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SONG FOR AMERICAKansasSymphonic Prog4.15 | 859 ratings |
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Lobster77
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The debut of Kansas was followed by an extensive tour by the group, hailed by the support of the Kirshner label.However the
album was not that succesful and Kansas remained a cult name, despite performing one show over another,
eventually building a base of fanatic fans.In 1975 the second album of the group was produced by Jeff Glixman and
Wally Gold and was released under the title ''Song for America''.The short opening track ''Down the Road'' serves well the reason of its existence, a nice rocker with a brutal organ sound and driving grooves, but the rest of the album is the real deal.The two longer tracks ''Song for America'' and ''Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman'' are two of the most impressive compositions written by the band and fantastic examples of 70's US Prog.Rich and complex arrangements with lovely vocal lines and a great sense of melody, offered through textures torn between rockin' madness and inspirations of Classical nature, filled with massive organ and moog synth waves, Steinhardt's powerful violins and the elegant piano interludes of Livgren.'''Lamplight Symphony'' is another winner, having a dramatic mood all the way with synths more in evidence, but always maintaining a rich and emphatic sound full of instrumental activity.''Lonely Street'' releases the well-known Boogie Rock side of Kansas with bluesy guitars, good breaks and a very doomy groove.''The Devil Game'' is a short Hard Prog jewel.Violin, organs and furious rhythmic parts combine in a masterful way to produce a fast track full of changing moods and dynamic solos. Albums like this make me sad when thinking about people who know Kansas only from ''Dust in the wind''.We're talking about full-blown Progressive Rock here filled with passion, intensity and virtuosity, delivered in very tight and memorable compositions.No less than highly recommended. Symphonic sophomore great second effort, 4.5
Lobster77 |
4/5 |
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