Wiki
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Release Date
1 August 1984
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Length
12 tracks
The Best of Kansas was the first compilation album from the American rock band Kansas. It was originally released in 1984, and featured one new track, "Perfect Lover," written and performed by then-lead vocalist John Elefante. The compilation was re-released in 1999 in a version supervised by the original band members, so "Perfect Lover" was dropped in favor of three additional tracks: from Song for America, Masque, and a track deleted from Two for the Show to make it fit on a single CD.
The version of Carry On Wayward Son on the 1984 release of The Best of Kansas is a specially re-mixed version unique to the first version of this collection. For the 1999 re-issue of the collection the original 1976 mix of Carry On Wayward Son from the album Leftoverture is used instead.
Cover art
The cover is noteworthy in that it contains elements of nearly all previous Kansas album covers:
1974 Kansas: Abolitionist John Brown, as portrayed in the John Steuart Curry mural Tragic Prelude. It should be noted that no tracks from the 1974 Kansas album appear on either version of The Best of Kansas.
1975 Song for America: The bird depicted on the front cover of Song for America can be found on the back side of The Best of Kansas perched atop the track listing.
1975 Masque: Close inspection of John Brown's beard will reveal the outline of a fish. The "face" on the cover of Masque (Giuseppe Arcimboldo's Water) is composed of various marine life. It should be noted that no tracks from Masque appear on the 1984 release of The Best of Kansas.
1976 Leftoverture: Found in the inkwell and scattered pages of sheet music on the back cover.
1977 Point of Know Return: The ship about to tip over the 'edge of the world' is from the front cover of Point.
1978 Two for the Show: The spotlights, stage, curtains, and figures in the audience are all indirect references; none of these things (besides an auditorium full of seats) are actually seen on Two for the Show. Although, on the back cover, there is a mop behind the interrogation chair, which may reference to the cleaning ladies of the Two for the Show Cover.
1979 Monolith: On the back cover of The Best of Kansas," the moon behind a shadow of the figure depicted on Monolith are seen through the open door.
1980 Audio-Visions: On the back cover of Best of you see at the right side a metal hand that is holding the curtain. That is one of the two hands that are on the front cover of 'Audio-Visions'.
1982 Vinyl Confessions: The interrogation chair from Confessions is seen under a spotlight on the back cover.
1983 Drastic Measures: The black tux and red bow-tie worn by the bazooka 'player' is worn by John Brown here.
Track listing
1984 original version
"Carry On Wayward Son" – 5:23
"Point of Know Return" – 3:11
"Fight Fire With Fire" – 3:40
"Dust in the Wind" – 3:26
"Song For America" – 9:08
"Perfect Lover" – 4:18
"Hold On" – 3:52
"No One Together" – 6:57
"Play the Game Tonight" – 3:27
"The Wall" – 4:50
1999 reissue
"Carry on Wayward Son" – 5:22
"Point of Know Return" – 3:11
"Fight Fire With Fire" – 3:40
"Dust in the Wind" – 3:27
"Song For America" – 9:07
"Hold On" – 3:51
"No One Together" – 6:57
"Play the Game Tonight" – 3:26
"The Wall" – 4:47
"The Pinnacle" – 9:36
"The Devil Game" – 5:04
"Closet Chronicles" – 6:54
Personnel
Phil Ehart: drums
John Elefante: keyboards, vocals (3, 6 & 8)
Dave Hope: Bass
Kerry Livgren: guitars, keyboards
Robby Steinhardt: Violin, vocals (except 3 & 6)
Steve Walsh: Keyboards, vocals (except 3, 6 & 8)
Rich Williams: Guitar
Bryan Duncan: Backing vocals (uncredited) (6 only)
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