| Vinyl Confessions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 20, 1982 (1982-05-20)[1] | |||
| Recorded | Late 1981/Early 1982 | |||
| Studio | Chateau Recorders, North Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:20 | |||
| Label | Kirshner | |||
| Producer | Kansas,Ken Scott | |||
| Kansas chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Vinyl Confessions | ||||
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Vinyl Confessions is the eighth studio album by Americanrock bandKansas, released in 1982. It includes "Play the Game Tonight", which broke the Top 20 and is Kansas's third highest-charting single, surpassed only by "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind".[3] The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 1996 onLegacy/Epic and again in 2011.
Vinyl Confessions was a major turning point for the band. After the conversion of both guitarist/keyboard playerKerry Livgren and bass playerDave Hope toChristianity, and the focus that Livgren placed on his religion in the band's lyrics, lead singerSteve Walsh did not agree with the new direction of the band and left to form his own band,Streets.[4] Walsh had also contributed much as a songwriter, so the band was forced to find a new lead singer who not only had a vocal style that fit the band's music, but also could contribute material for the upcoming album. After a long audition process, the choice came down to three strong candidates:Warren Ham,Michael Gleason andJohn Elefante. The band eventually settled on Elefante.[4]
"Fair Exchange" described the world under the rule of theAnti-Christ, while "Chasing Shadows" pointed out the frustration in seeking anything outsideBiblical truth. "Diamonds and Pearls" emphasized the value of spiritual wealth over financial wealth, while "Face It", "Windows" and "Borderline" all had strong evangelistic appeals to the listener. The album's closer, "Crossfire", made the album's position abundantly clear in its indirect reference toJesus Christ ("the one who rose").
Vinyl Confessions did not go unnoticed by the nascentContemporary Christian music (CCM) industry, which was just coming into its own at that time. Numerous Christian magazines trumpeted Kansas' new musical direction, andCCM Magazine even choseVinyl Confessions as the No. 1 CCM album of 1982.[4] All this attention created an entirely new audience of listeners for Kansas, but it also created further tensions within the band. Those tensions came to a head during the recording of their next album,Drastic Measures.[4]
Queen drummerRoger Taylor was recording a solo album in the studio next door, and contributed background vocals on a handful of songs on the album.
Vinyl Confessions was also the last album with violinist/vocalistRobby Steinhardt, who left the band after the supporting tour and did not return until 1997.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Melodic.net | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
While acknowledging the comeback success of the single "Play the Game Tonight",AllMusic's retrospective review was largely negative. They criticized the Christian lyrics as being "often of a judgmental, us-versus-you nature", and insinuated that the album fell more into a generic pop rock vein than Kansas's earlier albums ("it was getting hard to distinguish Kansas fromForeigner andJourney").[5]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Play the Game Tonight" | Kerry Livgren,Rich Williams,Phil Ehart, Danny Flower,Rob Frazier | 3:26 |
| 2. | "Right Away" | John Elefante, Dino Elefante | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Fair Exchange" | Livgren | 5:01 |
| 4. | "Chasing Shadows" | J. Elefante, D. Elefante | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Diamonds and Pearls" | Livgren | 4:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Face It" | J. Elefante, D. Elefante | 4:17 |
| 7. | "Windows" | Livgren | 3:32 |
| 8. | "Borderline" | Livgren | 4:00 |
| 9. | "Play On" | J. Elefante, Livgren | 3:32 |
| 10. | "Crossfire" | Livgren | 6:35 |
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[8] | 36 |
| USBillboard 200[9] | 16 |
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| Studio albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Singles | |
| Other songs |
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| Related articles | |
