- Audio CD
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Import
- Label: Sony
- ASIN: B000027ABJ
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,111,112 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The harmonious and beautifully arranged 'The Wall' is one of the highlights, a composition you can't help falling for, quite immediately. And there's the classic 'Song For America' which barely needs further presentation - a must-hear.
Another highlight, of course, is the beautiful ballad 'Dust In The Wind' which, however, could have been from any band. Still, its presence on 'Best Of' is highly justified, since it is one of the best of its genre from Kansas.
A song like the opening 'Carry On Wayward Son' is more straight forward, on the edge between prog rock and rock'n'roll - and yet, its arrangement, the guitars, the drums, the piano, are very typical for the Kansas sound.
'Play The Game Tonight' is a typical 1980s song on which the band sounds very much like Foreigner or Asia. That one is not bad. But on 'Perfect Lover', and especially on 'Fight Fire With Fire', this 1980s sound becomes far too pop'ish, and it seems disappointing that these songs have been chosen for a so-called 'Best Of' album.
So all in all, 'The Best Of Kansas' is a compilation album with ups and with downs. Seen from a chronological and musically developmental point of view, the album does provide a good way of getting to know Kansas. But seen from a pure quality point of view, the ten songs are not the ten best ones, and my guess is that any admirer of Kansas will confirm this.
Taste differs, but what Kansas is all about, what Kansas is known and respected for, is their style from the 1970s rather than the 1980s development.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
81 reviews
48 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Excellent Collection!
7 Feb 2002
Format:Audio CD
This is an excellent purchase for those who don't know much about the band Kansas, but would like to get a sampler of some of this excellent band's music.. It has great hard rock staples, as well as longer and elaborate prog-rock epics. To me, that's what makes a best of album spectacular. It has the popular "Carry On Wayward Son," the melodious quirk of "Point Of Know Return," and the inspirational "Hold On," just to name a few. However, my personal favorites are the extended prog numbers, like "Song For America" and "No One Together," which are elaborate and complex in arrangement, with great vocals and melody, and what surprises one is the fact that guitarist Kerry Livgren wrote most of these elaborate pieces by himself. Kerry & company were a talented bunch, and it's nothing to be taken lightly. "The Closet Chronicles" is performed live, yet sounds as crisp as a studio recording. This is another one of those elaborate epics featuring great vocals, with outstanding musicianship. One should know that, for the time being, this live version can only be found on this collection, as it was omitted from the remastering of their live double CD, _Two For The Show_, in order to keep the disc from being double (which was pretty dumb.) It's a real shame, because I believe the live version of this song leaves the studio version in the dust.
Overall, I am very pleased with this recording. If you like complex, elaborate, dramatic and sophisticated bands like Queen, you should love Kansas.
Overall, I am very pleased with this recording. If you like complex, elaborate, dramatic and sophisticated bands like Queen, you should love Kansas.
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Good Place To Start
2 July 2000
Format:Audio CD
This is that rare best of album that actually features the band's best of. Not sacrificing longer tracks for shorter pieces (well, Magnum Opus maybe, but...) this collection truly gives a good overview of Kansas. The radio hits are here: Carry On, The Wall, Hold On, Point of No Return, and of course, Dust In The Wind, but even they feature prog overtones. But it's the longer pieces that show the band's excellent musicianship, like Song For America, No One Together, The Pinnacle, and Closet Chronicles. All in all, a good place to start if you're just getting into Kansas.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
The Autobiography of a Supergroup
17 Dec 2003
Format:Audio CD
Each track on this handy compilation embodies all of the genuine elements that made Kansas one of the all-time greats, consisting of the Topeka-homegrown innocence (without the cliched naivety) combined with weary-eyed looks at the past, present, and an uncertain future. Springing from the virtuous, innocent American heartland, Kansas was a band that remained honest in their hopeful-sad-determined subject matter, and became one of the premier supergroups of its time (and remaining unmatched in their genre to this day). They proved they could pull off their love of British progressive rock without sounding overblown or overproduced, while keeping an authentic Southern jam essence. This slightly made-over version of the original release showcases examples of the things that made Kansas stand out; whether it's the doleful realizations of 'Dust in the Wind,' the power of 'Point Of Know Return' or 'Carry on Wayward Son,' or reflections of Kerry Livgren's search for redemption through Christianity, every song here remains some of the best work released during their respective times. However, it should be noted that "The Best Of Kansas" is not necessarily a place to start for new fans; rather, Kansas is one of those bands whose immense creativity is best experienced with each individual album, and no compilation completely does them a significant amount of justice. Nonetheless, it's still a relatively sturdy overview, and a fascinating musical biography.
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