Always Never the Same

Amazon.com
George Strait's work in the '90s is like a hall of mirrors: each new million-seller mirrors the previous million-seller, which mirrors the one that came before. And yet the master's touch never fails, and the music charms and sometimes thrills. Drawing again on his steady stable of writers--Jim Lauderdale, Dean Dillon, Steve Bogard, and Jeff Stevens--and adding Melba Montgomery's careful pen, Strait's latest is a fitting end to a decade he helped define for country music. The material isn't especially impressive given the routine, radio-safe themes, and Strait's band--the crème de la crème of Nashville (Randy Scruggs, Stuart Duncan, Paul Franklin)--plays impeccably but with little distinction. Still, even the middling material, delivered in Strait's lush, plangent tenor, has hit potential. Except for the two-beer ballad "That's the Truth" (one to drink, one to cry into), which explores the borders of deception and honesty, and the soaring, climactic "Meanwhile," which very convincingly weaves reality and fantasy, Always Never the Same is good but never great, consistent but never classic. --Roy Kasten

Entertainment Weekly
On his 24th album, Strait never forgets to prove his mettle with the honky-tonk masters.

Tracks:

Meanwhile
Write This Down
That's The Truth
What Do You Say To That
Peace Of Mind
That's Where I Want To Take Our Love
Always Never The Same
One Of You
I Look At You
4 Minus 3 Equals Zero

Product Description

Excellent condition, includes the original CD, case, and paperwork, First Class shipped, ask me for my CD List! :)

Amazon.com

George Strait's work in the '90s is like a hall of mirrors: each new million-seller mirrors the previous million-seller, which mirrors the one that came before. And yet the master's touch never fails, and the music charms and sometimes thrills. Drawing again on his steady stable of writers--Jim Lauderdale, Dean Dillon, Steve Bogard, and Jeff Stevens--and adding Melba Montgomery's careful pen, Strait's latest is a fitting end to a decade he helped define for country music. The material isn't especially impressive given the routine, radio-safe themes, and Strait's band--the crème de la crème of Nashville (Randy Scruggs, Stuart Duncan, Paul Franklin)--plays impeccably but with little distinction. Still, even the middling material, delivered in Strait's lush, plangent tenor, has hit potential. Except for the two-beer ballad "That's the Truth" (one to drink, one to cry into), which explores the borders of deception and honesty, and the soaring, climactic "Meanwhile," which very convincingly weaves reality and fantasy, Always Never the Same is good but never great, consistent but never classic. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews:

It's Good, But George Is Losing Grip.......2005-07-12

As a George Strait fan, I have seen many a singer come and go.
George has stayed at the top for over 20 years, which is not easy for anyone these day's.
This album is a good album, but it does have some exceptions.
While there are still some traditional country songs on this album, like "That's The Truth" and "4 Minus 3 Equals Zero", George has let himself be sold into the "Nashville Sound" market.
Unfortunately, like many "country stars" that start traditonal, end up on the other side of the fence, and let's money do the talking instead of sticking to their roots.
Hopefully one day George will go back recording traditional songs like he is well known for.

"WRITE THIS DOWN" AN EXCELLENT GEORGE CD.......2005-01-02

This particular CD is excellent(Although it does not have western swing music on it), and although not quite as good as mid 80s- early 90s George, it is still an great CD, with songs such a "Write This Down", "Meanwhile", the title track, "4 minus 3 Equals Zero", and the best of all "One Of You" getting 10/10 stars, and no weak tracks, means "Write This Down", you have another excellent GS CD.

A Must for George Strait fans.......2003-06-28

I have been a George Strait fan for many years..I have most of the Cds that he put out, but this Cd he has made is a wonderful collection of George's songs.

Still another excellent record from George.......2002-03-24

Though I didn't become a big fan of George Strait until I saw him in the movie Pure Country, I think George has put out some excellent records. His '99 album Always Never The Same is no exception.

The record's initial hit single, "Meanwhile", is a classic George Strait country song. The waltzing tempo on the song is reminiscent of one of George's early hit songs, "You Look So Good In Love", although "Meanwhile" is a bit slower. And what would an album by George be if it didn't have at least one lost-love song on it? Besides "Meanwhile", this record includes two other songs with the lost-love theme, "That's The Truth" and "4 Minus 3 Equals Zero", with the latter song having the added dimension of a marital breakup.

