as being overdone: "there're a lot of scales and arpeggios, galloping triplets, dramatic organ, and stately ballads that signify nothing and go nowhere." Tom Karr at ProgressiveWorld.net described the album as "an outstanding debut, a brilliant display of song writing and musicianship, and a great statement of Kansas's musical ethos." He felt that the song "Aperçu" has "Kansas at their best, with frequent use of time and tempo changes, and well developed musical themes, showing a group of outstanding players and arrangers. The level of instrumental virtuosity displayed here is jaw dropping, and on either side of the Atlantic, there were few that could even hope to approach Kansas's mastery of their craft." He defined "Journey From Mariabronn" as "Kansas's first full-on symphonic rock masterpiece, and the song has so many strong elements and themes, it goes beyond any simple analysis. This song provides the paradigm for the great works of the future, and introduces the writing style that would produce the wonderful songs of Kansas's early discography." Ranking on the Billboard album chart as high as #174, the Kansas album in the months subsequent to its release in the spring of 1974 sold over 135,000 units. The platinum success of Kansas' fourth and fifth album releases: Leftoverture (1976) and Point of Know Return (1977), revived commercial interest in the band's early output, it being reported in January 1978 that both the albums Kansas and Song for America had at that point each sold between 300,000 and 400,000 units, with the third Kansas album: Masque (1976), having been certified Gold for sales of 500,000 units the previous month: both Kansas and Song for America would eventually be certified Gold for selling 500,000 units, Song for America as early as 1980 but Kansas not until 1995. Track listing Personnel Kansas Steve Walsh – piano, organ, Fender Rhodes, congas, lead and backing vocals Kerry Livgren – guitars, piano, organ, Moog synthesizer, backing vocals Robby Steinhardt – violin, lead and backing vocals Rich Williams – electric and acoustic guitars Dave Hope – bass, backing vocals Phil Ehart – drums Additional musicians Jay Siegel (from The Tokens) – vocals on "Lonely Wind" Production Wally Gold – producer Dan Turbeville – engineer Kevin "Whip" Herron & Jimmy "Shoes" Iovine – assistant engineers Tom Rabstenek, Greg Calbi – mastering Ed Lee – cover design John Steuart Curry – cover painting Don Hunstein – back cover photo