1. Monolith 2. Leftoverture 3. Masque 4. In the Spirit of Things - underrated 5. Song for America 6. Kansas 7. Point of Know Return - don't know why this one never hit me as hard So good, what a band and what a history of great music!
Leftoverture came out when I was in 6th grade, my brother was playing it and I walked in the door from baseball practice. I stopped dead in my tracks to hear Miracles out of nowhere for the first time. So blown away, I became a drummer because of Phil Ehart
Their live double album "Two For The Show" is a masterpiece of brilliant production and polished performances. They performed most of their best songs since it has 2 discs. IMO One of the best live albums ever done.
Kansas is a band that sounds every bit as great live as they do in the studio. And no overdubbing or autotuning. What they play is what you get on the recording. A group of amazing musicians and a fabulous prog songwriter in Kerry Livgren. Obviously my favorite band. And I love Kerry's post-Kansas work too. Has his own state of the art studio & does all his own production work.
Living here in Kansas it's two thumbs up I'm 54 years old and this band changed my world probably still in the top five American rock bands of all time guaranteed
Monolith is woefully underrated. Leftoverture is a masterpiece, but I’ve always ranked Monolith pretty high. 1.) Leftoverture 2.) Point Of Know Return 3.) Monolith 4.) Masque 5.) Audio Visions
Good for you Paul W ! Right now as i text you there is this 1 song that has got me so high that i just keep hitting rewind to listen to it over & over its the 3rd song on LEFTOVERTURE " What's on my mind " Amazing song
I frankly think Kansas, Song For America, Masque, Leftoverture, all compete for #1, with Point of Know Return, Monolith trailing slightly. AudioVisions was showing the cracks already.
When you put out an album as good as Kansas for your first album, you know you are one hell of band. I mean, having three epics like Journey From Mariabronn, Aperçu and Death Of Mother Nature Suite on your debut is...mind-blowing:) and the other songs are top notch as well.
Windows from Vinyl Confessions is a great, overlooked slab of proggy hard rock. It is in my top 5 Kansas tunes. Mainstream is a big highlight from Drastic Measures, as well.
Long Time Kansas fan here...fantastic band with so many great songs...well crafted songs with deep thought-provoking lyrics...excellent musicians...and top notch vocals from Steve Walsh & Robby Steinhardt - two of the best vocalists of the classic rock age. This was hard, but this is how I ranked their first 10 albums... 1. Point of Know Return 2. Leftoverture 3. Masque 4. Kansas 5. Song for America 6. Monolith 7. Audio-Visions 8. Vinyl Confessions 9. Drastic Measures 10. Power I'm also a big fan of Kerry Livgren and his band AD 1983 - 1988 and all his solo work. Also, you should check out, if you haven't heard, Kerry Livgren's ''Seeds Of Change'' - his first solo album that features two songs with Ronnie James Dio - also featuring guest appearances by Kansas members: Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart and Robby Steinhardt & members of LeRoux, Jethro Tull, Ambrosia, and Atlanta Rhythm Section. (Released in 1980) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeds_of_Change_(album)
Just listened to leftoverture for the first time tonight and frankly my first ever kansas album ive listened too, never heard any other songs before this except carry on wayward son and dust in the wind, i give it a 9.5/10, it was that good
I have tried hard to like Kansas....but ...apart from one or two songs their music does nothing for me...they just cut the mustard when compared to other prog bands eg Yes Genesis...believe me I have listened but it just does not happen......
1) Leftoverture 2) Point of Know Return 3) Kansas 4) Song for America 5) Masque 6) Monolith 7) Audio-Visions 8) Power 9) Freaks of Nature 10) Somewhere to Elsewhere 11) The Prelude Implicit 12) In the Spirit of Things 13) Vinyl Confessions 14) Drastic Measures
Great as always! Slightly off topic but still applicable - I have an interesting thought on the incredibly eerie similarity of the paths shared by Kansas and Rush in their first few years as recording artists. Check it! 1 - Both bands toured relentlessly throughout the 70's and still managed to average an album a year throughout that time. 2 - Both bands self titled debut albums where released early in 74 3 - Both bands released their sophomore efforts within a month of each other in early 75, both featuring predatory birds flying straight at you in a nighttime landscape (Fly by Night, Song for America) 4 - Both bands released their third albums later that year (again within about a month of each other) and both of those albums where considered to be darker, more obscure albums. The kind of albums that only hard core fans of the band would own. And yes, both album covers where visually darker :) 5 - Both bands released what would be their breakout albums (2112, Leftoverture) in early 76
Yes, i thought of that aswell. I would ssy Kansas wins in terms of the 1st 4 albums. Much stronger than Rush. But then Rush ruled the 80's and just got better, while Kansas just crumbled.
Fantastic job ranking Kansas albums. Almost spot on with mine... I agree with you that any given week the order could vary slightly. I don't think we will ever see another group of musicians work so wonderfully together!
Miracles Out of Nowhere...when I discovered that song in the late ‘90s, I was simply floored. It is the perfect song...I remember standing outside my truck out in the country with the song blasting, working to sing Steve’s high notes. Even though I’m mainly a guitar player and singer, I learned how to play Phil’s drum part in the breakdown of that song...proggy, but approachable, and simply fun to play.
Finally !! My #4 favorite band of all time. Here goes ….. 1.Masque 2. Leftoverture 3. Kansas 4.Song For America 5. Monolith 6. Point of Know Return 7. Audio Visions 8.Power 9. Freaks of Nature 10. Vinyl Confessions 11. Somewhere to Elsewhere 12. In the Spirit of Things 13. The Prelude Implicit 14.Drastic Measures
Who even listens to the radio anymore? I haven't listened to the radio in 20 years. There are so many great groups out there today that will never be played on the radio. As I always say the best music out there you will never find on the radio including Kansas. Yes they play their hits and that's about all they'll do staying within their limited confines and disappointing their fans. But that's radio.
@@gkirms I actually find a lot of new stuff on UA-cam. Quite a few years ago MySpace was great with new music. But that site got ruined very fast. UA-cam is much better all the time. I find new music on here all the time.
Love Kansas. Own all the studio albums and a few of the live albums. I enjoy them all, but I do have a preference for the early original 6 piece line up albums. My ranking of my top 10 favourites. 1 Leftoverture 2 Masque 3 Point of No Return 4. Monolith 5 Audio Visions 6 Song For America 7 Power 8 Kansas 9 in The Spirit of Things 10 Somewhere to Elsewhere These are my 10 favourites, but I like both the Elefante albums and the latest as well, just not as much as my top 10.
i was 16 when Leftoverture same out... listened to it all summer of '76....will never forget how those songs shaped me and the way the sun shone upon that youthful time!! always number ONE! I did see them for the monolith tour in july '79 !
