"Best of Kerry Livgren" cover

When Kerry Livgren was putting together his "Best of" album, he showed me an idea he had, using a sunset photo he'd taken on his farm. It was a magnificent thunderhead over stubbly pasture land at sunset. Into the sky he had ghosted John Stewart Curry's portrait of abolitionist John Brown. The original mural, which adorns the capital building in Topeka, had been used on the debut release by Kansas, and Kerry wanted to make the connection to his musical roots with this cover. I liked the idea, but suggested that Brown become part of the thunderhead. I also thought that wheat would say Kansas much more emphatically than the scrubby pasture.

 

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