Sorry it took two weeks longer than it should have, but I finally got this done. As most of you know, Kansas is my favorite band and this new album is a very big deal! I'm working on a new website that will include music reviews, but for now, I have to post this here for lack of anywhere else. Hope you enjoy this. Feel free to comment or criticize.
Kansas – The Prelude Implicit (2016)
Track Listing:
With This Heart
Visibility Zero
The Unsung Heroes
Rhythm in the Spirit
Refugee
The Voyage of Eight Eighteen
Camouflage
Summer
Crowded Isolation
Section 60
Home On the Range (Deluxe Edition)
Oh Shenandoah (Deluxe Edition)
When I first heard Kansas was working on a new studio album, I was overwhelmed at the prospect of my lifelong favorite band producing new music. It had been the dream of diehard fans for a long time, which is why I clung so tightly to Steve Walsh’s solo albums and Kerry Livgren’s Proto-Kaw project. They were as close as I was going to get to the Kansas-related sound I loved so much. Most “classic rock” bands tend to rehash the songs of their heyday over and over again in the form of collections, best ofs, remixes, and live albums. I try not to get frustrated; after all, it’s the music of my youth and coming of age. A new studio album, however, is a treat one must take seriously. The first question: is it going to suck? The last thing I want from Kansas is another boring Native Window, a side project without Livgren and Walsh. Well, what we have here is another album without Livgren and Walsh. You can imagine my trepidation. Ask a cross section of Yes fans how they feel about two recent snoozer albums by that band. Sometimes a “classic rock” band just can’t recapture the magic.
Luckily for Kansas fans, all fears are laid to rest! Not only is The Prelude Implicit a really good album, it is their BEST album since 1977! It’s amazing the band went so long without a decent follow up to Point of Know Return, but in their defense, Kansas didn’t totally suck in the past 39 years. (After all, I consider 1979’s Monolith my favorite Kansas album.) Let’s just say it’s been a long, hard road they’ve been on. As Dorothy can tell you, it’s good to come home.
First, I want to point out the miracle that is Ronnie Platt. Mr. Platt came along at JUST the right moment, filling the very big shoes of Steve Walsh who left the band over a year ago. Ronnie not only filled those shoes, he has overflown them! The perfect voice, the right look, the bright personality; he is every bit the front man. I wonder if Rich Williams and Phil Ehart had a moment of disbelief when Ronnie agreed to hop on board. Sorry, Shooting Star fans, he’s ours now. To me, Ronnie is the breath of fresh air this band needed for quite some time. I mean no disrespect to Steve Walsh. He was my hero for many decades, but the last few years had really taken their toll on his voice and his health. What I wish for Walsh is some good rest and maybe someday dabble in music again. There is bound to be another solo album inside him.
David Manion is also “new” as a major player, but he has been a part of Kansas for decades as Walsh’s keyboard tech. Manion already knows every note to every song in the band’s vast catalog. It was natural for him to step into the role as lead keyboard player. (Platt takes care of backup keyboards.)
Another newcomer, Zak Rizvi, adds to the great “wall of sound” that Rich Williams has produced for decades. Rizvi’s skill with the electric guitar adds a depth and richness to the harder side of Kansas that balances out the proggy bits. Williams has worked very hard since Livgren left the band, taking the other guitar with him, and while David Ragsdale has been able to add some guitar to the mix, this band really needed a second full time axe man to round it all out.
Speaking of Ragsdale, he is all over this album. There isn’t one song he hasn’t touched with his amazing violin work. While many fans still miss Robby Steinhardt’s presence in the band, Ragsdale has proved over and over again that he is the only proper replacement. After 20 off and on years with the band, Ragsdale has earned his due. Another so called "newcomer", Billy Greer, continues to add excellent bass skills and crystal clear backing vocals. With his side project, Seventh Key, it's clear he is a gifted musician and of course, no longer a newcomer after 30 years with Kansas.
As for the band’s two veterans, Rich Williams and Phil Ehart, they are the heart and brains of the whole operation. I can only admire their perseverance and strength to carry on the Kansas tradition through five decades. It seems once Walsh stepped out of the picture, there was a big sigh of relief and suddenly the band could breathe again.
The strongest songs on the album are The Voyage of Eight Eighteen, the most Kansaslike song reminiscent of epics like Journey from Mariabronn or The Pinnacle. It’s my favorite and makes me wonder where the title came from and what the song is actually about, lyric wise. (Apparently Platt wrote most of the lyrics on the album.) Crowded Isolation is a heavy song with so much guitar, you walls will almost vibrate. The bass is unbelievable! I also appreciate Rhythm of the Spirit which sounds so super tight guitarwise and emotes excellent vocal harmony between Platt and Greer.
The weakest song, and only song I don’t like, is the Eaglesish The Unsung Heroes. It just falls flat and actually makes me sometimes hit the skip button. Not even Ragsdale’s brilliant violin can save it.
All the other songs are excellent in musicianship and lyrics. I love trying to figure out the subject of Camouflage. Then there’s Visibility Zero, which points at the current political climate without taking any sides. That’s what I love about this song. In fact, the lyrics on this album are wonderfully neutral for the most part.
The one exception to this is Refugee. Its purpose is obvious, but it may be too controversial for some and too emotional for others. Certainly it is an important subject, and not too many other popular musicians are singing about it, but what remains clear is the great human tragedy of what is happening in Syria, and the mystery of so many Americans simply do not care.
Honorable mention goes to Section 60, a short, bittersweet tribute to the fallen soldiers of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The little drum roll at the end really tugs at your emotions.
So there you have it, a most remarkable album from a most remarkable band. Who knew Kansas could not only last this long, but come back stronger and better than ever? Even more thought provoking is the fact they did this without any contributions or influence from Livgren and Walsh, who had been their two primary songwriters since the band's inception. It seems Kansas is, and has always been, Kansas after all.
On a side note, please be sure to catch their current tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Leftoverture album. The setlist includes the entire album, as well as several songs from the new album, and of course, a few big hits thrown in for good measure.
Another side note, another album? Yes, please! A little birdie told me it is already in the works!
Kansas is a band! <3
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Originally Posted by Hunnibee
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