In The Spirit Of Things is actually my favorite. Steve Walsh said he thought it was their best album as well. You left off Always Never The Same from the list and it belongs there because it does introduce some new material and the added orchestral arrangements by Larry Baird were amazing. It has my favorite version of Song For America on it.
Going back to your TOTO episode yesterday/ I remember in 1982 when Walsh left : they held auditions and Fergie Frederiksen tried out but did not get the gig.
If "Song For America" was the only song on the entire SFA album... it would STILL be their finest work. I still drop to my knees in tears when I hear it. Most. Epic. Ever.
I like drastic measures and vinyl confessions. John has a hell of a voice I’m also a fan of power. Pretty poppy and just straight foward rock but still great
I have gone through the first 8 albums twice now. Imo Kansas is the first neo prog band. I am surprised there would be any question about their prog credentials. When I listen to Modern neo prog and fusion I here elements of Kansas. Was a real eye opener. Great production, complexity and heavy rock.
I Loved your ranking of Kansas and your Queen . I Saw Queen for the Sheer Heart Attack tour at the Capitol theater ,NJ and Kansas opened up for them .Song for America had just come out . Kansas was incredible as was Queen. It's was actually a triple bill the original Argent ( Hold your head up ) opened for Kansas. They don't make concerts like that anymore and I probably paid about 20 dollars for the ticket . 😃👍
My older sisters actually got me into Kansas through the Elefante albums, so they hold a really special place for me. Everything that you said about them is true, but I have spent so much time with them that they rank a bit higher for me. "Leftoverture" is probably my favorite, though. I saw them a couple of years ago and they still sounded great!
I took a lot of heat in high school for liking Kansas. I've always stuck up for them. I'm glad to see that a rock aficionado/critic like yourself loves Kansas as well. 1. Leftoverture (this is my #2 favorite album of all time). 2. Song For America 3. Point of Know Return 4. Audio-Visions 5. Masque 6. Monolith
Exactly a year has passed and yes, the new album 'Absence Of Presence' is out.....and it is a beauty! Interesting list and your Kansas knowledge is impressive. Enjoyed this.
Ah, one my all-time favorite bands. Thanks for the video. 1. Leftoverture - no contest 2. Song for America 3. Masque 4. Kansas 5. Point of Know Return 6. Monolith 7. Prelude Implicit 8. Freaks of Nature 9. Somewhere to Elsewhere 10. Drastic Measures 11. In the Spirit of Things 12. Power 13. Audio Visions 14. Vinyl Confessions
@@chrischoir3594 Well, you have to understand, I like ALL these albums. Audio-Visions has several great songs, but the production is overly compressed to my ear. It was cutting-edge in a way, being among the first albums in the early 80's to have that sound. Vinyl Confessions suffers from the same thing. Drastic Measures has it too, but I have a kind of sentimental attachment to that one.
Saw these guys in Indianapolis in 1976. The day of the show, they made a personal appearance at a record store near where I worked. I went there, bought a copy of the first album, and all the guys signed it.
I thought you were right the first time in regards to Audio Visions. It was the last great album from Kansas. I love that album and it is indeed my favorite Kansas album. I used to crank side one and sing along in my room quite often when this came out. I originally had only Kansas' Greatest hits and Audio Visions. I was into greatest hits huge but, the albums they came from eluded me for a long time. There was so much new music coming out at that time and I was spending every dime I could scrape together to keep up with the burgeoning Neo-Classical scene and the Thrash Metal scene.
Saw them last fall, one of the best shows I've been to, hoping to see them again with Foreigner this summer. Kerry, Steve and Robbie may be gone, but they are still amazing live I would highly recommend
I love watching Pete's videos (always good!), but my favorite part is learning more about the albums that I missed or don't know quite as well. I loved Kansas (especially in the '70s) and had Left Overture, Point of Know Return, Monolith, and Audio-Visions in my constant rotation as a kid. I wasn't really familiar with Masque, but from the video and all the comments that followed, I was able to discover a really great album that I missed the first time around. Very cool... If you haven't done so already, check out the Kansas documentary "Miracles Out of Nowhere". Really, really awesome!
Thank you doing this tribute to the albums of Kansas. I caught your top albums of all time video about a month ago (I was drawn to your channel as a die hard Blackmore fan looking for all kinds of content during quarantine) but when I saw you chose Leftoverture, it reminded me how much I enjoyed that album on my 8 track player back in the day. I had never checked out any of their other albums - still don’t know why to this day. Also I knew about Kerry Livgren, Robby, and the guy in the overalls, but until a month ago I did not know who Steve Walsh was at all. Since then I’ve become obsessed with the band and Steve’s incredible singing, organ playing, songwriting, and stage acrobatics. Thanks for reintroducing and deepening my relationship with this band and their great music.
PETE- awesome show. My second concert in NYC. 1980. Just my opinion. I like the ranking of Albums better than individual songs. Maybe because I have trouble grabbing Only ten songs. But/ just my opinion. Another tremendous show. I m loving these Album rankings.
I saw them in 1976 for $7.50 per ticket. If you love Kansas please check out Jerome Mazza solo album and also the band Pinnacle Point featuring Jerome Mazza. Steve Walsh's new album Black Butterfly. Kansas is and always will be Priceless.
Incredible amount of talent in those albums. If you have to pick one between Yes and Kansas what would be your pick (I know is very hard to choose). Awaiting ranking the albums: SAXON!
"TWO FOR THE SHOW" ... is all you need to fall in LOVE with nearly all the other "stuff" ... AND THERE WAS NEVER A BETTER LIVE ALBUM FOR ME !!!!!!!!!! -----
Aug 25th hopefully will be my 19th visit to Kansas! While my favs are the original 6’s albums,Prelude Fits right into the early works! Cannot wait for the new one!!
Freaks of nature is great. Love that album. Under the knife is a fantastic track with great lyrics. Top 5 for me is Point of know return, Leftoverture, Song for America, Freaks of Nature, Masque.
Leftover is a masterpiece, and as an engineer, I will ask people -- "What instrument on that album don't you hear well?" Everything is perfectly balanced.
Leftoverture Masque Point Song Debut Kansas...these first 5 albums, they contain enough solid material to define any band. Leftoverture is easily an all time classic, a true signature record of the 70s. I have always regretted that FM radio never wanted the play their prog material like they did the hits. That's shameful because those 5 albums are a stunning discography. My favorite band getting the love...I dig this!
