The Kansas Discography Thread - THAT'S ALL, FOLKS (For Now)

[hefdaddy42]

 

I like the original as well.

[KevShmev]

hef, I think you have featured more live and compilations albums combined than studio albums.

It's not that I don't care; I just have nothing to say about compilation records. 

[hefdaddy42]

hef, I think you have featured more live and compilations albums combined than studio albums.

It's not that I don't care; I just have nothing to say about compilation records. 

I understand.

I was just wanting to be thorough, especially since no one else is stepping up to do another discography.

Also, I'm out of studio albums.

I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO END!

[KevShmev]

I hear ya.

Where are all of these peeps who were dying to do a discography thread the minute the idea was tossed around?  Slackers.

[hefdaddy42]

SAIL ON: THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (2004)



Disc One:

1.   Can I Tell You
2.   Journey From Mariabronn
3.   Song For America
4.   Lamplight Symphony
5.   Icarus – Borne on Wings of Steel
6.   The Pinnacle
7.   Child of Innocence
8.   Carry On Wayward Son
9.   Cheyenne Anthem
10.   Miracles out of Nowhere
11.   What’s On My Mind

Disc Two:

1.   Point of Know Return
2.   Portrait (He Knew)
3.   Dust in the Wind
4.   Lightning’s Hand
5.   Sparks of the Tempest
6.   Paradox (Live)
7.   People of the South Wind
8.   Hold On
9.   Got to Rock On
10.   Play the Game Tonight
11.   Fight Fire With Fire
12.   All I Wanted
13.   Rainmaker
14.   Desperate Times
15.   Eleanor Rigby
16.   Icarus II

DVD:

1.   Can I Tell You (from Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert 1974)
2.   Journey From Mariabronn (from Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert 1974)
3.   Death of Mother Nature Suite (from Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert 1974)
4.   Icarus – Borne on Wings of Steel (from Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert 1975)
5.   The Pinnacle (from Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert 1975)
6.   Point of Know Return (Music Video 1977)
7.   Dust in the Wind (Music Video 1977)
8.   On the Other Side (Music Video 1979)
9.   People of the South Wind (Music Video 1979)
10.   Reason to Be (Music Video 1979)
11.   Away From You (Music Video 1979)
12.   Fight Fire With Fire (Music Video 1983)
13.   All I Wanted (Music Video 1986)
14.   The Preacher (from Device, Voice, Drum 2002)
15.   Miracles Out of Nowhere (from Device, Voice, Drum 2002)
16.   Carry On Wayward Son (from Device, Voice, Drum 2002)
17.   Distant Vision (from Device, Voice, Drum 2002) (Hidden Easter Egg)


This is another compilation, this time specifically designed to celebrate (surprise!) the band’s 30th anniversary.  As these things normally do, this one has two discs of music.  It also comes with a DVD featuring music videos, live performances, and other television appearances, going all the way back to 1974. The music covers the entire length of the band’s career, and most of the choices are really good, although I’m not sure why the cover of Eleanor Rigby is on there.

I don’t have this one myself, and I need these songs on another collection like I need a hole in my head, but I would love to have that DVD.  Does anyone have this?

Wikipedia tells me that the band produced a few videos that, for whatever reason, aren’t included on the DVD (Can’t Cry Anymore, Play the Game Tonight, and Windows).

[hefdaddy42]

ON THE OTHER SIDE (2005)



This is a repackage and re-release of earlier collection Carry On.  For collectors or completists only.

1.   Carry On Wayward Son
2.   What’s on my Mind
3.   The Wall
4.   Dust in the Wind
5.   Can I Tell You
6.   People of the South Wind
7.   It Takes a Woman’s Love (To Make a Man)
8.   Child of Innocence
9.   Two Cents Worth
10.   On The Other Side

[hefdaddy42]

WORKS IN PROGRESS (2006)



CD:

