was really cool. Release history The album was remastered and reissued in 2011, as a Japanese import vinyl-replica Blu-spec CD (Epic EICP 20078) including the rarity live version of "On the Other Side" previously available only on the 1994 Legacy-issued Box Set. A domestic version of the remaster was released in standard CD format in the US as part of Legacy Recordings' Classic Album Collection series which included all of their Kirshner/CBS studio releases. A Dutch-issued "Music on CD" series released the album on CD in 2016. It was last of the albums with the original lineup to be re-released on vinyl. Three different colored vinyl versions appeared in 2018 and 2019. Reception The album received negative reviews. John Swenson of Rolling Stone, who had previously reviewed Point of Know Return, was far less pleased with Monolith, particularly criticizing the album's pretentiousness ("this band is just an American version of the Moody Blues and Emerson, Lake and Palmer: "serious" music that turns up its nose at rock & roll's expressiveness and substitutes bombast for emotion.") and the awkward hemming and hawing lyrics (citing "And if I seem too inconclusive/It's just because it's so elusive" as an example). Steve Bond in the LA Times opined that while Kansas had fulfilled its inaugural promise as heir apparent to progrock veterans Yes and Emerson Lake & Palmer with their 1977 breakout hit "Carry On Wayward Son", Monolith would indicate that "success [has] bred complacency", the album lacking the "variety and spice" of the band's precedent output: "[although Kansas'] six members are all solid musicians who can dish out reasonably inventive, attractively textured rock & roll [they] apparently can't resist the temptation to recreate the overblown, showy instrumentals and ponderously empty lyrics symptomatic of those [progrock veterans] at their worst." Robert Taylor of AllMusic retrospectively awarded the album two stars out of five, commending the band's fine playing while criticizing an exhaustion of their musical style and an overall lack of direction. He particularly criticized the "juvenile" lyrics and a shifting focus towards mainstream radio. Record World said of the single "Reason to Be" that "Dramatic vocals and extravagantly produced instrumental colors make a moving statement." Track listing Personnel Kansas Steve Walsh – keyboards, lead and backing vocals Kerry Livgren – guitars, keyboards Rich Williams – guitars Robby Steinhardt – violin, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Angels Have Fallen," "How My Soul Cries Out