Masque was my introduction to them. I was recently getting into prog rock like Genesis, King Crimson Yes etc...and I stumbled upon this American prog band and was worried they’d be more watered down. Masque showed me they could do prog rock just as effectively and epically as the British
Great discussion here. My list is different, but I'll hold it. There are two things I want to state here as observations. First, the guitar duo of Steve Morse and Rich Williams is NEVER, EVER discussed. Why? The pyrotechnics between these two in the two recordings we have is amazing. I always thought his tenure in the band was too truncated--and I don't know enough about the internal chemistry in the band to know why he left. This twin guitar attack should have been legendary. No other player could have replaced Kerry Livgren so easily--yet he did. Second, "Drastic Measures" is the least sounding Kansas album for some reason--and I'm not sure why. I remember the album well, and was sorely disappointed with it. Kerry released his second solo album under the moniker "AD" at the time called "Time Line"--and it was the better album of the two. The "Time Line" record was pulled out of distribution due to some legal issues between the label, the band and the members, with everyone involved suffering EXCEPT the recording label itself. I cannot help but think that the changes in the industry during the rise of MTV had something to do with the uncertainty that ripped this band apart--as it did so many other bands during the period. The odd thing is, when Walsh reformed the band, they took the essential formula left from "Drastic Measures" to new heights--but with the band compromising a great deal in the process. What if Kansas had not been victimized by the predatory practices of labels and industry uncertainty during this time? It's hard to say. As good as the band's collective output was after 1983 they were never given the respect due to them to record the music they wanted to record until "Somewhere to Elsewhere" and "The Prelude Implicit". The tragedy is, I do not think "Drastic Measures" was never recorded in the way the band wanted to record it. The record label was angry with Livgren's second solo album for its lyrical themes and for abandoning Kansas with his creative input in that Kansas release. The band itself had to figure out a way to soldier on when the label decided to pull the plug on both Livgren and Elefante altogether. I understand the need to sell albums--but Kansas proved they could sell without a whole lot of label interference. All that was necessary was some repositioning of dates on contracts. Sometimes the lawyers and business men need to let the artists do what they do best--and then try to figure out out of find the market they service by listening and observing rather than by selling a product no one wants. In some ways the state of the industry as it is now configured is of their own making.
Music Nerd For the record,Time Line by Livgren and AD was a great album! Rev Dave Hope’s bass lines are fantastic! In fact,all four AD albums are terrific.
Steve Morse was a great guitar player, but he was not even in the same ballpark as Kerry Livgren with regard to prog composition, orchestration, or lyricism. Walsh gets the credit for making Kansas great, but it was the humble and multitalented Livgren who made Kansas such a great prog band!
@@katesjanice I have listened to Kansas with great admiration since the 1980s. I am a huge fan of Livgren's solo work, his work with AD, his work as a session player in the Christian music community and his work with Protokaw. The problems there were never composition--but production. WIthout Livgren Kansas was never the same band, but the band continued. How do you replace Livgren? Walsh became the primary lyricist--and he was not as good at that as Livgren. Greer could pick up slack there and other writers contributed. Musically Morse brought an amazing palette to the band from arrangement. If you know the work of the Dixie Dregs and the Steve Morse Band you will see what I mean. If Morse had deficiencies in Kansas these were not his fault. I love both of these players. Every band they touched were great. Morse' tenure in Kansas was short lived-but his output was stellar. Power is a great disk, and there are moments on In the Spirit of Things were Morse's contributions were noteworthy. Steve Morse is not Kerry Livgren, but Kerry Livgren is not Steve Morse either. I love them both to death--and wish they were in the same band for more than one or two sessions. That would have been fun. (Actually, the original plan for Flying Colors was to pair Steve Morse with Kerry Livgren. When that didn't work out Neal Morse stepped in. Good choice there, too.)
I’m currently in the process of listening to every Kansas album and I will be for a while. I have too many albums to listen to by too many different bands and it’s just too difficult to get around to everything in a timely manner. Oh well, here is my current ranking of the stuff I’ve heard so far. 6. Monolith - A very good album. Unfortunately, “very good” doesn’t hold up against the greatness of the first five 5. Leftoverture - I know it’s a classic, and I must say that side one is one of my favorite album sides of all time. But side two is just good, except for “Magnum Opus” which is as great as anything from side one 4. Kansas - Love it. Everything from here on in is amazing. “Can I Tell You,” “Belexes,” “Journey from Mariabronn,” and “Death of Mother Nature Suite” are all fantastic songs. The others are great, too, but these are my standouts 3. Point of Know Return - This was my favorite up until a few months ago. I think this is their most perfect album from start to finish, but it doesn’t have the extreme highs that my top 2 do. Also, I’ve just never been a fan of “Dust in the Wind,” so that takes it down a bit for me 2. Masque - “Icarus (Borne on Wings of Steel),” “Child of Innocence,” “Mysteries and Mayhem,” and “The Pinnacle” are all 10/10 songs. I also love the boogie rock stuff, even though they’re clearly the weaker songs on the album 1. Song for America - This might just be a perfect album in my opinion. It is Kansas’ best mix of Prog and Hard Rock on a studio album. It has the lengthy, complex epics while keeping the heavy material pretty much the whole way through. I adore every song on this album and it’s hard to even pick a favorite. That said, “Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman” is my favorite and probably my favorite Kansas song overall as well.
hymn to the atman is their all time masterpiece and my favorite also also wings of steel - and carry on wayward son- and on the other side are my next favorites there will never be another prog rock band like them! love those first 6 or 7 albums.
I only got know Kansas a few months ago, so I was particularly curious about this one... I haven't heard any of their stuff beyond the 70s, so I can really only say that Masque, Song for America, Monolith and Point of Knowhere are my favorites in that order... Still, from what I've heard this is the most interesting and musically adept band I've discovered in years... Why people don't talk about them more often is beyond me...
Thanks for opening my eyes on THIN LIZZY Pete, I’ve only owned JAILBREAK but because of your video I now know CHINATOWN ANGEL OF DEATH BAD REPUTATION etc. Oh! My KANSAS Favs are POINT-LEFT-MASQUE
My top 3 is : Point of know return, Leftoverture, Masque. It is followed by Monolith, Audio'Visions, Kansas, Song for america. The first two albums are very good, but for me are drafts of the masterpieces that followed.
1.Left Overture 2.Masque (purely because of Icarus and Child of Innocence) 3.Point of Know Return 4.Monolith 5.Two for the Show 6.Audio Visions 7.Song for America 8.Vinyl Confessions 8.The Absence of Presence 9.Drastic Measures 10. Power
Great fucking band, good job on the picks. Here's my top ten. 1.Leftoverture 2.Point of Know Return 3.Masque 4.Song for America 5.Monolith 6.Kansas 7.Audio Visions 8.In the Spirit of Things 9.Vinyl Confessions 10.Power
Agreed. With respect to my comments above, my list is: 1. Masque 2. Leftoverture 3, Point of No Return 4. Song for America 5. Monolith 6. Audio-Visions 7. Kansas 8. Freaks of Nature 9. Vinyl Confessions 10. In the Spirit of Things 11. Power 12. The Prelude Implicit 13. Somewhere to Elsewhere 14. Drastic Measures For the most part the degrees of separation are measured in thousandths of a decimal point--not in whole numbers. Except "Drastic Measures", Kansas never released a bad album. Had the band been given the time to do that one right we might have seen a totally different list. See my comments above related to this release derived from what I could find related during a periodic casual search for sources.
