Steve Walsh - Schemer Dreamer

Track List:

1.  Schemer Dreamer/That's All Right (5:25)
2.  Get Too Far (4:32)
3.  So Many Nights (4:23)
4.  You Think You've Got It Made (4:21)
5.  Every Step of the Way (8:34)
6.  Just How It Feels (3:43)
7.  Wait Until Tomorrow (5:59)

Schemer Dreamer is the first solo album by Kansas front man, Steve Walsh. It is basically a mainstream rock album with limited prog elements and only one song that would remind the listener of Kansas. However, I feel it is unfair to compare this endeavor to Kansas; after all, it is a solo album! As it stands alone, it’s not a bad effort on Steve’s part, especially if you remove any thoughts of Kansas from the mix.

He starts off by purging some angst on the title track...life as a rock star isn’t so glamorous when you have to deal with difficult people! The song has a good rocking beat, however, and a nice cover of Elvis’s “That’s All Right” at the end. Steve’s frustration continues with Get Too Far. It seems he was angry at EVERYTHING back in those days! The flute is a nice touch, however. (Or is that a keyboard trick?)

I don’t cringe at the next song. In fact, I remember liking “So Many Nights” a lot when this album came out. The sweet melody makes up for the overly sentimental lyrics, but I believe Steve was being sincere with these words. This is one of his better love songs. In sharp contrast, “You Think You Got It Made” seems to be a leftover from the bitter songs her wrote for Audio-Visions. Oddly enough, I can’t tell if he’s singing to another person or singing to himself!

The next track is my favorite on the album! “Every Step of the Way” is an intense, introspective autobiography of his life on the road. It’s a sweet rocker, musically, and he shows great maturity in the lyrics. Awesome guitars here, plus a touch of Kansas-like organ, to boot! This is a much better glimpse of our ‘young Steve’. It’s a great song!

The introspection continues on “Just How It Feels”. In fact, I believe it to be one of the finest songs he’s ever written! At first, I didn’t think it fit on this album, but then I realized that Schemer Dreamer is all about reflection of his life. How strange that way back then, he was experienced enough to be so contemplative and sentimental. The violin is very pretty.

Albums were way too short back in those days, especially non-prog productions. The last song “Wait Until Tomorrow” is the only prog song on Schemer Dreamer, but it’s a very nice tribute to the genre that made Steve a star. This one could easily fit on a Kansas album, in spite of its gloomy lyrics. Killer guitars and great vocalization here, but it all ends too soon!

The kid done good on his first solo effort, even if half of the songs are too "whiney". He was too young for that "woe is me" mentality...that came much later in his wild life!