...and I don't mean just "Carry On Wayward Son," or (God forbid) "Dust In The Wind." I'm not knocking those songs at all, but whenever somebody says "Kansas," people tend to think of either gigantic wheat fields or one of those two songs.

Most people don't know that Kansas had already put out three albums before Leftoverture (on which the first song I mentioned appears), and that this album was the make-or-break effort for the band. Their record label was going to drop them if they didn't score a hit here. Long story short, they did score big, and then went on to produce several other successful albums (Point of Know Return, Monolith) before fading back into obscurity.

What I'm interested in is if anybody out there is familiar with the classic (Pre-Leftoverture) output. These three albums contain, IMHO, some of the most unique and awesome progressive rock ever recorded. :music: It's American prog, therefore more hard-hitting, and it always seems to fall under the radar screen (probably just because of that). If you haven't heard anything from this period yet, if you're a fan of prog rock I highly recommend giving it a shot. The albums were recently remastered in the early 2000s, and while I'm still waiting for a decent digital transcription (sonically, these releases are all a mess), at least they were only ten bucks apiece.

So, anybody know what I'm talking about? Anyone? *crickets* :D

I've seen Kansas 3 times. The first time on their Masque tour back in the 70's. Sammy Hagar opened for them on his Red tour. Great show! Masque and Leftoverture are probably my favorite Kansas albums.

I have a lot of their albums, but Masque is the one I go back to the most. Icarus is probably my fav track although there is not a weak one on there.

The first Kansas album is my favourite, but I can understand why Masque is high on everyone's list.


Ray

and I don't mean just "Carry On Wayward Son," or (God forbid) "Dust In The Wind." I'm not knocking those songs at all, but whenever somebody says "Kansas," people tend to think of either gigantic wheat fields or one of those two songs.

"Point of No Return" was the third song in the Kansas trifecta. I loved all three and had a Kansas t shirt. Yet I must admit I never heard any of their other songs other than that "Hold On" one.

Masque is still my favorite album by them. IMHO they were too good of musicians to completely follow the usual band practice of putting out some fine albums as unknowns, eventually leading to some mainstream success, followed by doing the safe thing and putting out repetitive top-40 mush to generate platinum sales. Still, their later albums aren't as interesting as their first 3. Again, IMHO.

I've got those first three albums as well but my collection stops at Point Of Know Return. When I need a Kansas fix I reach for Masque the most but Song For America is pretty darn good also. Leftoverture is a classic.

Several years back an album was released containing early material from the band before they were known as Kansas. That album was titled "Proto-Kaw" and illustrates a young band trying to find their sound. The music comes from their days of touring the bar circuit in and around Kansas and is interesting from a fan's perspective. Not really recommended for the casual listener.

Cheers

I'm not a big buff on Kansas, I do tend to like their music, own Leftoverture and Point of no Return. they played my college back in 82 or 83, got in free with a student ID. great show

Attended their concert in the Hague during the Dutch stop of their European tour back in the 70's of the previous century.
Was a fan of them and enjoyed their first three albums very much. Suppose I've outgrown them during the years that followed because somewhere along the line I've ditched all three albums.

I have always liked Kansas since I saw them open up for Ted nugent & Blue oyster cult touring the Masque
album in L.A.
The debut album Kansas & Song for america, kind of go unnoticed I guess,Im fond of their later stuff!

I like Kansas, but kinda OD'd on them in the 70-80s. I have 3-4 of their LPs. It's been awhile, time to spin a couple!

For me it's always been about Song for America.......that's the album I keep coming back to.........there's just something about the title track that's very infectious.........that and they like to use some fun time signatures, so that's also a plus. On a more lyrical scale I like both Monolith and Point of Know Return. Monolith wasn't anywhere near as successful as POKR, and has always been an underated album! IMHO

Long time fan here, and Two For The Show will likely play on my long ride home tomorrow (I've got about 7 hours to kill). Nice excerpt version of Lonely Wind on there, amond all the hits you know.

