THE ULTIMATE KANSAS BOX SET

Finally, a very well done compilation of Kansas best tracks, at least for the proghead. All songs come from their heydey with the classic line up (so, if you´re looking for their pop hits of the 80´s like Play The Game tonight and Fire With Fire, go somewhere else). Even if it is not really perfect: I don´t understand why they put some live recordings of Death of Mother Nature Suite, On the other side and Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman. Maybe they thought the inclusion of the unreleased Wheels track was not enough to grab Kansas fanatics into spending their hard earned money into buying a double CD. Even if those versions are good ones, I still think the original studio recording of those songs is better. Well, you can´t have it all. At least they were sensitive enough to include The Pinnacle, one of the most emotional (and underrated) Livgren´s epics.

A great booklet and fine cover round up this boxset and clearly makes us forget the very poor The Best of CD. If you heard about Kansas but never had the opportunity to listen to their finest work, this is a great choice, specially if you don´t want to buy every classic album they made, at least for now. Every track is a winner (even the unknown Wheels) and a fine display of how good, intelligent, creative and varied was the music of Kansas. Highly recommended for the newbie.