Kansas - Device, Voice, Drum
Performance
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Kansas - Device, Voice, Drum
Performance
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Ahhh Kansas. The grandfathers of American progressive-rock. The scorn of the music critics. The band that just wouldn't go away - and that suites me just fine. I saw these guys twice in concert since the turn of the century and they are better than ever. They are touring and recording with almost their original lineup intact again, minus only Kerry Livgren, and a different bassist, although he has been with them since the 80's. I was a huge fan of these guys all throughout grade school (oh about 30 years ago) and up through high school. After they peaked with Point Of No Return and Kerry Livgren quite the band a few years later, I pretty much lost interest in the band. Sometime around 2001, while perusing Progressiveworld.net, or one of the other good prog-rock websites, I read some good reviews for the new Kansas album Somewhere To Elsewhere, which was actually written and performed with Kerry Livgren, for the first time in decades. Founding member Robbie Steinhardt was also back in the band and, holy hell, I was getting down-right excited about things to come. Somewhere To Elsewhere turned out to be a great album, probably their best since Point Of Know Return, and that is a long frigging time ago my friend. When I heard that they were touring in support of the new album I jumped at the opportunity to see the band I had last saw in concert 20 years ago. It was especially a no-brainer considering they were opening for Yes - who are only one of my top five favorite bands ever! Nothing special. I first saw Kansas in concert during the period, which I consider their low point, when singer and keyboardist Steve Walsh had been replaced by John Elefante. He was a decent enough singer, and they scored a couple of huge hits with ("Fight Fire With Fire", "Play The Game Tonight"), but you could tell they were just up there trying to make the best of it, realizing that the chemistry was fading. I was very surprised to see Steve Walsh sing these two songs on this DVD. That was a real trooper of him. During the mid-80's, Steve Walsh reformed the band with original members Phil Ehart and Rich Williams, and they also recruited guitarist-extraordinaire Steve Morse, to fill the void of the departed Kerry Livgren and Robbie Steinhardt. I guess I should start reviewing this DVD now huh? Device, Voice, Drum was recorded during Kansas' Somewhere To Elsewhere tour of 2002. Steve Morse was long gone, Robbie Steinhardt was back, and it was almost the Kansas of old again. Although Kerry Livgren wrote and performed on most of Somewhere To Elsewhere, he continues to avoid touring with the band. Apparently he would rather be hanging out with his new, fellow born-again Christian buddy Neal Morse (formerly of Spock's Beard and Transatlantic) helping out with his new solo album. Dickheads! What we do get is the original lineup, minus Livegren, with Billy Greer on bass and vocals, who replaced Dave Hope back in the 80's. The first thing you notice when you pop in this DVD is the unusually grainy video appearance. The concert was originally shot using Super-16mm film, and was then digitally remastered. I get the feeling that the band or producers were probably going for some type of retro look and feel, because the concert has a distinct1970's look to it. In this particular case, they actually pull it off, if that was their intention. Fuck, I don't know, I just like it! Besides, the camera work and the exceptional widescreen presentation were so good, you quickly lose yourself in all of the graininess. The performances on this DVD are all outstanding. Robbie Steinhardt was definitely the standout performer. Kansas just wasn't Kansas anymore after he left the band in the late 80's, and Steve Morse joined the band. Morse is a phenomenal guitarist, who wrote some interesting stuff while in the band, but it just didn't sound like Kansas anymore. Having Robbie Steinhardt's violin and vocals back in the band gave them their signature sound again. His energy, enthusiasm, and ability to connect with the audience are what help to make Kansas's live shows so special. Steve Walsh does an impressive job playing all of the keyboard parts while simultaneously singing lead. His voice has definitely lost a step from its glory days of the 70's, but the guy certainly tries hard. Some of the songs have slightly different arrangements in order to accommodate his narrower vocal range, and he really looks like he is straining intensely at times, but the classics sound excellent overall. The Dolby 5.1 surround sound recording was excellent and the mix was nearly perfect. The light and laser show were impressive and not overwhelming. They created the perfect atmosphere to complement there style of music, and I easily lost myself in the performance. The song selection was excellent, spanning their entire career. Playing the classic "Icarus - Borne On The Wings Of Steel" back to back with "Icarus II" from their latest album, Somewhere To Elsewhere, was a nice touch, although I would have reversed the order, playing the classic one first. They incorporated a string quartet during "Dust In The Wind", which gives this beautiful classic a fresh sound. Walsh, Steinhardt, and bassist Billy Grier's vocal harmonies on this song sounded excellent. If you are a fan of Kansas, and can get past the grainy picture quality, you should enjoy this outstanding DVD as much as I did. If you are not one of those people, hello George Starostin (goddamn he was brutal in his Kansas reviews, and he hadn't even gotten to the truly bad albums yet), then avoid this DVD at all costs, because it is Kansas in all of their glory. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - February 2004 |
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Running Time: 104 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - October 2002 |