Masque (Kansas album)

Masque is the third studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas. The album was released in September 1975 and was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2001. The album was again remastered and reissued on vinyl in 2014. The opening track, "It Takes a Woman's Love (To Make a Man)", was remixed for release as a single, but failed to gain attention. The remix included additional guest vocals and contains segments far different from the album version.

Masque
Cover art reproduces Water, a painting by the Italian Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Studio album by
Kansas
ReleasedSeptember 20, 1975
RecordedSummer of 1975
StudioStudio in the Country, Bogalusa, Louisiana
GenreProgressive rock
Length40:39
LabelKirshner (US)
Epic (rest of the world)
ProducerJeff Glixman
Kansas chronology
Song for America
(1975)		 Masque
(1975)		 Leftoverture
(1976)
Singles from Masque
  1. "It Takes a Woman's Love (To Make a Man)" / "It's You"
    Released: 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Peaking at #70 on the Billboard album chart, Masque would in the months subsequent to its September 1975 release sell approximately 250,000 units.[2] Like all three of Kansas' first three album releases, Masque 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), with Masque being certified Gold for sales of 500,000 units in December 1977.[3]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."It Takes a Woman's Love (To Make a Man)"Steve WalshWalsh3:08
2."Two Cents Worth"Kerry Livgren, WalshWalsh3:08
3."Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel"Livgren[4]Walsh6:03
4."All the World"Walsh, Robby SteinhardtWalsh and Steinhardt7:11
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
5."Child of Innocence"LivgrenWalsh and Steinhardt4:36
6."It's You"WalshWalsh2:31
7."Mysteries and Mayhem"Livgren, WalshWalsh and Steinhardt4:18
8."The Pinnacle"LivgrenWalsh and Steinhardt9:44
Bonus tracks on 2001 CD reissue
No.TitleLength
9."Child of Innocence" (Demo from the recording sessions)5:04
10."It's You" (Demo from the recording sessions)2:41

Personnel
Kansas
Additional musicians
  • Earl Lon Price – saxophone on track 1
Production
  • Jeff Glixman – producer, remastered edition producer
  • Lee Peterzell – engineer
  • Jimmy Stroud – assistant engineer
  • Jeff Magid – remastered edition producer

Charts
Year Chart Position
1976 Top LPs & Tape (US)[5] 70

Certifications
Country Organization Year Sales
USA RIAA 1977 Gold (+ 500,000)[6]

References
  1. Adams, Bret. Masque at AllMusic
  2. Fort Lauderdale News 18 November 1979 "Cosmic Kansas Still Close to the Corn" by Jon Pareles p.15-G
  3. Cashbox 14 January 1978 "Success of Kansas Traced to Constant Touring, FM Airplay" by Mark Mehler p.12
  4. On the album's original vinyl release, "Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel" is credited to Kerry Livgren on the sleeve notes but to "K. Livgren / S. Walsh" on the label. BMI records (see BMI Work # 699172) confirm that Livgren is the song's sole writer.
  5. "Kansas Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  6. "RIAA Gold & Platinum Database: Search for Kansas". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
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