I had a friend who was in a band with Robby Steinhardt, when they remastered their early albums who pointed out how they mostly removed the violin. They ended up redoing the remasters under the group's supervision. My favorite Kansas story is when they were first starting out they had an audition in front of some music executives. In order to get more people for their concert they advertised free beer like in the singing frog cartoon. I look forward to the Rush rankings and, Kinda Blue...
@@frankmarsh1159 Part of the remastering is remixing. If you look at an older CD they'll generally have a code like AAD or ADD, the first A is the recording method (analog), the second is how it's mixed and the third is how it's mastered (digital). The digital remasters are labeled ADD so are digitally mixed. The original masters were analog mixed.
@@Slammy555 Remastering has nothing to do with mixing. Mixing is the process of "mixing" individual tracks to a final "mix". Then they take that "mix" and make a master from it. The master is what they use to make albums, cassettes and CDs from. When they remaster something they take the "original mix" and make a new master from it. They usually do this because they think they can improve upon the master that was used on previous versions. In the early days of CDs they were using inferior 16 bit AD converters. That's why a lot of early CDs sounded sterile and brittle. As AD converters got better with oversampling and higher resolutions many record companies went back and remastered their older CDs with better converters. Then as digital technology advanced they started going back and remastering older CDs at 20 bit and then 24 bit resolution. Those letters on early CDs were basically a marketing gimmick to show people which stage of the recording process was analog or digital. All the CDS had a D for the last letter because they had to have a digital master in order to make the CDs.
@@frankmarsh1159 When they remaster a CD they digitally remix them, which is why they're labeled ADD rather than AAD. They usually call it digital remaster, they create a new master.
@@Slammy555 That's not true. Unless it says remixed it's the original mix. There are three stages of a recording. First comes the original multi-track, then there is the final mix and then last comes the master. The master is what is used to manufacture the records, tapes and CDs. It's the final product after all the eq and compression has been added to the final mix. In the old days everything was analog. The multi-track the mix and the master. Back then they made masters for different media. For example if a recording had too much bass the needle might skip on a record player so the master they sent to album pressing plant might have less bass. Reel to reels might have more bass. Cassettes might have more treble because of Dolby. When CDs came out they supposedly had full frequency range and 96db of dynamic range. Cassettes only had about 60 to 70db of dynamic range so the cassette master might have more compression. Now people are recording at 24 bit which has a dynamic range of 144 db so the masters that goes to the CD plant might have more compression than DVD audio or Blue ray. Mastering is an art form in itself. There are people who all they do is master recordings. They work in mastering houses.
1. Masque 2. Leftoverture 3. Point Of Know Return 4. Audio-Visions 5. Kansas 6. Power 7. Monolith 8. Vinyl Confessions 9. In The Spirit Of Things 10.Song For America 11. Freaks Of Nature 12. Somewhere To Elsewhere 13. Drastic Measures
1. Monolith
2. Leftoverture
3. Masque
4. In the Spirit of Things - underrated
5. Song for America
6. Kansas
7. Point of Know Return - don't know why this one never hit me as hard
So good, what a band and what a history of great music!
Leftoverture came out when I was in 6th grade, my brother was playing it and I walked in the door from baseball practice. I stopped dead in my tracks to hear Miracles out of nowhere for the first time. So blown away, I became a drummer because of Phil Ehart
Their live double album "Two For The Show" is a masterpiece of brilliant production and polished performances. They performed most of their best songs since it has 2 discs. IMO One of the best live albums ever done.
It sounded amazing on the radio 40 years ago, and it's aged well. Agreed.
@Donald Duck Probably one of the greatest live album. But for sure, the best live album from any prog rock band !
Not just one of the best live albums
but
t h e b e s t ....
Kansas is a band that sounds every bit as great live as they do in the studio. And no overdubbing or autotuning. What they play is what you get on the recording. A group of amazing musicians and a fabulous prog songwriter in Kerry Livgren. Obviously my favorite band. And I love Kerry's post-Kansas work too. Has his own state of the art studio & does all his own production work.
Got that album on my Birthday
My fave five:
5. Masque
4. Somewhere to Elsewhere
3. Point of Know Return
2. Song for America
1. Leftoverture
HM: Debut and Monolith
“Miracles out of nowhere” from Leftoverture is Must Hear music!
Yes it is, my favourite Kansas song.
The Whole Lefoverture album is magic
One of my races also. First time in heard the song was during a Kansas concert. Also loved the vocals and presence of Steinhart.
The instrumental break at the end always blows me away.
Song for America is incredible! I don't know why it isn't as well known. Genuinely mind boggling.
Certainly agree. Love that song completely, both in lyrics and the music, especially the long version, which is usually abridged in concert. A shame!!
I love The Pinnacle so much that Masque is my top album, it's such a music masterpiece.
Me too! Masque would be my number one as well.
Masque #1 and Song For America coming in a strong second for me,
I agree! Mysteries and Mayhem just rocks!
Living here in Kansas it's two thumbs up I'm 54 years old and this band changed my world probably still in the top five American rock bands of all time guaranteed
Monolith is woefully underrated. Leftoverture is a masterpiece, but I’ve always ranked Monolith pretty high.
1.) Leftoverture
2.) Point Of Know Return
3.) Monolith
4.) Masque
5.) Audio Visions
Me too! I like Monolith a lot, as well as Masque.
Very sensible choices love it
I would go with 'Masque' as my number one. It was actually the first one that I owned. Still my favorite. Great cover art also!
Their first 7 albums are absolute prog masterpieces and the first 3 are equally perfect
My first album I bought from Kansas was Power. Absolutely love that album.
Great album. All I Wanted should of been a bigger hit. Walsh once again steals the show.
Only discovered this band last week and cannot stop listening to their debut album. Will get to the rest of theirs soon.
Good for you Paul W ! Right now as i text you there is this 1 song that has got me so high that i just keep hitting rewind to listen to it over & over its the 3rd song on LEFTOVERTURE " What's on my mind "
Amazing song
It's going to be a long journey to the Point of Know Return
I love Kansas Audio-Vision, Point of No Return, Leftoverture and their art covers! Your shirt rocks!🎤🎸🎵🥁
Thank you for your ranking the studio albums of Kansas review! 🎤🎸🎵🥁
Great job with the ranking. Personally, Masque is my favorite.
song for america myself.
Walsh's vocals on Masque are unequaled
I also prefer Masque over all, maybe Song For America second, otherwise a good list
I frankly think Kansas, Song For America, Masque, Leftoverture, all compete for #1, with Point of Know Return, Monolith trailing slightly. AudioVisions was showing the cracks already.
yes !
