ALWAYS NEVER THE SAME

At the beginning of the latter half of the 90s, Kansas refurbished once again its line-up in order to re-introduce the talent and presence of alumnus Robbie Steinhardt. The first studio endeavor by this quintet of Walsh, Steinhardt, Williams, Ehart and Greer was this labor of revision of old classics from the original line-up, revisiting their bombastic potential and developing a full frontal artsy rework with the assistance of a powerful orchestra. This is basically what "Always Never the Same" is all about ? a reformulation of compositions from the band's first era (1974-80), tracks that have always been around but now sounding not the same. There are also three Walsh-penned new songs, which are really very good (I will go into that with further detail later). The opener is a foreign track, 'Eleanor Rigby', one of those Beatles' songs that stated a seminal standard for the inception of chamber concepts into rock'n'roll. For this excellent cover, Kansas makes it a true mixture of symphonic colors and rocking energy, emphasizing the main character's sense of solitude amidst a world of overblown events and sounds. The mood of this song's lyrics makes it quite proper that the perennial Kansas anthem 'Dust In the Wind' should follow: this version revamps the middle section by doubling the length of the ever-evoking viola solo. Lovely! But even lovelier is the version of 'Song for America', whose overall stylish mood is preceded by a 'Preamble' and an orchestral intro to the initial riff: the aforesaid intro is played every time Kansas performs with orchestral background. Later on, 'Miracles Out of Nowhere' and 'Hold On' continue to fulfill the tapestry of meticulous exquisiteness that makes this album's framework. The former is not radically changed from the slightly more concise arrangement that has been delivered from the late 80s, but the latter benefits from a substantial enhancement of the introspective element by reinforcing the otherwise subdued role of the violin (somewhat related to The Moody Blues' 'Nights In White Satin'): in fact, I regard this version as the definitive incarnation of 'Hold On'. Earlier, 'In Your Eyes' (one of the new songs) revealed itself as a candid mid-tempo rocker adorned with an elegant interlude full of classical leanings. Impressive, indeed, but not as much as the ostensibly more ambitious 'The Sky Is Falling': this one bears a tight exercise on eclecticism with its opening dramatic chops (later, reprised in the interlude), its moderately blues-inflicted main body, a dynamic guitar intro, and a delicious set of brief violin solos all the way into the fade-out. This track should have been performed much often in Kansas gigs, I really dig it as what it is: a clever re-installment of Kansas' sophisticated tradition. The third and last new song is 'Need To Know', a personal statement of Walsh's emotional ups and downs, brought out with a well-ordained mixture of passion and finesse ? symphonic ballads like this one, I can't seem to get enough of them. Before 'Need To Know', 'Cheyenne Anthem' and 'The Wall' go on with this journey to a refreshed past: both songs (just like 'Song For America') have a powerful orchestral feel to them in their original incarnations, so it just felt natural that the orchestra should add its input without reorganizing the song's proper scheme. 'Prelude and Introduction' serves mostly as homework for the Kansas-freak: spot the portions from 'Point Of Know Return', 'Lamplight Symphony', 'Carry On Wayward Son', etc. during the whole sequence that builds up to the first note of 'The Wall'. The album ends with 'Nobody's Home', a forgotten symphonic anthem from the band's pinnacle (the POKR album) that finds a proper augmentation in the beginning (a bombastic intro) and the end (keyboard FX of some departing UFO). In this way, the image of a visitor's disappointment is conveniently conveyed and the full circle of solitude that had started with the 'Eleanor Rigby' cover is completed. A great album, indeed, which states an accomplished focus on Kansas' orchestral-oriented side and tradition.