Leftoverture

Steve Walsh began to experience writer's block prior to the recording, and his contribution to the album would ultimately be limited to co-authoring three songs; it fell on Kerry Livgren to fill the void.{{cite AV media notes |title=Leftoverture |others=Kansas |year= 2001|first= David|last=Wild |authorlink= David Wild|page=3 |type=CD Booklet |publisher=Legacy Recordings |id= EK 85386 |location=New York City}} The new compositions retained much of the classically inspired complexity of Livgren's previous work. As with their previous album, Masque, Kansas recorded Leftoverture at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The Studio in the Country was so named because, as Livgren described on In the Studio with Redbeard radio show in the episode spotlighting Leftoverture, "it was in the middle of a swamp. We'd walk out of the studio and there would be gators in front of the studio, mosquitos the size of B-52s and at times armadillos would run into the control room."{{cite web |url=http://www.inthestudio.net/online-on-demand/kansas-leftoverture-40th-anniversary/ |title=Kansas-Leftoverture- Phil Ehart, Richard Williams, Kerry Livgren |publisher=In the Studio with Redbeard |accessdate=December 29, 2017 |archive-date=November 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111191609/http://www.inthestudio.net/online-on-demand/kansas-leftoverture-40th-anniversary/ |url-status=dead }}

Leftoverture opens with the song "Carry On Wayward Son", which Livgren wrote as a sequel to "The Pinnacle", the final song from the previous album Masque (1975).

The album's title, Leftoverture, is a portmanteau of leftover and overture.

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/leftoverture-mw0000190455 |title=Kansas - Leftoverture review |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |accessdate=December 29, 2017 }}

|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

|rev2Score = D+{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: K|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=K&bk=70|accessdate=February 28, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}

|rev3 = MusicHound Rock

|rev3Score = 4/5{{cite book |last1=Graff |first1=Gary |author-link=Gary Graff |url=https://archive.org/details/musichoundrockes0000unse |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |chapter=Kansas: Leftoverture |location=Canton, Michigan |publisher=Visible Ink Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0787610371 |accessdate=December 29, 2017 |url-access=registration }}

| rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Simon & Schuster|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=Kansas|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/446 446]}}

}}

The album was met with mixed reviews. Rolling Stone called Leftoverture Kansas's best album to date, and said that it "warrants Kansas a spot right alongside Boston and Styx as one of the fresh new American bands who combine hard-driving group instrumentation (with a dearth of flashy solos) with short, tight melody lines and pleasant singing."{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/kansas/albums/album/122250/review/5940962/leftoverture |title=Album Reviews: Kansas - Leftoverture |last=Niester |first=Alan |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 27, 1977 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222101910/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/kansas/albums/album/122250/review/5940962/leftoverture |archivedate=February 22, 2008 |accessdate=December 29, 2017 }} The magazine Playboy reviewed the album as "extremely strong" and lauded Kansas for representing "the solid, Midwestern values of our vast musical heartland."{{cite magazine |title=Kansas: Leftoverture |magazine=Playboy |date=July 1977 |url=https://www.superseventies.com/kansas.html |accessdate=December 29, 2017 }} In contrast, Robert Christgau said the album lacked the intelligence and conviction of European progressive rock, and that the self-deprecating humor implied in the song and album titles is completely absent from the record itself.

More recently, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that the album contains "neither hooks nor true grandiosity to make it interesting" and, despite the great single "Carry On Wayward Son", the fact that Kansas "never manage to rival it anywhere on this record is as much a testament to their crippling ambition as their lack of skills." Gary Graff was more enthusiastic, finding Leftoverture to be "Kansas' breakthrough album and a thorough representation of its assorted musical sensibilities." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw considered "Carry On Wayward Son", "Magnum Opus", "The Wall", "What's on My Mind" and "Opus Insert" to be classics.{{Cite web|author=Wardlaw, Matt|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kansas-leftoverture/|title = 40 Years Ago: Kansas Carry on in a Big Way with 'Leftoverture'|accessdate=2023-01-24|date=October 21, 2016|publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock}} Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia rated "Carry On Wayward Son" as Kansas' greatest song and "The Wall" as Kansas' sixth greatest song.{{cite web|title=Top 10 Kansas Songs|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kansas-songs/|author=Rivadavia, Eduardo|publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock|accessdate=2022-06-12|date=June 15, 2013}}

Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated "The Wall" as Kansas' all-time best song, as well as rating "Carry On Wayward Son" number 2 and "Miracles Out of Nowhere" number 5.{{cite web|title=Top 10 Kansas Songs|author=Kachejian, Brian|date=September 26, 2022 |publisher=Classic Rock History|accessdate=2023-01-24|url=https://www.classicrockhistory.com/top-10-kansas-songs/}} Classic Rock critic Dave Ling also ranked three songs from Leftoverture among Kansas' 10 best – "Magnum Opus", "Miracles Out of Nowhere" and "Carry On Wayward Son".{{cite web|title=The Top 10 Best Kansas Songs|date=July 14, 2016|author=Ling, Dave|publisher=Louder Sound|work=Classic Rock|accessdate=2023-01-24|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/too-10-best-kansas-songs}}

Ronnie Platt, who became Kansas' lead singer in 2014, rated three songs from Leftoverture as being among his 10 favorite Kansas songs – "Carry On Wayward Son", "The Wall" and "Miracles Out of Nowhere".{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-kansas-songs-by-kansas-frontman-ronnie-platt|title=The 10 Best Kansas songs, by Kansas frontman Ronnie Platt|date=November 6, 2017|accessdate=2023-05-12|publisher=Louder Sound|work=Classic Rock}}

{{Track listing

| headline= Side one

| all_writing = Kerry Livgren except where noted

| title1 = Carry On Wayward Son

| length1 = 5:23

| title2 = The Wall

| writer2 = Livgren, Steve Walsh

| length2 = 4:51

| title3 = What's on My Mind

| length3 = 3:28

| title4 = Miracles out of Nowhere

| length4 = 6:28

}}

{{Track listing

| headline= Side two

| title5 = Opus Insert

| length5 = 4:30

| title6 = Questions of My Childhood

| writer6 = Walsh, Livgren

| length6 = 3:40

| title7 = Cheyenne Anthem

| length7 = 6:55

| title8 = Magnum Opus"

• a. "Father Padilla Meets the Perfect Gnat"
• b. "Howling at the Moon"
• c. "Man Overboard"
• d. "Industry on Parade"
• e. "Release the Beavers"
• f. "Gnat Attack

| writer8 = Livgren, Walsh, Rich Williams, Dave Hope, Phil Ehart, Robby Steinhardt

| length8 = 8:25

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Bonus tracks on 2001 CD reissue

| title9 = Carry On Wayward Son

| note9 = live at Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan, July 1978

| length9 = 4:43

| title10 = Cheyenne Anthem

| note10 = live at The Palladium in New York City, December 1977

| length10 = 6:41

}}

;Kansas

• Steve Walsh – organ, piano, additional synthesizers, vibraphone, lead and backing vocals, congas.
• Kerry Livgren – electric guitar, piano, clavinet, Moog, Oberheim and ARP synthesizers
• Robby Steinhardt – violin, viola, lead vocals on "Miracles Out of Nowhere" and "Cheyenne Anthem", backing vocals
• Rich Williams – electric and acoustic guitars
• Dave Hope – bass guitar
• Phil Ehart – drums, percussion

;Additional personnel

• Toye LaRocca, Cheryl Norman – children's voices on "Cheyenne Anthem"

;Production

• Jeff Glixman – producer, assistant engineer, remastered edition producer
• Bill Evans – engineer
• Edwin Hobgood, Ray Black – additional studio assistance
• George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York City, New York
• Jeff Magid – remastered edition producer
• Dave McMacken - graphic design{{cite web |title=Leftoverture |website=Kansas Official Website |url=https://www.kansasband.com/music/leftoverture/ |access-date=May 12, 2023 }}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1977) ! scope="col"| Peak position
scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} | align="center"| 68
{{album chart|Canada|2|artist=Kansas|album=Leftoverture|chartid=5289a|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 4, 2021}}
{{album chart|Billboard200|5|artist=Kansas|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 4, 2021}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1977) ! scope="col"| Position
{{album chart|Canada|25|artist=Kansas|album=Leftoverture|chartid=5558|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 10, 2024|refname=CA_YE}}
scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{cite web|url=https://bestsellingalbums.org/year-end/Billboard_Top_Albums_1977|title=Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1977|website=BestSellingAlbums.org|access-date=December 10, 2024}} | align="center"| 17

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Kansas|title=Leftoverture |award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1976|certyear=1978}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Kansas|title=Leftoverture|award=Platinum|number=4|type=album|relyear=1976|certyear=2001}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{kansasband}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Kansas (band) albums

Category:1976 albums

Category:Albums produced by Jeff Glixman

Category:Legacy Recordings albums

Category:Epic Records albums

Category:Albums recorded at Studio in the Country