1.   Mysteries and Mayhem (from Live at the Whisky)
2.   Portrait (He Knew) (from Live at the Whisky)
3.   Down The Road (from Live at the Whisky)
4.   Black Fathom 4 (from Freaks of Nature)
5.   Freaks of Nature (from Freaks of Nature)
6.   Under the Knife (from Freaks of Nature)
7.   I Can Fly (from Freaks of Nature)
8.   Peaceful and Warm (from Freaks of Nature)
9.   The Wall (from Always Never The Same)
10.   Cheyenne Anthem (from Always Never The Same)
11.   Hold On (from Always Never The Same)
12.   Dust in the Wind (from Always Never The Same)

DVD:

1.   Intro
2.   Belexes
3.   Icarus II
4.   Icarus – Borne on Wings of Steel
5.   Mysteries and Mayhem
6.   Portrait (He Knew)
7.   Down The Road
8.   Hold On
9.   Dust in the Wind

This is another compilation album, but it’s a little different.  For one thing, it covers the specific time period of 1992-2002, the last ten years that Kansas had issued new releases (including live albums), so it includes tracks from Live at the Whisky and Device Voice Drum (on the companion DVD).  However, it doesn’t include anything from Somewhere To Elsewhere, the most recent studio album.

Nothing new here, but here it is.  I don’t have this one, and I’m not sure why I or anyone else would need it.

[hefdaddy42]

PLAYLIST: THE VERY BEST OF KANSAS (2008)



1.   Can I Tell You
2.   Song for America
3.   Icarus – Borne on Wings of Steel
4.   The Pinnacle
5.   Carry On Wayward Son
6.   What’s on my Mind
7.   Miracles Out of Nowhere
8.   Point of Know Return
9.   Portrait (He Knew)
10.   Dust in the Wind
11.   People of the South Wind
12.   Hold On

Hey, another shitty compilation album issued by Sony!

Not a bad single disc collection of songs, I suppose, but they are available in better packages.  Or, you  know, the albums themselves.

[jjrock88]

Is this band trying to match Kiss with the number of compilation albums lol

[hefdaddy42]

Is this band trying to match Kiss with the number of compilation albums lol

Maybe so lol

[Podaar]

Yeah, it's a tough thing when doing these discography threads to decide how much you want to feature these types of compilations. I don't remember what I did for B.O.C. but I think I ended up just putting them in a linked list for people check out if they wanted too.

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, it's a tough thing when doing these discography threads to decide how much you want to feature these types of compilations. I don't remember what I did for B.O.C. but I think I ended up just putting them in a linked list for people check out if they wanted too.

Yeah, there are multiple ways to go.

I decided to go balls to the wall to the bitter end (which will be in a couple of days).

[King Postwhore]

Damn, I never saw that compilation.

[hefdaddy42]

Damn, I never saw that compilation.

Success!

[King Postwhore]

 

[Orbert]

It's important to remember that the bands usually have very little say, if any, in these re-releases and infinite compilations.  They made the music, and hopefully their contracts are set up so that they get their appropriate royalties and compensation, but the rights to repackage and re-release the music over and over belong to the labels.  And since that's how the labels make their money, that's exactly what they do.  As long as the band gets its fraction of a cent per unit, they don't really care.

If that 10-year-old Greatest Hits album isn't going to sell, come up with a new track listing and nice new cover art and put it out there.  Someone will buy it.  At any given time, there are always people who've been meaning to check out a certain band, or replace their ancient vinyl with CDs, or something.  At the very least, there are still the hardcore collectors who must have everything released by the band.  They'll buy a five-disc boxed set just to get the weirdass European radio edit of a song that wasn't even released here and has the third verse missing but an extra four measures before it starts to fade out at the end.  You know they will.

[hefdaddy42]

Yep. 

If only more of these label-produced compilations had selections like THAT.

[Orbert]

That would be cool.  I like the weirdass alternate versions of things.  Usually not instead of the regular version, but as interesting oddities.

One recent exception is in the Yes remasters by Steven Wilson.  There's a track on The Yes Album called "A Venture" which fades out at the end, but in checking out the original tapes, it was discovered that they actually kept playing for a while, jamming around, and finally ended the song.  There's a couple of extra minutes of music there.  So on my iPod, I have that version instead of the original version, because it's otherwise the same, but now I have "the whole song", 40 years later.

