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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Songs From America Jul 08, 2008
Kansas was one of those geographically named bands from the 70's (think Boston, New England, Asia, etc) that mixed their progressive classic rock with artistic ambitions. Their early albums were rich with texture and ambition, but didn't really catch fire. It was when they recorded their two masterpieces, Leftoverture and Point Of Know Return, they were superstars.
The main hits are here and sound great. "Carry On Wayward Son" was an American "Roundabout," one of the more bizarre entries into the American Top 40 during 1976. "Dust In The Wind" became an anthem and cemented Kansas' status as a great American band. Much of their appeal stems from their instrumental attack, with classical violinist Robbie Steinhardt adding a dimension to the sound that became a trademark.
It's telling that six of the 12 songs here are from those two albums, with only Masque meriting more than one song after. But you do get the CBS/Kirshner hits, including "People Of The South Wind" (a personal favorite) and the full ten minutes of "Song for America." Not included (and to this best of's benefit) are the songs from after guitarist Kerry Livgren and bassist Dave Hope left, as the band basically morphed into a standard stadium rock group and signed to MCA. (Livgren did rejoin after 2000.)
The songs here, from the earliest to Audio-Visions' "Hold On," really sound great. The quality alone makes this one stand out, and the price is hard to beat. The CD also contains a computer file with liner notes and photography. As with many of this "Playlist" series, it's worth the price.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Beautifully Remastered Songs, unlike the compressed sound of an MP3 file May 02, 2008
Eco-friendly Packaging, CD Quality Music, MP3 Ready Files, Bonus Materials...what's not to love. Excellent Playlist: Not just the hits, but...the life-changing songs. The out-of-print tracks. The fan favorites everyone loves.
Kansas carved out a unique musical niche, merging the complex arrangements, challenging time signatures, and phliosophical lyrics of progressive rock with a punchy heartland sensibility. Their career produced a number of hits, including radio staple "Carry On Wayward Son" and the pensive acoustic ballard "Dust In The Wind".
Now on to the review. Fans need no introduction, but for the un-initiated who find music of today not to their liking can take comfort in knowing for little more than pocket change (less than $7 at wally-world) you can own one of the finest compilations of 70's prog-rock. The soundstage offers a ecletic blend of Styx and Journey with a touch of Yes and ELP thrown in for good measure.
....TRACK............................TIME.....SCORE
1. Can I Tell You....................3:33....4****
2. Song For America..............10:33....5*****
3. Icarus (Borne On Wings...)...6:04....5*****
4. The Pinnacle......................9:36....4****
5. Carry On Wayward Son.........5:23....5*****
6. What's On My Mind..............3:28....4****
7. Miracles Out Of Nowhere.......6:28....5*****
8. Point Of No Return...............3:12....5*****
9. Portait (He Knew)................4:35....4****
10. Dust In The Wind...............3:26....5*****
11. People Of The South Wind....3:39....4****
12. Hold On............................3:52....5*****
"Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust In The Wind" sounds AMAZING. "People Of The Southwind" is a personal favorite of mine (guilty-pleasure) and "Hold On" sounds as fresh today as it did more than 25 years ago. Missing gems include "The Wall", "Journey From Mariabronn", and "Magnus Opus" to name a few. With a running time of 63 minutes, the Playlist fell short 1 or 2 tracks IMHO, but with the added bonus content...full liner notes, photos, and more included as a PDF file on this CD...there's really no reason to complain.
A great value...from both a monetary and environment-friendly standpoint. Highly Recommended for fans and casual listeners alike, but for anyone that don't already own the entire catalog this is a must buy.
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