Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Kansas
Label: Epic Records
Release: 1978
Length: 73:17
Rating: 5/5
“Two for the Show” was the first live album from American progressive rock legends Kansas. The individual recordings come from the tour that followed the release of the artistically and commercially huge “Point of Know Return” (1977), the album that catapulted them onto the throne of so-called arena rock. By this point the virtuoso crew from Topeka had made a gigantic leap from the days when they played shabby cowboy bars and struggled to scrape by from one day to the next. Suddenly they found themselves on gigantic stadium and arena stages, playing for thousands of fanatical fans from all over the world. Their dreams had come true, yet they held on to their proverbial modesty and their huge love of music. They couldn’t have picked a better moment to put out a first live album, since they were at the peak of their creative powers. And their hits, led by “Carry On Wayward Son”, “Point of Know Return” and “Dust in the Wind”, were spinning on every classic rock radio station.
“Two for the Show” is a phenomenal cross-section of their output up to that point, packing in all the best moments from the individual albums, from the self-titled debut to “Point of Know Return”. On top of that, it captures their unique live magic in an extraordinary way. It’s easy for the listener to imagine what those unforgettable shows in front of crowds of many thousands must have been like. The big emphasis is on songs from “Lefotoverture” (1976) and “Point of Know Return” (1977), which makes sense, since those are their two central masterpieces, the ones that brought them worldwide fame. Plenty of the live versions are even better than their studio counterparts, which is no surprise, since Kansas usually came across even better live than in the studio. The positive vibe and lively energy between band and crowd go perfectly with the excellent performances of the Kansas favorites. The production is stunning too, with no trace of studio touch-ups, which is in sharp contrast to the practice of most of their contemporaries.
A true Kansas devotee will of course want to get the recently released double version of the album, which is far more than an upgrade over the outdated single-CD release. It comes with an extra disc featuring a whole nine previously unheard, unreleased live goodies. There’s also additional info about the album and a rich gallery of concert photos. Worth noting: the track list now includes “Closet Chronicles”, which longtime fans had been missing on the CD version for years. It was already on the original double LP, but had to be cut from the first, single-CD edition because of space limitations. That lousy move is finally history, and the listener can enjoy the complete concert experience, one that faithfully captures the spirit of their shows at the time. Just a quick skim through the track list across both discs is enough to make any fan of the band’s eyes light up and mouth water.
In picking their songs, Kansas move brilliantly between grand and complex symphonic prog rock epics, shorter art and hard rock anthems and instrumental moments, and they still find enough room for solo spots from the main instrumentalists. The thrilling live adventure runs all the way from the first bars of the patriotic epic “Song For America” to the closing blues/hard rock bash of “Bringing It Back”. Disc one has gems like the excellent version of the arena rock anthem “Point of Know Return”, the dramatic epic “Icarus-Borne On Wings Of Steel” from the overlooked album “Masque” (1975), the cult epic saga “Journey From Mariabronn” from their self-titled debut, an excerpt from the symphonic fairy tale “Lamplight Symphony”, and the orgasmic “Magnum Opus”, which most fans consider the best thing in their entire history. Thanks to their incredible tightness, the latter even outdoes the studio version, which is sometimes hard to believe.
The second disc is stuffed with treats like the gorgeous Native American hymn “Cheyenne Anthem”, the always killer “Miracles Out Of Nowhere”, the monumental (and long-missed) prog-pop classic “Closet Chronicles” and the proto prog metal-funk rock gem “Sparks Of The Tempest”. Of course “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind” are both there too, the band’s two biggest hits and most recognizable songs.
In between there’s a string of shorter, more compact numbers like “Lonely Street”, “Down The Road” and the closing “Bringing It Back”, originally written by legendary blues musician JJ Cale. These show that they were always far more than just a symphonic prog rock band, since they never shied away from the odd hard rock and blues moment, and later developed a very special relationship with melodic rock and pop rock too.
Their famous instrumental chops also shine through individual solo spots woven into the songs. Livgren, for example, works a superb acoustic guitar solo into “Dust in the Wind”. In “Lonely Wind”, Walsh, on top of his heart-wrenching vocal performance, also treats us to a piano solo, while drummer Phil Ehart gets his triumphant moment before the start of “The Spider”.
“Two for the Show” is a great, thoroughly authentic live album that cemented the triumphant march of arena rock and of the movement’s leading band at the time. In terms of atmosphere, performance and sound quality, it easily ranks among the best live recordings of the 70s. Without any exaggeration, it stands shoulder to shoulder with far more popular live classics like “Bursting Out” (Jethro Tull) and “Made in Japan” (Deep Purple). As a collection of their best work, it’s also perfect for anyone who hasn’t yet tackled their back catalog. “Two for the Show” is a testament to a legendary band at the peak of their powers. When it came out, it only strengthened their freshly won status among the giants of progressive and classic rock.
Line-up
Steve Walsh – vocals, keyboards
Kerry Livgren – guitar, keyboards
Robby Steinhardt – violin, vocals
Rich Williams – guitar
Dave Hope – bass guitar
Phil Ehart – drums, percussion
Production
Kansas
Track list
CD1:
1. Song for America
2. Point of Know Return
3. Paradox
4. Icarus — Borne on the Wings of Steel
5. Portrait (He Knew)
6. Carry on Wayward Son
7. Journey from Mariabronn
8. Dust in the Wind [Acoustic Guitar Solo]
9. Lonely Wind
10. Mysteries and Mayhem
11. Excerpt from Lamplight Symphony
12. Wall
13. Magnum Opus
CD2:
1. Hopelessly Human
2. Child Of Innocence
3. Belexes
4. Cheyenne Anthem
5. Lonely Street
6. Miracles Out Of Nowhere
7. The Spider
8. Closet Chronicles
9. Down The Road
10. Sparks Of The Tempest
11. Bringing It Back
