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Ask me who Kansas were... uhm... undoubtedly one of the best rock bands in the overseas music scene of the '70s, but more simply, I would say they played technical yet easy-listening music. In short, I put Kansas on when I want to listen to good music without straining my ears too much.
Music of this kind is hard to find, and the first 4 or 5 albums of this band, i.e., before they shifted towards an AOR in search of hits, are an excellent example of it. Characterized by that typical Yes-like cheerfulness, Kansas have often been labeled as brash American guitarists, but to me, this is anything but criticism, quite the opposite...
The typical elements of progressive rock were all there: technique, suites, tempo changes, contamination with other genres; only those slow, meditative atmospheres were foreign to their style. This 1975 "Song For America" is one of their most illustrious works, which reached the charts with the homonymous ballad, despite its 10 minutes.
Noteworthy are the other two suites, "Lamplight Symphony" and "Incomudro - Hymn To The Atman" (which reprises the initial theme of Zappa's "Peaches in Regalia"), never tiring and fluid in their length. The remaining three tracks, shorter, are delightful cameos that wonderfully fit into this little gem of a record. The majestic voice of Steve Walsh is like a trademark, capable of being epic and touching like few others, and integrates perfectly into the band's sound mix; finally the lyrics, which are never pretentious, and that can only be a good thing.
Nothing exceptional, but without a doubt music for all ears, from the "not demanding" to the pickiest. Music to listen to during a car journey, that's who Kansas were.
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