THE BEST OF KANSAS (1999)

The Best Of Kansas is certainly a condensed version of the greatest the band had to offer. All the standout tracks here are found on any of their compilations: Carry on Wayward Son, Point of Know Return, Fight Fire With Fire and Dust in the Wind.

There are no rarities and if you have all Kansas albums, nothing new is on offer here. The booklet is neat and to the point with pictures of their album covers and information on each track.

The sound quality is terrific and if you simply want an introduction to the bans, this is one of the best on offer of all their best of compilations. I was able to pick this up for less than $5 so it was a real bargain.

Better Kansas material can be found on albums 'Point of Know Return' and 'Leftoverture', which are real progressive conceptual works.

This compilation features more mainstream releases. Best track on it is of course Carry on Wayward Son that rocks with many time sig changes and incredible guitars, the vocals are impressive too. If you haven't heard it, do so now as it is quintessential prog and the best from Kansas.

Overall this compilation is an excellent way to be introduced to Kansas.