Grade A Kansas

[Trane]

I'd put their first album as the one closest to an A if you take the sequence from Belexes to the end although I also like Lonely Wind. I could see giving the 30th anniversary release of Two for the Show (live) as an A album.

Yup... true enough that their first two songs on side A were not the proggiest, but they're still very good... No contest to me that the debut is their most proggy, even if Song For has some proggier tracks (but plagued by overly-symphonic arrangementsd, IMHO)

as for TftS, I'd have one day to investigate the bonus second CD disc, but I still think they were too focused on their then-recent albums (well it's kind of logcal, of course)... but I also remember that I didn't like some of these shortened pieces...

LEFTOVERTURE and POKR are their equivalent to FRAGILE and CTTE or GRAND ILLUSION and PO8.

Definite more of a GO and Po8 slant than CTTE and Fragile

I am probably the only member of Prog Ears who LOVES Monolith! I don't understand the hate, but *shrugs*.

Don't hate it... I kind of stopped at that one... I still think this is their best album sleeve though.. I wrote a few novellas based on it , way back the,... Don't have them anymore, but I'm sure I'd be embarrassed by them today. Not only by the litetteray form (and not just because I still didn't master Anglais enough), but from what I remember of the scenarii as well (too naive, from what I can recall)

[Vic2012]

For "progger" on PE I'd say start with:

Leftoverture
Song For America
Kansas (first album)

To me that's the cream of the crop. If you have POKR and a best of, and you're not impressed then maybe best not to bother. Check 'em out on youtube or borrow the albums. You're either really fan and really enjoy this music, or you need some of their albums in your "prog" collection. Get anyone of the first three I mentioned. As a fan I like a lot more than those I'm mentioning (I too really like Vinyl Confessions, sue me too ). The only Kansas albums I'd say to avoid are Drastic Measures, Power, In The Spirit Of Things. But who knows? You might like those and hate the classics. I've seen strangeness like that on forums before. Someone thinks the first album is dated and a turd, but they love Power and ut's their favorite Kansas album.

[Score2112]

Leftoverture, for sure... I also really like Monolith, for the record.

[Dave]

I agree they are somewhat of "mix tape" band. For example, I think they have some incredibly brilliant cuts on Masque (Icarus, Mysteries and Mayhem, The Pinnacle) surrounded by songs that are difficult to listen to. I like stuff on pretty much every one of their albums, but skip over a lot of the tunes.

[Sputnik]

I own Kansas' first five studio albums and the 2CD version of Two for the Show. For the first four studio album, I've made two CD compilations excluding the tracks I don't particularly like. What remains for me is some pretty damn fine Prog that more than justifies owning the CDs despite the tracks that I consider "clunkers."

Interestingly, Point of Know Return is the only one of the first five Kansas studio album I can listen to from start to finish. For me, there are no "clunkers" here, however, this album does not, imo, constitute Kansas' best material, which can be found scattered among the first four studio discs.

I like both discs of Two for the Show. Even some of the material I'm not as fond of on the studio albums comes across better here, imo, (Lonely Wind comes to mind), and some classics like Icarus, for me are superior to the somewhat "stiff" studio versions.

So to answer the original question, like others, I don't think there are any "A" rated Kansas albums, except perhaps the live album Two for the Show. But that said, I think you do yourself a disservice not exploring those earlier albums, because they do contain some tracks that I think measure up to the best of the touchstone British Prog of the 70s. You can sample those pretty easily and make up your mind if that stuff is to your taste, which it may not be. But if it is, then I'd say there is enough to justify purchase of those first four studio albums, or maybe just the tracks you like from those albums if you buy digital files.

Bill

[Jimmy Giant]

Two For The Show was always one of my favorite live albums.
Was nice to get the extra material when they remastered it.

[Dodie]

I prefer Leftoverture to Point of Know Return. Maybe the latter has better song-writing ("Paradox", "Nobody's home", etc.), but the former just has more balls and personality from the playing. Even the more disposable tracks (only one or two at most) are fun and feature some great playing. As mentioned above, the live album Two For The Show captures perfectly what that line-up of the band was all about at its best.

