Where’s Kansas ?

s1ipp3ry wrote: van yeah I know,  I have device voice drum DVD and Phil Ehart is something else to watch he makes his drumming look so slick and so perfect, BTW   I`m a drummer also so phil ehart has always been a role model of mine    I remember practising to chloset chronicles and magnum opus and miracles out of nowhere till I got them beat to beat perfect , I think I learned more from phil than I did from my drum teacher to be honest

My drum teacher always said that I should try not to look at the drums, instead know the exact position, feel and even smell them (Never fully understood his example because my talent was limited) and follow the whole band with the eyes to know when more or less strenght was required to cover any weakness or to notice when any imusician or even the vocalist felt uncomfortable with the volume.

At the same time look at the audience if it was possible to know when a bit more of punch was required, but I could never achieve that, I found myself looking at the kit all the time, most of the drummers I seen (even Peart) look too much at the drums, but Phil never even takes a look, the guy knows where each piece of the kit is and where to make the hit.

When he plays (in Device Voice Drums) the cymbals over his head, the guy has his eyes closed!!!! and plays both at the same time using one hand with each one and even crossing his arms in some moments, it's simply amazing, I've only seen Bill Bruford do something similar a few times, but never so complex movements.

I guess he doesn't let a roadie touch his drums and he personally sets the kit before each show, because a couple of inches may leave him hitting the air.

Probably this is boring for people who never played drums, but it's important to notice how underrated Phil Ehart is.

Iván

BTW: Closet Chronicles is a nightmare for any drummer but nothing compared with Lamplight Symphony, the changes are so dramatic and the drums tempo is a bit faster plus more complex than the rest of the band, there's not a logical sequence for a drummer.

ivan_2068 wrote: s1ipp3ry wrote: van yeah I know,  I have device voice drum DVD and Phil Ehart is something else to watch he makes his drumming look so slick and so perfect, BTW   I`m a drummer also so phil ehart has always been a role model of mine    I remember practising to chloset chronicles and magnum opus and miracles out of nowhere till I got them beat to beat perfect , I think I learned more from phil than I did from my drum teacher to be honest My drum teacher always said that I should try not to look at the drums, instead know the exact position, feel and even smell them (Never fully understood his example because my talent was limited) and follow the whole band with the eyes to know when more or less strenght was required to cover any weakness or to notice when any imusician or even the vocalist felt uncomfortable with the volume. At the same time look at the audience if it was possible to know when a bit more of punch was required, but I could never achieve that, I found myself looking at the kit all the time, most of the drummers I seen (even Peart) look too much at the drums, but Phil never even takes a look, the guy knows where each piece of the kit is and where to make the hit. When he plays (in Device Voice Drums) the cymbals over his head, the guy has his eyes closed!!!! and plays both at the same time using one hand with each one and even crossing his arms in some moments, it's simply amazing, I've only seen Bill Bruford do something similar a few times, but never so complex movements. I guess he doesn't let a roadie touch his drums and he personally sets the kit before each show, because a couple of inches may leave him hitting the air. Probably this is boring for people who never played drums, but it's important to notice how underrated Phil Ehart is. Iván BTW: Closet Chronicles is a nightmare for any drummer but nothing compared with Lamplight Symphony, the changes are so dramatic and the drums tempo is a bit faster plus more complex than the rest of the band, there's not a logical sequence for a drummer.

Thanks for that Ivan I actually found that to be quite interesting.  Piano players are also taught not to look at your hands but know by instinct the intervals between the keys.  That is why I could never sight read music.  I never was able to achieve that level of competency.

omri wrote: Ivan, Sorry that you felt offended by my words about lawyers. I was just surprised and trying to show it in a funny way (obviously you did not find it funny). I know they are people of all kinds in any proffession and from any race, religion & gender. Since you were so angry I read what you wrote about the American justice and I have to say that it amazes me how hard you take it. Any justice or law system has it's benefits and problems and from what I see in all systems being reach and famous helps you to get away with things others would have payed for. Still, in comparison to the not very far away past it is better then it used to be and the fact people are concidered to be equal in rights makes the differences smaller than ever. Again, sorry to hurt your feelings. That was never my aim.

I'm sorry OMRI, you caught me on a bad day, I had a terrible week (As I talked via several PM's with Peter) because our best client's General Manager almost forced me to take a family case against his wife, who is a great woman and really loves the children. As I talked with Peter I used multiple excuses to avoid him, but the pressure of my partners was too strong.

I knew I could win the case for him, but my pronciples and instincts said that the kids would be much better with their mother and that the guy only wanted them to stop paying her money.

At the end I told him I'm not an expert in family cases (What is not true and my partners know, so I had problems with them) and  sen't him to a stupíd ambulance chaser with no talent who I was sure was going to loose the case.

His wife called me and told me almost the exact words you used but according to law (and ineterest of my firm) I wasn't allowed to tell her I sent the guy to a lawyer that will surely loose the case and how to win the case easily, plus the fact that very few Famiily Judges (Most are women) remove the custody from the mother).

I couldn't even tell her that I strongly believed she had the reason, because that would be illegal because according to our code, since the guy consulted me his problem he was officially my client and I can't give confidential information.

So, I had to accept the shouts of the poor woman and wasn't even able to tell here I agreed 100% with her, and you caught me very angry being that most lawyers (There are not many ambulance chasers as people believe) are misunderstood,  we can't cross the line of legality even when it may not be moral.

Peace

Iván

We have to see things in a relative way here. In absolute value and realizing that some groups are better known (and therefore appreciated ) than others, and Kansas is widely known by older progheads but not quite as much by the younger generations - who champions DT, Opeth, TMV, TFK etc...

This younger generation is the majority on this site , as they are on the web in general and they are more motivated and dedicated, just like the older progheads were some 20 years ago (but we had no web at the time). Therefore these list are cluttered with newer albums that have no place there because they are voted in by younger people with much less experiences. I do not mean wrong on the younger generations, but I lauded as a teen as masterpieces albums I even blush at having owned at one point in my life. Simply because I did not know any better!!!

Check out me for example who have maybe a better chance of building an objective (as if that was possible, uh?) and comprehensive Top 100 list (mostly because of the sheer amounts of albums i heard including little heard albums from unkown bands) , even with that "encyclopaedic knowledge" (as it was reffered to me in the last weeks or so), i do not care to do so. Because this is pointless and useless and can only be subjective. How can one consider that TAAB is better than CTTE but not than SEBTP , but on another hand, they might think that CTTE is better than SEBTP but not than ITCOTCK, etc..... >>> this is completely anal and a complete waste of time

Let's face it though, as much as I like SOME kansas album, to be truthful in my personal Top 200 , (if I wazs to make one of course) you might just find the debut in the 150th place and that would be it. But Comus, Jan Dukes De Grey, Cos, Recreation, Univers Zero, Circus (swiss) etc... would get at least one abum in the first 50 at the expense of some Genesis, Yes, Crimson etc...   and at the cost of Kansas being pushed backto the 150th spot

In an objective top list , you might just have two album in the top 100 , but Comus and Jan Dukes De Grey would be in there since they should be considered equal regardless of their notoriety.

Let Us Stop With This List Fixation!!!!!

Instead of lauding your dubious favorite and skewing those lists, use the site to discover other artiste not by looking at that list but by reading the reviews.

Reviews are the main goal of the Archives. They are there to be read! not to skew the lists.