How did you find your way to Prog?

Intrigued by the reunion album somewhere to
elsewhere or whatever it's called and by the
proto-kaw stuff. Worth buying?


If I may chime in - absolutely worth buying Proto-Kaw. I listen to 'Before Became After' almost every day, and 'Early Recordings' probably every other week.

arcer wrote: garion81 wrote: Hey Arcer, I didn't know you liked Kansas.  Great story and sorry for your loss of your friend. Oh yeah, huge Kansas fan - at least from the debut up until Monolith - it all went downhill from there though as far as I could see. Still, I think they're cruelly dismissed by a lot of people. The melodies are superb, the singing (which I admit to some might be a bit grating in a pop/rock way) appeals to me, the harmonies are really good and they're way unederappreciated as musicians - some great keyboard playing and always really nice choice of synth sounds. Intrigued by the reunion album somewhere to elsewhere or whatever it's called and by the proto-kaw stuff. Worth buying?

 

There were a couple good things on Audio Visions and Vinyl Confessions but the rest are pretty bad.  Somewhere to Elsewhere is a good CD.  Kerry wrote the enitre thing and there are at least three great songs on it.  Icarus II, Myriad and Distant Vison.  Here was my review on it:

KANSAS Somewhere To Elsewhere
Review by Brian @ 12:39:29 PM EST, 9/25/2004

 

 How about taking all the other bands off, and leaving only ELP?

 

. Mine is SUCH a long story. But I fit in the second genre, being born in 1989 (hihi. I'm a progarchives child as well) and .... hmm, people come into your life and change you, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst... and well in this case it was FOR THE BEST!

About two years ago I met this out-of-the-box Pink Floyd fanatic, she loved every single album of theirs and basically introduced me to some of their greatest hits (Hey You, High Hopes - though that one is debatable.) Then she moved away, and I remained in my Nirvana kick, until I became friends with this prog head a year ago, Dave. It was the Pink Floyd love. Music brings people together, huh?

Dave was an advanced kid, he started to listen to King Crimson and Genesis pretty early (I'd say around the age of 11), and he breathed it, so getting close to him I was exposed to KC and Genesis, and then Yes (late 2004 ). That I guess became my prog foundation.

So the love for this music inspired me to do a huge project on progressive rock, and I came upon ProgArchives, and well... you are high, high on my altar, people.

threefates wrote: I'd still want them on top!!

Hmmm....

How much PROGesterone is there in the air today, I wonder...

-Beau

Beau Heem wrote: threefates wrote: I'd still want them on top!!  Hmmm.... How much PROGesterone is there in the air today, I wonder... -Beau

Atleast you got it... Ninian is still blowing in the wind with sign locations....

Garion wrote: As for Proto-Kaw run don't walk and
get it. The early recordings are just that demos and
such but very good.  You will even recognize a couple
of songs that ended up on later Kansas albums
Incomudro and Belexis.  The thing is is that all the
recordings were made between 71-3 so it kind of
shows these guys were making this kind of music
for quite a while. Not all of sudden in 1974 just
springing out of the woodwork with it.  This music is
a little more improvisational and I can't wait to hear it
live.  Kerry writes all the stuff.  Lynn Meredith has a
great voice and the sax and flute give another
dimension to the music that was used by the violin in
Kansas.  BBA is a great CD. When you realize some
of these guys had nothing to do with music for 30
years and they recorded this CD it is amazing.  Then
how well they play and sing it is even better. 
Theophany and Heavenly Man are stand outs for me.
All but 4 of the songs were written in the 71-3 era.
The great news is they are back in the studio
recording a new CD to come out this summer.  They
also have some east coast dates including the
Friday night pre show at Nearfest. They play
Incomudro and Death of mother Nature Suite. Some
other songs they orginally did that ended up on later
Kansas releases were Apercu (Kansas), Cold Grey
Morning (Freaks Of Nature) and Myriad(Somewhere
to Elsewhere).  Kansas will touring Europe this June
but not in Ireland I am afraid.  I posted the dates in
the Concert thread.  I saw them twice last year and
they are very good. Contrary to recordings up to 2002
Steve Walsh is singing the best he has sounded
since the eighties.  They still play Belexis, Magnus
Opus, Song for America and Miracles out of
Nowhere.  (Some of these depend on if they are
Headlining)
Hope this helps.



Cheers Garion, lots of good stuff there, will order up
the Proto-kaw asap and possibly Somewhere to
Elsewhere. I'd been avoiding the latter owing to a
fear of 'sad' reunion syndrome (see 90 per cent of
band who break up and get back together 'for the
fans' - but never, never their bank balances). And
Proto-kaw because I thought it might be a bit like a
high-school reunion - bunch of friends get
back-slappy drunk and record some of the 'old tunes'
but they both sound good and if recommended by a
fan of Kansas at their best 74-80 then that's good
enough fer me. Thanks!

threefates wrote: Beau Heem wrote: threefates wrote: I'd still want them on top!!  Hmmm.... How much PROGesterone is there in the air today, I wonder... -Beau Atleast you got it... Ninian is still blowing in the wind with sign locations....

I'm going to bed now - too much red wine....

tried to write popmusic I suppose

lunaltair wrote: Intrigued by the reunion album somewhere to elsewhere or whatever it's called and by the proto-kaw stuff. Worth buying? If I may chime in - absolutely worth buying Proto-Kaw. I listen to 'Before Became After' almost every day, and 'Early Recordings' probably every other week.

 

Well how did I know you might say that.