Masque (Kansas album)

Masque is the third studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas. The album was released in September 1975, remastered for CD in 2001, and 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 was not popular, including additional guest vocals and segments far different from the album version.

Masque
Cover art reproduces Water, a painting by Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Studio album by
Kansas
ReleasedSeptember 1975
Recorded1975
StudioStudio in the Country, Bogalusa, Louisiana
GenreProgressive rock
Length40:44
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"
    Released: February 1976[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
MusicHound Rock4/5[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]

Masque peaked at #70 on the Billboard album chart, and approximately 250,000 units were sold within months.[5] Each of Kansas's first three album releases had new commercial interest with certified Gold sales of 500,000 units (Masque in December 1977) due to the platinum success of the fourth and fifth studio albums: Leftoverture (1976) and Point of Know Return (1977).[6]

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[7]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

Charts
Chart (1976) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[8] 70

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 449. ISBN 9780862415419.
  2. Adams, Bret. Masque at AllMusic
  3. Graff, Gary (1996). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Canton, Michigan: Visible Ink Press. p. 377. ISBN 978-0787610371. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  4. 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.
  5. Fort Lauderdale News November 18, 1979 "Cosmic Kansas Still Close to the Corn" by Jon Pareles p.15-G
  6. Cashbox January 14, 1978 "Success of Kansas Traced to Constant Touring, FM Airplay" by Mark Mehler p.12
  7. On the 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.
  8. "Kansas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  9. "American album certifications – Kansas – Masque". Recording Industry Association of America.
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