Freaks of Nature

I have to admit that I hardly ever listen to this album and when I do, it's just the last two songs that I listen to. Steve Walsh is in horrible voice here and the songs for the most part kind of blow. I Can Fly is especially bad, with a horrible vocal from Walsh and just plain silly music. This is a failed attempt to recapture the early Kansas sound. The highlight of the album for me is the ending of Peaceful and Warm, which really DOES sound like early Kansas. And Kerry Livgren's Cold Grey Morning is okay. Overall though, this is a good album to run away from.

Great album that was overlooked during the grunge era.

This album came out at a time when Grunge was just about to die, and corporations had just about neutered everything and run music into the ground. Fortunately MP3s got some karmic revenge. Point is this album went hardly noticed, and that is a shame. This IS a Kansas album, even without Livgreen as a member (though he does pen 1 song). The album takes some modern chances, not all work, but the album is great and I can't stop listening. Even as his voice ages, Walsh still sings better than just about anyone and has that classic rock voice most younger singers can only dream off. And even though made in 1995, the album is still progressive, a mostly shelved form of rock that I hope resurges because I am so thoroughly sick of the Verse-Chorus-Verse-Bridge-Solo-Chorus Cmaj-Gmaj-Amin-FMajor song structure that is grotesquely omni-present. Though, while prog, this album is still very accessible. What most don't know is that this was the beginning of the Walsh-Livgren reconciliation. The performances are great especially Ragsdale's violin. And don't miss Peaceful and Warm, ESPECIALLY the ending. It's epic.

Dunno what all the hate is about. A kerry penned track and HEAVY guitar lines... Great album.

Being a long time Kansas fan I can absolutely say I love this CD! Sure Steve's voice is different but there are few singers out there that sing with as much passion as he does. Great compositions with rocking rockers and great ballads. I love the Livgren era stuff but to me Steve is the heart and soul of this band and his three solo albums show that he can still put out some great and relevant material.

no, I think Kerry Livgren wrote Cold Grey Morning, but do like Peaceful and Warm written by Steve Walsh. Overall a big disappointment for Kansas standards.

The album opens with "I Can Fly." A song that would've been 10 times better when the band was in their prime. Hearing Walsh sing this song was frightening. It didn't even sound like him. There are a few songs worth listening to such as "Under the Knife" and "Cold Gray Morning" but the rest just fail as Kansas songs. Kerry Livgren contributed Peaceful and Warm to the album and the song was surprisingly dry and had no substance. I would still recommend listening to it but it's not one of my favorites.