Kansas

Harbinger1 wrote: A little trivia guys. The Steve Hackett solo album (from Genesis fame)  Please Don't Touch features a song called Narnia-yes that Narnia, which features the vocals of Steve Walsh of Kansas. The CD is terrific, and the price is worth that song alone, although the rest of the CD great. Also has a great song with Richie Havens on vocals. Just thought I would add this little tidbit.

Please Don't Touch was a great album, recorded when Kansas were still in their prime and Steve Walsh's voice could make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.  Narnia is one of finest tracks on one of Hackett's most atypical albums.  Definitely worth the price.

This is great!  A Kansas thread with no one bashing them (yet) as some trite "American" prog-posers (see many previous Kansas threads on these same archives).

For those new to the group, try these on for size and judge for yourself:

Kansas (1974) - Journey from Mariabronn, Death of Mother Nature Suite (and check out Bringing it Back for a very smoking in-your-face version of Kansas blues)
Song for America (1975) - Incomudro, Hymn to the Atman, Song for America (and more smoking riffs on Down the Road)
Masque (1975) - Icarus, Borne on Wings of Steel (AWESOME!), The Pinnacle
Leftoverture (1976) - Just play the whole thing. The remastered has great live tracks of Point of Know Return and Cheyenne Anthemn
Point of Know Return (1977) - This one does not have one bad song on it
Two For the Show (1978 live) - The first album they produced themselves, one of the best live albums I've heard from any prog band
Monolith (1979) - A Glimpse of Home, People of the South Wind, Away From You, Reason to Be. This album reflects the band's tired longing to get back to familiar surroundings after about six years of non-stop touring.
Audio-Visions (1980) - This is a really interesting album.  There are three types of songs here - pounding Steve Walsh rockers (Relentless, Got to Rock On, and Loner), Livgren's last glimmers of prog excellence (No One Together, Curtain of Iron), and some rather uncomfortable attempts to compromise between the two (Don't Open Your Eyes, Back Door).  This is almost a sampler of the solo albums that came out the same year for Livgren and Walsh.
Vinyl Confessions (1982) - Windows and Crossfire are pretty decent songs, but I never got used to Elephante trying to emulate Walsh's sound after he left.  I think Kerry hit a creative dry-spell here without Walsh privding the yin to his yang.
Drastic Measures (1983) - Read Hugues Chantraine's review.  Pretty much says it all.  Mainstream and Incident on a Bridge are actually decent songs, but Going Through the Motions pretty much describes what the band was doing at this point.
Power (1986) - Walsh is back, Livgren is gone, and the only thing remotely progressive here is that they moved on to a new record label.  Tomb 19 is the only thing that rises above 80's rock on this album, although it was good to here Walsh with the band again.
In the Spirit of Things (1988) - This was actually a theme album, and the first where the band invited a lot of outside musicians to play.  Not much to crow about here, but I must admit this album has grown on me in recent years.
Freaks of Nature (1995) - I actually liked the sound of this album, as it was the closest thing to the early Kansas they ever achieved after Monolith, despite Steinhardt and Livgren missing from the lineup.  Hope Once Again, Black Fathom 4, Under the Knife, and Cold Grey Morning are all worth a listen.
Always Never the Same (1998) - Mostly remakes of old standards, but Steinhardt was back behind the bow and the sound was quite listenable.
Somewhere to Elsewhere (2000) - Livgren is back for one last encore!  Byzantium and Myriad are quite good, andthe rest of the album has a nice feel to it.  Not a blockbuster release, but a welcome reminisce for lots of old fans.
Device Voice Drum (2002) - I'm not exactly sure why the band put together this collection, but there are some good alternate takes on some old standards.

Sail On: The 30th Anniversary Collection (2004) - This is by far the best collection of the band's hits (mostly the original recordings).  It also has a must-have DVD of early Kirshner's Rock Concert live video, several promo videos from Monolith that are actually kind of funny, and some really atrociously awful 80's MTV videos.  There are also some (all too brief) interviews with all the members (including Livgren).  This was the best money I spent on a CD collection last year.

Also, if you haven't already, check out Proto-Kaw (reincarnation of the original Kansas lineup with Kerry Livgren).  These guys are really emerging as a mature, exciting prog band of middle-agers catching their second wind.

