Boomer here and I seek out Kansas reactions. Thoroughly enjoyed this and your interpretation. So nice to see something besides Carry On.. and Dust in the Wind. I'll be following and see what else you dig up.
It was 1974, I was attending a mock legislature for high school students at the state capitol in Topeka. Had a friend from Topeka High named Lance. On a break, we were standing at the railing of the 2nd floor rotunda staring across at the massive John Steuart Curry mural of John Brown and Lance said, "That'd make a hell of an album cover, dontcha think?" Then he told me about this bunch of local guys who called themselves Kansas and had finally gotten a record contract. I've been a fan ever since.
I was a band kid in high school, and I worshipped Kansas for the complexity and creativity of their music, the quality of their drummer, Phil Ehart, and their instrumentation. So yes, put the fiddle in my rock 'n roll! Just as Jethro Tull popularized medieval English rock with the addition of the flute, Kansas brought forward middle-American rock with the addition of violins! What a great era the 70s were for creativity in music! It is completely unrivaled!
I just sub'd after watching a RUSH reaction, browsing the channel and I find THIS! Kansas was another amazingly talented prog band from my youth. I grew up in Kansas City a stone's throw from their hometown Lawrence, and I've seen quite a few truly amazing Kansas live performances. I can still close my eyes and clearly see Steve Walsh doing handstands on the handles he had attached to his keyboard for that very purpose, kicking his feet straight up in the air, then running along the keyboard and kicking out to the side, all in time with the beat, as he played and sang masterpieces like Miracles Out Of Nowhere with a vocal purity ranking up there with the likes of a Karen Carpenter. And yes, ROCK FIDDLE! MORE KANSAS PLEASE!!!
@@stpnwlf9 Right you are, Randy. Thanks for jogging my memory. I never actually saw them perform in Topeka, only KC and Lawrence, so I was remembering them as a Lawrence band when I wrote the comment. Long time ago - fond memories!
@@scottdpublic I went to Ottawa U. in KS and saw them in college days. Saw them in the 90s in Wichita - radio stations there refer to them as the 'home state band' and in the end, Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan - whatever - it's all KANSAS.
Hey guys, this vid just popped up today. As you can see by my handle Kansas was my favorite band for many decades. They are the greatest American prog band ever. I grew up on 60/70's Rock and I would have been fine with my playlists filled with Kansas, Queen, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Springsteen and many many many more classic rockers. But I stumbled upon a band in 2020 that revived my musical soul. BAND-MAID is actually entering their 10th year together. Intact and better than ever. Don't be fooled by their outfits. They Rock with the best. Unique, Diverse, Melodic, Catchy, Dynamic, Powerful, FUN. Another catch would be they're from Japan but they average about 20% English in their lyrics. Translations can be a challenge sometimes but almost always a positive message. They have about 120 songs in their catalog. They will be touring the US in October 2022. John, try out the song MANNERS (a groovy bluesy rocker) from their current Unseen World album. They really shine LIVE in from of their fans but their albums are stellar. Hope to see you guys soon. Peace. 249
Agreed, best American Progressive rock band ever. Dissed by critics, wrongfully. My second favorite band ever. So many great albums. Song for America through Audio-Visions. Massively underrated, yet influential!!
@@howie5th Yeah, Kansas was, IMO, a very underrated band. They were absolutely fantastic, particularly in their heyday, Leftoverture, Masque, Monolith, etc. Great great music.
Interesting channel. Nice to see Paradox. I prefer the live version off of what I consider to be one of the best live albums, Two For The Show. They were a great live band back then. One of the main streams in Kansas lyricism is the journey of Kerry Livgren in reverse to what appears to be your journey. He was looking for answers and it lead him to a form of Christianity.
Robby Steinhardt is a classically trained violinist who was first chair in every orchestra in which he played. He has an incredible singing voice too. All 6 musicians in Kansas are amazing, particularly Kerry Livgren who wrote all the prog songs. He took no music lessons, and cannot read or write musical notation. He composes and orchestrates all in his head, writes the lyrics, & then teaches the parts to his bandmates. He plays lead guitar, piano, synth, and other instruments. He is known as "The Maestro" for good reason.
