Artist: Kansas
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2009
Rating: 4/5
Kansas have been leaving us high and dry for a long time now, especially when it comes to studio albums, since they haven’t recorded anything new since 2000. This time around they’re not coming back with new material either, but are trying to surprise us with a pretty standard set of their best-known songs and the thousandth version of Dust in the Wind.
It’s kind of fitting that Kansas decided to record this live album in Topeka, Kansas, the city where they started their musical journey. This time they’re joined by the Universe symphony orchestra in Topeka, which does spice things up a bit.
Kansas have always known how to put together a good cross-section of their career, and this time is no different. On this live recording they cover practically their whole career, except for the era with David Ragsdale, which is a bit odd, since Ragsdale is a current member of the band. Personally, I’m bummed about it too, since Freaks of Nature (the only studio album with him) is pretty close to my heart. They did include Fight Fire with Fire, from the era with John Elefante.
The first CD kicks off with Howling at the Moon, which is part of their sprawling Magnum Opus. The guys carry on with an extended version of Belexes from their debut album. Next comes the first (title) track of the three songs from Point of Know Return, followed by the first high point of the show – Song for America, where Steve Walsh also sounds a bit better than he had up to then. They continue with one of the better compositions from Monolith (On the Other Side), and then Steve Morse (Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs), their former member, joins them on stage and first plays some passionate guitar parts on Musicatto (Power), after which the band plays the combined tracks Ghosts/Rainmaker from In the Spirit of Things. After a very good rendition of Nobody’s Home (Point of Know Return), they’re joined on stage by Kerry Livgren, their longtime member and leader, who first shows off his guitar chops on Hold On (Audio-Visions), and then we hear Cheyenne Anthem, where Steve Walsh maybe sings his best of the evening. It’s especially nice to hear the contrast between Billy’s vocals (Billy sings the lead parts that Robbie Steinhardt originally sang) and Steve’s.
The second CD starts with a tribute to American military pilots, Icarus II (from the latest studio album Somewhere to Elsewhere). Logically, Icarus follows (it would be even more logical if it came before Icarus II), the high point of the album Masque. Then come two compositions from Leftoverture – Miracles out of Nowhere and The Wall, which are especially close to my heart, since that’s my favorite Kansas album. And at the end, of course, they had no choice but to play the three big hits – Fight Fire with Fire (Drastic Measures), Dust in the Wind (Point of Know Return) and Carry on Wayward Son (Leftoverture). As a bonus we also hear Down the Road from Song for America, where Steve Morse and Kerry Livgren join the band during the soundcheck and the guitarists trade solos. A nice extra, no doubt about it.
As you can see, the guys played something from practically every album. All that’s missing is a song or two from Vinyl Confessions and Freaks of Nature, but that would’ve been almost too much. I think it’s a pretty nice, if predictable, setlist. Still, certain preferences show. You can tell that Kansas like playing stuff from Leftoverture best, since they played a good chunk of that excellent album.
All the musicians do a really good job. Rich Williams is still an excellent guitarist, despite the eye patch. Phil Ehart is currently the driving force of the band and still an outstanding drummer. Billy Greer is a great bassist and, in my opinion, an even better backing (and lead) vocalist, who often saves Walsh’s bacon. The one who impressed me most might be David Ragsdale, who contributes a heap of violin solos that he reworks a bit in his own way, making for more interesting listening. The weakest link this time is Steve Walsh, who is still a solid keyboardist and singer, but clearly strains much harder than in the past, especially on vocals.
During the show, two key members from the band’s past join the guys on stage. Kerry Livgren might even be the most important member of Kansas ever, since he wrote most of the band’s key works, while Steve Morse came into the band right when it needed a refresh the most, and he managed to deliver it. Both contribute great moments. Morse especially stands out, since his style is a lot more modern (read: shredder-y) than Livgren’s and Williams’s.
The performance of the orchestra from Washburn University also deserves a mention. It adds some lovely moments and at times sort of replaces the keyboards, which don’t always sound their best. The orchestra works especially well alongside David Ragsdale’s violin.
The band’s performance is mostly very good to excellent, but there are quite a few obvious shortcomings. Steve Walsh is known as a great showman, but in recent years he’s become more and more erratic on that front. It’s the same during this show. Steve doesn’t talk to the audience much, and every now and then Billy Greer jumps in to help. The second shortcoming is the vocals, which are pretty worn out, and at times it feels like Greer is helping Walsh quite a bit. Walsh also runs into trouble a couple of times. That’s especially obvious at the start of Icarus II, when he comes in at the wrong moment. According to some accounts, Walsh even does this on purpose, so it may be more about artistic freedom than mistakes. The last major shortcoming I noticed points at Walsh again, since he sometimes has a really strange choice of keyboard sounds, and the keyboards also often sound bad.
There’s Know Place Like Home doesn’t offer anything terribly new. The band is in good form (except for a tired Walsh), but we’ve already had a similar release with Device, Voice, Drum, which isn’t any worse in quality than this one. Still, it’s nice to hear a set of songs that’s at least slightly different from Device, Voice, Drum. There’s Know Place Like Home is a charming release that Kansas fans should hear, since you never know which one will be their last.
Lineup
Steve Walsh – keyboards, vocals
Richard Williams – guitar
David Ragsdale – violin, guitar
Billy Greer – bass guitar, vocals
Phil Ehart – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Kerry Livgren – guitar
Steve Morse – guitar
Conductor Larry Baird with the Washburn University Orchestra
Production
Jeff Glixman, Jim Gentile & Kansas
Track list
CD 1:
1. Howling At The Moon
2. Belexes
3. Point Of Know Return
4. Song For America
5. On The Other Side
6. Musicatto
7. Ghosts/Rainmaker
8. Nobody’s Home
9. Hold On
10. Cheyenne Anthem
CD 2:
1. Icarus II
2. Icarus: Borne On Wings Of Steel
3. Miracles Out Of Nowhere
4. The Wall
5. Fight Fire With Fire
6. Dust In The Wind
7. Carry On Wayward Son
8. Down The Road – Afternoon Jam