I have to say I love in the spirit of things
Me too
great lyrics stunning guitar solos some of there best vocals and a great concept
Yo Kevin, is this the Kevin Moore of Dream Theater fame??
Good to see some love for Kansas ! 👍
When you put out an album as good as Kansas for your first album, you know you are one hell of band. I mean, having three epics like Journey From Mariabronn, Aperçu and Death Of Mother Nature Suite on your debut is...mind-blowing:) and the other songs are top notch as well.
Windows from Vinyl Confessions is a great, overlooked slab of proggy hard rock. It is in my top 5 Kansas tunes. Mainstream is a big highlight from Drastic Measures, as well.
Masque was the first album I ever bought. Saw them on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.
Long Time Kansas fan here...fantastic band with so many great songs...well crafted songs with deep thought-provoking lyrics...excellent musicians...and top notch vocals from Steve Walsh & Robby Steinhardt - two of the best vocalists of the classic rock age.
This was hard, but this is how I ranked their first 10 albums...
1. Point of Know Return
2. Leftoverture
3. Masque
4. Kansas
5. Song for America
6. Monolith
7. Audio-Visions
8. Vinyl Confessions
9. Drastic Measures
10. Power
I'm also a big fan of Kerry Livgren and his band AD 1983 - 1988 and all his solo work.
Also, you should check out, if you haven't heard, Kerry Livgren's ''Seeds Of Change'' - his first solo album that features two songs with Ronnie James Dio - also featuring guest appearances by Kansas members: Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart and Robby Steinhardt & members of LeRoux, Jethro Tull, Ambrosia, and Atlanta Rhythm Section. (Released in 1980)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeds_of_Change_(album)
Love Seeds of Change
Leftoverture is a once in a lifetime album.
Point of No Return is better but it’s indisputable that Leftoverture is right behind it
Just listened to leftoverture for the first time tonight and frankly my first ever kansas album ive listened too, never heard any other songs before this except carry on wayward son and dust in the wind, i give it a 9.5/10, it was that good
@Rob S Masque is much better IMHO.
I have tried hard to like Kansas....but ...apart from one or two songs their music does nothing for me...they just cut the mustard when compared to other prog bands eg Yes Genesis...believe me I have listened but it just does not happen......
Kentland no it isn't its just a commercial product!!!!!!
Kansas, the band that formed the same year and city I was born in. Topeka Kansas 1971.
1) Leftoverture
2) Point of Know Return
3) Kansas
4) Song for America
5) Masque
6) Monolith
7) Audio-Visions
8) Power
9) Freaks of Nature
10) Somewhere to Elsewhere
11) The Prelude Implicit
12) In the Spirit of Things
13) Vinyl Confessions
14) Drastic Measures
Great as always! Slightly off topic but still applicable - I have an interesting thought on the incredibly eerie similarity of the paths shared by Kansas and Rush in their first few years as recording artists. Check it!
1 - Both bands toured relentlessly throughout the 70's and still managed to average an album a year throughout that time.
2 - Both bands self titled debut albums where released early in 74
3 - Both bands released their sophomore efforts within a month of each other in early 75, both featuring predatory birds flying straight at you in a nighttime landscape (Fly by Night, Song for America)
4 - Both bands released their third albums later that year (again within about a month of each other) and both of those albums where considered to be darker, more obscure albums. The kind of albums that only hard core fans of the band would own. And yes, both album covers where visually darker :)
5 - Both bands released what would be their breakout albums (2112, Leftoverture) in early 76
Yes, i thought of that aswell. I would ssy Kansas wins in terms of the 1st 4 albums. Much stronger than Rush. But then Rush ruled the 80's and just got better, while Kansas just crumbled.
Fantastic job ranking Kansas albums. Almost spot on with mine... I agree with you that any given week the order could vary slightly. I don't think we will ever see another group of musicians work so wonderfully together!
Their first four albums are all equally amazing to me
Miracles Out of Nowhere...when I discovered that song in the late ‘90s, I was simply floored. It is the perfect song...I remember standing outside my truck out in the country with the song blasting, working to sing Steve’s high notes. Even though I’m mainly a guitar player and singer, I learned how to play Phil’s drum part in the breakdown of that song...proggy, but approachable, and simply fun to play.
Finally !! My #4 favorite band of all time. Here goes ….. 1.Masque 2. Leftoverture 3. Kansas 4.Song For America 5. Monolith 6. Point of Know Return 7. Audio Visions 8.Power 9. Freaks of Nature 10. Vinyl Confessions 11. Somewhere to Elsewhere 12. In the Spirit of Things 13. The Prelude Implicit 14.Drastic Measures
leftoverture is a perfect album!
I just wish classic Rock Radio would play "Magnum Opus" more. All they play is Carry on Wayward Son. That song has been overplayed to death.
Who even listens to the radio anymore? I haven't listened to the radio in 20 years. There are so many great groups out there today that will never be played on the radio. As I always say the best music out there you will never find on the radio including Kansas. Yes they play their hits and that's about all they'll do staying within their limited confines and disappointing their fans. But that's radio.
@@gkirms I actually find a lot of new stuff on UA-cam. Quite a few years ago MySpace was great with new music. But that site got ruined very fast. UA-cam is much better all the time. I find new music on here all the time.
@@gkirms I could have written this comment, word for word.
Donald Kennedy agreed. That whole album is radio friendly.
Donald Kennedy yeah I’m sick of hearing Carry On Wayward Son, play something else lol.
Love Kansas. Own all the studio albums and a few of the live albums. I enjoy them all, but I do have a preference for the early original 6 piece line up albums. My ranking of my top 10 favourites.
1 Leftoverture
2 Masque
3 Point of No Return
4. Monolith
5 Audio Visions
6 Song For America
7 Power
8 Kansas
9 in The Spirit of Things
10 Somewhere to Elsewhere
These are my 10 favourites, but I like both the Elefante albums and the latest as well, just not as much as my top 10.
Leftoveeture is clearly the ir worst album!!!
i was 16 when Leftoverture same out... listened to it all summer of '76....will never forget how those songs shaped me and the way the sun shone upon that youthful time!! always number ONE! I did see them for the monolith tour in july '79 !
Man I love you choice of songs here... Loner is total discovery for me... That song is so influential ! Love you dude -> Best Regards!
In The Spirit Of Things is actually my favorite. Steve Walsh said he thought it was their best album as well. You left off Always Never The Same from the list and it belongs there because it does introduce some new material and the added orchestral arrangements by Larry Baird were amazing. It has my favorite version of Song For America on it.
Going back to your TOTO episode yesterday/ I remember in 1982 when Walsh left : they held auditions and Fergie Frederiksen tried out but did not get the gig.
