that name) had recently disbanded. With White Clover he performed at the New Orleans Pop Festival in 1969, which had a huge impact on him. White Clover in time renamed itself "Kansas." This third Kansas is the band that bec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve Walsh (musician)
Steve Walsh (born June 15, 1951) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work as a longtime member of the progressive rock band Kansas; he retired from the band in 2014. He sings lead on four of Kansas' best-known hits: "Carry On Wayward Son," "Dust in the Wind", "Point of Know Return", and " All I Wanted", the last two of which he co-wrote. Career Walsh was in a number of local groups prior to his joining Kansas, most notably the group White Clover that later merged with another band to form Kansas. White Clover toured frequently and developed their sound. They merged with another local band, also called Kansas, and were signed to Don Kirshner's label with the name Kansas. During Walsh's time with the band, Kansas recorded two commercially successful albums, 1976's ''Leftoverture'' and 1977's ''Point of Know Return''. With Kansas, Walsh has released 12 studio albums, six live albums, and numerous singles. He has released three solo albums thus f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virginia. Its newspaper is printed at 37 sites across the United States and at five additional sites internationally. The paper's dynamic design influenced the style of local, regional, and national newspapers worldwide through its use of concise reports, colorized images, Infographic, informational graphics, and inclusion of popular culture stories, among other distinct features. With an average print circulation of 159,233 as of 2022, a digital-only subscriber base of 504,000 as of 2019, and an approximate daily readership of 2.6 million, ''USA Today'' is ranked as the first by circulation on the list of newspapers in the United States. It has been shown to maintain a generally center-left audience, in regards to political persuasion. ''US ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deseret News
The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. The ''Deseret News'' is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and is published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The publication's name is from the geographic area of Deseret identified by Utah's pioneer settlers, and much of the publication's reporting is rooted in that region. On January 1, 2021, the newspaper switched from a daily to a weekly print format while continuing to publish daily on the website and Deseret News app. As of 2022, ''Deseret News'' develops daily content for its website and apps in addition to weekly print editions of the Deseret News Local Edition and the Church News. Deseret News publishes 10 editions of Des ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large national audience. Daily broadsheet editions are printed for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The ''Post'' was founded in 1877. In its early years, it went through several owners and struggled both financially and editorially. Financier Eugene Meyer purchased it out of bankruptcy in 1933 and revived its health and reputation, work continued by his successors Katharine and Phil Graham (Meyer's daughter and son-in-law), who bought out several rival publications. The ''Post'' 1971 printing of the Pentagon Papers helped spur opposition to the Vietnam War. Subsequently, in the best-known episode in the newspaper's history, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the American press's investigation into what became known as the Watergate scandal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Ragsdale
David Lasater Ragsdale (born April 3, 1958) is an American musician. He is best known as the violinist for the rock band Kansas from 1991 to 1997 and from 2006 to the present. He toured for four years with Louise Mandrell before joining Kansas, and he released a solo album in 1997. Ragsdale has appeared as a guest artist with various other bands. Early life Ragsdale was born into a musical family. He started violin at the age of three at the insistence of his mother, training in classical music. At around 13 years old, he picked up the guitar to express himself through rock music, because he had not heard violin in rock. At the age of 16 in 1974, as he was getting more proficient on guitar, Ragsdale heard the song "Can I Tell You" from the Kansas album ''Kansas'', featuring the hard-rocking violin of Robby Steinhardt. Ragsdale realized that the violin could be prominent in rock, and his interest in violin was renewed. In 1980, Ragsdale entered the University of Tulsa on a music ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Styx (band)
Styx () is an American rock band from Chicago that formed in 1972 and is best known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established itself with a progressive rock sound in the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s. Beginning with '' Styx'' in 1972, the band usually released an album every year throughout the 1970s. '' Styx II'' (1973) had the sleeper hit "Lady", a power ballad which reached No. 6 in the US, helping the album make the top 20. "Lady" was also a top 20 hit in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. ''Equinox'' (1975) and ''Crystal Ball'' (1976) reached the US top 70 with the first featuring "Lorelei", a No. 6 hit in Canada, while the latter marked the addition of Tommy Shaw to the band. Styx's commercial breakthrough in North America came with ''The Grand Illusion'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
