Kansas

[kirksnosehair]

Kansas has a new album out called "The Absence of Presence" and it's really great! 


If you liked their last album, "The Prelude Implicit" you will definitely like this one, it's even better.  Some great playing on here and a lot of nice, memorable melodies.  This vocalist has grown on me quite a bit. 


I don't like to compare it to the Livgren/Walsh era because it's almost like a different band without those guys, but I don't really care.  The music and the production, while a bit on the loud side for my tastes, is still pretty nice. 

[devieira73]

I’ve been listening this album this week with more attention and it’s really good, worthy the Kansas’s name and better and proggier than Prelude, no doubt!
My only minor complaint, like Prelude, there isn’t a more rocker side of Kansas on it, any song with faster pacing. Even Freaks of Nature and Somewhere to Elsewhere have a few more agressive songs, for Kansas’s standarts.
A random commentary: The Song the River Sang is very cool and totally sounds like Yes!

[hefdaddy42]

I haven't had the chance to listen to the new album yet (other than the singles that were released), but I wanted to mention their 2000 album Somewhere to Elsewhere.  Absolutely one of my favorite Kansas albums ever, really in line with the great albums from the classic years.

[King Postwhore]

Hef, if you liked the last album The Prelude Implicit, the new album is a step up from that for sure.

[devieira73]

I haven't had the chance to listen to the new album yet (other than the singles that were released), but I wanted to mention their 2000 album Somewhere to Elsewhere.  Absolutely one of my favorite Kansas albums ever, really in line with the great albums from the classic years.

Totally agree with that, amazing album!!!
I just made the comparision because it’s one of the more recent Kansas albums. Ok, maybe it wasn’t fair, because also it’s already 20 years younger compared to this last one.

[Orbert]

Damn, you're right!  I still think of Somewhere to Elsewhere as one of the "new" Kansas albums.  Which it is, relatively speaking, but at 20 years old, it's not exactly new any more.

[ytserush]

Damn, you're right!  I still think of Somewhere to Elsewhere as one of the "new" Kansas albums.  Which it is, relatively speaking, but at 20 years old, it's not exactly new any more.

I think that's the last studio album I have.

[Nel]

"Look At The Time" and "Disappearing Skin tight Blues" are favorites of mine.

[The Walrus]

An older friend of mine just gave me a burnt copy of The Absence of Presence. I think he thinks I'm into classic prog more than I actually am but this was a nice surprise. I don't know much about Kansas aside from their couple of bigger albums (Point of Know Return and Leftoverture, but I don't know them THAT well), so this will be a nice surprise, looking forward to playing it - if it's good enough maybe I'll jump into their discography.

[kirksnosehair]

This is a different animal than their pre-2000 material, just FYI.  If you go into it not expecting to hear "Point of Know Return 2" then you'll dig it.

[The Letter M]

An older friend of mine just gave me a burnt copy of The Absence of Presence. I think he thinks I'm into classic prog more than I actually am but this was a nice surprise. I don't know much about Kansas aside from their couple of bigger albums (Point of Know Return and Leftoverture, but I don't know them THAT well), so this will be a nice surprise, looking forward to playing it - if it's good enough maybe I'll jump into their discography.

I hope you'll like it! This and their previous album, The Prelude Implicit, are pretty great modern prog albums with the kind of flair that only Kansas could add. There's some great music on this new album, though I'll admit having only listened to it a couple of times. If you like Absence Of Presence, definitely go back one album and check out The Prelude Implicit.

This is a different animal than their pre-2000 material, just FYI.  If you go into it not expecting to hear "Point of Know Return 2" then you'll dig it.

Agreed, while they're Kansas in name, there are some differences between modern Kansas and their 70s hey-day, but what 70s prog rock band HASN'T changed even a little bit since the 70s? I think if you like the new stuff, definitely go back and listen to Kansas' first five albums (one of the best debut-to-five runs I can think of in rock, let alone prog rock).

-Marc.

[jingle.boy]

I’m in the same boat as Katt. I know the two big albums, but never explored the band any further, or kept up with them. Guess I need to fix that.

