TWO FOR THE SHOW

Two For The Show may not catch the attention of the average listener, especially if they find no joy whatsoever in Progressive Rock. However, any Kansas fan who's willing to listen beyond the various over-echoing will truly discover the LIVE talent of Kansas from the 1970's. The surreal effect of the violin and amazing piano arpeggios displayed in "Excerpt From Lamplight Symphony" and "The Wall" (not to be confused with Pink Floyd) are just some of the better improvements made from accumulating the live material. The guitar solo which follows the marimba solo in "Magnum Opus" far outdoes the original recording. In addition, Phil Ehart's keen sense of time signature and the changes thereof place him on the same pedestal as Neil Peart, both chronologically and musically. The sonic deliverance in the live version of "Portrait (He Knew)" makes the original recording seem feeble, especially with Steve Walsh's perfectly-harmonized chanting vocals.

In short, this album grows on you. It may not seem so special at first, but once one listens throughout the entire album several times, all the subtle musicalities make all the more difference.