Miracles Out of Nowhere
A documentary about Kansas (the band)
It took me years to admit this, but fluckit, I can say it now.
I grew up on Kansas.
I got to see them in their prime - twice.
Hi, my name is Keith, and I’m a fan of the band Kansas.
For about six or seven years, Kansas, alongside Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Rush, dominated the FM radio waves of the Midwest. Back then, radio stations weren't monopolized by corporate giants who controlled what was played; instead, Program Directors held sway over playlists, shaping the musical landscape.
The Program Director’s tastes, along with the road work of the band and a record label’s marketing department, played a significant role in breaking bands; cynics will chime in: “So did cocaine and payola.”
However true that may have been, none of those more sordid details are talked about in Miracles Out of Nowhere, a documentary about the band Kansas.
As far as documentaries go, this one is G-rated.
Do I believe for one second that a band that rose to dominance in the mid to late 70s didn’t experiment with chemicals? No, not for a second.
Do I believe that a band of six long-haired, corn-fed guys who lived, traveled, and worked together didn’t fight? Nope.
What caused the rift that made lead singer Steve Walsh leave the band at their peak? I bet it’s a wee bit more than “creative differences.”
Would I like to know why their commercial success plummeted faster than corn futures during the Reagan era and its impact on them? Yes, yes, I would.
[Fun Fact: Sammy Hagar auditioned to replace Steve Walsh in Kansas.]
There is no question there are stories about Kansas to be told, but Miracles Out of Nowhere isn’t the place to find them.
The only marginally salacious moment comes when they talk about opening for Aerosmith. None of them had anything nice to say about Steven Tyler. They said nice things about the rest of the band… but not Tyler. And it wasn’t even shit-talk, just recounting awful, diva-like behavior (not shocking at all).
However, I’m fluent in Midwestern subtext, so allow me to translate. The fact that they mention him in contrast to how nice the other guys were at all means that Tyler must’ve been a real asshole.
Also, the band was signed by music publishing impresario Don Kirschner in 1974. The man has a colorful history in music and isn’t always remembered for being a friend of the artist. Kirshner was a rock-solid supporter of the artist and had serious skin in their success, but a friend? Hmm, maybe not so much.
What I know about Kirschner’s career makes him sound more like a venture capitalist than a criminal (we can argue that very thin line some other time).
Kirschner’s legacy can be a bit polarizing, and despite having initially signed away 100% of their publishing to him, there doesn’t appear to be any bad blood between him and Kansas. The doc is dedicated to him and his right hand, Wally Gold.
Miracles Out of Nowhere reminds you about what matters most - the music.
The doc is so much about the music that it only focuses on the beginning of the band through their fifth album and commercial peak, Point of Know Return, in 1977.
From 1974 to 1977, the band released five albums.
That’s five FULL-LENGTH albums… in three years.
Let that marinate.
Arguably, the more salacious part of the band’s story takes place after Point of Know Return: the departure of Walsh, commercial collapse, Christianity, the 80s, et al., but I don’t foresee a sequel to Miracles Out of Nowhere happening. At least not anytime soon.
Although conspicuous in its absence, the lack of sordidness works to the movie's advantage. It reminds you of how good the band and the music are.
The most jaw-dropping moment for me came when drummer Phil Ehart pointed out that the band has sold “30 million records worldwide.”
Anyway, you tip a cow; that’s a lot of records.
But then they are responsible for two of the most played songs in the history of FM radio - “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind.” If you’ve ever been to the dentist, you’ve heard at least one of those songs.
The iconic nature of the two songs can't be understated, and both transcend generations. I bet if you’re over 13 years of age and you hear the first few notes of either song, odds are you not only know the song, but you’re gonna listen to the end.
It’s worth noting that the film is bookended in a way that is truly a nice touch… and I won’t spoil it here.
Released in 2015, Miracles Out of Nowhere is very far from an exhaustive examination of the band, but it will remind you why Kansas matters.
It’s the music.
It’s always the music.
That’s what makes any artist great.
Reading that may seem reductive, but a gentle reminder won’t hurt.
True story- When I was just getting to the point of being able to sorta pick, I asked my guitar instructor about fingerpicking - he gave me a simple chord progression for the intro to Dust In The Wind, showed me more or less how the “claw” worked and how to time it (kinda). I got to the point where I could begin to hear it working. I complained in a later session it just didn’t sound right. He said, “Yeah, it’s two guitars. And they know what they’re doing…..”
I love this band's music- a multi-layered sound that sounds as exceptional on CD as it probably did on LP in its prime. And they had a violinist in the lineup!