[Nel]

Personally, I love the first three albums as much as the big two that followed them, so I think you'll be in good hands. It's Monolith and the 80s/90s stuff I'm not really familiar with. And perhaps I should fix that. 

[Lowdz]

I’m in the same boat as Katt. I know the two big albums, but never explored the band any further, or kept up with them. Guess I need to fix that.

Power is a great AOR/prog album. You might like that.

[jingle.boy]

I’m in the same boat as Katt. I know the two big albums, but never explored the band any further, or kept up with them. Guess I need to fix that.

Power is a great AOR/prog album. You might like that.

If I didn't know better, I might have thought I was listening to Night Ranger!     That was a nice album.

[kirksnosehair]

"Masque" and "Song for America" are must-haves other than "Leftoverture" of course, but if you really want to hear what Kansas was all about in their prime, get your hands on the recently released, expanded edition of their live album, "2 For The Show" - it's my favorite live album.  Period.  And it really showcases their talents as musicians.  Yeah, they cleaned up a few things in the studio post-recording, but it's mostly just them playing live and the performances are incredible.  I saw them live when The Prelude Implicit was released and they could still knock out those classic Kansas tunes and do them justice even though there's  only 2 original members left.

[The Letter M]

"Masque" and "Song for America" are must-haves other than "Leftoverture" of course, but if you really want to hear what Kansas was all about in their prime, get your hands on the recently released, expanded edition of their live album, "2 For The Show" - it's my favorite live album.  Period.  And it really showcases their talents as musicians.  Yeah, they cleaned up a few things in the studio post-recording, but it's mostly just them playing live and the performances are incredible.  I saw them live when The Prelude Implicit was released and they could still knock out those classic Kansas tunes and do them justice even though there's  only 2 original members left.

The 2008 2-CD version of Two For The Show is *essential* Live Kansas listening. It's basically their Yessongs, their Welcome Back My Friends..., their Exit...Stage Left, their Seconds Out. The expanded edition covers a LOT of their tunes from their first five albums (25 out of 40 songs represented here), and while it isn't a traditional single live concert, it features some amazing performances and solo spots for many of the members of the band. It's definitely one of my favorite 70's prog live albums (along with the others I mentioned above).

-Marc.

[Orbert]

I really like Two for the Show, but I can't put it on the same level as Yessongs or Welcome Back, for one really nitpicky reason: They've edited the songs.  I'm not talking about editing the recordings post-production; the band themselves have shortened the songs and made some editing choices that really bug me.  "Song for America" is one my favorite Kansas songs, but they skip the musical break which describes the industrialization of America and just jump to the last verse.  Opening the concert by playing most of the song doesn't really get me started on the right foot.  "Carry On Wayward Son" -- another fave -- cuts out the awesome a capella intro, which is an important part of the song.  And so on.

What they play, they play well.  But I'd still want to hear the entire song.  It's bad enough when studio versions are cut, but when the band themselves can't even be bothered to play their own songs, that's really bad.  Yessongs and Welcome Back, in contrast, give us expanded versions of the songs.  That's what live albums are all about.

[emtee]

New album is AMZING! Can't believe they are still creating music that moves me so much. Almost had tears in my eyes listening to Never. After I completed the first spin, I wanted to hear the entire thing again.

[kirksnosehair]

If you get a chance to see them live, do it.  They were tight.   The drummer, in particular, really impressed me.  He's one of the two remaining original members.

[hefdaddy42]

Finally got a chance to listen to the new album yesterday.

Wow, that was really good!  I liked the last one too, but this was much better IMO.

[The Walrus]

I'm not quite sure why, but it was way past my bedtime last night, yet I still decided to check this album out. I put on the first song and was immediately impressed by the production, how big it sounded, and especially how huge those drums sound! Wow. I didn't listen to the whole record, but I got through I think 5 songs, and was thoroughly - and pleasantly - surprised. And while I only know Leftoverture and POKR, it's not like I really know a lot about those records, so this was basically a total surprise. Going to finish it this morning.

