In The Spirit Of Things

Released October 1988

Single: Stand Beside Me b/w House On Fire (11/88)

1. Ghosts (Walsh/
Morse/Ezrin) 4:14
2. One Big Sky (H.
Kleinfeld/M.

Ehmig/Walsh/Ezrin/Ehart) 5:17
3. Inside Of Me (Walsh/Morse) 4:44
4. One Man, One Heart* (M. Spiro/Dann Huff) 4:19
5. House On Fire (Walsh/Morse/Ezrin/Ehart) 4:42
6. Once In A Lifetime* (A. Armato/D. Morgan/A.
Hammond) 4:15
7. Stand Beside Me (M. Jordan/B. Gaitsch) 3:31
8. I Counted On Love* (Walsh/Morse) 3:33
9. The Preacher (Walsh/Morse) 4:18
10. Rainmaker (Walsh/Morse/Ezrin) 6:44
11. T.O. Witcher* (Walsh/Morse) 1:41
12. Bells Of Saint James (Walsh/Morse) 5:39
* - not on LP

Phil Ehart (D)

Billy Greer (B V)
 Steve Morse (G V)
Steve Walsh (LV K)
Rich Williams (G)
Producer: Bob Ezrin
Tracks 4, 6-7 produced by Bob Ezrin, Greg Ladanyi & Phil Ehart
Mixed by Bob Ezrin, Garth Richardson, Greg Ladanyi
Greg Robert: Keyboard Programming, BV
Bob Ezrin: Percussion, BV
John Pierce: Fretless Bass (track 7)
Stephen Croes: Synclavier
Background vocals: Terry Brock (track 4), Reverend James Cleveland and
The Southern California Community Choir: BV (tracks 2, 9-10)

Evenly split between blatant stabs at commercialism and a

return to their progressive roots, this album fails to achieve
either despite the most consistently emotional performances
Steve has ever done. MCA, the record label, is to blame, as
they wanted the band to recapture the success of All I
Wanted, then chose the worst song on the album as a single.
When it failed to chart, they dropped Kansas like a hot
potato.

The flow of songs and Bob Ezrin's production, however, are

excellent, and the accompanying booklet/artwork is the
band's best since Point Of Know Return. Greg Robert, who
played with the band for ten years, also makes his recording
debut, although as a guest rather than official band member.
Too bad, as Greg doesn't receive enough credit for his
fabulous keyboard work during the late 80's and most of the
90's.

Ghosts is one of my all-time favorite Kansas songs, a

gorgeous ballad that wonderfully evokes the feel of a dying
small town. For some reason, it always makes me think of the
opening scenes of the Gene Hackman movie Hoosiers.

One Big Sky and Inside Of Me walk the line between

commercialism and progressiveness but with the marvelous
instrumental sections fall on the side of the latter.

What follows, however, are five consecutive attempts at

commercialism. It's not that the songs are bad, it's the
amount that drives Kansas fans nuts. Fortunately, they are
good songs, and one of them, House On Fire, is a screaming
Van Halen-style rocker. The remainder, One Man, One
Heart, Once In A Lifetime, Stand Beside Me and I
Counted On Love are all love songs, which is fine if you're
listening to Chicago. This, however, is Kansas so if you're
trying to decide what to program out, I'd suggest the last two
and maybe all four.

T.O. Witcher is a short, pretty acoustic guitar piece. The

remaining three songs all tell stories. The Preacher is a
funky rocker full of wonderful Hammond B-3 organ and
gospel choir about a southern tent preacher. Rainmaker is
the first Kansas song since No One Together with multiple
moods, tempo changes, and complex instrumentalism. It tells
the tale of a confidence man who suprises himself by
succeeding with a promise.

The album concludes with the moving Bells Of Saint James,

simply one of the best songs Walsh has ever written.