DEVICE, VOICE, DRUM

Coming off the surprise new studio album Somewhere to Elsewhere in 2000 Kansas seemed to have a bit of a resurgence in popularity, with an increased tour schedule that hasn't let up yet, and a rapid-fire series of reengineered back-catalog albums, compilations, and reissued live releases. In the summer of 2002 the band auctioned off several hundred premium tickets for this concert at Earthlink Live in Atlanta, and drummer Phil Ehart realized a long-time desire to record a full-length concert of the band in a small-venue setting. The result was the two-disc "Device - Voice - Drum", released with little fanfare by Compendium Music Group. This was an unexpected release that may have been largely old material, but offered fans a rare chance to pick up a lovingly produced representation of the band in their current form and a setting where they shine the brightest - in front of their fans. If you are a fan of the band, even just of their ten hits singles (or even just of "Dust in the Wind"), this is a show well worth having.

The opening track is a version of "Belexes" that features an extended instrumental from Rich Williams that adds to the guitar-driven flavor of the original. One thing I've always loved about this song is the long, patient sustains, which I believe were originally played by Kerry Livgren. Williams seems to rush them just ever-so-slightly, but his aggressive work during the instrumental passages mostly makes up for this tiny faux pas. Steve Walsh wisely restrains his strained vocals for the most part, and overall this is a very strong and welcome opening track.

Next up is "Icarus II" from the surprise 2000 studio album Somewhere to Elsewhere, probably the only time this one will ever appear on a live album. This tribute to World War II fighter pilots is one of Kansas' best new songs in many years, again with a heavy emphasis on Williams' guitar. Walsh actually manages to sound even better than he did on the studio version, and the band's timing is impeccable. It never ceases to amaze me how strong these guys sound live, and I'm surely not the only fan that regrets there aren't more recordings available of their heyday concerts of the late 70s and early 80s. The only follow-up that makes sense is the original "Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel" from 1975's Masque album, titled as just "Icarus" here. The pipe organ intro is different and Walsh's voice clearly doesn't have the range it did thirty years ago, but then whose does? All in all this is actually a pretty good version of this old fan favorite. Robbie Steinhardt is strong on violin, but once again Williams really steals the limelight here.

The crowd is pumped by the time the band rolls into "Song for America", a tune the band could probably nail in their sleep. This is a near perfect note-for-note rendition of the original, proving once again the band has lost nothing in terms of their live performances. I have to wonder if the band chose instrumental-heavy tracks early in the show to preserve Walsh's voice. If so, the fans benefit since most of these aren't played much in concert anymore, and the result is a much more progressive sound than some of the band's later live collections like Live at the Whiskey and the King Biscuit concert.

Williams said in a 90s interview that the band hardly ever plays "Magnum Opus" in concert anymore because it eats up too much of the ninety minutes or so the band usually plays. Too bad, but at least we're treated to a small snippet with the "Howling at the Moon" portion, complete with Walsh's cheesy wolf yelps.

Much better is the next track "The Wall". This was one of my favorites back in the day ("the day" being the late 70s), and Walsh's keyboards and vocals are both surprisingly sharp in this rare live versions. Speaking of Walsh, he's really getting into the show by now, and trying to hit a few notes he can't quite reach, but just when it sounds like he might overdue it, Steinhardt kicks in his violin solo and all ends well with the familiar violin and drum climax.

The New Advent Choir chimes in for "The Preacher", and the sound separation is quite good. I never really liked this on the In the Spirit of Things album, but live with the gospel choir it comes off stronger than I remembered the original. Williams clearly doesn't have the range Steve Morse did on the original, but considering he stuck around with the band and Morse didn't, he gets kudos for the effort.

"Journey from Mariabronn" is the lone offering from the band's 1974 debut album, and it clearly suffers here from the lack of the two strong keyboardists that the original had. Here again is another song with extended instrumental passages with plenty of tempo changes and individual highlights, particularly from Steinhardt and Williams. Walsh's vocals here sound remarkably like those on Somewhere to Elsewhere, slightly more gruff than his younger years but with a strong command of his pitch and timing. Billy Greer manages to deliver a strong bass line that rivals Dave Hope's original version as well.