Also, from what I've noticed about Rufus's posts over time, I reckon he'd probably like the much later albums Power and Somewhere to Elsewhere. The first five albums all have essential stuff, but, for me, so do those two later ones. Plenty of good tracks on Audio-Visions and In The Spirit Of Things too. In fact, I've got pretty much everything in my collection, and there's at least two good songs on even the worst albums (well, that might be stretching it a bit for Drastic Measures, but sometimes I'm in the right mood to hear some of it).

I don't fully comprehend the description of Kansas as a mix-tape band. You could very easily say the same about the vast majority of the albums by most of the revered artists we discuss here. Ok, so none of the Kansas albums are perfect like Floyd's Wish You Were Here, King Crimson's Red or Genesis's Trick Of The Tail. But those kinds of great albums are extremely rare, even for those artists!

Something I love about Kansas is how you could have a robust boogie number like "Down the road" and a prog epic like "Song for America" on the same album - both of them equally brilliant. I also imagine that those two tracks from Song For America say a lot about Neal Morse's formative influences... I've never read him saying anything about this, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was a big fan.

[trurl]

Maybe few bands have perfect albums but even fewer bands try to put a Foghat song next to a symphonic prog song

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

I don't fully comprehend the description of Kansas as a mix-tape band. You could very easily say the same about the vast majority of the albums by most of the revered artists we discuss here. Ok, so none of the Kansas albums are perfect like Floyd's Wish You Were Here

I get why people say Kansas is a "mix tape" band if they don't like the straight time Rock tunes.
For me, after trying to listen through classic era Yes and Genesis, I decided that those 2 were definitely "mix tape" bands and since I have created my own mixes (often cutting the long sections of insufferably twee vocals) I can actually put on one of my Yes or Genesis mixes and enjoy the experience. I cut Tales down to a svelt 38 minutes and now I love it!

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Heyyyyy!! I love Masque through Monolith, the last of the great Kansas albums. Then there's the Steve Morse records which are pretty good and the latter day "Somewhere to Elsewhere" which was a huge suprise and is great also.

[WytchCrypt]

Kansas always drove me nuts. Take Masque for example...fantastic prog songs like Icarus, The Pinnacle, Mysteries and Mayhem sit next to It Takes a Woman's Love to Make a Man and Two Cents Worth. Damn Don Kirschner to hell

[yesstiles]

Kansas
Song For America
Masque
Leftoverture
Point Of Know Return
Monolith

The above 6 are all equally great albums imo. The first 3 have some duds on them, but also have their best songs on them as well.

[SteveSly]

Maybe few bands have perfect albums but even fewer bands try to put a Foghat song next to a symphonic prog song

I love Foghat too, maybe that is why I loved Kansas so much. I have seen both bands more than a dozen times over the years. Foghat Live is one of my all time favorite live albums.

[Trane]

I love Foghat too, maybe that is why I loved Kansas so much. I have seen both bands more than a dozen times over the years. Foghat Live is one of my all time favorite live albums.

I'd wish they expand Foghat's live album to at least a double disc affair

[undergroundrailroad]

There's a particular kind of symphonic itch that Kansas can scratch that nobody else can. It's defined by the big instrumental openings to songs like Portrait, The Wall, People of the South Wind, Magnum Opus, The Pinnacle. Also, Robbie Steinhardt sometimes goes into this Mad Prophesying Hermit of the Ozarks kind of shtick that I can't get enough of ("Lightning's Hand", "Mysteries and Mayhem").

I would think the symphonic stuff would work nicely for fans of Genesis, Yes, PFM, etc. Their pop leanings are toward a quasi-Southern rock approach that may not be appealing unless you're into that kind of thing. I got introduced to Kansas at a very impressionable time in my life, so the whole package works for me in a way that I'm sure it wouldn't if I was recently exposed.

Best album is Leftoverture. The whole album is great, but "Magnum Opus" simply stands on its own to this day as a prog instrumental tour de force. Still leaves me breathless and shaking my head in wonder after 35 years of listening to it. But if "Magnum Opus" wasn't there, Leftoverture would still be a great album.

In the same way that Fragile opens with an innovative tune with a groove and mysterious appeal the world couldn't ignore, so it goes with "Carry On Wayward Son." COWS, Roundabout, and Bohemian Rhapsody are bizarre to me as vehicles that launched their fairly low profile bands to worldwide pop success.