There was a bar in my neighborhood that had this song on the jukebox (on the flip side of Point Of Know Return). It's all I ever played on the thing, lol.
Janice! I know you love Kansas, as I mentioned in the opening to the video, but what in blazes are you talking about regarding Yes? You are either mis-informed, uninformed, or blinded by your love for Kerry. Yes notoriously allowed every member of the band to shine, both through songwriting and performance in the studio and in concert. In a way, the two bands are a bit like apples and oranges under the prog banner, with Yes leaning more heavily towards jazz/jazz fusion while Kansas leaned toward power pop and vocals, but Yes most-definitely encouraged its members to play and shine. - JD
Glad to see a reaction to Kansas other than "Carry On My Wayward Son" and (UGH!) "Point of No Return." "Leftoverture" is a splendid album, with "What's On My Mind" and "Miracles Out Of Nowhere" my preferred tracks. Try "Song For America" (1975). the second studio album by Kansas -- a band from Lawrence, Kan., the historical and academic (KU) heart of the state -- starting with "Down the Road" (which you would not ID as Kansas if not forewarned) and the very Kansas-like "The Devil Game." I was in radio for 25 years, starting when young in the early '70s at KSHE/St. Louis and as a veteran programmer in the late '80s and early 90s at KZEP/San Antonio. I lived classic rock, and if my memory were better as a senior I'd be glad to educate.
Doh, here... Thanks for the recommendations. So you remember radio before focus groups involved gathering 100 Susans and Karens between 30 and 40 years old into a room to find out what they liked.
@@LiteralistReactions We used our judgment and knowledge of the music and audience. Later, we also used polling we conducted to ascertain audience reaction. But we selected our own music instead of using computer-generated playlists. Check our Tom Petty's "The Last DJ." "There goes the last D.J., playing what he wants to play, saying what he wants to say. Hey! Hey! Hey!" Radio today is like the music. Homogenated, antiseptic and artificial. High-tech pabulum, just like film. I'm glad I grew up in the '60s and '70s, where there was an air of freshness and experimentation. We had Rush, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and many other creative and talented artists; today it's Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and a rash of other marginally talented bums. Jimi is crying in his grave, Poor millennials; who are conditioned to accept banality as the best because nothing better is expected.
@@LiteralistReactions There's little wrong with an economy of words, but more important than efficiency is the impact of well-chosen phrases. Same with film: I don't care if a movie is 3 hours ("The Godfather") or 90 minutes long ("Blazing Saddles"), so long as it's finely crafted. If you decide to try movie reactions, I can provide plenty of choices for excellent films in several genres (although films that lean heavily on animation, whiz-bang special effects and CGI bore me).
You guys keep hitting more and more music that I own and make me realize how much would have been classified as prog rock. Rush, Pink Floyd and Yes of course. ELP, Alan Parson Moody Blues ok. Boston, Jethro Tull, Kansas, Foreigner and even old Supertramp. Let’s go old REO as well.
John Doh here... Indeed, prog was certainly casting a wider net in the 70's. Only exception I think would be Foreigner, who did sometimes choose a time-signature blip but were otherwise mostly a straight-forward rock/pop band.
John Doe nails what Kansas is all about on their music. I will start following and watching all video's on them. I am going to watch the two they have reacted to. Parodox & (Closet Chronicles or can I call it Howard Hughes? Smiles 🤗
John Doh here... this was one of our earliest reactions and earliest introductions to Dave of the classic rock era and prog in particular. In the 2 months since this recording... his "ear" has grown and his attitude toward this music has drastically changed with it. Stay tuned and watch the amazing transformation in real time!
OMG this takes me back!!! I had the Kansas albums "Leftoverture" and "Point of no Return". I was 13. Loved this band. Thanks for the memories guys.
This is like a high-octane energy pill. One of Kansas's best little gems. All boxes checked, songwriting, arrangement, vocal and ensemble playing.
Boomer here and I seek out Kansas reactions. Thoroughly enjoyed this and your interpretation. So nice to see something besides Carry On.. and Dust in the Wind. I'll be following and see what else you dig up.
