POINT OF KNOW RETURN LIVE & BEYOND

Kansas is a band that totally changed my life, for real. I heard the track Song For America at a low point in my life, when I was dealing with an injury that left me debilitated without any sort of direction. I had never heard anything like that in my life, along with other tracks such as The Pinnacle, The Devils Game, The Wall, Closet Chronicles.... my jaw was simply on the floor. Not only did their music really help and guide me through these struggles, but I found that I was completely baffled by the piano and organ playing. I ran right out and bought a cheap second hand Casio off Facebook marketplace and today, not only am I a classical pianist, but I'm also studying to complete my music education degree in the next few years. All this because Kansas ignited something in me. So understandably, they're a very special band to me and I will buy anything they release. I've been a big supporter of the current lineup of the band. I think Ronnie Platt has been a perfect replacement for Walsh in the recent years, carrying the range that Steve unfortunately lost over the years while still being very easily distinguishable from his predecessor. In 2017 they released their last live record 'Leftoverture Live and Beyond.' While that setlist could easily have carried it to a 5-star rating, that record was unfortunately plagued by some poor post production choices that covered a lot of the vocals in pretty blatant autotune and pitch correction. Not enough to ruin the album or anything, but it reasonably took some of the authenticity out of the "live" factor for me. It was frustrating, because anybody who knows the current lineup of Kansas as a live band knows that Ronnie Platt doesn't need it. He hits the right notes. That was somewhat of a small gripe I even had with their latest studio record. On this 2021 release, I'm happy to report that issue has been resolved and Kansas has delivered the second quintessential live album of their long career. Kansas has always been an incredibly tight band live, and the performances here are still flawless and full of life. Every member sounds so incredibly in tune with one another, which is made even more impressive by the fact that there are 7 people playing off of each other. I love the passages of the music where Billy Greer and Platt trade off vocals and harmonize. Their voices compliment each other so well, very similarly to Walsh and Steinhardt. I was also extremely impressed by Phil Ehart and how dialed in he still sounds. Of course, I have to mention Tom Brislin who also takes the keys to a whole different level properly covering a wider variety of sounds that you just wont find on Leftoverture Live and Beyond. The first disc covers a whole multitude of Kansas albums including several deep cuts off some lesser known albums. I really appreciate them doing this. Cold Grey Morning and Taking in the View were previously two songs that weren't really on my radar, but I think they work really well here. Of course you have the monstrous Song For America which is still to this day, a top 3 song of all time for me. However, the highlight of disc one in my opinion has to be The Wall. This rendition is so awe-inspiring and powerful. If this was the whole package, i'd be a happy camper. But there happens to be a second disc, and that second disc covers my favorite Kansas album 'Point of Know Return' in its entirety. It's just totally gripping and incredible start to finish. What I really appreciate is that the band hasn't slowed down or lost their edge at all. Everything is up to tempo, and they continue to carry a fiery intensity in their playing. You can tell every member is just 100% on board and fully into the music they're playing. The two tracks I have to highlight the most from this performance are Closet Chronicles and Hopelessly Human. The atmosphere the band drenches you in on the former is stunning. I also think it contains the best Billy Greer vocal performance on the album. Now for the latter, listening to this record made me realize that Hopelessly Human is a top 3 Kansas song for me, and honestly, this could be the best version of it out there for my money. The softer, airy piano led passages are simply staggering. As a little bonus, there's a nice acoustic set here with a really cool rendition of People of the South Wind, admittedly a track I've always been a little lukewarm on. It's a little transformed here and I really like what they do with it. I've always pointed to the Two For The Show version of Lonely Wind as the essential version of the song. Though I've always been hesitant, as it cuts out some portions of the studio version at the cost of an albeit very nice piano and guitar solo. The version on this release takes the best of both worlds and covers the whole song while still reaching that incredible peak that the former live version does. I could just keep funneling compliments into this live album all day.

I have nothing but praise for this release, but if you've made it this far you probably came to that conclusion yourself. If you're a Kansas fan whose willing to accept the band without Walsh and Livgren as a part of it, buy it.

5 Stars