KANSAS

Kansas "s/t debut", "Song for America" and "Leftoverture" are perhaps my favorite of their 70´s discography but only because they are more consistent in a prog point of view (they have monster epics). Let me say that I'm fan of all 70´s Kansas catalogue from debut to 1980 "Audiovisions" (they are 8 albums).

What I most like is that KANSAS absolutely created a new style for prog ( but I only know 1 cd era band that learned their early lessons : the 90´s Sweden ZELLO "same" and "Quodlibet"). Surely Kansas deserved to have influenced more new acts. Kansas music is complex still very concise and tight. I suppose that because of after the 2 first albums they took some more hard rock and typical west American influences music, so many who don't know their debut and "Song for America" tend to consider them not an entirely prog band. For example the fantastic "Leftoverture" opens with the prog- hard classic "Carry on ..."

Their "s/t debut" has 5 fantastic shorter songs, 1 "mother nature..." showing the hard rock edges and 2 wonderful epic suites : "Journey from Mariabronn" and "Apercu" to me the album apotheosis. This is Kansas album where Robbie Steinhardt most shines both in violin and vocal performances. I never saw Kansas perform "Apercu" live, even in the good times revival with London Symphony Orchestra "Always never the same" or in recent dvd's. Curiously "Apercu" is one of my favorite Kansas tracks (thanks Livgren and Walsh) ! It with "Journey from Mariabronn" and "Can I tell you" were "hits" at Rio de Janeiro 70's ELDO POP prog radio station (please, take a look in my SATIN WHALE review for more details about Eldo Pop).

The 1974 Todd Rundgren's UTOPIA is maybe my favorite American and even one of all times album, it played entirely in ELDO POP (not forgetting FIRE BALLET "night on bald mountain", STAR CASTLE, ETHOS, etc.), but later UTOPIA got popish tendencies, so the most brilliant 70´s american prog career is of Kansas.

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