A Strait album is not all cry-in-your-beer, though. On this album, "Write This Down", "One Of You", and the title song "Always Never The Same" are fun, up-tempo songs that I think will be danced to on a lot of dance floors. Furthermore, George has three positive love songs on this record: "I Look At You", "That's Where I Wanna Take Our Love", and "What Do You Say To That". This is a listenable, well-put-together album, like practically everything George has done. George has still another excellent record in Always Never The Same.

The Perfect CD.......2002-01-15

I think this is the Best cd George Strait has yet to come out with. Every song is great.

Average customer rating:

Oldie, but Goodie
Once lost, now found and reissued on CD.
THOU SWELL. THE YANKEE WINS AGAIN!
A Lost Gem
Not complete and NOT first CD version

A Connecticut Yankee
Broadway Revival Cast
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005A8KC
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

A Connecticut Yankee: Overture
A Connecticut Yankee: My Heart Stood Still
A Connecticut Yankee: Thou Swell
A Connecticut Yankee: On A Desert Island With Thee
A Connecticut Yankee: To Keep My Love Alive
A Connecticut Yankee: Can't You Do A Friend A Favor?
A Connecticut Yankee: I Feel At Home With You
A Connecticut Yankee: You Always Love The Same Girl
A Connecticut Yankee: Finale
Higher And Higher (Selections): Nothing But You
Higher And Higher (Selections): Ev'ry Sunday Afternoon
Higher And Higher (Selections): From Another World
Higher And Higher (Selections): It Never Entered My Mind
By Jupiter (Selections): Careless Rhapsody
By Jupiter (Selections): Jupiter Forbid
By Jupiter (Selections): Ev'rything I Got
By Jupiter (Selections): Nobody's Heart

Customer Reviews:

Oldie, but Goodie.......2006-08-01

Well, I was not expecting to like this one. Its SO old, and very classic (Rodgers and Hart.) But one good thing about it being Rodgers and Hart, is it has lovely lyrics. Clever and witty on every song. Mark Twains book was done justice I think, but I've never read the book. I would suggest this to classic lovers, and newer Broadway fans who want to hear a`"classic" other than Oklahoma. This is a good one. The other great thing about this CD is you get not only A Connecticut Yankee, but also highlights from two other Rodgers and Hart musicals: Higher and Higher and By Jupiter. AWSOME. Favorite Song: "To Keep My Love Alive"

Once lost, now found and reissued on CD........2005-06-03

One of Decca's earliest cast albums (recorded just a few weeks after their famous OKLAHOMA! album) this very nearly became a lost treasure. Recorded on 16" glass masters in 1943, the original release was on 78 RPMS (complete witha booklet givinga detailed synopsis and all the lyrics.) The revival was not a success and when Long Playing records were introduced in the late 1940s, CONNECTICUT YANKEE was not reissued in the new format.

At one time in the 1960s Decca had the masters transferred to tape for a possible LP reissue. That reissue never happened, and in shipping the discs back to the storage facility, they were broken. The tape was taken from the company's archives and did not turn up until almost 30 years later. Though modern technology could probably have coaxed even better sound from the master discs, we must be thankful that the tape was made when it was.

In the meanwhile there were three unautherized isses of these tracks. A new York based private label called Box Office transferred the 78's to one side of an Lp in the 1970s. Later, AEI released an elaborate gatefold Lp with not only the full score (again dubbed from 78s) but also fabricated some additional tracks reprising some of the songs (in theatrical order) by editing portions from the existing tracks. Finally there was a release on CD from Box Office with horrible sound that stil sometimes turns up for sale. Avoid it. Decca actually sent a request that Box Office withdraw the bootleg Cd.

This edition has much better sound and the bonus tracks by Hildegard and Shirley Ross from BY JUPITER and HIGHER AND HIGHER make the package very worthwhile.

THOU SWELL. THE YANKEE WINS AGAIN!.......2003-02-09

"A Connecticut Yankee," by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, contains more hit songs than the average Broadway season nowadays. "My Heart Stood," "Still," "Thou Swell" and the redoubtable "To Keep My Love Alive" all sound fresh and vibrant in this fabulously remastered 1943 recording. Particularly wonderful is the total and complete recording of "To Keep My Love Alive," sung by the one great (female) love of the Lyricist's life, Vivienne Segal ... nearly seven minutes of the wittiest ways to do in a husband. This is one of the first "original cast" recordings ever recorded, and it sounds as crisp and clear as a recording made today. Bravo! (Submitted by staff member Stephen J. Finn)

A Lost Gem.......2002-01-17

A wonderful rerelease of glass discs made for the 1943 revival of this charming musical. While the orchestra is less than polished (there is one particular trumpet you can hear over and over that is awful and flat!)--it has a lot of zest to it, and makes one yearn to see the play - indeed, to see more of the Rodgers and Hart shows performed.

