OK, if you're a Kansas fan you probably don't need this. As other reviewers have noted about the Original Album Classics series, five albums at low budget price is great value for money. The Kansas collection is one of the more expensive ones, though I was pleasantly surprised to find غ had knocked a few quid off the #17.98 quoted. You only get facsimile sleeves and no notes, so the only information that comes with this is what was printed on the original outer sleeves, though there's a full track listing on the box. This reveals that there are a couple of bonus tracks on each disc, always alternative versions of tracks from their respective albums.
My knowledge of Kansas before buying this was sketchy. I was familiar with the obvious hit, 'Carry On Wayward Son', and a friend played me part of their live album 'Two For The Show' soon after its release. I remember thinking, 'Ah yes, Genesis clones' and as I already had a lot of Genesis I wasn't particularly interested. Certainly, there are frequent touches of English prog, but there's a lot more besides. The debut album is, as is often the case, significantly different from the others. Rough around the edges, it displays the hunger of a band that hasn't yet made it. They hadn't quite settled on a particular style either. The album includes a sparky cover of J. J. Cale's' 'Bringing It Back'.
'Song For America' is more polished and I'm surprised this only went gold as it not only defines their sound, but is a very good album. 'Masque', which sees Kansas marking time is a relative disappointment. The highlight for me is 'Leftoverture' and not just for the hit single. Both style and sound are perfectly honed and the material is uniformly superb, though 'Magnum Opus', the centrepiece track is a little self-indulgent in places. 'Point Of Know Return' is a continuation of this in terms of both style and quality, also featuring a big U.S. hit, 'Dust In The Wind'. These last two albums both went multi platinum.
One of the most unusual features of Kansas's music is the role of violin. On the earlier albums, the showpiece solos usually feature this instrument, with guitar coming more to the fore on later efforts. If you're not already into Kansas but like English prog such as Genesis, Yes, Curved Air, Marillion or a newer band like Arena, you might want to invest in this.
Frequently bought together
This item: Original Album Classics
£17.52
In stock
+
+
Total price:$00
To see our price, add these items to your basket.
Choose items to buy together.
What do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start againPage 1 of 1
Lowest Price
in this set of productsHighest rated
in this set of productsBest Selling
in this set of products