[hefdaddy42]

That's cool!

In my dream world, Kansas would re-release Masque without all the fucking fadeouts.

[KevShmev]

I always thought The Who had the most compilation albums, especially when the ratio is compared to total studio albums, but holy moly.

[King Postwhore]

The remastered album box set is what sucked me back to buying their CD's.  Just like BOC.

[hefdaddy42]

ESSENTIAL KANSAS 3.0 (2008)



Disc One:

1.   Carry On Wayward Son
2.   Song for America
3.   The Wall
4.   Lonely Street
5.   Journey From Mariabronn
6.   Child of Innocence
7.   Mysteries and Mayhem
8.   The Pinnacle
9.   Bringing It Back
10.   Down The Road
11.   What’s on my Mind
12.   Death of Mother Nature Suite

Disc Two:

1.   Point of Know Return
2.   Cheyenne Anthem
3.   Fight Fire With Fire
4.   Dust in the Wind
5.   Hold On
6.   No One Together
7.   Play the Game Tonight
8.   Closet Chronicles
9.   Sparks of the Tempest
10.   Portrait (He Knew)
11.   On the Other Side
12.   People of the South Wind
13.   A Glimpse of Home
14.   Magnum Opus

Disc Three:

1.   Can I Tell you
2.   Lamplight Symphony
3.   Miracles Out of Nowhere
4.   Questions of my Childhood
5.   Paradox
6.   The Spider
7.   Got to Rock On

This is a reissue of the 2002 compilation The Ultimate Kansas, although this release has a bonus third disc, so it is an upgrade from the earlier version.  As I said in the write-up for that one, if you have to have a collection, and this is the only one you have access to, then you should get it, I guess.  Otherwise, I would recommend it only to collector/completists.  No live versions, demos, or otherwise rare tracks, only studio versions of the songs.

And hey, that's two compilations in one year!  Thanks, record label!

[jjrock88]

Are you including the recently released " The very definitive ultimate best of greatest hits of Kansas"

It was a rare Japanese import released in January

[hefdaddy42]

Are you including the recently released " The very definitive ultimate best of greatest hits of Kansas"

It was a rare Japanese import released in January

I wasn't.

But now?

[King Postwhore]

Hef, start your research of every compilation in every country ever.  I'll give you a week.

[Orbert]

Are you including the recently released " The very definitive ultimate best of greatest hits of Kansas"

It was a rare Japanese import released in January

I have the Limited Edition, which includes a DVD of the band rehearsing "Dust in the Wind" outside during an actual dust storm.  You can't hear or see anything very well, but I think it's them.  It also includes the ultra-rare European edit of a song never released in the United States.  It omits the third verse, but has an extra four bars near the end before it starts to fade out.  You know the one. 

[jjrock88]

 

[hefdaddy42]

THERE’S KNOW PLACE LIKE HOME (2009)



1.   Belexes                     5:43
2.   Point of Know Return               3:25
3.   Song For America               9:29
4.   Musicatto                  3:22
5.   Ghosts/Rainmaker               4:32
6.   Nobody’s Home                  4:55
7.   Hold On                  5:07
8.   Icarus II                     6:57
9.   Icarus-Borne on Wings of Steel            6:37
10.   Miracles Out of Nowhere            6:40
11.   Fight Fire With Fire               4:20
12.   Dust in the Wind               4:13
13.   Carry On Wayward Son               6:50
14.   Down the Road (Afternoon Jam)         6:53

The band decided to celebrate their 35th anniversary in 2009 by recording a new live project.  The venue was Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where several members of the band had gone to school.  Because it was an anniversary celebration, they decided to have symphonic backing for the performance, and so they used the Washburn University Symphony Orchestra.  Since they already had symphonic arrangements for several of their songs, from the Always Never the Same project, they used those, as well as Larry Baird (the composer of those arrangements) sitting in as conductor, as well as creating new arrangements not used on the earlier album.

The result is a very engaging and wonderful performance.  It’s a great setlist, highlighted by several twists and turns, and appearances by former members, and for the most part, the orchestra sounds very good.  I like this project a lot.  The only downside is, again, Walsh’s vocals.  For most of the concert, they don’t really bother me a lot (although I can see how they could bother some people), but there are a couple of spots that are just flat out bad.