“No One Together” is a HUGE favorite for me. You can hear that they still have their prog influences even on that album
My comment to him was to listen to that song again. He's forgotten. That song is so mega-mindblowing.
Kerry wrote some amazing material, but "No One Together" is one of his very best.
1.) Monolith
2.) Left Overture
3.) Audio-visions
4.) Song for America
5.) Point of No Return
Top 5
And allso...steve wallsh is one of the best rock vocalist of all times.
If "Song For America" was the only song on the entire SFA album... it would STILL be their finest work. I still drop to my knees in tears when I hear it. Most. Epic. Ever.
I like drastic measures and vinyl confessions. John has a hell of a voice I’m also a fan of power. Pretty poppy and just straight foward rock but still great
first time we completely agree.. most exciting to guess along ! Great work Pete, thank you for this
My top five:
1. Drastic Measures
2. Vinyl Confessions
3. Audio Visions
4. In The Spirit Of Things
5. Monolith
Excellent stuff Pete!
1) Leftoverture
2) Point of no Return
3) A Song for America
4) Kansas
5) Masque
I have gone through the first 8 albums twice now. Imo Kansas is the first neo prog band. I am surprised there would be any question about their prog credentials. When I listen to Modern neo prog and fusion I here elements of Kansas. Was a real eye opener. Great production, complexity and heavy rock.
I Loved your ranking of Kansas and your Queen . I Saw Queen for the Sheer Heart Attack tour at the Capitol theater ,NJ and Kansas opened up for them .Song for America had just come out . Kansas was incredible as was Queen. It's was actually a triple bill the original Argent ( Hold your head up ) opened for Kansas. They don't make concerts like that anymore and I probably paid about 20 dollars for the ticket . 😃👍
That debut album. "Journey From Mariabronn" absolute killer!
Damn brother....the love is in your eyes for the band know as ........ KANSAS....amen!!!!
My older sisters actually got me into Kansas through the Elefante albums, so they hold a really special place for me. Everything that you said about them is true, but I have spent so much time with them that they rank a bit higher for me. "Leftoverture" is probably my favorite, though. I saw them a couple of years ago and they still sounded great!
I bought the "Power" album mainly because of the song "All I Wanted" loved that song back then. Good album though all together
That's funny! That is why I bought "Power" too!
1. Kansas
2. Song for America
3. Point of know return
4. Masque
5. Leftoverture
6. Monolith
7. Audiovisions
Great video!
My top 5:
5 - Kansas
4 - Point of Know Return
3 - Masque
2 - Song for America
1 - Leftoverture
I took a lot of heat in high school for liking Kansas. I've always stuck up for them. I'm glad to see that a rock aficionado/critic like yourself loves Kansas as well.
1. Leftoverture (this is my #2 favorite album of all time).
2. Song For America
3. Point of Know Return
4. Audio-Visions
5. Masque
6. Monolith
When I saw Kansas back in May the started with People of the South Wind
One of my 3 favorite Kansas songs!
People of the southwind was too short!!! I want to be at least 8 minutes.
Song: Play the Game Tonight ( turn up the volume ) on that one !!! As far as Album = Leftoverture was their Masterpiece.
Their first five albums are their strongest, in my opinion.
The first 7 are
Exactly a year has passed and yes, the new album 'Absence Of Presence' is out.....and it is a beauty! Interesting list and your Kansas knowledge is impressive. Enjoyed this.
Ah, one my all-time favorite bands. Thanks for the video.
1. Leftoverture - no contest
2. Song for America
3. Masque
4. Kansas
5. Point of Know Return
6. Monolith
7. Prelude Implicit
8. Freaks of Nature
9. Somewhere to Elsewhere
10. Drastic Measures
11. In the Spirit of Things
12. Power
13. Audio Visions
14. Vinyl Confessions
@@chrischoir3594 Well, you have to understand, I like ALL these albums. Audio-Visions has several great songs, but the production is overly compressed to my ear. It was cutting-edge in a way, being among the first albums in the early 80's to have that sound. Vinyl Confessions suffers from the same thing. Drastic Measures has it too, but I have a kind of sentimental attachment to that one.
Saw these guys in Indianapolis in 1976. The day of the show, they made a personal appearance at a record store near where I worked. I went there, bought a copy of the first album, and all the guys signed it.
You nailed it my Kansas brother! Been on them since the very first one. One of the very best ever!🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀
Leftoverture is quite possibly the best album of All-Time. Kerry Livgrens Great songs and incredible production! Jeff Glixmans finest work!
Absolutely. If you've ever heard Leftoverture on a high end sound system, it sounds spectacular. Glixman outdid himself on that!
marhill77 spot on
Marilhl no isn't its clearly their worst album with Walsh!!!!!!!
I thought you were right the first time in regards to Audio Visions. It was the last great album from Kansas. I love that album and it is indeed my favorite Kansas album. I used to crank side one and sing along in my room quite often when this came out. I originally had only Kansas' Greatest hits and Audio Visions. I was into greatest hits huge but, the albums they came from eluded me for a long time. There was so much new music coming out at that time and I was spending every dime I could scrape together to keep up with the burgeoning Neo-Classical scene and the Thrash Metal scene.
Well done. Livgren is my songwriter hero. What an astonishing body of work. Ty for sharing your opinions.
Saw them last fall, one of the best shows I've been to, hoping to see them again with Foreigner this summer. Kerry, Steve and Robbie may be gone, but they are still amazing live I would highly recommend
I love watching Pete's videos (always good!), but my favorite part is learning more about the albums that I missed or don't know quite as well. I loved Kansas (especially in the '70s) and had Left Overture, Point of Know Return, Monolith, and Audio-Visions in my constant rotation as a kid. I wasn't really familiar with Masque, but from the video and all the comments that followed, I was able to discover a really great album that I missed the first time around. Very cool...
If you haven't done so already, check out the Kansas documentary "Miracles Out of Nowhere". Really, really awesome!
Thank you doing this tribute to the albums of Kansas. I caught your top albums of all time video about a month ago (I was drawn to your channel as a die hard Blackmore fan looking for all kinds of content during quarantine) but when I saw you chose Leftoverture, it reminded me how much I enjoyed that album on my 8 track player back in the day. I had never checked out any of their other albums - still don’t know why to this day. Also I knew about Kerry Livgren, Robby, and the guy in the overalls, but until a month ago I did not know who Steve Walsh was at all. Since then I’ve become obsessed with the band and Steve’s incredible singing, organ playing, songwriting, and stage acrobatics. Thanks for reintroducing and deepening my relationship with this band and their great music.
PETE- awesome show. My second concert in NYC. 1980. Just my opinion. I like the ranking of Albums better than individual songs. Maybe because I have trouble grabbing Only ten songs. But/ just my opinion. Another tremendous show. I m loving these Album rankings.