[trurl]

I love Foghat too, maybe that is why I loved Kansas so much. I have seen both bands more than a dozen times over the years. Foghat Live is one of my all time favorite live albums.

I like Foghat too! Just not on my Kansas albums *lol* I do like when Kansas hits a really good riff but I just don't think they are a good boogie/southern rock band. Leave that to guys like, well, Foghat. BTW, if I ever hear Slow Ride again I will freaking go nuts and be one of those naked in a tower guys.

[Brian]

Song for America.

[jlneudorf]

For me Leftoverture, Song For America and Point of Know Return are 5 star classics. The first one and Masque aren't far behind. And like many here there is something to like on most of their albums. Hell, I really dig Power and Freaks of Nature. That said if POKE doesn't float your boat perhaps Kansas just isn't for you.

Regards,
Jon

[Scott Bails]

I also imagine that those two tracks from Song For America say a lot about Neal Morse's formative influences... I've never read him saying anything about this, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was a big fan.

When I was first getting into Spock's Beard, I figured those guys were all big Kansas fans. I hear a lot of influence there.

Also, Robbie Steinhardt sometimes goes into this Mad Prophesying Hermit of the Ozarks kind of shtick that I can't get enough of ("Lightning's Hand", "Mysteries and Mayhem").

That's a perfect description!!!



I love Power, but then I really like a lot of AOR, too. But Steve Morse's work just blew me away on that one. I also have grown to really like In the Spirit of Things, too. And I think Freaks of Nature is the most underrated album in their catalog. Love how dark and melancholy it is.

[Brainforest]

Kansas has always been one of my favorites (along Yes and Genesis) specially during the first five albums. I still listen to them regularly. What always appealed to me was the fact that at the core, they were/are a kick-ass rock band.

I agree Masque is a bit uneven but it contains a few of my favorite Kansas songs. The way Mysteries and Mayhem and The Pinnacle were split up on the record was a crime, but fortunately a few dedicated souls have pieced it back together as originally written. A prog masterpiece IMO.

[Brainforest]

When I was first getting into Spock's Beard, I figured those guys were all big Kansas fans. I hear a lot of influence there.

I hear a lot of Kansas influence in Neal's early material. I don't recall the other guys ever mentioning Kansas as influences on them as players. If you're hearing Kansas influences in the recent stuff, it's probably more me and Ted, who is a MAJOR Kansas fan. There are a couple songs on the last album that often got pegged as "sounding like Kansas" in reviews. I always take that as a compliment.

[Scott Bails]

I hear a lot of Kansas influence in Neal's early material. I don't recall the other guys ever mentioning Kansas as influences on them as players. If you're hearing Kansas influences in the recent stuff, it's probably more me and Ted, who is a MAJOR Kansas fan. There are a couple songs on the last album that often got pegged as "sounding like Kansas" in reviews. I always take that as a compliment.

Haven't noticed it so much in the newer stuff, but that might just be because I'm so familiar with yours and the band's material.

I'd definitely take it as a compliment. The last album rocked.

[Vic2012]

I don't hear Kansas at all in Spocks Beard. Kansas has a heartland sound. To me that's what made them unique. Some of those "rock" tracks are great. Devil Game, Down The Road, Bringing It Back, Stay Out Of Trouble, I love all that shit. If anything I've always thought of Spocks as having more in common with Styx being that both bands have more of a polished, urban sound. Now, I'm only going by the SB albums I have; the first 5 or so and Feel Euphoria (although there is one track on FE that has a strong Kansas vibe. Forget the title right now, it's been so long since I've played that album). Haven't heard anything by SB in recent years though so have no idea what they sound like now.

[Hunnibee]

The way Mysteries and Mayhem and The Pinnacle were split up on the record was a crime, but fortunately a few dedicated souls have pieced it back together as originally written. A prog masterpiece IMO.

Thank you!!! That restoration is pure bliss!

[progfan1]

The intro to SB's "The Good Don't Last" totally sounded like Kansas to me the first time I heard it. Also, prog metal bands like DT have tons of Kansas influence in their sound.