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Thread: Why I Love KANSAS

  1. #1
    Member Just Eric's Avatar
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    Why I Love KANSAS

    I spend 3 hours a day in my car commuting to and from work and have taken to listening to artist catalogs on my iPod to pass the time. This week has been Kansas and I realized that I really do love this band.


    Let me count the ways ....

    1. Catalog Quality - From s/t to Audiovisions there is not one stinker. Sure some songs are merely Good, but most are Great. I can't think of another band where this is the case. Kansas literally have seven albums of quality songs. Hard to beat.

    2. Progability - Aside from a few ballads, their music is keenly complex and intricate, yet catchy. They are the inventors of Prog with a capital B for Blues/Rock and in their prime did it well.

    3. Robbie Steinhardt - What other Prog band has a giant, hillbilly, violin/fiddle player front and center. Those of you who saw them live back in the day know what I mean by front and center, and well the giant hillbilly comments.

    4. Sing-a-long - More than any other group, I can "sing" along with every Kansas song, and by that I don't mean the lyrics, I mean the instrumentation - hooks. They wrote catchy hooks in the Prog genre.

    5. Ensemble - Six top musicians playing as an ensemble, not 5 backers and a soloist/frontman.

    6. Two's - Two Keyboards and Two Guitars, which IMHO should be a basic Prog requirement.

    7. Content -While cheesy at times, their lyrical content at least attempted to portray a deeper meaning.

    7.5 - Will Ferrel - Nothing funnier than Will Ferrel singing "Dust in the Wind" at Blue's funeral in the movie Old School.

    Thoughts? DO you love Kansas? If so is my list accurate and if not, um why not????
    Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!

  2. #2
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    I love some of Kansas. What I really love is the feeling Kerry Livgren's chords and melodies evokes when he is at his most progressive/classical, combined with Robbie's violin. Generally it is instrumental passages, such as in Glimpse of Home, No One Together, Lamplight Symphony, the intro to Portrait, the finale of Cheyenne Anthem, etc... I know Steve has a great voice, but the style of it isn't really my cup of tea so much, although I certainly don't hate it, and it works really well in a song such as 'The Wall'.

  3. #3
    facetious maximus Yves's Avatar
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    I love it cause it's so flat. Once I was driving on I-70. I fell asleep in Topeka and didn't wake up until Oakley. I was still on I-70, still heading west... I love that! They should name a band after this state!
    "Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."

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  4. #4
    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bill g View Post
    I love some of Kansas.
    Same with me. Of their first five albums, the only one I really like from start to finish is PoKR. But roughly half the material on their first four (with some exceptions, the predictable Proggy stuff) I really dig. I made CDRs of those, and that is what I listen to. I agree, the violin added a lot, and the dual keyboard/guitar approach gave them a lot of options that they used quite well. I also think Walsh is (or was in their classic period) a really great singer, and I love his voice. So there's lots to love, especially if you're into the sound of the big name British Prog bands of the 70s. Personally, I think there's a fair amount of skippable material in their catalog, but it doesn't diminish how much I like the stuff I enjoy.

    Quote Originally Posted by Yves View Post
    I love it cause it's so flat. Once I was driving on I-70. I fell asleep in Topeka and didn't wake up until Oakley. I was still on I-70, still heading west... I love that! They should name a band after this state!


    Bill

  5. #5
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    I've always considered myself to be a huge Kansas fan, but I'm one of those weird ones that really doesn't care for Song for America. LOVE the title track, but the rest is just "meh." But then, I really enjoy Monolith, Audio-Visions, and especially Power. I've always considered Leftoverture and PoKR to be one of the best 1-2 punches in rock.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  6. #6
    I like Kansas, though my collection more or less stops after Two for the show. After that I have Device Voice Drums.

  7. #7
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    I’d say you are pretty much on the money. Did you see my thread about the 40th Anni show last weekend? That was a dream set list and it totally SMOKED.

    Steinhardt was recovering from open heart quadruple bypass though and could not attend. The other violinist they have had since the 90s on and off, David Ragsdale covered fine though. In fact he’s a far cry from Steinhardt. More in the Jean Luc-Ponty league which changes the vibe of the performance a bit, the delivery is a bit more flashy. But he’s no frontman, now the bass player is instead.

  8. #8
    Member Just Eric's Avatar
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    Mr. PE Himself said:
    I’d say you are pretty much on the money. Did you see my thread about the 40th Anni show last weekend? That was a dream set list and it totally SMOKED.
    I did see your thread and watched a few of the videos and that is was influenced me to listen to their catalog this week in the car. And while I'm not much of a fan of later material or even their smoking live performances when help up against them in their prime, I can appreciate the adoration and heaps of positive response they still receive.

    So, Monday through this morning I've commuted with my earbuds in listening to Kansas and found that I was just singing and rocking/bopping in my car. It has been great fun. I am hard pressed to think of what band to go to next? YES, ELP, UK, KC .......
    Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!

  9. #9
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    "when help up against them in their prime"

    ?

  10. #10
    facetious maximus Yves's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean View Post
    "when help up against them in their prime"

    ?
    Is that a Jon Anderson lyric?
    "Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."

    -Cozy 3:16-

  11. #11
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    That show Saturday honestly was smoking. None of us said that to be nice, it's just true. It helps the place was packed with diehards, that got everybody pumped. You wouldn't get that caliber of show at a BBQ Fest or some typical show they play- it will be pro but not this inspired. Vocally Walsh his lost a lot, but for me the vocals are only one part of it and were never the focal point for me anyway, the music is and they can still deliver it live at the tempos it was meant to be played at. With Ragsdale in tow it's pretty incendiary.