Very cool, welcome to the "Fellow Humans" club! - JD
It was 1974, I was attending a mock legislature for high school students at the state capitol in Topeka. Had a friend from Topeka High named Lance. On a break, we were standing at the railing of the 2nd floor rotunda staring across at the massive John Steuart Curry mural of John Brown and Lance said, "That'd make a hell of an album cover, dontcha think?" Then he told me about this bunch of local guys who called themselves Kansas and had finally gotten a record contract. I've been a fan ever since.
I was a band kid in high school, and I worshipped Kansas for the complexity and creativity of their music, the quality of their drummer, Phil Ehart, and their instrumentation. So yes, put the fiddle in my rock 'n roll! Just as Jethro Tull popularized medieval English rock with the addition of the flute, Kansas brought forward middle-American rock with the addition of violins! What a great era the 70s were for creativity in music! It is completely unrivaled!
Saw them in the mid 70's while attending Purdue - they played the Elliot Hall Of Music, fantastic show.
I just sub'd after watching a RUSH reaction, browsing the channel and I find THIS!
Kansas was another amazingly talented prog band from my youth. I grew up in Kansas City a stone's throw from their hometown Lawrence, and I've seen quite a few truly amazing Kansas live performances. I can still close my eyes and clearly see Steve Walsh doing handstands on the handles he had attached to his keyboard for that very purpose, kicking his feet straight up in the air, then running along the keyboard and kicking out to the side, all in time with the beat, as he played and sang masterpieces like Miracles Out Of Nowhere with a vocal purity ranking up there with the likes of a Karen Carpenter.
And yes, ROCK FIDDLE!
MORE KANSAS PLEASE!!!
Actually, most of the guys in the band were from Topeka - but you know, the same 30 mile stretch of I-70 so, whatever.
@@stpnwlf9 Right you are, Randy. Thanks for jogging my memory. I never actually saw them perform in Topeka, only KC and Lawrence, so I was remembering them as a Lawrence band when I wrote the comment. Long time ago - fond memories!
@@scottdpublic I went to Ottawa U. in KS and saw them in college days. Saw them in the 90s in Wichita - radio stations there refer to them as the 'home state band' and in the end, Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan - whatever - it's all KANSAS.
Hey guys, this vid just popped up today. As you can see by my handle Kansas was my favorite band for many decades. They are the greatest American prog band ever. I grew up on 60/70's Rock and I would have been fine with my playlists filled with Kansas, Queen, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Springsteen and many many many more classic rockers. But I stumbled upon a band in 2020 that revived my musical soul. BAND-MAID is actually entering their 10th year together. Intact and better than ever. Don't be fooled by their outfits. They Rock with the best. Unique, Diverse, Melodic, Catchy, Dynamic, Powerful, FUN. Another catch would be they're from Japan but they average about 20% English in their lyrics. Translations can be a challenge sometimes but almost always a positive message. They have about 120 songs in their catalog. They will be touring the US in October 2022. John, try out the song MANNERS (a groovy bluesy rocker) from their current Unseen World album. They really shine LIVE in from of their fans but their albums are stellar. Hope to see you guys soon. Peace. 249
Doh, here... sweet! I will check them out. Thanks.
Agreed, best American Progressive rock band ever. Dissed by critics, wrongfully. My second favorite band ever. So many great albums. Song for America through Audio-Visions. Massively underrated, yet influential!!
@@howie5th Yeah, Kansas was, IMO, a very underrated band. They were absolutely fantastic, particularly in their heyday, Leftoverture, Masque, Monolith, etc. Great great music.
Interesting channel. Nice to see Paradox. I prefer the live version off of what I consider to be one of the best live albums, Two For The Show. They were a great live band back then. One of the main streams in Kansas lyricism is the journey of Kerry Livgren in reverse to what appears to be your journey. He was looking for answers and it lead him to a form of Christianity.
With Kansas, I always come back to the word "tight." They are the tightest band I have ever heard.
more Kansas coming tomorrow! - JD
Robby Steinhardt is a classically trained violinist who was first chair in every orchestra in which he played. He has an incredible singing voice too. All 6 musicians in Kansas are amazing, particularly Kerry Livgren who wrote all the prog songs. He took no music lessons, and cannot read or write musical notation. He composes and orchestrates all in his head, writes the lyrics, & then teaches the parts to his bandmates. He plays lead guitar, piano, synth, and other instruments. He is known as "The Maestro" for good reason.