Not complete and NOT first CD version.......2001-08-19

This CD collection of tracks from the 1943 revival of the Rodgers & Hart musical is advertised as the first CD presentation of these tracks. This is incorrect. I have a CD issued in 1999 by Box Office Recordings called "A Collector's Rodgers & Hart" which contains all the "Connecticut Yankee" tracks plus 14 additional tracks of Rodgers & Hart covers (different from the covers on the Decca CD).

Worse, I have an AEI LP recording of the revival which has three additional tracks from the show. Why weren't these selections included in this recording?

Tracks:

Eleanor Rigby
Dust In The Wind
Preamble
Song For America
In Your Eyes
Miracles Out Of Nowhere
Hold On
The Sky Is Falling
Cheyenne Anthem
Prelude & Introduction
The Wall
Need To Know
Nobody's Home

Customer Reviews:

not really necessary.......2007-07-10

This album was actually one I looked forward to. I knew they were playing with the LSO so I figured it would something a bit different.

This album really didn't move me. Eleanor Rigby wasn't so great and I only listened to it a few times because I hate the Beatles anyway.

They pretty much filled this disc with stuff I expected. There are a few new songs here. In Your Eyes (not the Peter Gabriel song) might be the best of the three, but still not a very good song to begin with. The Sky is Falling is overlong and sounds too much like the rough draft of a song that should have stayed on a solo album. Need to know sounds too much like an outtake from Freaks of Nature and doesn't really move me.

The rest of the tracks are decent, but this is an album barely worth listening to more than a few times. Two tracks are instrumentals (Preamble and Prelude & Introduction) which basically are little bits of songs like Portrait and Point of Know Return. They are really nothing special. Also I felt the songs were sequenced poorly and at times it gets boring to listen to.

So this is for the hardcore fans out there. And contrary to the albums title, some things should stay the same.

Was this album really necessary?.......2006-02-18

Was it really necessary to rerecord several KANSAS classics? It's obvious that these are poor imitations of the brilliant originals. The orchestra didn't even have a good interaction with the band, and when it played it didn't sound right anyway. It's sad to see Steve's voice pretty much shot, but like a previous reviewer said he still kind of has a soulful way of delivering the songs. Why rerecord classics, when you know it's not going to be as good as the originals? The Walsh penned songs just don't do it for me on this cd. I wish, like everyone else, that Livgren was back with the band, because he was the major driving force, even though it was team effort. It's just never the same without him. I didn't really like the cover of the BEATLES tune "Elenore Rigby" at first, but now it's starting to grow on me. It was good to have Robbie Steinhardt back after Kansas ditched him back in about 1982. Don't get me started on that!!! He's still a super vocalist too. I wish they would have included "The Pinnacle", "Lamplight Symphony", "Magnum Opus", and maybe "Portrait(He Knew). I just think if you're going to do a project like this, you need to do it up right, which is definitely the downfall with ALWAYS NEVER THE SAME. So basically, this could have been done a lot better than it actually was, and I'm being kind in giving it 3 stars. I'm about the biggest KANSAS fan there is, but I have to be honest and not be a fanatic, like all these fans that always give KANSAS four and five star reviews, and you're flat out of your mind if you're giving it a five star review. Get some dad gum perspective KANSAS fans. When you don't have Kerry Livgren or Steve Morse in the band, it's pretty hard to make great albums. Can anyone tell me why Steve Morse only stayed about three years with this great band? Maybe he'll leave DEEP PURPLE one of these days and rejoin the better band KANSAS, but I'm always dreaming like that. Even better maybe Kerry will rejoin the band some day and not just to make one album then leave again.

A tad overblown, but really quite good!.......2006-01-12

Deep Purple have done it, KISS have done it, Metallica have done it, but about the only rock band who have credibly recorded with an orchestra (the London Symphony Orchestra, no less!) are Kansas.

I wonder how they were able to afford it, given that at this point they were on a small label and playing clubs, county fairs and virtually anywhere else that would have them.

A big point of note is the return of violinist/vocalist Robby Steinhardt to the Kansas fold. David Ragsdale had done a commendable job but Steinhardt's voice, violin and compositional skills were so much a part of the Kansas sound that his absence was always quite glaring.