  12. #12
    Member Just Eric's Avatar
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    I don't doubt the show was great and if anything for me being in a room packed with rabid fans would be awesome! I'm just biased to the memories I have of Kansas and being able to relive them through audio recordings.

    Plus many of these types of shows are costly and my preference is to use my scant funds for younger, new bands.

    In other words, it's just me being me. Kansas were and still are a smoking hot band.
    Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!

  13. #13
    Member wideopenears's Avatar
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    Yves cracked me up.....but I know what he means. Nebraska, on the other hand, is tilted at a .5% angle, just enough so that your engine has to work constantly on the drive from East to West.....

    As for the band "Kansas," I like about 50-65% of their stuff...all the proggy stuff, and some of the boogie rock stuff. The ballads I could do without, and I would be okay without hearing Dust in the Wind ever again. But I dig the lyrics, actually, more than many of the big name Prog acts.

  14. #14
    Alexander Clepsydra's Avatar
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    I always loved Kansas; definitely one of my favorite American Prog bands.
    The only problem I have is that they seem a little dated to me. Perhaps it is because I played the crap out of Leftoverture & Point Of Know Return in high school!
    "Life Is Like A Pencil: It gets shorter the longer you use it,
    you can only erase so many mistakes, and ofter it's pointless"

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Just Eric View Post
    3. Robbie Steinhardt - What other Prog band has a giant, hillbilly, violin/fiddle player front and center. Those of you who saw them live back in the day know what I mean by front and center, and well the giant hillbilly comments.
    Back when I was in bands that people would PAY to see, we opened for Kansas down in Richmond. Most times the main/national bands barely acknowledged the local openers (38 Special were flat-out DICKS), but I remember Steinhardt in particular being very chill and friendly. He and I chatted for a few minutes about the weather, the show, all that jazz. He approached me in fact, not for any other reason than I happened to be hanging nearby (being not a hardcore Kansas follower, I didn't realize who he was until later on).

    Nothing earth shattering but that was kind of the point...he was just hanging out, being nobody more special than anyone else. I always really respected him for that.

    As for the music...I can't say I love them across the board, but there are tunes all the way up through Icarus II that I really enjoy.
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  16. #16
    Member Yanks2014's Avatar
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    I've been a huge Kansas fan going back to when I was kid. And I've said this often, though I doubt people believe me, but Magnum Opus became one of my favorite songs at age 9! Likely the first prog I ever heard. I'm sure I was mostly listening to top 40 pop at the time, but my older brother spinning Kansas endlessly in 77 and 78 made me a fan, and mostly of their most complex work.

    Lots to like about them, and I agree about the catalog being quite impressive up through 1980. I'm not a huge fan of Audio Visions, but still enjoy most of it. But I love nearly eveyrthing from before that album. They had it all, two great but very different singers. Lots of keys, somethimes by both Livgren and Walsh. And of course a dual guitar attack quite often. Add on top of that some of the best rock violin work you will ever hear. And all this while still playing music that was accessable, yet proggy. Not many bands could pull that off. Awesome group.

  17. #17
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Buster took some great pics at the show Saturday, I mean GREAT!- Here's his first round...

    http://busterharvey.smugmug.com/KANS...August-17-2013

  18. #18
    Member Garion81's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean View Post
    That show Saturday honestly was smoking. None of us said that to be nice, it's just true. It helps the place was packed with diehards, that got everybody pumped. You wouldn't get that caliber of show at a BBQ Fest or some typical show they play- it will be pro but not this inspired. Vocally Walsh his lost a lot, but for me the vocals are only one part of it and were never the focal point for me anyway, the music is and they can still deliver it live at the tempos it was meant to be played at. With Ragsdale in tow it's pretty incendiary.
    I have seen almost all of the incarnations of the band with the exception of the Steve Morse era. There is no doubt in my mind that that band from 1975-1981 was so good that there were few bands that could have competed with them in a live performance. As much as I have enjoyed seeing them in the present format nothing can match those performances from their prime when everything was hitting on all cylinders (and they played SFA in its entirety at least through 1976)so I will agree with Eric on this.

  19. #19
    The one of Williams in red light/dk. green background is badass.

  20. #20
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    I'm sure that a show from the original lineup in the 70s would trump anything else. That said, they still deliver at a very high rate depending on the show and inspiration at hand, or lack of it.

  21. #21
    Member Just Eric's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean View Post
    Buster took some great pics at the show Saturday, I mean GREAT!- Here's his first round...

    http://busterharvey.smugmug.com/KANS...August-17-2013
    Great pics!

    So, any suggestions on what band next for me arduous commutes???
    Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!

  22. #22
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Gentle Giant

  23. #23
    Member wideopenears's Avatar
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    You wanna borrow my PG-era Genesis collection, ER?

  24. #24
    Member emperorken's Avatar
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    I lost interest in Kansas after their great album "Song For America". I actually much prefer Kerry Livgren's Kansas related band "Proto-Kaw".

  25. #25
    Member Just Eric's Avatar
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    Cone said:


    You wanna borrow my PG-era Genesis collection, ER?
    You know me to well Cone! Um, no thanks.

    Sean said:


    Gentle Giant
    Could be a contender. I like most of their material, the slower pieces are usually filled with Madrigal style vocal harmonies which are fun to sing along with and the faster material is rockin'
    Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!

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