"In the Spirit of Things" is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1988. It is a loosely organized concept album that tells the story of a flood hitting Neosho Falls, Kansas, in 1951. This was the first Kansas album since 1975's Masque that did not produce a hit single.
According to author Dan Fitzgerald, guitarist Rich Williams was inspired to create the album after reading Ghost Towns of Kansas, Volume II, particularly the chapter on Neosho Falls. This album marked Kansas's last studio effort for a major label. It received little promotion after MCA Records shifted its focus to younger artists, resulting in the album's commercial failure. Despite this, the label produced promotional materials, including a glossy video for "Stand Beside Me," which received regular airplay on MTV and allowed the single to reach the album rock charts, making it the last Kansas single to chart in any format. Other songs were released in various formats, such as a 12" promotional single for "I Counted on Love," an edited CD single of "House on Fire," and a small-sized CD single for "Stand Beside Me." This album was also the last Kansas release available in vinyl until The Prelude Implicit was released in 2016.
The supporting tour included a broadcast by the King Biscuit Flower Hour, which later released the performance as a CD.
