Freaks of Nature (Kansas album)

Freaks of Nature
Freaks of Nature
Studio album by Kansas
Released	May 29, 1995
Recorded	1995
Studio	Caribbean Sound Basin, Trinidad, West Indies
Genre	Art rock, hard rock
Length	45:14
Label	Intersound (US); Essential/Castle Communications (Europe); Sony Music (Japan)
Producer	Jeff Glixman
Kansas chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B−^[4]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[5]

Freaks of Nature is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Kansas, released in 1995.^[6]^[7]^[8] Two edited singles were issued but did not chart, nor did the album itself, making it the only Kansas studio album not to appear on any Billboard chart. The band promoted the album by touring with the Alan Parsons Project, and then opening for Styx.^[9]^[10]

Production

Recorded in Trinidad, the album was produced by Jeff Glixman.^[11]^[12] Violinist David Ragsdale cowrote four of Freaks of Nature's songs.^[13] The band chose to forgo the overproduction of previous albums, including eschewing orchestral instrumentation.^[14]

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the techno synths and hoedown fiddles of 'Need' and the AOR schmaltz and African drums on 'I Can Fly' are fairly innovative syntheses."^[4] The Washington Post determined that the band "continues to sound like a middle-American knockoff of such British predecessors as Yes."^[15]

The Deseret News noted that "the world-rhythm-inspired 'Need' adds a new angle to Kansas' Midwest progression while the album's title cut is pure, blues-based rock-a-rolla."^[16] USA Today concluded: "If you insist on listening to overblown art-rock, the band's new Freaks of Nature album isn't any worse than 'Carry On Wayward Son'."^[17]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Can Fly"	David Ragsdale, Steve Walsh	5:21
2.	"Desperate Times"	Walsh	5:25
3.	"Hope Once Again"	Walsh	4:34
4.	"Black Fathom 4"	Walsh, Ragsdale	5:54
5.	"Under the Knife"	Walsh, Ragsdale	4:54
6.	"Need"	Walsh	3:59
7.	"Freaks of Nature"	Ragsdale, Walsh, Phil Ehart	4:05
8.	"Cold Grey Morning"	Kerry Livgren	4:14
9.	"Peaceful and Warm"	Walsh	6:44

Personnel

Phil Ehart - drums, percussion
Rich Williams - guitar, backing vocals
Steve Walsh - lead vocals, keyboards
Billy Greer - bass, guitar, backing vocals
Greg Robert - keyboards, backing vocals
David Ragsdale - violin, backing vocals

References

^ Sculley, Alan (23 June 1995). "KANSAS GOES BACK TO 'NATURE'". The Morning Call. p. D6.
^ Allender, Mark W.B.. Freaks of Nature at AllMusic
^ Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music". Omnibus Press – via Google Books.
^ ^a ^b "Freaks of Nature". EW.com.
^ 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.
^ Ferguson, Jon (27 Oct 1995). "Kansas dusts off the old tracks". HAPPENINGS. Intelligencer Journal. p. 3.
^ Craft, Dan (19 July 1996). "A DEATH IN THE FAMILY". The Pantagraph. p. D1.
^ "Kansas Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
^ Prince, David (21 July 1995). "KANSAS IS NOT JUST A LITTLE DUST IN THE WIND". PASATIEMPO. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 52.
^ Kassulke, Natasha (21 Sep 1996). "STYX, KANSAS BRING THEIR HITS". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 4C.
^ Cain, Carol (October 27, 1995). "Kansas rocks Saturday". Press-Register. Mobile. p. 1E.
^ Cohen, Howard (August 25, 1995). "FROM BARRY WHITE TO MEGADETH, IT'S AN ECLECTIC MIX". Miami Herald. p. 23G.
^ Nichols, Natalie. "Eat Our Dust: Kansas Carries On". Entertainment. Tulsa World. p. 4.
^ Kinch, Tamara (August 18, 1995). "Carryin' on with the sounds of Kansas". The Times. Munster.
^ "It's been 17 years since 'Dust in the Wind'..." The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
^ Iwasaki, Scott (June 17, 1995). "'FREAKS' SPINS A WELCOME, FAMILIAR SOUND". Deseret News. p. B10.
^ Christensen, Thor (July 7, 1995). "Would the real band please stand up and sing?". USA Today.

External links

David Ragsdale Track by Track Interview about Freaks of Nature from 2015 with The Pods & Sods Network

[1] Sculley, Alan (23 June 1995). "KANSAS GOES BACK TO 'NATURE'". The Morning Call. p. D6.

[2] Allender, Mark W.B.. Freaks of Nature at AllMusic

[3] Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music". Omnibus Press – via Google Books.

[auto-4] "Freaks of Nature". EW.com.

[Cross-5] 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.

[6] Ferguson, Jon (27 Oct 1995). "Kansas dusts off the old tracks". HAPPENINGS. Intelligencer Journal. p. 3.

[7] Craft, Dan (19 July 1996). "A DEATH IN THE FAMILY". The Pantagraph. p. D1.

[8] "Kansas Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.

[9] Prince, David (21 July 1995). "KANSAS IS NOT JUST A LITTLE DUST IN THE WIND". PASATIEMPO. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 52.

[10] Kassulke, Natasha (21 Sep 1996). "STYX, KANSAS BRING THEIR HITS". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 4C.

[11] Cain, Carol (October 27, 1995). "Kansas rocks Saturday". Press-Register. Mobile. p. 1E.

[12] Cohen, Howard (August 25, 1995). "FROM BARRY WHITE TO MEGADETH, IT'S AN ECLECTIC MIX". Miami Herald. p. 23G.

[13] Nichols, Natalie. "Eat Our Dust: Kansas Carries On". Entertainment. Tulsa World. p. 4.

[14] Kinch, Tamara (August 18, 1995). "Carryin' on with the sounds of Kansas". The Times. Munster.

[15] "It's been 17 years since 'Dust in the Wind'..." The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 May 2022.

[16] Iwasaki, Scott (June 17, 1995). "'FREAKS' SPINS A WELCOME, FAMILIAR SOUND". Deseret News. p. B10.

[17] Christensen, Thor (July 7, 1995). "Would the real band please stand up and sing?". USA Today.

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v t e Kansas
Phil Ehart Rich Williams Billy Greer Tom Brislin Ronnie Platt Joe Deninzon Zak Rizvi Kerry Livgren Dave Hope Robby Steinhardt Steve Walsh John Elefante Steve Morse Greg Robert David Manion David Ragsdale
Studio albums	Kansas Song for America Masque Leftoverture Point of Know Return Monolith Audio-Visions Vinyl Confessions Drastic Measures Power In the Spirit of Things Freaks of Nature Always Never the Same Somewhere to Elsewhere The Prelude Implicit The Absence of Presence
Live albums	Two for the Show Live at the Whisky King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Kansas Dust in the Wind Device – Voice – Drum There's Know Place Like Home
Compilations	The Best of Kansas Carry On The Kansas Boxed Set The Ultimate Kansas Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection On the Other Side Works in Progress
Singles	"Song for America" "Carry On Wayward Son" "What's on My Mind" "Point of Know Return" "Dust in the Wind" "Portrait (He Knew)" "People of the South Wind" "Hold On" "Play the Game Tonight" "Fight Fire with Fire" "All I Wanted"
Other songs	"The Wall"
Related articles	Discography Members Native Window
Category