Kansas Debut (Self Titled)
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=120625
Printed Date: May 06 2024 at 08:10
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Topic: Kansas Debut (Self Titled)
Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Subject: Kansas Debut (Self Titled)
Date Posted: July 29 2019 at 19:53
| I credit Kansas with getting me into prog, leftoverture and point of know return precisely, but over time I’ve grown to like their first two albums the best. I listened to this for the first time in a while and man it’s so damn good. I might go as far as to say it’s their best album. Every track is good, they come right out of the gate showing off their unique american symphonic sound, and the intensity of the playing on this album is unmatched throughout their discography. While the short tracks are all great, particularly belexes, the three longs: Journey from Mariabronn, Apercu and death of Mother Nature Suite are the highlights. Each one is just great symphonic prog. Recommend this and song for America if you’ve never heard them |
Replies:
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 00:12
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Yep totally agree they were symphonic prog for all of 2 albums (after that 'crossover' maybe). I love the debut a lot more than the second one although Song For America is an absolute gem. I do love prog songs about the history/birth of a country.
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Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 01:48
| yup, IMHO, they never got better than the debut... It's kind of the blueprint that set the band's lifelong career, and all attempts to refine and finalize the formula proved unconvincing (IMHO, of course), but it's clear they owed a lot to Yes in the debut album (and the next one as well)... The only thing missing on that album (besides a gatefold cover) is the logo that would appear with SFA (and disappear with Masque)While I like it, I think in SFA, they go a little overboard in near-ELP sense with the overtly symphonic thingy in the Lamplight or Incommudro (forget which one). |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 07:52
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Song for America - the tune - kicks serious ass. Expertly arranged, great lyrics, and Dave Hope's bass playing, with that punchy tone, is killer. I own the original Kirshner released CD and the sound quality is better than most current releases. And the music still sounds fresh today. I was heavily into Kansas through Point Of Know Return but then lost interest. Kansas' first five albums are classics.
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 07:54
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If you want to hear what Kansas sounded like before it was Kansas, check this out:  |
Posted By: AEProgman
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 14:04
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^ This is equally good as the official debut in content IMHO, just not in production as some of the recordings are a tad raw. If I remember some of the booklet notes, some of it was recording in a cave... Have not heard this one in a awhile, need to dig this one out again. ------------- 
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 14:15
| Wow, I just figured out the name is a pun on protocol. Lol. Anyway, I never heard that one but I do like the first Kansas album(1974)quite a bit. I need to dig it out again. |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 15:57
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Very good album....but I still prefer Song for America...that title track might be the best thing they ever did .......imho. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 20:27
Probably thinking incommudro, though I’m a fan, I could see how it may be perceived as overboard. Big fan of side one in general though |
Sean Trane wrote:Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: July 30 2019 at 20:30
Hey look we agree on something! To me SFA is the best american prog song, Neal Morse and DT have great stuff to their names, but that song is perfection. Totally agree that past POKR, it’s generally poor. There are a few good tracks on somewhere to elsewhere and the most recent one was decent however. |