Customer Reviews

Point of Know Return (180 Gram Vinyl) (Ltd. Edition Gatefold Cover)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I will gladly join all the other fans in lauding this landmark piece because there are too few fan reviews here and because Kansas tends to get short shrift from critics. Here is the scoop on critics. Critics are extremely interested in who did what FIRST! They love to hail the trailblazer. Which is fine for them, but I am interested in listening to the best music around, and I don't particularly care when it came out. Kansas may have not been the first band to combine elements of classical music with rock, but this album, and the one preceding it, LEFTOVERTURE, firmly prove to every and all comers that they were the best. These two albums are possibly the finest "art" rock ever composed. You don't believe me? Buy it. If you have never heard this album before you will be amazed. Of course you have heard "Dust in the Wind." Everyone has. I've even heard it played as Elevator Muzak at Kmart. But the rest of the album is a truly wild ride. This is not America. Kerry Livgren's lyrics are masterful. Beyond the music, just as poetry, this album, as well as Leftoverture, led many to regard him as some kind of sage, a seer, or a prophet. "Let the sound surround you." Sing with Steve Walsh the great eulogy of Albert Einstein "He knew," wail with Robby about the coming of Big Brother over an Isaac Hayesish riff in "Sparks of the Tempest". Cry over our sad destiny in the haunting ballad "Nobody's Home." Here is more than music - here is the soul of humanity wrapped in rock and roll. Fury, panic, grief, despair, and just a glimmer of hope. This album, or whatever you call it now, touched thousands for sure, possibly millions of a generation of seekers. It may do the same to you.

I've already done a review under the entry of the new remastered POINT OF KNOW RETURN, but would like to encourage people interested in buying this cd to buy it under this entry of the one that was released in about 1984 because the remastered one with bonus tracks is a terrible remaster, if you have come to know the vinyl or this first issue. Like was said by a previous reviewer, Jeff Glixman has remastered the new one and made it sound compressed, without much of a dynamic range like it was in the previous issue. If you are new to this recording you may not think the remaster is too bad, but if you know it like the back of your hand like me, you know that somethings wrong with this remaster. So basically I'm saying, buy under this entry here without bonus tracks and you will be getting a very good quality recording. I think right now under this entry a used copy is something like $2.99. Enjoy this progressive rock masterpiece!!!

I had a second or third iteration of Point of Know Return in excellent condition for the comparison. The most obvious difference is that the highs were shrill during some complex passages on the old record, where the Friday Music release has clarity and extension. It now sounds "right" where the old one was a bit unnatural and fatiguing at times.

Secondly, there seems to be better definition of backing vocals and instruments. And, this new one has tighter bass.

Since this album gets pretty "busy" in many instances, the taming of the shrill complex passages is a big plus for me. Also, I enjoy having all the nuances revealed, especially where the violin harmonics have been de-blurred.

I am satisfied with the quality of the record and its cover. It's flat, quiet and sounds great. If you're a Kansas fan, I doubt you'd regret investing in this one. Don't be too swayed by harsh reports from an author that has no direct experience with this album. In fact, it amazes me that people waste time on products they don't own.

.. And yes, I'm an audiophile that owns tons of quality vinyl played through a multi-thousand dollar system... I just don't have my head up my cavity.

This album, as well as the excellent "Leftoverture" and the slightly uneven "Monolith" represent what I call the "Kansas Trilogy"; that is, the three best albums the group has released to date (I haven't heard "Somewhere to Elsewhere" yet).

Kerry Livgren wrote the majority of the tracks on "Point of Know Return", but I have never seen that much dissimilarity between his writing style and that of Steve Walsh, who is the band's other principal songwriter. Every song on this album is entertaining and listenable. I particularly like "Portrait (He Knew)", a ditty about Albert Einstein, "Closet Chronicles", a song depicting the life of Howard Hughes, and my favorite song is the somewhat bittersweet "Nobody's Home", with a particularly moving violin solo from Robby Steinhardt.

If Kansas is, as many have stated, the best "art-rock" group of the 70's, then "Point of Know Return" is unquestionably the most polished, best-executed example of that genre.

It's a shame this recording didn't cross over to a more diverse audience(Other than white teenage males of the 70's). The music is beyond outstanding...f****ing incredible! Along the same vein as Stevie Wonder's Innervisions (Of course different styles).

In 1999 R&B artist Eric Benet did a wonderful soul cover of Dust in the Wind. Check it out. But first...check this masterpiece out!!

