LEFTOVERTURE

It was june when the first (small) summit of PA took place in my own town, Bassano. The first time ever in Italy. There were only me and Raffaella (aka Ghost Rider). She was there for a convention about tolkenian iconography and we went in my beloved progrock shop "Pickuprecords". While checking the huge amount of cds it happened we saw Kansas. Raffaella recommended me their Leftoverture album of which I had only listened a track or two, never intended to purchase it before. Strange thing, I don't even know why.

So I followed her recommendation and bought the record.

After so many listenings all I can say it that this is really more than an excellent record, borderline to the masterpiece status! Eight exciting tracks with a certain "Magnum Opus" as a closer. The title speaks for itself! Many shifting mood and accelerations. Wonderful keyboards' parts and aggressive electric guitar. This is really an all time classic!

I would like to add my personal appreciation after the many I've read on this site. Kansas are certainly one of the most relevant classic prog bands, with the positive remark of being so "american". In fact they don't seem to emulate any of the european Giants but offer a wise combining of dramatic scenes with sparse touches of humour. All based upon the US flavour. Their own way of prog, sure. But not only. My mind is captured when I listen Leftoverture and only now I can completely understand where even some contemporary- beyond-suspicion-european prog band took their inspiration. Just take an italian one like Il Castello di Atlante, for example. I always thought that their main references were Quella Vecchia Locanda for the use of violin. How wrong I was! Their sound appears, instead, to be "strangely" near to that of Kansas in the more "acoustic" interludes as in "Miracles Out of Nowhere".

In short, Leftoverture is only but the starting point for me discovering Kansas' respectable discography.

4.5 stars.