My top 5:
5. Monolith
4. Point of Know Return
3. Song for America
2. Leftoverture
1. Masque
the absence of presence tops them all. i'd like to hear more like this.
The debut is my favorite. Awesome symphonic prog
I saw them in 1976 for $7.50 per ticket. If you love Kansas please check out Jerome Mazza solo album and also the band Pinnacle Point featuring Jerome Mazza. Steve Walsh's new album Black Butterfly. Kansas is and always will be Priceless.
Incredible amount of talent in those albums. If you have to pick one between Yes and Kansas what would be your pick (I know is very hard to choose). Awaiting ranking the albums: SAXON!
As much as Pete loves Kansas, I bet that he would choose Yes. Just my opinion...
Pete, another great show. I love Song for America as the top. My old man played the hell out of Point which got me into them. Great band!
Again I got into Kansas because of you Pete. Now I think how did I not get into these guys. Thanks so much.
My introduction to rock music as a kid. What a great band and sound. Unique and so good. My favorite.
"TWO FOR THE SHOW" ... is all you need to fall in LOVE with nearly all the other "stuff" ... AND THERE WAS NEVER A BETTER LIVE ALBUM FOR ME !!!!!!!!!! -----
Absolutely agree! Greatest live album ever recorded!
Leftoverture is also my favorite. You can hear Steve Walsh on Steve Hackett’s Please Don’t Touch album with the songs Narnia and Racing in A
I'll have to check that out.
Whats On My Mind...thats one song you put on repeat...at least once when your driveing....saw Kansas in early 70's...they were great.
In every way
Aug 25th hopefully will be my 19th visit to Kansas! While my favs are the original 6’s albums,Prelude Fits right into the early works! Cannot wait for the new one!!
I love how when you do these album rankings, the ones at the bottom always have "some strong tracks."
Freaks of nature is great. Love that album. Under the knife is a fantastic track with great lyrics. Top 5 for me is Point of know return, Leftoverture, Song for America, Freaks of Nature, Masque.
Freaks is a great album. Very underrated by some but, when you are steeped in their music you will love it!
Leftover is a masterpiece, and as an engineer, I will ask people -- "What instrument on that album don't you hear well?" Everything is perfectly balanced.
My Top 5 Kansas Albums!
5. Masque
4. Leftoverture
3. Song for America
2. Point of Know Return
1. Kansas
That Debut Album Rocks!
Leftoverture
Masque
Point
Song
Debut Kansas...these first 5 albums, they contain enough solid material to define any band. Leftoverture is easily an all time classic, a true signature record of the 70s. I have always regretted that FM radio never wanted the play their prog material like they did the hits. That's shameful because those 5 albums are a stunning discography. My favorite band getting the love...I dig this!
Masque was my introduction to them. I was recently getting into prog rock like Genesis, King Crimson Yes etc...and I stumbled upon this American prog band and was worried they’d be more watered down. Masque showed me they could do prog rock just as effectively and epically as the British
Great discussion here. My list is different, but I'll hold it. There are two things I want to state here as observations. First, the guitar duo of Steve Morse and Rich Williams is NEVER, EVER discussed. Why? The pyrotechnics between these two in the two recordings we have is amazing. I always thought his tenure in the band was too truncated--and I don't know enough about the internal chemistry in the band to know why he left. This twin guitar attack should have been legendary. No other player could have replaced Kerry Livgren so easily--yet he did.
Second, "Drastic Measures" is the least sounding Kansas album for some reason--and I'm not sure why. I remember the album well, and was sorely disappointed with it. Kerry released his second solo album under the moniker "AD" at the time called "Time Line"--and it was the better album of the two. The "Time Line" record was pulled out of distribution due to some legal issues between the label, the band and the members, with everyone involved suffering EXCEPT the recording label itself. I cannot help but think that the changes in the industry during the rise of MTV had something to do with the uncertainty that ripped this band apart--as it did so many other bands during the period. The odd thing is, when Walsh reformed the band, they took the essential formula left from "Drastic Measures" to new heights--but with the band compromising a great deal in the process.
What if Kansas had not been victimized by the predatory practices of labels and industry uncertainty during this time? It's hard to say. As good as the band's collective output was after 1983 they were never given the respect due to them to record the music they wanted to record until "Somewhere to Elsewhere" and "The Prelude Implicit". The tragedy is, I do not think "Drastic Measures" was never recorded in the way the band wanted to record it. The record label was angry with Livgren's second solo album for its lyrical themes and for abandoning Kansas with his creative input in that Kansas release. The band itself had to figure out a way to soldier on when the label decided to pull the plug on both Livgren and Elefante altogether. I understand the need to sell albums--but Kansas proved they could sell without a whole lot of label interference. All that was necessary was some repositioning of dates on contracts. Sometimes the lawyers and business men need to let the artists do what they do best--and then try to figure out out of find the market they service by listening and observing rather than by selling a product no one wants. In some ways the state of the industry as it is now configured is of their own making.
Music Nerd For the record,Time Line by Livgren and AD was a great album! Rev Dave Hope’s bass lines are fantastic! In fact,all four AD albums are terrific.
Steve Morse was a great guitar player, but he was not even in the same ballpark as Kerry Livgren with regard to prog composition, orchestration, or lyricism. Walsh gets the credit for making Kansas great, but it was the humble and multitalented Livgren who made Kansas such a great prog band!
@@katesjanice I have listened to Kansas with great admiration since the 1980s. I am a huge fan of Livgren's solo work, his work with AD, his work as a session player in the Christian music community and his work with Protokaw. The problems there were never composition--but production. WIthout Livgren Kansas was never the same band, but the band continued. How do you replace Livgren? Walsh became the primary lyricist--and he was not as good at that as Livgren. Greer could pick up slack there and other writers contributed. Musically Morse brought an amazing palette to the band from arrangement. If you know the work of the Dixie Dregs and the Steve Morse Band you will see what I mean. If Morse had deficiencies in Kansas these were not his fault. I love both of these players. Every band they touched were great. Morse' tenure in Kansas was short lived-but his output was stellar. Power is a great disk, and there are moments on In the Spirit of Things were Morse's contributions were noteworthy. Steve Morse is not Kerry Livgren, but Kerry Livgren is not Steve Morse either. I love them both to death--and wish they were in the same band for more than one or two sessions. That would have been fun. (Actually, the original plan for Flying Colors was to pair Steve Morse with Kerry Livgren. When that didn't work out Neal Morse stepped in. Good choice there, too.)
The Kansas albums I listen to the most and are ranked accordingly are....
1. Leftoverture
2. Song for America
3. Monolith
I’m currently in the process of listening to every Kansas album and I will be for a while. I have too many albums to listen to by too many different bands and it’s just too difficult to get around to everything in a timely manner. Oh well, here is my current ranking of the stuff I’ve heard so far.