Some of the Steve Morse stuff is good, too, and the Device Voice Drum concert DVD's not bad.

je

Iowa maybe... Kansas?
Too much corn for this boy.

Song for America definitely ranks among my favorite all time albums (I do like "Carry On" though :D)

Oh yea, "All we are, dude, is dust in the wind."

Another fan here. Masque was the first LP I heard right after it came out. The guy at the record store predicted they would be big.

There are a couple great versions of The Pinnacle on YouTube.

I knew I couldn't be the only classic Kansas fan out there. :yes: Incidentally, Song For America has to be my favorite album by the group. Everything on it is good, though the title track, "Lamplight Symphony," and "Incomudro" are my favorite cuts. I'm really happy to see, at any rate, that there are people out there who still cherish this stuff which I, in my youth, am only now discovering for the first time. But then, if not on AK, then where else would I find fellow wheatheads? (the nickname for Kansas fans, for obvious reasons :D)

I started listening to them when the first album was released. It got played so much I had to buy a second copy. I saw them in 1976. They opened for Queen. Great show. I love the first 3 albums that Kansas put out, but I feel they started losing the fresh feel after that. They were still musically stong, but I didn't get the same thrill.

I also saw them in the early seventies. I'm thinking they were with Santana, but I'm not sure. All those shows at the Tulsa Speedway seem to be running together. I don't think that anything they did later comes close to their first album, the one with the John Brown painting, which I believe was just called "Kansas". That album contained material that seemed to have been fine-tuned by years of performance. The music had more of a live feel, whereas the later stuff was over-produced. Great use of the violin in rock, though.

Regards,

D-Ray

Kansas is my favorite band of all time!! Yes, I am a wheathead. :D

Song For America is my favorite followed closely by Masque and the debut. I have every Kansas album. I like all of their efforts even the latest stuff they did.

I saw them for the first time in '93 up close and personal and hung out with them after the show. It was the Freaks tour. They have been my favorite band since '75. I can't believe I never saw them earlier than '93.

I really like the albums no one else likes such as Monolith and Audio Visions. I just love them all!!

I hope they put out another album soon.

Now that you brought it up I might have to give them a spin.......:music:

Hi,

I like "Leftoverture" and "Point Of Know Return" to this day. Superb recording and performance. I love Kansas. Worn out 7 copies of both albums through the years (I keep nice pressings available when one wears out)

Hi,

I like "Leftoverture" and "Point Of Know Return" to this day. Superb recording and performance. I love Kansas. Worn out 7 copies of both albums through the years (I keep nice pressings available when one wears out)

Credit where it's due, Jeff Glixman produced those classic albums, and you have to admit there's a LOAD of stuff going on during those Magnum Opuses (Opi?:scratch2: Opum?:scratch2:).

http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_jeff_glixman/

He did them ginormous snare drum sounds of early Georgia Satellites, too.

je

Credit where it's due, Jeff Glixman produced those classic albums, and you have to admit there's a LOAD of stuff going on during those Magnum Opuses (Opi?:scratch2: Opum?:scratch2:).

http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_jeff_glixman/

He did them ginormous snare drum sounds of early Georgia Satellites, too.

je

Could be Opii, too (double "I" was somewhat common in Latin--or was that Greek? :scratch2:). Definitely not Opium, though. :D

Truth be told, that's one track I never much cared for. And that's coming from a guy who can sit through the first two tracks of Yes' Tales From Topographic Oceans, too. And without the benefit of the pot most partakers seem to prescribe in order to find enjoyment with that album. :smoke: I never thought much of "Cheyenne Anthem", either. I guess I just don't like getting preached to, even if I do happen to like "Song For America."

What I most liked about the production of the Kansas albums was that characteristic "wall of sound" that comprised fiddle (electric and/or real), synths, Hammond organ, and guitars. Sometimes the guitar was left out of the mix, only to play a complimentary melodic or rhythmic figure. Unique and brilliant, all in all. My favorite moment in Leftoverture is the polyphonic breakdown in "Miracles Out Of Nowhere." That part always blows my mind.

