I believe Platt was in Chicago-area tribute/cover band Arra. The play Styx, Foreigner, Journey, REO, Boston and Kansas. Saw them once long ago, but not sure Platt was singing at that time.
I believe Platt was in Chicago-area tribute/cover band Arra. The play Styx, Foreigner, Journey, REO, Boston and Kansas. Saw them once long ago, but not sure Platt was singing at that time.
I think even the staunchest of Kansas fans realize that when Steve Walsh left the band, vocally he was nowhere near what he once was. I saw them last year and though it was a somewhat entertaining show, his vocals stuck out in a way that wasn't at all positive. Yes, there was a nostalgic feeling to having him in the band, but the truth is that the guy just couldn't successfully pull off the vocal demands of the material any longer. I haven't seen them live recently, but a friend who did a few weeks ago told me that Platt was fantastic and that the songs actually sounded like they were Meant to for the first time in years. Sometimes this sort of action is necessity and a band needs to decide either to hang it up or to continue with another singer. Considering that there are obviously a lot of people that still want to see this band live, they made the right decision. This is not a cash grab as mentioned above. Walsh left by his own decision and the band has a right to move forward. If people still choose to see them, that's fine. These kinds of things don't have to be viewed so negatively. Personally, I think it is great that the band is still touring. Recording a new CD rather than continuing to just go through the motion of touring the hits is even more commendable.
Amazing.Originally Posted by dregsfan
If it were up to me I'd have Platt as the singer and retain Steve as keyboardist. I can certainly see why he'd find that to be unappealing, though.
It's because of the quality of players, new & old. YES often recruits 2nd tier talent while the old guard is not in top form either. Kansas has recruited top flight talent for replacements, as well, the original members are still displaying great form. Take the band Styx, they actually have much better players in the band today, than back in the classic era, and Tommy & JY are still kicking-A.
I'm sure if YES were to recruit players like Jordan Rudess, or Nick Beggs on bass, get a Gavin Harrison on drums, maybe people wouldn't bitch so much.
great news.
My only concern is the songwriting. Who will do it? with no Walsh, Livgren, or Steinheart. Livgren's songwiritng is what made the last one as good as it was. It will be needed here.
Maybe.
Jon Davison has mostly gotten good reviews, Downes not so much. But most of the criticism is that the singer isn't Jon Anderson (regardless of talent or of Jon's ability now to tour, etc.) and of the current band's apparent decline. I don't know if getting Jordan Rudess to be the keyboard player helps any of that.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Indeed. That is much more of a concern than how many original members are in the band.
I saw Kansas in the late 00s. Steve's voice had definitely deteriorated. I wasn't expecting 70s perfection but it wasn't even in the ballpark. I bitch now and then about Geddy, but Steve's decline was far worse.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
That is my concern too. I would hope Livgren has some input into this material. I know Phil said in an iterview recently that Kerry knows they working on a new album and when and that the door is open for him to patricipate. Hoping that is going to happen.
Ragsdale is a writer, and they could solicit songs from Livgren. Not sure about the new guys.
Was going to say, Rags is a good writer. As for the others, we just have to see. It would be cool if Livgren got involved though.
Is the footage of Livgren in that Kansas documentary from after his stroke? If so, he seems fully recovered.
He is as recovered as possible. He can't fingerpick Dust In The Wind anymore but he can form a good sentence. Probably the better of the two if he had to pick.
I have said this many times before on this forum, but here goes again. Any fans of Kansas should pick up Ragsdale's solo album from back in the 90's called "David And Goliath". Ragsdale wrote all the material and plays almost all of the instruments. It is all instrumental, so I have no clue if he can write lyrics or not, but musically the whole album is great, and proves that he can write really good music. I always had wished he had had a bit more imput into the writing on "Freaks Of Nature". It is not a bad album, but think it could have been better if they had let Ragsdale prog it up a bit.
I always grin when The Voices of Reason (Sean and Scott) weigh in on this type of thing.
Cool. Kansas is a band I realized were part of the prog camp back in the late 80's when a guy at a YES convention convinced me there was more to this band than what you hear on the radio. Now, I'm the one who tells the casual fans the same thing! I soon bought Leftoverture and then some older albums and I've seen them twice live. Glad to hear this news. I will definitely look into it.
They are Kansas! Kansas is a band!
With over 50 years combined musical experience.They are Kansas! Kansas is a band!
Thanks...um...I think.I always grin when The Voices of Reason (Sean and Scott) weigh in on this type of thing.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
The situation with Kansas couldn't be any different from Yes, Journey, etc. Walsh resigned. It was a clear cut thing. It occurred without acrimony. It was inevitable and ultimately, expected. It's a relatively straightforward shift and it's clear they got exactly the right guy for the job. They know there is a lot at stake with this forthcoming album. Kansas really is a band at this point. It's five guys that actually really want to be doing this. Unfortunately, we can't say that for a lot of its contemporaries.
Well said.
Perhaps the two tells are (and I know not the answer to either): (a) do they still play with the same fire and energy as they did at their best? (B) what will the new album be like - will it stand up against the group's best?
Like Yes, those would be my two criteria.
I saw them last week in Florence, SC, and while I'm a huge fan of Steve Walsh, I have to back up those who say that Platt has really brought them to life. This was my 9th time seeing Kansas, and I'd probably rate this as the 4th best show I've seen, the other three being a couple of shows from '95 and opening for Yes on the Masterworks tour. And, truth be told, if the sound mix had not been so poor at this recent show, it may have ranked higher still. Platt nails the high notes with passion and power. Manion's keyboard playing is superb. Lots of unexpected choices in the set. My only complaint apart from the sound is, I was hoping that maybe with the new guys they would do a longer show, but it was still just about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
As for a new album, I'm excited. I'd love to see Livgren involved, but to be honest, I think that Freaks of Nature was the best thing they had done since Leftoverture. Sure, it was different, but it sounded so fresh and energized. I'd be thrilled with something along those lines.
"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter" - Yoda
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He did sing in a tribute band back in the late 80's and early 90's. A Yes tribute called Drama. We used to co headline with them frequently.
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