Kansas - Kansas
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Free Music Notes for Kansas
Free Music Review: One of Kansas's Best!
Hit: 5 Stars
For me, this is one of Kansas's best albums-period! While their later albums sonically would prove to be more sophisticated, none of their later efforts would match the pure, raw energy of their debut. This is not to say that the band's later work was not superb. But to my ears, Kansas was never as magnificent as on their first album. Here it really sounds like the band is out to grab the listener by the throat with the sheer ferocity of their playing. They do, and they never let go, from first note to last. Surely, this is one of the greatest debut albums ever! There is also an ecstatic joy that is quite palpable in the band's playing and for me Robby Steinhardt's violin NEVER sounded so inspired or intricate. I had the original cd issue of this and the new remastered edition is a big jump in sound quality. The music is quite detailed with a great bass tone and bottom end. I really can't say enough about this album. I never grow tired of it and I always play it when I need some inspiration-great album to work out to! I feel so fortunate to have found Kansas. Their songs are so inspiring, heroic even, and unique-noboby sounds like them and on this first album they proved that they were a force to be reckoned with and that they would take no prisoners! Go out and pick up a copy and you'll see what I mean! Free Music Review: Great first outing, but....
Hit: 4 Stars
Although this first release of Kansas was strong, fresh and unique it actually paled in comparision to how they sounded live at that time. I had the pleasure to see them in concert when this LP was first released back in like 1974, and all I can say is the concert was an order of magnitude better than this LP. Not to take anything away from this LP, which is in my opinion the best showing of any Kansas LP, it being more real, & straight forward with no radio fluff that the later hit generating releases would be chock full of. Check it out, you will be surprised to find another side of Kansas.Free Music Review: Some Great Songs Are Found Here
Hit: 4 Stars
Kansas' self-titled debut, released in 1974, has some great songs. It is a bit inconsistant, but a handful of tracks make the album very worth the cost to own.
Kansas had been signed to Don Kirshner's record label prior to the arrival of Kerry Livgren (keyboard/guitar), who wrote epic prog rock songs--much different than the straight-forward southern rock the band had been playing. So on this record (and the two that followed), the band was trying to find their sound.
The first track is Can I Tell You. It's lyrics are very simple and it's violin heavy, but an alright song nonetheless and it has that "Kansas" sound. It's good to listen to once through, but you won't put it on repeat.
Bringing it Back, written by J.J. Cale, is the next track. While Cale wrote many famous songs, this one doesn't fit Kansas at all. It may be that they played it at bars to keep the drunks happy, I don't know, but they shouldn't have recorded it. It's best to skip this song.
The next song, written by Steve Walsh (vocals/keyboards), is Lonely Wind. It's a ballad that's easy to listen to, but there's nothing special about it. The lyrics are a bit odd, but not tough to understand. The track is tolerable at best.
Belexes, written by Livgren, is the next track and the first gem. It's harder edge, the great organ work by Walsh and deeper lyrics make this a Kansas classic. Not as "prog" as some other Livgren songs, but great nonethelesss.
Next is Journey from Mariabronn, written by Livgren and Walsh, which is one of my favorite Kansas songs of all time and the pinnacle of this album. It is breathtaking!
The Pilgrimage, also written by Livgren and Walsh, is not so good and does not follow the previous song well at all. It's very forgetable and best to skip.
Next is Aper?u, another Livgren/Walsh penned song, which, oddly, sounds a bit new-wave at times, but is overall one of the stronger songs on the album. The deeper you get into this track, the better it becomes.
Aper?u fades into the next song, Death of Mother Nature Suite, which was written by Livgren. This track is great and is one of my favorites, but a bit different sounding than most of their other music. It somewhat reminds me of Jimi Hendrix or Glass Harp or something like that. Death of Mother Nature Suite really cooks and should be a rock classic, except nobody knows about it outside of Kansas circles. Which is too bad.
Overall, Kansas' first effort was good, with some great and some not so great tracks. But the great songs are so good that they overshadow those lesser songs so much that you forget they are even there.
Free Music Review: A Great Start to an Excellent Musical Career
Hit: 4 Stars
KANSAS - Kansas (1974) (**** ) 9 tracks - (54:48)
This is KANSAS's debut album. Now, I have to admit, I did not grow up listening to this album. My interest in KANSAS's music came a little later, after hearing such classics as Carry On Wayward Son and Dust in the Wind on the radio as a youth. Even though I owned Leftoverture (1976) and liked it very much, I never had the interest to go back and explore the band's back-catalog. Now, fast-forward 25 years. As a middle-aged adult who still has a big interest in music, I begin to replace many of my old first issue CD's purchased in the 80's with newly "remastered" versions.
After purchasing Leftoverture and Point of Know Return and being amazed at the new sound quality (plus bonus Live tracks!) It began a renewed interest in the music of KANSAS. Also, I had slowly generated much more of an interest in Progressive Rock, which I now understand KANSAS to be a participant in. Eventually I purchased their debut, and boy, was I surprised by the great songs that I had never heard before. Songs played with the energy of a young band hungry for success.
The album starts off with the actual song that got Kansas their first record deal, Can I Tell You. This early track, written by two-thirds of the band, is the song that Don Kirshner was so impressed with, he dispatched his VP to get a first-hand look at the band out in the Midwestern plains of Kansas. Once Wally Gold came back to New York, he recommended Kirshner sign the band, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The outstanding Prog related tracks begin about halfway thru with Belexes. Then comes a Journey From Mariabronn, a definitely Prog-length epic, clocking in at almost 8 minutes. These more complex and intricate songs keep coming with The Pilgrimage and the dual song, one-two punch of Apercu and Death Of Mother Nature Suite, which were usually played back to back Live just as they are presented on the album, flowing into one another almost as if they were simply two parts of one song (for a combination of 17 ? minutes of brilliant songwriting). And let's not forget the great musicianship of the players. The members of Kansas were all veterans of former bands, and had a lot of experience playing before coming together as the band Kansas. That combined with the fantastic vocals of lead singer Steve Walsh, good harmonizing between Walsh, Dave Hope (bass) and Robby Steinhardt (violin), great keyboard playing between Walsh and the multi-talented Kerry Livgren (organ, piano, Moog synthesizer, lead guitar, and vocals), you have a very unique and talented outfit.
This 2004 EPIC/Legacy release has an additional bonus track consisting of a "Live" version of Bringing It Back, recorded at the Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio in 1975 (previously unreleased). Like many live tracks, it stretches the once 3 ? minute song out to over 9 minutes of musical pleasure.
Best Tracks: Journey From Mariabronn and Apercu/Death of Mother Nature Suite
Free Music Review: Great start - A magnifcent record
Hit: 5 Stars
This one is absolutely remarkable. In this first record, Kansas left their unique signature, a balanced mix of 70's hard rock and progressive approach. Lonely Wind is one of Kansas best songs, as Journey From Mariabronn and Belexes.