Steve Walsh also has several solo albums (Schemer-Dreamer from 1981, and more recently Shadowman and Glossiolia), which all have some decent music, although not even remotely prog.  I've also heard a song called Life Goes On that Walsh did a long while back with Jeff Watson where Walsh's vocals are quite clean and strong (although I have no idea where it came from).

Livgren's AD, and especially the Seeds of Change album from the early 80's, was a pretty decent musical group as well.  How Can You Live (with Walsh on vocals), Mask of the Great Deceiver, and To Live For the King especially.  To Live For the King features Ronnie James Dio on vocals, which if you know Livgren's religous background, is really funny.  Also check out One Dark World from Livgren's solo album When Things Get Electric, and Out of Opus from Prime Mover.

So if you're new to the band - welcome, you have lots of catching up to do.

 

I love Kansas, but my all time favorite song is:

MIRACLES OUT OF NOWHERE

Loud enough?

Iván

good thread with a lot of useful information. kansas
pretty much blew my socks off when i was a bit
younger but i guess i have gone off them since. my
opinion on them nowadays is that they are a bit too
pompous and overblown for their own good as they
often seem to fall into the trap to put everything but
the kitchen sink into their songs. i even have to say
that i find some of kansas' more commercial
middle-period material easier to stomach than their
earlier symphonic material. also, they're a little too
much on the "preachy" side for my liking – and i am
NOT referring to the fact that both dave hope and
kerry livgren are practising born-again christians.

still, got to hand it to them: they have graced us with
some immortal timeless classics and steve walsh
is still an excellent singer and frontman. my faves:
"live at the whisky" (one of the best and most
energetic live albums that i own) and the
subsequent studio album "freaks of nature".
"somewhere to elsewhere" didn't do anything at all
for me.

... and I'd prefer more folk and blues oriented American bands.

Edited by Rainman

I like about 90% of all their stuff - even some of the later albums had worthwhile songs.

Favorites CDs:

Leftoverture - grand is scope, a very enjoyable listen.

Point of Know Return - not a bad song on it - very good stuff.

Song For America - also excellent.

Live at The Whiskey - an excellent live CD with a lot of the Classic stuff, performed well.

Favorite Songs:

Song For America - Song For America & Lamplight Symphony

Leftoverture - Carry On Wayward Son, Miracles Out Of Nowhere, Questions Of My Childhood, Cheyenne Anthem

Point Of Know Return - Portrait (He Knew), Nobody's Home

Audio Visions - Don't Open Your Eyes, No One Together

Vinyl Confessions - Play The Game Tonight, Fair Exchange, Borderline

Power - All I Wanted

In The Spirit Of Things - One Big Sky, Rainmaker

Freaks of Nature - I've got this CD, but I can't remember a single song from it.

Somewhere To Elsewhere - Byzantium

 

Starting Point - See the Favorite CDs listed above.

Harbinger1 wrote: A little trivia guys. The Steve Hackett solo album (from Genesis fame)  Please Don't Touch features a song called Narnia-yes that Narnia, which features the vocals of Steve Walsh of Kansas. The CD is terrific, and the price is worth that song alone, although the rest of the CD great. Also has a great song with Richie Havens on vocals. Just thought I would add this little tidbit.

Phil Ehart the drummer of Kansas also played on that Steve hackett album 

oh- ell, everyone seems to adore them... I would listen to The J.Geils Band instead...

All their records up to Audiovisions are extremely good, one could start with just anyone of them (perhaps not Monolith or Audiovisions), although the ultimate album to start with, would be Point Of Know Return. It was my first prog record.

I agree on Kansas being Americas greatest prog band. Or even greatest band all categories.

Key songs (if that is important):
Magnum Opus, Cheyenne Anthem, Icarus, Song For America, Journey From Mariabronn, The Pinnacle, and so on...

Weell I am glad I am no longer part of a small group here that likes this band.  Just wanted to add something I have seen them live 4 times in the last year and half and they do not disappoint.  These guys can still sing play and play well. If you have the chance go see them. The same goes for Proto-Kaw if they get to your area.

 

NetsNJFan wrote: Fav Kansas Albums (in order) Leftoverture (1976) Song for America (1975) Kansas (1974) Masques (1975) Point of No Return (1977) underrated band!  IMO the best prog band out of the USA ever.

Exactly the same TOP 5 KANSAS albums as me.