I remember buying Dust In The Wind 45 Paradox was on the flip side.
There was a bar in my neighborhood that had this song on the jukebox (on the flip side of Point Of Know Return). It's all I ever played on the thing, lol.
Kansas is so much better than other prog bands, like Yes, because Kansas songs allow every member to shine. And they are all masterful musicians.
Janice! I know you love Kansas, as I mentioned in the opening to the video, but what in blazes are you talking about regarding Yes? You are either mis-informed, uninformed, or blinded by your love for Kerry. Yes notoriously allowed every member of the band to shine, both through songwriting and performance in the studio and in concert. In a way, the two bands are a bit like apples and oranges under the prog banner, with Yes leaning more heavily towards jazz/jazz fusion while Kansas leaned toward power pop and vocals, but Yes most-definitely encouraged its members to play and shine. - JD
Glad to see a reaction to Kansas other than "Carry On My Wayward Son" and (UGH!) "Point of No Return." "Leftoverture" is a splendid album, with "What's On My Mind" and "Miracles Out Of Nowhere" my preferred tracks. Try "Song For America" (1975). the second studio album by Kansas -- a band from Lawrence, Kan., the historical and academic (KU) heart of the state -- starting with "Down the Road" (which you would not ID as Kansas if not forewarned) and the very Kansas-like "The Devil Game." I was in radio for 25 years, starting when young in the early '70s at KSHE/St. Louis and as a veteran programmer in the late '80s and early 90s at KZEP/San Antonio. I lived classic rock, and if my memory were better as a senior I'd be glad to educate.
Doh, here... Thanks for the recommendations. So you remember radio before focus groups involved gathering 100 Susans and Karens between 30 and 40 years old into a room to find out what they liked.
@@LiteralistReactions We used our judgment and knowledge of the music and audience. Later, we also used polling we conducted to ascertain audience reaction. But we selected our own music instead of using computer-generated playlists. Check our Tom Petty's "The Last DJ." "There goes the last D.J., playing what he wants to play, saying what he wants to say. Hey! Hey! Hey!" Radio today is like the music. Homogenated, antiseptic and artificial. High-tech pabulum, just like film. I'm glad I grew up in the '60s and '70s, where there was an air of freshness and experimentation. We had Rush, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and many other creative and talented artists; today it's Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and a rash of other marginally talented bums. Jimi is crying in his grave, Poor millennials; who are conditioned to accept banality as the best because nothing better is expected.
@@chrisbowling4060 Again, John Here... I hate "consultants" who used to tell me to say it with less words. I'm out of radio, now.
@@LiteralistReactions There's little wrong with an economy of words, but more important than efficiency is the impact of well-chosen phrases. Same with film: I don't care if a movie is 3 hours ("The Godfather") or 90 minutes long ("Blazing Saddles"), so long as it's finely crafted. If you decide to try movie reactions, I can provide plenty of choices for excellent films in several genres (although films that lean heavily on animation, whiz-bang special effects and CGI bore me).
You guys keep hitting more and more music that I own and make me realize how much would have been classified as prog rock.
Rush, Pink Floyd and Yes of course. ELP, Alan Parson Moody Blues ok. Boston, Jethro Tull, Kansas, Foreigner and even old Supertramp. Let’s go old REO as well.
John Doh here... Indeed, prog was certainly casting a wider net in the 70's. Only exception I think would be Foreigner, who did sometimes choose a time-signature blip but were otherwise mostly a straight-forward rock/pop band.
John Doe nails what Kansas is all about on their music. I will start following and watching all video's on them. I am going to watch the two they have reacted to. Parodox & (Closet Chronicles or can I call it Howard Hughes? Smiles 🤗
great band
I would never use the word goofy when talking about Kansas
John Doh here... this was one of our earliest reactions and earliest introductions to Dave of the classic rock era and prog in particular. In the 2 months since this recording... his "ear" has grown and his attitude toward this music has drastically changed with it. Stay tuned and watch the amazing transformation in real time!
"What........wut? This ain't Dust In The Wind." Live shows were unbelievably good.
Your religious/spiritual theme guess is correct.
this isn`t Kansas best- there are so many more- let him listen to the "leftoverture " album