Lyrically it's kind of corny but the playing on this truly surprises and impresses me; this does not sound like it's by a band whose heyday was in the 70s. The drummer especially - I can't believe he's 70 and playing some of the stuff on this. There are moments that make me listen to the drums and think, that's gotta be a much younger guy behind the kit. But nope. Wow.

Maybe I'll do a deep dive on this band and go through their discography this fall.

[kirksnosehair]

I saw an interview with them a few months back and the drummer is now pretty much the band leader.

[emtee]

This album is the unexpected surprise of the year. It was not even on my radar. I spin it every day and can't believe how pleasant it is to listen to. All of those early elements of classic Kansas are there but refined with age. Really remarkable how good it is.

[kirksnosehair]

Bumping this before it hits the second page because I think more people should check this album out.

[Orbert]

I got the latest album and think it's pretty great, probably the best thing I've heard from Kansas since the 70's.  I'm not exaggerating.  It bothered me a bit at first that there aren't a lot of original members left, including the classic-era singers, composers, and... well, most of the band actually.  But The Absence of Presence is pretty damned good.  You can tell Zak Rizvi gets it.  He's the primary writer on the album, most of the songs, most of the words and music.  And the same things that I love about 70's Kansas is right here, and it's great.  I wish the current Yes lineup sounded as great and was as comparable to 70's Yes as the new Kansas album is to 70's Kansas.

But now he's gone.  Zak Rizvi has resigned from the band Kansas.

[King Postwhore]

Crap.

[The Letter M]

Aw man, that's a real bummer. Their last two albums have been some of their best work since their 70s heyday. I wonder how Rizvi's departure will alter the overall writing for the band if they make any more studio albums. Anyone know how long their current record deal with Inside Out goes? They've already done two albums, and are releasing their second live album with IO soon, so that's four altogether. I can't imagine they've got much more to go, but I don't know a whole lot about how those sorts of things work.

-Marc.

[Orbert]

For now, all hopes are on Tom Brislin.  With Rizvi out, Brislin is the only one left who can really be considered a songwriter at all.  I mean sure, some of the other guys might have some co-writing credits here and there, but Rizvi was the driving force until now.  Brislin just joined a few years ago, so this was his first Kansas album, and he and Rizvi more-or-less split up the writing credits between them.  Maybe they'll luck out a second time; what are the odds that there's another Zak Rizvi out there somewhere?

[KevShmev]

The sad thing is, if you are another Zak Rizvi, rather than joining (what is perceived as) an old band where many fans will dismiss anything you do as "not as good as the old stuff," why not create your own band and create your own legacy?  I am not as wild about the last two Kansas albums as some of you are - I think both have their moments, but neither had a long shelf life for me at all - but if Rizvi was that good and prolific, maybe he figures it is better for himself to go his own way and not be tied to another band's legacy for too long.  Hard to know for sure.

[hefdaddy42]

Dang, that sucks.

[Lupton]

Temporarily joining a legacy band could be a good way for any unknown up-and-coming musician to give a boost to their profile and add a notch to their resume. However, I say this not knowing anything about Zak. However, had he not been in Kansas I'd probably never have heard of the dude so.... 

[The Great Zo]

Zak's old band, 4Front, isn't bad. Kind of an accessible instrumental jazz-rock thing, made by guys who have obviously listened to a ton of Rush, and ... yes, Kansas.

[kirksnosehair]

Well, that's a bummer.   


So glad I got to see them live before he left. 

[Fritzinger]

The sad thing is, if you are another Zak Rizvi, rather than joining (what is perceived as) an old band where many fans will dismiss anything you do as "not as good as the old stuff," why not create your own band and create your own legacy?  I am not as wild about the last two Kansas albums as some of you are - I think both have their moments, but neither had a long shelf life for me at all - but if Rizvi was that good and prolific, maybe he figures it is better for himself to go his own way and not be tied to another band's legacy for too long.  Hard to know for sure.

Its not easy just going out there and start your own legacy from scratch. Unfortunately, nobody gives a fuck about good young musicians nowadays. That's why members from many awesome bands still have other jobs, like teaching jobs or something completely different. And if you're offered to play with Kansas, you'd be a fool not to accept that.