Description
Gretchen Goes to Nebraska is the sophomore album by the American progressive hard rock band King’s X, released on Atlantic Records in June 1989.
Charting their own singular path, Texas power trio King’s X pursued a style that found virtually no imitators, outside of compatriots the Galactic Cowboys. Theirs is a less flashy brand of prog-metal, heavy on vocal harmonies (which drew comparisons to the Beatles and Queen), plus a distinct Jimi Hendrix influence in Ty Tabor’s guitar work. Despite earning widespread respect from fellow musicians, the band never hit it big, leaving fans to wonder if their failure to connect with a wider audience was related to their racially integrated lineup, or the overtly Christian spirituality in their lyrics.
Their 1988 debut, Out of the Silent Planet, has a bit more metallic crunch, but the follow-up Gretchen Goes to Nebraska catches their offbeat melodicism at its peak, alternating between aching beauty and darker, heavier moments of spiritual searching. They even snagged some MTV airplay with the blues- and gospel-inflected single «Over My Head». [“The Albums That Defined Progressive Metal” by Steve Huey, Discogs, March 2025]
Picture Rush, without the adenoidal whine of Geddy Lee. Or Pink Floyd, without some of the spacy psychedelic overtones. Or a smaller version of Kansas. Or … actually, there is no band in Christian or secular music to which this Texas-based trio can be compared. King’s X melds the intensity and grit of heavy metal and blues-based rock to the panoramic musical approach of art-rockers like Yes and Genesis, avoiding the musical and lyrical cliches of either genre.
King’s X raised eyebrows last year in contemporary Christian music circles, with its debut, Out of the Silent Planet (title courtesy C.S. Lewis), which featured several songs with liberal doses of Christian imagery. The band’s members have said little about their beliefs, choosing to let their lyrics convey their feelings. And the lyrics on Gretchen Goes to Nebraska speaks volumes! From the opening, «Out of the Silent Planet» – “Father speaks, son becomes the story / Essence of all true.” Or how about «The Difference» – “I walked right into a change / No words spoken, just a feeling, and I cannot explain / But I can feel the difference.” Or «The Mission», which deals with spiritual hypocrisy -“Who are these people behind the stained glass windows / have they forgotten what they came here for / was it salvation, or just scared of hell?” Such creative expressions of faith are the standard on this solid, sophomore release from King’s X. [Bernie Bernard, CCM, October 1989]
“Intelligent metal” may seem like an oxymoron to some, but that’s probably the best way to describe the music of King’s X. The band’s debut, ‘Out Of The Silent Planet‘, was considered by many to be one of the most underrated releases of 1988. So, anticipation ran high for ‘Gretchen’, especially when fans heard that an allegorical companion story (a la C.S. Lewis) would be included with the record.
The story is wonderful in its own right and, like DA’s ‘Alarma! Chronicles‘, can be enjoyed independently of the album. It may even clarify for some doubters where the band is at spiritually. Musically, ‘Gretchen’ continues in the hard rock idiom established on ‘Planet’, with occasional stylistic nods to bands like Genesis and Yes. The double-tracked acoustic guitars and layered vocals on «The Difference» may even remind some of Glass Harp.
But it’s the band’s clever lyrics that make the record for me. «Mission» skewers the “religious vipers sucking royal blood” and reminds us that “the truth exists even through pious mud.” «The Difference» tells of a conversion experience profound in its simplicity: “No words were spoken, just a feeling, and I cannot explain/ But I can feel the difference.”
You may have to screw on your thinking cap for this one, but how often do you get a metal-oriented record that feeds mind, body and soul? ‘Gretchen Goes To Nebraska’ may already be secure as one of the top ten of ’89. [Bruce A. Brown, Harvest Rock Syndicate, Issue 3, 1989 (Volume 4)]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/gretchen-goes-to-nebraska/300950719)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Out Of The Silent Planet” – 5:44
A2. “Over My Head” – 4:47
A3. “Summerland” – 3:17
A4. “Everybody Knows A Little Bit Of Something” – 3:57
A5. “The Difference (In The Garden Of St. Anne’s-On-The-Hill)” – 3:08
A6. “I’ll Never Be The Same” – 4:57
Side Two
B1. “Mission” – 5:00
B2. “Fall On Me” – 4:03
B3. “Pleiades” – 4:42
B4. “Don’t Believe It (It’s Easier Said Than Done)” – 3:06
B5. “Send A Message” – 4:02
B6. “The Burning Down” – 5:15
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Atlantic Records.
“Over My Head” (MUSIC VIDEO)
“Summerland” (MUSIC VIDEO)
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