Declarations are the most powerful elements of language. Stating that this is something I AM going to do clears the mind as Bruce Lee would say… and then there is that moment right after. And that is when you need partners to step up and help hold you accountable to it.. and help you achieve it. Like when they finished signing the Declaration you an imagine all of the eyes turning towards George Washington. Ok, our work here is done – good luck, and God’s speed. Hope it turns out well for you… we are heading back home. It should be noted by the way that his record as a field commander wasn’t actually that great… and it didn’t improve during the war. He actually lost more battles than he won, way more if you include draws. But…. it was the ones he and his partners chose to fight and how he fought that made a difference….
One of the first things that George did was ride back to New York, and read the Declaration to a crowd gathered there, hope to gather some partners. And in fine American fashion, it immediately touched off riots…. and they went and tore down the statue of George III. Hmmm – seems like maybe this is more in our nature than we might want to believe 😉 They actually melted down that statue and literally turned it into cannonballs to fuel the battle when it started. He started to actively recruit partners across the Colonies for the coming war, and being landed gentry he could actually take the time his money to do that. Yes – not perfect… who is really – but did what he could do for his partners because it was both something he believed in, and the results set the standard for government across the globe. Our current “landed gentry” – the coastal elites of both parties – could do well to think about the history we are all making, and how it will judge all of us in 244 years…
Once again I will run out of days before I run out of Kansas songs, but at least I can cover the players. Steve Walsh’s high tenor voice instantly distinguishes him, along with his All American good looks 😉 As a frontman, he brought energy to every performance – not leaping around like Robby, but sheer energy coming through his vocals. He was a co-writer for much of the early albums, but for LeftOverture he started to experience writer’s block, leaving much of the work to Kerry Livgren (who I will say more about on Sunday). The album was recorded in a Studio in Louisana that, unlike Muscle Shoals, actually was IN a swamp, complete with gators, armadillos, and B-52 sized mosquitos. It was their real breakthrough album, now 5 times platinum, and you know this cut you know well so had to feature it.
And just like that, they became a Stadium Band, selling out concerts across America and back to touring relentlessly, but now in much better digs. They were taking advantage of the AOR growth as FM was taking over listenership, and the “royalty” of the AM establishment never saw it coming. They also benefited from the beginnings of “portable music” – the 8 Track and then the cassette meant you could actually take YOUR music with YOU…. and particularly in the flyover states like Texas, where we had many hours, you got to hear the entire collection of songs. Kansas took advantage of that with long, involved, intricate music with lyrics that are stunning if you really listen, which everyone did. And… you told your friends – loaned them the album or tape, and you became their partners. So much of that season was going over to “listen together” to the new album with friends…
Every leader has that moment, like George, where everyone turns and looks for…. even you look behind you… and then you realize – oh wait. It’s me. No one else will do it… and therefore, I need to lead. It is not pretty, you make lots of mistakes, you rarely know what to do…. and those on the sidelines stand ready to either take credit or heap criticism. And – if you have partners, like Kerry picking up when Steve was not up for it, it makes all the difference. He would be back by the next album, and was one of the major co-authors of most of their music, and stayed with the band through 2014. Who can your partner with to help build a better America? Bio’s of George (including a great History Channel Series) will give you his inner circle, and how he needed those partners, but today this seems about right – “Masquerading as a man with a reason, My charade is the event of the season, And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don’t know.” Carry on….
