DEVICE - VOICE - DRUM (DVD)

In 1994, I bought Kansas` "Live at the Whisky" live album, which was recorded and released in 1992. I still liked the sound of the band in that CD, but Steve Walsh`s voice sounded very damaged, and it was the only thing which disappointed me from the CD. But I read that Walsh`s voice was recovered in recent years, so when I watched this "Device Voice Drum" concert I could see that it was true. Walsh sings very well the songs in this DVD.

The band, despite being a quintet without the additional keyboards and guitars of songwriter Kerry Livgren, still plays very good. Robbie Steinhardt still plays very well, and his violin`s sound and playing is very good, really improving a lot the sound of the band. Drummer Phil Ehart`s playing is powerful, less "Prog" in style than in the `70s, but being at the centre of the band`s sound. Rich Williams`role as the only lead guitarist on stage has made that he plays even with more energy than years before. The interaction of his guitar playing with Steinhardt`s violin is very good. Bassist Bill Greer is very good too, also singing very well. Steinhardt sings less than in previous years. He originally sang "Carry On Wayward Son", but the song is sung since several years ago only by Walsh. Walsh is a good keyboard player, but I think that he really needs in some songs the support of an additional keyboard player, because singing and playing the keyboards in some Kansas`songs at the same time is not very easy, IMO. It is clear for me mainly in "The Wall", because this song was originally played on the keyboards by Livgren, who played arpeggios on the keyboards in some verses. Walsh plays "The Wall" without the arpeggios in some parts of the song. But despite this, the band plays this song very well.

One curious thing in this DVD is the inclusion of two songs from the two albums which the band recorded with John Elefante as singer/keyboard player, with in this concert both songs being sung by Walsh. Walsh does a very good job in these two songs.

The inclusion of a Gospel Choir in "The Preacher" is very good. The singers gave a lot of power to the song, a "Heavy Rock Gospel Song", IMO.

The recording and mixing of the sound is very good, and I also can say that the camera angles are very good too.

I recommend this DVD because the band played the songs very well, with Walsh singing very well too as he did in the seventies.