Steve Morse joins the band for his composition “Musicatto” and Kerry Livgren shows up for “Hold On”, which has an incredible arrangement – after Livgren’s guitar solo, it goes into the outro section of “Peaceful and Warm” before coming back to “Hold On.” 

Also, this has a pretty epic version of “Dust in the Wind”, featuring Livgren and Williams on acoustic guitar, and Steve Morse joining in with violin, assisting Dave Ragsdale on recreating the as-originally-recorded dual-violin solo, before going into the orchestral “solo”.  I mean, holy crap.

The last track, “Down the Road (Afternoon Jam)”, was done at the soundcheck, and shows everyone on stage jamming on this song from the Song For America album.  It’s a lot of fun, especially watching it.

Livgren also joins the band for “Carry On Wayward Son”, and we finally get to hear the orchestral arrangement for that song, as it was recorded during the Always Never the Same sessions, but not included on the release.

If you didn’t care for the orchestral arrangements on Always Never the Same, you may not like this as much, but I would say that it works better in a live environment for me.  Also, if you get to watch the video of these performances, as opposed to the audio only, that also makes a difference.  They are all on youtube.

The DVD and Blu-ray release also include additional songs “Howling at the Moon” (which serves as the show intro, leading into “Belexes”), “On the Other Side”, “Cheyenne Anthem”, and “The Wall.”

[hefdaddy42]

Hmmm.  I would have expected at least SOME discussion on this live album.  Oh well.

That wraps it up for Kansas for the moment.  Over the last 15 years, they have been strictly a touring band, and they have toured every year.  Steve Walsh didn't want to produce any new Kansas music, so no new Kansas music was produced.  However, by 2008, the other four members of the band - Greer, Ragsdale, Williams, and Ehart - decided they DID want to produce some new music, so they formed a side band called Native Window, and released a self-titled album, which I do not own (although I have heard one or two tracks from it, and they were pretty good).

In 2014, Kansas celebrated their 40th Anniversary, and as a result, two things happened.

1) The band decided to record a documentary that would be a retrospective of the band's creation and rise to their peak, titled Miracles Out of Nowhere, which would be released in spring 2015.

2) Steve Walsh decided to retire from the band.

Now that Kansas had lost both their keyboardist and lead vocalist in one fell swoop, further lineup adjustments had to be made if the band was to continue.  So they hired singer Ronnie Platt to be the lead singer and to play keys, and the band's longtime lighting specialist David Manion was hired to play the lead key parts.

By all accounts, the band sounds better now than they have in years.

Also, they will be producing a new album in the near future.  At that time, I will update this thread.

It's been fun, guys.

[Orbert]

Hef, you're the man!    Thanks for doing this.  I've always liked Kansas, and even though they kinda fell out of favor with me for a while there, we're back on good terms now, and I've discovered that they actually made a lot of music later that was pretty good.  I also learned quite a bit about the band that I didn't know before, so that was cool, too.

Sorry about the last live album.  I don't have it, have never heard it, and probably won't, so I didn't have anything to add.

[hefdaddy42]

Hef, you're the man!    Thanks for doing this.  I've always liked Kansas, and even though they kinda fell out of favor with me for a while there, we're back on good terms now, and I've discovered that they actually made a lot of music later that was pretty good.  I also learned quite a bit about the band that I didn't know before, so that was cool, too.

Sorry about the last live album.  I don't have it, have never heard it, and probably won't, so I didn't have anything to add.

Well, if you ever get time, all of the performances from the DVD are on youtube, and they are mostly good.

[King Postwhore]

Thanks Hef!  Really enjoyed talking about the music of my youth.

[Podaar]

Thanks Hef! This was a real fun thread to follow.

Kansas has been and always be in the upper echelon of prog music for me. I love how accessible they made prog music but still had the skill to amaze. Plus, they just plain rocked out.

I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with for the next album.

[jjrock88]

great job with this thread

[hefdaddy42]

Thanks, guys.

I may never buy a compilation album again.