Song for America
Cover painting by Peter Lloyd
Studio album by
Kansas
ReleasedFebruary 1975
RecordedDecember 1974
StudioWally Heider's Studio 3 (Hollywood)
Genre
Length45:08
LabelKirshner (US)
Epic (rest of the world)
ProducerJeff Glixman, Wally Gold
Kansas chronology
Kansas
(1974)		 Song for America
(1975)		 Masque
(1975)
Singles from Song for America
  1. "Song for America"
    Released: April 1975 [1]

Song for America is the second studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in 1975. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2004. The 10-minute title track was edited down to three minutes for release as a single. The 45 R.P.M. edit resurfaced 29 years later as a bonus track on the remastered release, which provided improved sound as well as expanded liner notes, rare photos, and a live version of "Down the Road".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
MusicHound Rock3/5[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
Sea of Tranquility[5]

AllMusic, in a retrospective review, praised the "intense energy" of the album's shorter songs, but contended that the longer songs require too much active listening to appreciate. They concluded that the album is "a good (if not adolescent) recording for a group of this genre."[2] Conversely, Gary Graff described the title track as "one of prog-rock's sonic gems," recommending the album to "Those interested in Kansas at its most bombastic."[3]

Steve Pettengill, writing for Sea of Tranquility webzine, describes the album as "full tilt symphonic rock with none of the stadium rock numbers that would pop up on later albums. Comprising four lengthy intricate pieces and two very American style romps, Kansas' second album very admirably showcases the band's trademark duality as proggers and rockers."[5]

Ranking on the Billboard album chart with a peak of #57, Song for America would in the months subsequent to its February 1975 release sell approximately 250,000 units.[6] Like all three of Kansas' first three album releases, Song for America attracted new commercial interest due to the platinum success of the band's fourth and fifth studio albums: Leftoverture (1976) and Point of Know Return (1977): reported as having sold between 300,000 and 400,000 units in January 1978,[7] Song for America would be certified Gold for sales of 500,000 units in June 1980.[8]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Down the Road"Steve Walsh, Kerry Livgren3:43
2."Song for America"Livgren10:03
3."Lamplight Symphony"Livgren8:17
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Lonely Street"Walsh, Dave Hope, Rich Williams, Phil Ehart5:43
5."The Devil Game"Walsh, Hope5:04
6."Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman"Livgren12:11
Bonus tracks on 2004 CD reissue
No.TitleLength
7."Song for America" (Single edit)3:02
8."Down the Road" (Live at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio, 1975)3:53
Bonus tracks on Japan Blu-spec 2011 CD reissue
No.TitleLength
9."Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman" (Live)16:10

Personnel

Kansas
Production

Charts

Chart (1975) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[9] 57

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[10] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Kansas singles".
  2. 1 2 Allender, Mark W.B.. Song for America at AllMusic
  3. 1 2 Graff, Gary (1996). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Canton, Michigan: Visible Ink Press. p. 377. ISBN 978-0787610371. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  4. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "Kansas". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 446. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  5. 1 2 Pettengill, Steve. "Sea of Tranquility review". Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  6. ↑ Fort Lauderdale News 18 November 1979 "Cosmic Kansas Still Close to the Corn" by Jon Pareles p.15-G
  7. ↑ Cashbox 14 January 1978 "Success of Kansas Traced to Constant Touring, FM Airplay" by Mark Mehler p.12
  8. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
  9. ↑ "Kansas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ "American album certifications – Kansas – Song for America". Recording Industry Association of America.
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