I love this CD in my own opinion it is every bit as good as Leftoverture and is an epic statement of what progressive rock
is all about. Its starts with Point of know return (a catchy hit single) onto the very progressive Paradox then to The spider (a tangely complex short instrumental. He knew comes next (a heavy blues orientated rocker)Closet Chronicles follows (perhaps my favourite ever Kansas song. Lightnings hand is a fun heavy rockin tune and Dust in the wind is perhaps Kansas`s bigest hit single to date Sparks of the tempest is another regarded classic Kansas song and onto, Nobody`s home (its so magical and beautiful) The CD winds up with Hoplessly human and its a progressive classic. I highly recomend this CD for anyone who wants to get down to the facts of what Kansas is all about.

I now feel that I know Kansas a bit better than just their handful of popular hits. For years, all I knew by them were the sensational "Carry On Wayward Son", the good-but-played-to-death "Point of Know Return", the soft-but-haunting-and-also-played-to-death "Dust In The Wind", their 1983 hit "Fight Fire With Fire", and their 1986 comeback hit "All I Wanted". Along the way, I also had vaguely heard "Hold On" and "Play The Game Tonight" but they were never prominently played even on FM radio.

This began to come to an end after I bought the original CD version of THE BEST OF KANSAS in 1991, which featured most of the above songs plus a few others. Now, I feel I have experienced a quantum leap forward in my understanding and appreciation of this extremely talented progressive hard-rock band, for I have just recently purchased POINT OF KNOW RETURN, which I have now listened to for the second time. Although they haven't remastered the CD yet (but they should soon), the sound quality is not bad--you can still hear the complexity of Steve Walsh's keyboard signatures, Kerry Livgren's guitar licks, and Robbie Steinhardt's violin playing. Based on this, the remastered version, when it's finally released, should sound incredible!

I still like the title song, even though I heard it a thousand times back in the late '70's. I love "Portrait (He Knew)" which I only heard for the first time a couple of years ago on KISW-FM here in Washington. It's got a rollicking feel to it while remaining distinctly progressive, although it's kind of weird when it speeds up towards the end. "Closet Chronicles" takes a couple of listens to get into, but my God, it is definitely a Kansas masterpiece. "Dust In The Wind" is still nice to listen to, and provides a nice quiet respite in the middle of the album (this is quite a loud CD, by the way--it's like Yes with the amps turned up a couple of notches). The song that really impresses me the most, however, is the Robbie Steinhardt-sung "Sparks of the Tempest" which I feel is another Kansas masterpiece. It is dark, loud, mystical, and sung with a lot of dark emotion by Robbie, who has a somewhat deeper and coarser voice than Steve Walsh. I had never heard this song before, and it's made quite an impression on me. It's kind of reminiscient to me of Blue Oyster Cult (one of my all-time favorite bands)--a little bit, anyway. The CD ends with one more epic masterpiece, "Hopelessly Human".

If you're like me, and only had THE BEST OF KANSAS prior to this, then I'm sure that you will agree that this an absolutely essential Kansas CD to get. It really shows them in their prime, with the wonderful interplay of guitar, keyboards, and violin--which makes the Kansas sound truly unique. Kansas ROCKS, and they also inspire thought with their poetic lyrics and swirling music. They paint a wonderful picture for the imagination. Listen to this CD with the lights off, and you'll see what I mean! :)

I LOVE KANSAS`S MUSIC.THIS IS ONE OF THERE BEST CD`S ALONG WITH MASQUE AND LEFTOVERTURE.THIS HAS THE GREAT SONG`S POINT OF NO RETURN AND THE CLASSIC PORTRAIT(HE KNEW).HE & I KNEW THIS IS A CLASSIC AND MUST HAVE FOR ANY 70`S ROCK FAN OR FAN OF KANSAS.IT`S NOT JUST THAT THESE GUYS ARE GREAT MUSICANS,BUT THEY WRITE SUCH GREAT SONGS TOO.IF YOU ARE NEW TO KANSAS BUY THIS CD AND IT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO BUY ALL OF THERE CD`S.

As with "Leftoverture", this album has since gone Multi-Platinum ('Nuff said). Incredible songwriting, and outstanding musicianship (especially "Lightning's Hand"). I can't say enough good things about the album.

After the success of Leftoverture, Kansas turned out another perfect album in Point of Know Return. This album includes the huge hit "Dust in the Wind". "Hopelessly Human" is one of their best prog songs, "Portrait (He Knew)" and "Lightning's Hand" are great rockers with interesting lyrics, and "Closet Chronicles" and "Nobody's Home" are very emotional and moving. "Point of Know Return" is a light, carefree song which was one of Kansas' bigger hits. All in all, a great album.