Editing Leftoverture

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Leftoverture
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]]
| cover        = Kansas - Leftoverture.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = October 21, 1976
| recorded     = December 1975 – August 1976
| venue        = 
| studio       = [[Studio in the Country]], [[Bogalusa, Louisiana]]
| genre        = [[Progressive rock]]
| length       = 43:55
| label        = [[Don Kirshner|Kirshner]] <small>(US)</small><br>[[Epic records|Epic]] <small>(Europe and Japan)</small><br>[[Columbia Records|CBS]] <small>(Oceania)</small>
| producer     = [[Jeff Glixman]], Kansas
| prev_title   = [[Masque (Kansas album)|Masque]]
| prev_year    = 1975
| next_title   = [[Point of Know Return]]
| next_year    = 1977
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Leftoverture
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Carry On Wayward Son]]
 | single1date = November 19, 1976<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=+%09CARRY+ON+WAYWARD+SON|title=RIAA certification|website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] }}</ref>
 | single2     = [[What%27s_on_My_Mind_(Kansas_song)|What's on My Mind]]
 | single2date = May 1977<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/449/mode/2up|title=The Great Rock Discography|year=1995|page=449 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles }}</ref>
}}
}}

'''''Leftoverture''''' is the fourth studio album by American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]], released in 1976. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 2001. It was the band's first album to be certified by the RIAA, and remains their highest selling album, having been certified 5 times platinum in the United States.<ref name="platinum">{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=KANSAS&ti=&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section |title=RIAA Gold & Platinum Database: Search for Kansas |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |accessdate=2018-03-03 }}</ref>

== Background ==
[[Steve Walsh (musician)|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.<ref name="booklet" >{{cite AV media notes |title=Leftoverture |others=[[Kansas (band)|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}}</ref> The new compositions retained much of the classically inspired complexity of Livgren's previous work.<ref name="booklet" /> As with their previous album, ''[[Masque (Kansas 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 [[alligator|gators]] in front of the studio, [[mosquitos]] the size of [[B-52 Stratofortress|B-52s]] and at times [[armadillo]]s would run into the control room."<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

''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 (Kansas album)|Masque]]'' (1975).

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

== Reception ==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{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 }}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
|rev2Score = D+<ref name="CG">{{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}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
|rev3Score = 4/5<ref name="graff">{{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 }}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="Cross">{{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 Rolling Stone Album Guide|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]}}</ref>
}}

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 (band)|Boston]] and [[Styx (band)|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."<ref>{{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 }}</ref> The magazine ''[[Playboy]]'' reviewed the album as "extremely strong" and lauded Kansas for representing "the solid, Midwestern values of our vast musical heartland."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Kansas: Leftoverture |magazine=[[Playboy]] |date=July 1977 |url=https://www.superseventies.com/kansas.html |accessdate=December 29, 2017 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="CG"/>

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."<ref name="allmusic"/> [[Gary Graff]] was more enthusiastic, finding ''Leftoverture'' to be "Kansas' breakthrough album and a thorough representation of its assorted musical sensibilities."<ref name="graff"/> ''[[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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>  ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Eduardo Rivadavia rated "Carry On Wayward Son" as Kansas' greatest song and "The Wall" as Kansas' sixth greatest song.<ref name=ucr>{{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}}</ref> 

''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.<ref>{{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/}}</ref>  ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|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".<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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".<ref>{{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}}</ref>

== Track listing ==
{{Track listing
| headline= Side one
| all_writing = [[Kerry Livgren]] except where noted
| title1 = [[Carry On Wayward Son]]
| length1 = 5:23
| title2 = [[The Wall (Kansas song)|The Wall]]
| writer2 = Livgren, [[Steve Walsh (musician)|Steve Walsh]]
| length2 = 4:51
| title3 = [[What's on My Mind (Kansas song)|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 [[DTE Energy Music Theatre|Pine Knob Music Theatre]], Clarkston, Michigan, July 1978 
| length9 = 4:43
| title10 = Cheyenne Anthem
| note10 = live at [[Palladium (New York City)|The Palladium]] in New York City, December 1977
| length10 = 6:41
}}

== Personnel ==
;Kansas
* [[Steve Walsh (musician)|Steve Walsh]] – [[Electric organ|organ]], [[piano]], additional synthesizers, [[vibraphone]], lead and backing vocals
* [[Kerry Livgren]] – electric guitar, piano, [[clavinet]], [[Moog synthesizer|Moog]], [[Oberheim Electronics|Oberheim]] and [[ARP Instruments|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]] – [[Record producer|producer]], assistant engineer, remastered edition producer
*Bill Evans – [[Audio engineer|engineer]]
*Edwin Hobgood, Ray Black – additional studio assistance
*[[George Marino]] – [[Audio mastering|mastering]] at [[Sterling Sound]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
*Jeff Magid – remastered edition producer
*Dave McMacken - graphic design<ref>{{cite web |title=Leftoverture |website=Kansas Official Website |url=https://www.kansasband.com/music/leftoverture/ |access-date=May 12, 2023 }}</ref>

== Charts ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

=== Weekly charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1977)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=aus>{{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}}</ref>
| 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}}

=== Year-end charts ===
{| 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<ref>{{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}}</ref>
| align="center"| 17
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{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}}

== References ==
{{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]]