The ubiquitous "Dust in the Wind" offers a brief respite with the band pulling up their stools for a reflective rendition. There is a string backing arrangement here that adds even more beauty to that universally familiar acoustic guitar and violin solo. This isn't quite as impressive as the full orchestra version on Always Never the Same, but it sure comes close.

"Cheyenne Anthem" is a song that most Wheatheads cherish, but rarely gets played live. I think this is mostly because Walsh has gone on record in the past saying he's not too fond of the song, but the fans respond warmly here, particularly when Greer covers the last vocal passage that was sung by the childrens' choir on the studio version. Walsh must have had a hand in the arrangement, as the middle instrumental passage of keyboards has been largely supplanted by a series of power chord guitar riffs instead. I have to say I think this is an improvement on the original. This is one of the best live versions of the song available.

I was a bit surprised to hear the rather obscure "Child of Innocence" here, but I suppose this was included because it features mostly Steinhardt on vocals, and is another heavy guitar song that doesn't tax Walsh too much on keyboards. A decent performance, but a bit of an odd choice considering the many other songs the band could have chosen.

The second CD is a bit odd because it includes an "enhanced" track, which is basically a Quicktime video of the new track "Distant Vision". Obviously you need a computer to play this one.

On the audio portion of the CD is "Miracles Out of Nowhere", always been a crowd favorite and I don't see how the band could have done a live album without it. Walsh does a surprisingly decent job of managing the vocals on this one, mostly by laying off the really high notes, although by this point in the concert his voice is definitely showing signs of fatigue. If you watch him on the DVD version of the album you can see that he's really struggling to hit his notes, but he's definitely having a good time and the crowd is loving it.

The band kind of rushes through "Point of Know Return", and I can't be the only one who listens through the song thinking just one thing - why couldn't the band have found a way to get Kerry Livgren to show up and at least play this one? I love this song but it has never sounded right to me without Kerry.

Probably the high point of the album is the 'medley' "Portrait (He Knew)/The Pinnacle". Walsh kicks off with a shout to the crowd and those so-familiar keyboards, with Williams and Steinhardt coming in right on cue. Williams flat out rocks on guitar on this one, and at times I can't separate Steinhardt's violin, Williams' guitar, and Walsh's keyboards. Very tight delivery even if the 'Pinnacle' portion is shortchanged.

I really have no idea why the band decided to include the almost forgotten "Fight Fire With Fire" and "Play the Game Tonight" from the John Elephante period of the band. The round-robin vocals between Walsh, Steinhardt, and Greer just sound forced, and frankly these may have been radio hits but never represented this band's real sound. The only real saving grace here is Williams, but I will say that Walsh's vocals on "Play the Game Tonight" give that song more life than Elephante ever did.

The concert closes with the band's second biggest hit, "Carry on Wayward Son". Even though Walsh is a bit self-indulgent in leading up to the song, it sounds great, even after all these years. Here's another where Williams gives a good effort, but no one can play the guitar lead on this song like Livgren could.

The video file for "Distant Vision" is clearly an advertisement for the DVD, but I'm sure glad it was included anyway. The quality is a bit grainy and flat since the show was shot with film instead of digitally, but this also gives the performance kind of a timeless feel.

All told this is a very good snapshot of the band at what is probably the twilight of a very long career of nearly thirty-five years of live shows. Walsh's voice seems to be the biggest topic of conversation for most of Kansas' live shows anymore, but I have to say that for a guy who's over fifty years old and has been singing since his teenage years, he's doing a hell of a lot better than any of us could. The song selection for the most part is great, although I would have liked to have seen "Child of Innocence" substituted for having "The Pinnacle" played out fully.

But these are minor quibbles, and I think the overall package is better than just good, so it must be excellent. Four stars, but pick up the DVD instead if you can.

peace