Audio-Visions is the seventh studio album by American progressive rock band Kansas, released in 1980. The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 1996 on Legacy/Epic and again in 2011, as a Japanese import vinyl-replica CD, as well as part of the Sony/Legacy domestic boxed set, Kansas Complete Album Collection 1974-1983, which packages all of the band's original releases on Kirshner and affiliated labels CBS/Columbia.
Kerry Livgren's recent conversion to Christianity is first heard on this album, primarily in the lyrics to "Hold On", which was written as an evangelistic plea to his wife. That song was the original lineup's last Top 40, peaking at No. 40 as the album's first single. The second single from the album, "Got to Rock On," charted outside the Top 40,
In 2018, Friday Music released a 180-gram "blue-splatter" translucent vinyl remaster of the album, featuring a gatefold cover with the original sleeve artwork, and an insert in the first sleeve of a foldout poster of the album cover.
Reception
Rolling Stone gave a resoundingly negative review of the album, calling it "the musically overwrought and lyrically fatuous product of a collective hubris gone haywire," and mockingly referring to Kerry Livgren as "Kerry Liver." They contended that Kansas had lost all direction, with "Hold On" being the only track not lost in misdirected ambitions.
AllMusic's William Ruhlmann retrospectively remarked how "nothing here matched the music from the group's late-'70s heyday", probably due to the two main songwriters being distracted by their solo careers with Kansas "becoming a part-time occupation".
Track listing
Credits
Kansas
- Steve Walsh – keyboards, vibraphone, percussion, lead and backing vocals
- Kerry Livgren – guitars, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
- Robby Steinhardt – violin, viola, lead and backing vocals
- Rich Williams – guitar, percussion, backing vocals
- Dave Hope – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Ehart – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Donna Williams – additional voice and sounds
- Joey Jelf – additional voice and sounds
- Lisa White – additional voice and sounds
- Victoria Livgren – additional voice and sounds
- Terry Ehart – additional voice and sounds
- The Four Bassmen – additional voice and sounds
Production
- Kansas – producers, cover concept
- Brad Aaron, Davey Moiré – co-producers, engineers
- Greg Webster – assistant engineer
- George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
- Tom Drennon – art direction, design, illustrations
- Peter Lloyd – cover painting
- Bob Irwin – reissue producer
- Vic Anesini – digital remastering
- Frank Tozour – Sony digital editing
Charts
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! scope="col"| Chart (1980)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
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