Kansas
The Best of Kansas
Original Release Date: February 23, 1999
Format: Extra tracks,
Original recording reissued,
Original recording remastered
Label: Sony
Song Title:
1. Carry On Wayward Son5:23
2. Point Of Know Return3:11
3. Fight Fire With Fire3:41
4. Dust In The Wind3:26
5. Song For America9:07
6. Hold On3:52
7. No One Together6:57
8. Play The Game Tonight3:27
9. The Wall4:47
10. The Pinnacle9:36
11. The Devil Game5:05
12. Closet Chronicles6:54
Excellent Collection!,
February 6, 2002
By Samhot (Star Land)
This is an excellent purchase for those who don't know much about the band Kansas, but would like to get a sampler of some of this excellent band's music.. It has great hard rock staples, as well as longer and elaborate prog-rock epics. To me, that's what makes a best of album spectacular. It has the popular "Carry On Wayward Son," the melodious quirk of "Point Of Know Return," and the inspirational "Hold On," just to name a few. However, my personal favorites are the extended prog numbers, like "Song For America" and "No One Together," which are elaborate and complex in arrangement, with great vocals and melody, and what surprises one is the fact that guitarist Kerry Livgren wrote most of these elaborate pieces by himself. Kerry & company were a talented bunch, and it's nothing to be taken lightly. "The Closet Chronicles" is performed live, yet sounds as crisp as a studio recording. This is another one of those elaborate epics featuring great vocals, with outstanding musicianship. One should know that, for the time being, this live version can only be found on this collection, as it was omitted from the remastering of their live double CD, _Two For The Show_, in order to keep the disc from being double (which was pretty dumb.) It's a real shame, because I believe the live version of this song leaves the studio version in the dust.
Overall, I am very pleased with this recording. If you like complex, elaborate, dramatic and sophisticated bands like Queen, you should love Kansas.
-Agreed, though a bit of a HOT remaster job by Sony (which isn't news), these guys defined the times of the more commercial Progressive Rock genre with their arrangements, musicianship and writings...
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