Long time fan here, and Two For The Show will likely play on my long ride home tomorrow (I've got about 7 hours to kill). Nice excerpt version of Lonely Wind on there, amond all the hits you know.

Some of the Steve Morse stuff is good, too, and the Device Voice Drum concert DVD's not bad.

je

I've always liked Two For The Show too. Recently picked up a few Dixie Dregs LPs which had a very "Kansas without the lyrics" feel to me. Good stuff.

I've always liked Two For The Show too. Recently picked up a few Dixie Dregs LPs which had a very "Kansas without the lyrics" feel to me. Good stuff.

You might know this, but Steve Morse from the Dregs joined Kansas and recorded a bunch of albums with them.

Deep Purple, too.

je

You might know this, but Steve Morse from the Dregs joined Kansas and recorded a bunch of albums with them.

Deep Purple, too.

je

Steve played on "Power" and on "In The Spirit of Things".

I got on the bandwagon with the Song for America album. Leftoverture was a staple of just about every mid-seventies record collection. Parts of Point Of Know Return and Monolith were even likable.

Fiqured Id wake up an old thread,
I just received in the mail today a new CD copy of Monolith,
Last week a used copy of Leftoverture and the week before that I found a pristine copy of Masque on vinyl at a garage sale,I havent listened to this much Kansas since highschool!

Yet I must admit I never heard any of their other songs other than that "Hold On" one.

Ummmm......wasn't that Triumph from the Just a Game LP?


On topic, I DO like Kansas, especially Masque and Debut......

absolutely. but I've only heard their earlier stuff. I like most prog rock though.

I was a fan of a Kansas girl when I was hiking in the states
during the 70's.:tears:

Leftoverture, Point of Know Return and Monolith were used here over the last two days to bench test a re-furb'd Altec 1270 power amp.

Was "Hold On" on a live album, too? Can't find it on the track listings from "Two For The Show", but I remember a live version.

je

Ummmm......wasn't that Triumph from the Just a Game LP?





Uuuuh nope, Kansas, Audio-Visions from 1980. "Hold On" was a great song. I am definitly a Kansas fan with most of their LPs on hand :)

I am a fan of the first five Kansas albums(at least)along with the live "Two for the Show". A great band live. I saw them in Cleveland in the late 70's with Molly Hatchet as the opening band. Bought tickets day of show and ended up in the center of the second row! How does that happen, I wish I knew. Anyway, a great band.

Saw them in the 70's. Have a few of their albums, time to "dust" them off I guess.

I think they are still touring today, not sure about who from the original band is still there. Kerry Livgren (vocals), probably not.

Long time fan here, and Two For The Show will likely play on my long ride home tomorrow (I've got about 7 hours to kill).

I wanted to give props to that one. It's nicely recorded and a great set list. Plus the band was on for that one, eh?

Song for America is my runaway fave of the early albums.

i got most records and they played live last month in my hometown germany ulm :thmbsp:

kansas was one of my first concerts and is the last one i've been to. i think i have all of their studio albums. if you know of one not on the list, please let me know:

masque
leftoverture
monolith
two for the show
audio-visions
power
drastic measures
vinyl confessions
point of know return
kansas
song for america

Got a tape of a live concert given at Memorial Hall, KCK from about '76 or '77. Been meaning to transfer it to CD like forever.

my last concert was in pensacola. i guess it's been about ten years ago. kansas opened for zz top. they played on zz's equipment, and blew zz out of the water. i saw them for the first time when i was about 15 in oxford, ms at the university of mississippi. i think i paid 8 bucks for the ticket. that was almost 30 years ago. i've seen them several times. i missed them a couple weeks ago. they played in memphis at a small ampitheatre (snowden grove park). i heard they kicked ass!

one side note. i lived in fort walton beach, florida for a while. a friend of mine purchased an upright bass from dave hope. he is now retired and lives in destin.

Easily in my top 20 favorite bands. Met them in the late 70s and they were the antithesis of "rock stars". Extremely polite and no booze or drugs backstage.