Founded in 1971, Kansas is one of the most famous bands in progressive rock, inspiring many contemporary progressive rock/metal bands. The tracks "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry on Wayward Son" are both well known hits. Formed in Topeka in 1970, the founding members of the group -- guitarist Kerry Livgren, bassist Dave Hope, and drummer Phil Ehart -- first played together while in high school; with the 1971 addition of classically trained violinist Robbie Steinhardt, they changed their name to White Clover, reverting back to the Kansas moniker for good upon the 1972 arrivals of vocalist/keyboardist Steve Walsh and guitarist Richard Williams. The group spent the early part of the decade touring relentlessly and struggling for recognition; initially, their mix of boogie and prog rock baffled club patrons, but in due time they established a strong enough following to win a record deal with the Kirshner label. Kansas' self-titled debut LP appeared in 1974; while only mildly successful, the group toured behind it tirelessly, and their fan base grew to the point that their third effort, 1975's Masque, sold a quarter of a million copies.
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Some of you may know me and many of you won't
I am just a player in the band
Some of you will listen and some of you will hear
Some of you may laugh at me and some of you will cheer
'Cause all of us, we are an audience
Looking for evidence, to help it all make sense
(Chorus)
Have we left the answers far behind
Are we running from the light
And our legs are growing weaker
Chasing shadows in the night
Tell me have you noticed, the tide is rolling in
The waves are crashing harder now
The shore is wearing thin
The message in the bottle, has been lost at sea
But the word live on forever, it's meant to be