6. Monolith - A very good album. Unfortunately, “very good” doesn’t hold up against the greatness of the first five
5. Leftoverture - I know it’s a classic, and I must say that side one is one of my favorite album sides of all time. But side two is just good, except for “Magnum Opus” which is as great as anything from side one
4. Kansas - Love it. Everything from here on in is amazing. “Can I Tell You,” “Belexes,” “Journey from Mariabronn,” and “Death of Mother Nature Suite” are all fantastic songs. The others are great, too, but these are my standouts
3. Point of Know Return - This was my favorite up until a few months ago. I think this is their most perfect album from start to finish, but it doesn’t have the extreme highs that my top 2 do. Also, I’ve just never been a fan of “Dust in the Wind,” so that takes it down a bit for me
2. Masque - “Icarus (Borne on Wings of Steel),” “Child of Innocence,” “Mysteries and Mayhem,” and “The Pinnacle” are all 10/10 songs. I also love the boogie rock stuff, even though they’re clearly the weaker songs on the album
1. Song for America - This might just be a perfect album in my opinion. It is Kansas’ best mix of Prog and Hard Rock on a studio album. It has the lengthy, complex epics while keeping the heavy material pretty much the whole way through. I adore every song on this album and it’s hard to even pick a favorite. That said, “Incomudro - Hymn to the Atman” is my favorite and probably my favorite Kansas song overall as well.
hymn to the atman is their all time masterpiece and my favorite also
also wings of steel - and carry on wayward son- and on the other side are my next favorites
there will never be another prog rock band like them!
love those first 6 or 7 albums.
Man that shirt is awesome. You nailed the top 5 each one is incredible.
Great t-shirt!
Masque is probably my favorite. But think you were pretty much spot on
I only got know Kansas a few months ago, so I was particularly curious about this one... I haven't heard any of their stuff beyond the 70s, so I can really only say that Masque, Song for America, Monolith and Point of Knowhere are my favorites in that order... Still, from what I've heard this is the most interesting and musically adept band I've discovered in years... Why people don't talk about them more often is beyond me...
Thanks for opening my eyes on THIN LIZZY Pete, I’ve only owned JAILBREAK but because of your video I now know CHINATOWN ANGEL OF DEATH BAD REPUTATION etc. Oh! My KANSAS Favs are POINT-LEFT-MASQUE
My top 3 is : Point of know return, Leftoverture, Masque. It is followed by Monolith, Audio'Visions, Kansas, Song for america. The first two albums are very good, but for me are drafts of the masterpieces that followed.
1.Left Overture
2.Masque (purely because of Icarus and Child of Innocence)
3.Point of Know Return
4.Monolith
5.Two for the Show
6.Audio Visions
7.Song for America
8.Vinyl Confessions
8.The Absence of Presence
9.Drastic Measures
10. Power
Great fucking band, good job on the picks. Here's my top ten.
1.Leftoverture
2.Point of Know Return
3.Masque
4.Song for America
5.Monolith
6.Kansas
7.Audio Visions
8.In the Spirit of Things
9.Vinyl Confessions
10.Power
for me...my list would have 'masque ' at number one.....
Agreed. With respect to my comments above, my list is:
1. Masque
2. Leftoverture
3, Point of No Return
4. Song for America
5. Monolith
6. Audio-Visions
7. Kansas
8. Freaks of Nature
9. Vinyl Confessions
10. In the Spirit of Things
11. Power
12. The Prelude Implicit
13. Somewhere to Elsewhere
14. Drastic Measures
For the most part the degrees of separation are measured in thousandths of a decimal point--not in whole numbers. Except "Drastic Measures", Kansas never released a bad album. Had the band been given the time to do that one right we might have seen a totally different list. See my comments above related to this release derived from what I could find related during a periodic casual search for sources.
Masque and point of know return are tied first for me.
My number one also.
Agreed. My favorite as well.
Prelude Implicit was the first Kansas album I purchased. Love that album.
I had a friend who was in a band with Robby Steinhardt, when they remastered their early albums who pointed out how they mostly removed the violin. They ended up redoing the remasters under the group's supervision. My favorite Kansas story is when they were first starting out they had an audition in front of some music executives. In order to get more people for their concert they advertised free beer like in the singing frog cartoon.
I look forward to the Rush rankings and, Kinda Blue...
You can't remove the violin by remastering.
You would have to remix them to do that.
@@frankmarsh1159 Part of the remastering is remixing. If you look at an older CD they'll generally have a code like AAD or ADD, the first A is the recording method (analog), the second is how it's mixed and the third is how it's mastered (digital). The digital remasters are labeled ADD so are digitally mixed. The original masters were analog mixed.
@@Slammy555 Remastering has nothing to do with mixing. Mixing is the process of "mixing" individual tracks to a final "mix". Then they take that "mix" and make a master from it. The master is what they use to make albums, cassettes and CDs from. When they remaster something they take the "original mix" and make a new master from it. They usually do this because they think they can improve upon the master that was used on previous versions. In the early days of CDs they were using inferior 16 bit AD converters. That's why a lot of early CDs sounded sterile and brittle. As AD converters got better with oversampling and higher resolutions many record companies went back and remastered their older CDs with better converters. Then as digital technology advanced they started going back and remastering older CDs at 20 bit and then 24 bit resolution. Those letters on early CDs were basically a marketing gimmick to show people which stage of the recording process was analog or digital. All the CDS had a D for the last letter because they had to have a digital master in order to make the CDs.
@@frankmarsh1159 When they remaster a CD they digitally remix them, which is why they're labeled ADD rather than AAD. They usually call it digital remaster, they create a new master.
@@Slammy555 That's not true. Unless it says remixed it's the original mix. There are three stages of a recording. First comes the original multi-track, then there is the final mix and then last comes the master. The master is what is used to manufacture the records, tapes and CDs. It's the final product after all the eq and compression has been added to the final mix.
In the old days everything was analog. The multi-track the mix and the master. Back then they made masters for different media. For example if a recording had too much bass the needle might skip on a record player so the master they sent to album pressing plant might have less bass. Reel to reels might have more bass. Cassettes might have more treble because of Dolby.
When CDs came out they supposedly had full frequency range and 96db of dynamic range. Cassettes only had about 60 to 70db of dynamic range so the cassette master might have more compression. Now people are recording at 24 bit which has a dynamic range of 144 db so the masters that goes to the CD plant might have more compression than DVD audio or Blue ray.
Mastering is an art form in itself. There are people who all they do is master recordings. They work in mastering houses.
1. Masque
2. Leftoverture
3. Point Of Know Return
4. Audio-Visions
5. Kansas
6. Power
7. Monolith
8. Vinyl Confessions
9. In The Spirit Of Things
10.Song For America
11. Freaks Of Nature
12. Somewhere To Elsewhere
13. Drastic Measures