Key Collector Details

• Officially Licensed Girder Records Reissue of Kerry Livgren's original 1988 Prime Mover album.

• Original 1988 Recording and Nine-Song Program — not Prime Mover II, Prime Mover Redux, or a later re-recording.

• Featuring Warren Ham on Lead Vocals, with his distinctive voice, saxophone, harmonica, and expressive musical contributions.

• Kerry Livgren's Multi-Instrumental Vision, combining guitars, keyboards, programmed rhythms, bass arrangements, and progressive rock composition.

• Includes the Original Recordings of “Don't Pass Me By,” “Fathers and Sons,” “Portrait II,” “Wandering Spirit,” “I'll Follow You,” and “T.G.B.”

• A Fascinating Kansas Connection: “Portrait II” revisits the musical foundation of the Kansas classic “Portrait (He Knew)” with a new lyrical perspective.

• 12-Page Full-Color Booklet featuring extensive historical essays and liner notes by Greg Hays, documenting the original album and its place in Livgren's career.

• Classic Jewel Case Packaging, Girder Records catalog number GR1244, UPC 765105163325.

Product Description

By 1988, Kerry Livgren had already traveled an extraordinary musical road. From his groundbreaking work with Kansas to his solo debut Seeds of Change and the formation of AD, Livgren had established a reputation as one of progressive rock's most imaginative and accomplished songwriters. With Prime Mover, he entered another fascinating creative period, returning to a more concentrated recording approach while retaining the intricate arrangements, powerful melodies, and spiritual themes that had become hallmarks of his music. Originally released in 1988 on Sparrow Records, Prime Mover reunited Livgren with AD vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham, whose commanding and expressive lead vocals provide much of the album's personality. Livgren handled the instrumental foundation through guitars, keyboards, bass, and programmed arrangements, while Ham contributed vocals, saxophone, and harmonica. The result is a distinctive combination of progressive rock, melodic AOR, electronic textures, and blues-influenced musicianship. Rather than relying on a conventional full-band approach, Prime Mover demonstrates how Livgren could construct richly layered compositions with a relatively concentrated musical partnership.

The nine original songs offer a compelling cross-section of Livgren's musical interests. “Don't Pass Me By” opens with an energetic combination of melodic rock and rhythmic complexity, followed by the emotionally resonant “Fathers and Sons.” “Portrait II” stands among the album's most historically fascinating moments, revisiting the musical foundation of “Portrait (He Knew),” originally recorded by Kansas for Point of Know Return, but with lyrics redirected toward the life and identity of Jesus Christ. “Children of the Shadows” brings darker textures and dramatic musical contrasts, while “Wandering Spirit” recalls the searching lyrical themes and progressive sensibilities that helped define Livgren's earlier work. “I'll Follow You” delivers memorable melodic rock songwriting, “New Kind of Love” offers an uplifting and accessible arrangement, and “One More Song” continues the album's balance of musical sophistication and emotional directness. The closing “T.G.B.” introduces a distinctive blues-oriented character, allowing Warren Ham's vocal personality and harmonica work to shine. For collectors, this edition is especially important because it features the original 1988 Prime Mover recording, rather than the later Prime Mover II or Redux reinterpretations. This officially licensed Girder Records CD reissue presents the original nine-song album in a jewel case with a 12-page full-color booklet featuring extensive historical essays and liner notes by Greg Hays.

Original Track Listing

1. Don't Pass Me By

2. Fathers and Sons

3. Portrait II

4. Children of the Shadows

5. Wandering Spirit

6. I'll Follow You

7. New Kind of Love

8. One More Song

9. T.G.B.