LEFTOVERTURE

Back in the days, I had Genesis for breakfast, Crimson for dinner, Yes and ELP as inbetween snacks and Pink Floyd during sex. That period came to an end when I started to seek out second and third tier Symphonic Prog bands. Some of the music I found there was so bland that I gave up on Prog altogether for many years. At the absolute bottom of progressive meekness I stumbled over the middle-of-the-road pop rock of Kansas' Leftoverture album, their knee-fall to AOR.

The album sure has got a couple of points working for it. Generally the music is pleasant. Carry On Wayward Son even has a cool riff, and Magnum Opus, while not as 'big' and 'opus-y' as it pretends, at least reminds us of the talent this band once had. But generally the poppy balladry and the cringe-worthy vocals take away any enjoyment I could possibly get from this album. Everything sounds so tame, commercial and old-fashioned. It's not just cheesy, it has even turned stale. This is rock that has been watered down completely; it has no edge, no energy, no dare, no passion, no attitude.

This is a professional product in its style, but for me this style of music is the exact reason why I seek refuge in Progressive Rock and other daring forms of musical creativity. Really, I'd rather listen to the Bee Gees; at least they are fun, and don't pretend to be anything more then mass product.

Yes, I counted the 5 stars here, so I will meekly succumb to your collective condemnation. If it offers any consolation, I think the debut is really strong.

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