New beginnings from classic origins
Kansas – The Prelude Implicit
Kansas – The Prelude Implicit
Kansas are one of many bands with a new lease of musical life courtesy of the resurgence and demand for classic rock in the 21st century and/ or by plying their trade on the live circuit with give the majority of the audience what they want Greatest Hits sets or performing classic album tours.
As regards the latter Kansas will be playing their uber-classic Leftoverture album in its entirety (to celebrate that album’s 40th Anniversary) on the band’s run of autumn 2016 dates across the US.
While that will keep the faithful happy as current Kansas plays homage to classic Kansas (only drummer Phil Ehart and guitarist Richard Williams remain from the original, classic line-up) the present and continuing Kansas story will also be celebrated on the tour by debuting song’s from The Prelude Implicit, the band’s fifteenth studio album and first in sixteen years.
With a title that intentionally points to a new beginning (as does the Phoenix cover image; an oil painting by Denise de la Cerda) keyboardist David Manion and lead vocalist Ronnie Platt (who both joined in 2014) have, along with latest recruit Zak Rizvi (guitars, vocals, album co-producer) joined Ehart, Williams, thirty year Kansas veteran Billy Greer (bass) and long-time member David Ragsdale (violin) to deliver an incredibly strong album.
The Prelude Implicit may not quite match the majesty of its sixteen years earlier predecessor Somewhere to Elsewhere (written entirely by the band’s original creative force Kerry Livgren and featuring, to greater or lesser degrees, all the original members), but is it is one of the band’s best ever offerings and one that heralds the return of the band's signature sound. And in impressive style.
Two, make that three, sides of Kansas are represented within the opening brace of 'With This Heart' and 'Visibility Zero.'
'With This Heart' is Kansas in AOR mode; a melodic, rhythmic and uplifting radio play winner that features a short but sweet melancholic violin melody line from David Ragsdale and showcases the remarkable similarity Ronnie Platt has to original vocalist Steve Walsh (who retired in 2014) in tonality and timbre.
By contrast 'Visibility Zero' delivers that classic Kansas 70s sound across the short instrumental passages and the choruses, mixed with verse sequences that recall the more hard-pop orientated early 80s when vocalist John Elefante was both a primary songwriter and member of the band.
A change of pace comes by way of 'The Unsung Heroes' (a piano based ballad with a sweeping, classic Kansas intro) before the band rock out on the progressively tinged 'Rhythm in the Spirit,' a song that blends heavier passages with questioning verses and an uplifting chorus ("if you can change your mind, and see what’s there to find, there’s rhythm in the spirit…").
The simple but beautifully constructed 'Refugee,' a plea for children with troubles not of their own making, works as a poignant mid-album interlude before classic prog-era Kansas reappears in the shape of 'The Voyage of Eight Eighteen,' a song that takes its lead from the lyrical hopes of 'Rhythm in the Spirit' (and a lyrical sequel of sorts to 'Refugee') and title from the length of the track.
A gritty, full band riff help power the mid-tempo heavy melodic rock of 'Camouflage' while the rock and Kansas roll of 'Summer' (featuring a rare lead vocal outing for Billy Greer) and the equally pacey and pulsing 'Crowded Isolation' (a cry for better understanding in a divided world) keep the tempo high.
The poignant instrumental 'Section 60' (written for, and in tribute to, US military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) closes out the all new Kansas material in emotive style.
The Prelude Implicit also comes complete with two covers (more precisely traditional American folk songs) as bonus tracks – an acoustic based arrangement of 'Home on The Range' and a lead guitar and violin led instrumental rendition of 'Oh Shenandoah.'
The sum of the above parts is the first Kansas album in sixteen years becomes not just a Prelude to what is most likely to be the twilight era of the band’s career, but an album (with a big but never cluttered production from Zak Rizvi, Phil Ehart and Rick Williams) so good that it becomes Implicit every fan of intelligently composed rock checks it out.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
As regards the latter Kansas will be playing their uber-classic Leftoverture album in its entirety (to celebrate that album’s 40th Anniversary) on the band’s run of autumn 2016 dates across the US.
While that will keep the faithful happy as current Kansas plays homage to classic Kansas (only drummer Phil Ehart and guitarist Richard Williams remain from the original, classic line-up) the present and continuing Kansas story will also be celebrated on the tour by debuting song’s from The Prelude Implicit, the band’s fifteenth studio album and first in sixteen years.
With a title that intentionally points to a new beginning (as does the Phoenix cover image; an oil painting by Denise de la Cerda) keyboardist David Manion and lead vocalist Ronnie Platt (who both joined in 2014) have, along with latest recruit Zak Rizvi (guitars, vocals, album co-producer) joined Ehart, Williams, thirty year Kansas veteran Billy Greer (bass) and long-time member David Ragsdale (violin) to deliver an incredibly strong album.
The Prelude Implicit may not quite match the majesty of its sixteen years earlier predecessor Somewhere to Elsewhere (written entirely by the band’s original creative force Kerry Livgren and featuring, to greater or lesser degrees, all the original members), but is it is one of the band’s best ever offerings and one that heralds the return of the band's signature sound. And in impressive style.
Two, make that three, sides of Kansas are represented within the opening brace of 'With This Heart' and 'Visibility Zero.'
'With This Heart' is Kansas in AOR mode; a melodic, rhythmic and uplifting radio play winner that features a short but sweet melancholic violin melody line from David Ragsdale and showcases the remarkable similarity Ronnie Platt has to original vocalist Steve Walsh (who retired in 2014) in tonality and timbre.
By contrast 'Visibility Zero' delivers that classic Kansas 70s sound across the short instrumental passages and the choruses, mixed with verse sequences that recall the more hard-pop orientated early 80s when vocalist John Elefante was both a primary songwriter and member of the band.
A change of pace comes by way of 'The Unsung Heroes' (a piano based ballad with a sweeping, classic Kansas intro) before the band rock out on the progressively tinged 'Rhythm in the Spirit,' a song that blends heavier passages with questioning verses and an uplifting chorus ("if you can change your mind, and see what’s there to find, there’s rhythm in the spirit…").
The simple but beautifully constructed 'Refugee,' a plea for children with troubles not of their own making, works as a poignant mid-album interlude before classic prog-era Kansas reappears in the shape of 'The Voyage of Eight Eighteen,' a song that takes its lead from the lyrical hopes of 'Rhythm in the Spirit' (and a lyrical sequel of sorts to 'Refugee') and title from the length of the track.
A gritty, full band riff help power the mid-tempo heavy melodic rock of 'Camouflage' while the rock and Kansas roll of 'Summer' (featuring a rare lead vocal outing for Billy Greer) and the equally pacey and pulsing 'Crowded Isolation' (a cry for better understanding in a divided world) keep the tempo high.
The poignant instrumental 'Section 60' (written for, and in tribute to, US military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) closes out the all new Kansas material in emotive style.
The Prelude Implicit also comes complete with two covers (more precisely traditional American folk songs) as bonus tracks – an acoustic based arrangement of 'Home on The Range' and a lead guitar and violin led instrumental rendition of 'Oh Shenandoah.'
The sum of the above parts is the first Kansas album in sixteen years becomes not just a Prelude to what is most likely to be the twilight era of the band’s career, but an album (with a big but never cluttered production from Zak Rizvi, Phil Ehart and Rick Williams) so good that it becomes Implicit every fan of intelligently composed rock checks it out.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