''Kansas'' is the first major label studio album by Christian

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

musician

Jennifer Knapp Jennifer Lynn Knapp (born April 12, 1974) is an American-Australian folk rock, and contemporary Christian musician. She is best known for her first single "Undo Me" from her debut album, ''Kansas'' (1998), and the song "A Little More" from her ...

. It was released in 1998 on

Gotee Records Gotee Records is a record label founded by Christian hip hop performer Toby McKeehan (known professionally as ''TobyMac''), Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood. The label began as a production company. At the time of the label's founding, McKeehan wa ...

. The album went on to sell 500,000 copies in the

U.S. 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 territori ...

, and was certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

. On February 26, 2008, an expanded 10th Anniversary Gold Edition of ''Kansas'' was released, which included five live tracks, a song ("Jesus Loves Me") from Knapp's 1996 independent album, with "Undo Me" and "Whole Again" remastered.

Critical reception

Ashleigh Kittle of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

writes, "''Kansas'', the first

release from singer/songwriter Jennifer Knapp, is an album rarely paralleled in the gospel genre. The edgy yet vulnerable folk-rock and alternative CCM mix serve to create a guitar-driven, almost gritty sound, resulting in comparisons between Knapp and fellow

Lilith Fair Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 ...

performers Sheryl Crow and

Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground success. It peaked at No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and its lead ...

." Peter Bate of '' Cross Rhythms'' gives the original release 9 out of a possible 10 and writes, "one listen through ''Kansas'', which highlights the exceptional talents of the young singer/songwriter, stopped me in my tracks. As well as possessing an achingly expressive voice, Jennifer's poetic lyrics have a heart-stopping intensity and depth." Sarah Fine of ''Jesus Freak Hideout'' gives the album 4½ out of a possible 5 stars and writes, "It is no accident that this album was named one of the best." and concludes her review with, "It offers a message that was not only relevant 10 years ago, but a message that is still very much relevant today and tomorrow as well." Ato Erzan-Essien of '' Cross Rhythms'' reviews the 10th Anniversary Gold Edition of ''Kansas'' and gives it 10 out of a possible 10 while saying, "The 10 years that have passed since the original album's release have been kind, and the strong songwriting and simple instrumentation have not dated."

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1998 debut albums Jennifer Knapp albums Gotee Records albums Word Records albums