Classic Rock Bottom

This week I wanted to put a spin on the Artist showcase a bit and look at bands who have spent considerable time building up to their success and then what happened after that success fades. It’s a “Before and After” snapshot and it’s a pretty cool view of a bands history.


I’ve often stated that the albums a band release prior to their success are typically very strong, if not better than those during their fame, and showcase why the band would eventually become successful. So what does a bands descent from stardom have to say about them? This is a unique view and therefore a perfect Hidden Treasure playlist! Let’s get to it….


Their self-titled debut album was released in March 1974, nearly a year after it was recorded in New York. It defined the band's signature sound, a mix of American-style boogie rock and complex, symphonic arrangements with changing time signatures. Steinhardt's violin was a distinctive element of the group's sound, being defined more by heartland rock than the jazz and classic influences which most progressive rock violinists followed. The band slowly developed a cult following, due to promotion by Kirshner and extensive touring for the debut album and its two follow-ups, Song for America and Masque.

PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/CA69EFD9E8C/a1ci4nmj

Kansas
1974
 
1 - Belexes
 
Kansas is a truly weird hybrid of British pomp, doggedly artistic concept, and arena boogie, all served up with more violin than there is flute on a Jethro Tull album. It's hard not to admire their blatant ambition in one sense, since few bands try as hard as Kansas do here. Still, there're a lot of scales and arpeggios, galloping triplets, dramatic organ, and stately ballads that signify nothing and go nowhere. Since it's as grounded in boogie as it is in art, the group never gets as weird as their more interesting counterparts, but that reliance on arena rock does make them unique.
Song For America
1975

2 - Lonely Street

Probably the most prog of Kansas' albums, this one spotlights long, orchestrated songs and unusual time signatures. There is an extended nine/eight instrumental break in the middle of the title track. "Lamplight Symphony" offers long, orchestrated passages. When the energy is there, it is intense energy, such as "Down the Road" and "The Devil Game."
Masque
1975

3 - It Takes a Woman's Love (To Make a Man)

Kansas' third album, Masque, is a lyrically dark effort courtesy of guitarist/keyboardist Kerry Livgren's brooding songwriting. Musically, Masque foreshadows the tight melodies and instrumental interplay on the next two albums, Leftoverture and Point of Know Return, which together serve as the peak of Kansas' vision. The band deserves more respect than it gets for incorporating British hard rock and progressive rock to become the only U.S. progressive rock band of note during the genre's 1970s heyday.


 
 
Kansas released its fourth album, Leftoverture, in October 1976, which produced a hit single, "Carry On Wayward Son", in 1977. The follow-up, Point of Know Return, released in October 1977, featured the title track and "Dust in the Wind," both hit singles. Leftoverture was a breakthrough for the band, hitting No. 5 on Billboard's pop album chart. Point of Know Return peaked even higher, at No. 4. Leftoverture and Point each sold over four million copies in the U.S. Both "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind" were certified gold singles, selling over one million units each. "Dust in the Wind" was certified gold as a digital download by the RIAA in 2005, almost 30 years after selling one million copies as a single. Leftoverture was eventually certified five-times platinum by the RIAA in 2001.
  
 
 During this period, Kansas became a major headlining act and sold out the largest venues available to rock bands at the time, including New York's Madison Square Garden. The follow-up studio album to Point of Know Return was Monolith (1979), which was self-produced. The album generated a Top 40 single in "People of the South Wind". The album failed to garner the sales and radio airplay of its two predecessors. Nevertheless, the album eventually went platinum.

Audio Visions
1980

4 - No One Together

By the time of their eighth album, Audio-Visions, Kansas had entered the post-platinum solo-album phase of the typical successful rock group's career. Leaders Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh were devoting time to making their own records, and Kansas was becoming a part-time occupation. The two divided up the songwriting chores on Audio-Visions, alternating Livgren's always spiritual and by now explicitly religious lyrical sentiments and ornate musical structures with Walsh's earthier and harder-rocking concerns. Livgren's Christian-themed "Hold On" ("Outside the door He is waiting") made the Top 40, and Walsh's "Got to Rock" was a singles-chart entry, but nothing here matched the music from the group's late-'70s heyday.

Departures and line-up changes would follow and the newer versions of Kansas emerged to some degree of success. The John Elefante led version of the band cut two successful albums and scored chart success with "Play The Game Tonight" and "Fight Fire With Fire".  Walsh then returned and more lineup changes came with him.  Though he delivered some strong work and chart success with "All I Wanted" as well. But the original band would remain apart until...

