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E-Dub 
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 24 2006
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Status: Offline
Points: 7910
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 Topic: Monolith vs. Audio Visions
Posted: July 27 2006 at 19:50 |
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Actually, I love both of these albums. Mainly because they were the first two Kansas albums I ever bought (or given to me at Christmas) back when I was just a wee lad. They're pretty much not given the deserved full credit when compared to Point Of Know Return and everything before. Musically, the band were at the top of their game; however, you could see the division within the band (primarily between Walsh and Livgren).
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WaywardSon
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 23 2006
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 2537
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 19:51 |
Monolith by a landslide!!
Audiovisions had a few good songs like "No one together" which was probably the proggiest song on there, but it also had some bad songs like "Gotta rock on"
Edited by WaywardSon - July 27 2006 at 19:58
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E-Dub
Special Collaborator
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Joined: February 24 2006
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Status: Offline
Points: 7910
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 20:57 |
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I'm torn. I haven't voted because Audio Visions really hit me as a kid; however, I know Monolith is the better album. What the hell. I'm voting for Monolith.
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ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Researcher
Joined: August 17 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4659
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 21:24 |
"Relentless" is a classic Kansas song, "Loner" was perfect for Walsh at the time, and yes - "No One Together" is one of the band's best tracks as far as showcasing all their talents (Robby's vocals actually crack me up on that one  ). But Monolith was out the summer before my senior year of high school, and it was my favorite for years. Emotional attachment aside, "On the Other Side", "Away From You", "A Glimpse of Home" and especially "Reason to Be" are all very solid tracks. (edit) BTW, would I be correct in assuming all these Kansas polls are leading up to something?
Edited by ClemofNazareth - July 27 2006 at 21:24
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"Peace is the only battle worth waging."
Albert Camus
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E-Dub
Special Collaborator
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Joined: February 24 2006
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Status: Offline
Points: 7910
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 21:45 |
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Not sure if their leading up to anything. I get on a kick (in this case it's Kansas) and I feel like discussing the band. I think it would be interesting to pit a not so popular Walsh/Livgren era disc with, say, Vinyl Confessions. Actually, I think Vinyl Confessions is a great album. I'd like it if Elefante joined Kansas on stage sometime (it won't happen). I've got a couple of his Christian discs and the guys lost nothing off of his voice.
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E-Dub
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 24 2006
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Status: Offline
Points: 7910
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 21:47 |
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BTW, maybe Kansas is being discussed so much due to the fact that they are a great American progressive rock band. Just my feelings.
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johnobvious
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2006
Location: Nebraska
Status: Offline
Points: 1361
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 22:00 |
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I really have a soft spot for Monolith. It gets bashed quite a bit but I think it is a great album. Audio-Visions is in the same boat and while I do like it, my vote is Monolith.
How my soul cries out for you. Good stuff.
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Biggles was in rehab last Saturday
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ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Researcher
Joined: August 17 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4659
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 22:29 |
 E-Dub wrote:
Not sure if their leading up to anything. I get on a kick (in this case it's Kansas) and I feel like discussing the band. I think it would be interesting to pit a not so popular Walsh/Livgren era disc with, say, Vinyl Confessions.
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Seeds of Change vs. Schemer-Dreamer vs. Vinyl Confessions. Would be interesting. Or maybe Shadowman. Not sure how many people have actually heard Schemer-Dreamer.
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"Peace is the only battle worth waging."
Albert Camus
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WaywardSon
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 23 2006
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 2537
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Posted: July 27 2006 at 22:36 |
An interesting fact about "Glimpse of home" off Monolith-
The song was about Christ, but it was the Christ of "The Urantia Book" and not The Bible. So at the time of this album Livgren was a Urantian. Out on tour to support this album he became a Christian. And then came Audiovisions...
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Masque
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 01 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 808
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Posted: July 28 2006 at 00:52 |
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Lets face it both of these recording are not Kansas`s best ... but once you accept that and just listen they are both very enjoyable ... I like them both the same .. both have their brilliant moments and their not so brilliant moments (that I think are funny moments anyway) "I got to rock on" see even that dodgy song has a fantastic bridge in it "the sun beats down upon me and it looks as though spring has waited long enough to get here" i love that bit !
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TOD KREMER
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 30 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 106
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Posted: July 28 2006 at 03:17 |
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Audio Visions.
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Stand up to the blow that fate has struck upon you. Make the most of all you still have coming to you...
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Garion81
Special Collaborator
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Joined: May 22 2004
Location: So Cal, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 4338
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Posted: July 28 2006 at 03:49 |
No one Together was supposed to be on Monolith. If it had and lets say How my soul Cries Out For You was bumped then Monolith would be my favorite. As it stands and consider this Seeds of Change and Schemer Dreamer came out he same year and both writers kept some of their best songs back for the solo albums.
Can you imagine Audio Visions with Mask Of the Great Deceiver and Ground Zero on it as well as No One Together? There is a video floating around on Ebay of a taped concert of theirs from the Audio Visions tour in Houston Tx 1980 with a song from Scheamer Dreamer and Mask of the Great Deceiver from Seeds of Change played Live. The quality is pretty bad like a 6th generation video tape. Hopefully some day they clean that up and release it because it is a great representation of that band still in it's prime.
With No One Together, Curtain of Iron and Back Door its Audio Visons for me.
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 "What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?"
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E-Dub
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 24 2006
Location: Elkhorn, WI
Status: Offline
Points: 7910
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Posted: July 28 2006 at 11:03 |
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<<Seeds of Change vs. Schemer-Dreamer vs. Vinyl Confessions. Would be interesting. Or maybe Shadowman. Not sure how many people have actually heard Schemer-Dreamer.>>
When I was in the 6th or 7th grade, I asked for 3 albums for Christmas: Styx's Cornerstone, Kansas' Monolith, and Steve Walsh's Schemer-Dreamer. I've still got the LP; but, was able to pick up the disc a few months ago. Good disc, but not progressive. "Every Step Of The Way", however, is a GREAT tune.
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sm sm
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 02 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 155
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Posted: July 28 2006 at 14:59 |
Both are very under appreciated. Monolith is more acoustic, where Audio Visions is more hard rocking.
Both came about due to difficult situations where Monolith, the band was under pressure to repeat the sales of Point of Know Return, where AV had band conficts with Livergren's Christian viewpoints clashing with Walsh "rock" viewpoint.
While not nearly as good, also under appreciated are the recordings with new vocalist John Elephante.
P.S. Also under appreciated is violinist Robbie Steinhart, whose absence took a lot of the prog out of Kansas
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Monolith vs. Audio Visions