Somewhere To Elsewhere
2000

5 - When The World Was Young

Kansas' 2000 album Somewhere to Elsewhere is notable because it's the first recording by the original six members in almost 20 years. Livgren wrote all ten songs. Somewhere to Elsewhere features the innovative dynamics, and long songs, of Kansas' early work while maintaining a crisply modern production sound. "Icarus II" is a marvelously intricate epic about bomber pilots; the bright piano and violin lines give way to blistering heavy metal guitar symbolizing a bombing attack. "When the World Was Young" is a groovy rocker with Walsh contributing a broad range of vocal tones.

On July 2, 2014, a declaration was issued on the band's official Facebook page announcing the impending retirement of lead singer Steve Walsh: "On June 30, 2014, Steve Walsh informed the members of KANSAS that he is resigning from the band. His last performance with Kansas will be August 16, 2014, in Sioux City, Iowa, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. As Kansas continues on, the band wishes Steve only the best in his future endeavors, and thanks him for the 41 years."


On July 6, 2014, former Kansas lead singer John Elefante issued a statement that he had been contacted by the band on July 2, to discuss rejoining. However, on July 4, after turning to prayer, said that it was not meant to be. At that point, he also cited Steve Walsh as one of the reasons he wanted to become a singer.

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Hi Scott,

 Kansas has moved along again with the addition of new vocalist Ronnie Platt. Here is some raw footage:

 Also interesting to note about the History of the band Kansas is that the version of the band that got the recording contract is actually the third version of the band. The second version played extensively in the Midwest but eventually went broke & folded. Kerry Livgrin joined the band White Clover which was renamed Kansas.

 Years later bootleg live recordings of the second Kansas band began to surface & Livgren was convinced to clean them up & re-release them officially. To do this he had to contact the members of the second Kansas band for permission & old friendships were renewed. They reformed that Kansas band as Proto-Kaw (before Kansas) & went on to release 3 more albums that recieved underground success in the prog. rock market before disbanding after the final album. It was interesting to note that most of the members Hadn't even played in 30+ years! Kind of a Cinderella story.

Ive always been curious about these Proto-Kaw releases...  May look into them further when I get my taxes back  :-)

I thought you had some Proto Law?

I have some Kerry Livgren but no Proto Kaw

I actually have all these Kansas albums and when I get a hankering to listen, the last couple years have been the second batch of six albums from "Audio-Visions" to "Freaks Of Nature". Of course there's that one album I think is their best album they ever did, but we all know what that one is.

Never got into "Somewhere To Elsewhere". I start off liking it and then my mind drifts. With the previous albums, all the songs are familiar, but their last one is just hard for me. Don't know why. It received great reviews so maybe I have no musical taste.

Even though this is skewed towards the first six albums, I still like the second six pack. This was a fun listen, but I'm sticking to my guns.

Nice job. And it's pretty to look at.

I love Somewhere to Elsewhere, it has always worked for me.  I love d the bits of history they insert here and there in the tunes as well.  The one thing missing is the collaboration with Walsh but I cant argue with songs Livgren worked up.  A must have for Kansas fans!

You feeling better yet?

 I liked Somewhere to Elsewhere also, Some nice tunes on it.

 The suprise for me in the last batch was In The Spirit of Things. I picked it up in the budget bin & gave it a quick listen & shelved it. I pulled it out a few years later & gave it a really good listen. It is actually a very good album!

Jon loves that one as well...  I owned it at one time but have no idea where it is now - hate it when that happens!

Belexes - I like this track a lot.  It's very aggressive.  Every instrument is aggressive.  The vocals don't sound very well produced, not bad, just poor production.

Lonely Street - Quite a bluesy tune.  This doesn't really strike me as a typical Kansas tune.  Both of these two songs to this point are much heavier than I would've imagined.  But then again, I'm really only familiar with the band's hits for the most part, so what do I know?  It's very dark from a lyrical standpoint, and I always dig that.

It Takes A Woman's Love (To Make A Man) - Again, not really a Kansas sounding song to me.  Sounds more like a Boston tune for some reason.  I'm not crazy about this one.  The sax makes me think of SNL.

No One Together - This sounds much more Kansas like.  I like the drumming style used here, a lot of emphasis on the snare.

When The World Was Young - I don't really know what to think of this song.  It has a laid back groove at first, but really gets more urgent vocally.  Love the riff.

I have the Kansas Complete Albums box set, but it is not complete.  That last album is not represented.  I just haven't spent any time with their discography as a whole.  But, once again, I need to.

I enjoyed this subject.  Look forward to it again with other artists.

That debut album is real raw and real cool...  consider this is a remastered track, can you imagine the sound quality before?

There lesser known albums are real solid!

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