Kansas' classic sound was of course quite orchestral to begin with (especially on "Song For America") so many of their songs would be a natural to be performed with an orchestra. The classics here sound quite good with the lush orchestral backing. I also commend them for not including "Carry On Wayward Son", not because it's a bad song (it isn't), but because they would have been expected to do so to boost album sales.

However, I am not pleased with the fact that Steve Walsh changes the lyrics of "Hold On" to be more vague about God. He had disagreements with Kerry Livgren over the direction of Kansas' lyrics when Livgren became a Christian, but Livgren wrote this song to be specifically Christian and it should have been left as such.

The cover of "Eleanor Rigby" is very good. However, the new songs ("I Need To Know", "In Your Eyes" and "The Sky Is Falling") are not terribly outstanding and without the orchestra could sound like outtakes from "Power" and "In The Spirit Of Things". Also, is the band actually playing on "Preamble" and "Prelude & Introduction", or is it just the LSO?

Of course, this album didn't sell, not in the U.S. anyway. By this time the "music" scene had been taken over by pre-packaged pop singers, boy bands and gangsta (c)rap and there was no place for a group of real musicians who could play their instruments and write songs.

It is a little overblown, but kudos to Kansas for doing it. Get it, if you can find it.

Nicely Done..........2005-06-02

A very nice work, very original.
Kansas was meant to be done by an orchestra.
Only one bad note- "Preamble" and "Prelude and Introduction" are kind of a letdown,
The thrilling part about the rest of the album is that it's filled with billowing sound from the orchestra, but the band's still there, rocking away.

Another cool thing is that the band is giving the full effort. You can tell they know this inside and out, and the orchestra does too. It's kind of like a duel to see who can leave a bigger impression, Kansas or the London Symphony.

I enjoy Kansas Albums a lot- they're a lot like Genesis. This is an AMAZING work. If you're a Kansas purist *shrugs* you may find it sacrelige, but I think It adds to the sound profusely. This is definitely worth your time.

Gorgeous and powerful...a winning combination.......2004-09-09

Hats off to Phil Ehart and Co. for giving Kansas fans something that many of us have wanted for a long time...a collaboration between Kansas and a world class symphony orchestra. This experiment works splendidly on all 13 tracks and the production by Ehart, Rich "Meatwall" Williams and Trammell Starks is big and bold. Most delightful of all is the return of vocalist/violinist Robby Steinhardt, who's presence was greatly missed since 1982's VINYL CONFESSIONS. With Steinhardt confidently pointing the way for the London Symphony Orchestra, Kansas gives a rich, orchestral treatment to 7 of their classic songs from SONG FOR AMERICA, LEFTOVERTURE, POINT OF KNOW RETURN, and AUDIO-VISIONS. Every song is a revelation; new colors and new life emerge from these beloved "older" classics. The majesty and power of the LSO combined with the superb playing of the Kansas band produces a sound that is perhaps richer than that of any CD in the entire Kansas catalog. (Check out the breathtaking "Miracles Out of Nowhere"...and Rich Williams' incredible guitar solo that trumps even the original studio version.) There are two special orchestral interludes...one a lovely "Preamble" to the majestic "Song for America" and the other an intriguing medley "overture" featuring choice bits from many Kansas standards. Of perhaps greatest interest are the four "new" Kansas songs. Actually, "Eleanore Rigby" is neither new nor a Kansas song, but the band does carry it off quite well, giving the song their own unique stamp. The soulful "In Your Eyes" is a superb Walsh heartcry...stomping percussion and swirling strings. Walsh's voice may be a little more "ragged" than it was back in the 1970s, but it works extremely effectively here. Another new track, "The Sky is Falling" is a fast paced gallop that swings and sails...the orchestra jams it up pretty well. And, in my opinion, "Need to Know" is worth the entire purchase price for the CD, all by itself. It's a classic Kansas ballad, sung very tenderly and passionately by Walsh. It begins with Walsh, solo piano, and a ticking clock...spare strings begin to work their way in behind Walsh's poignant word pictures. The achingly gorgeous backing harmonies pave the way for a very big, powerful finish, packed with drama and emotion. Whatever toll the years have taken on Walsh's voice, he is still peerless when it comes to conveying the message and the melody of a song...and that's all I really need to know.

Average customer rating:

A mistake from the get go...
soaring strings work well here

Always Never the Same
Kansas
Manufacturer: Diablo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006C2J6
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

Eleanor Rigby
Dust in the Wind
Preamble
Song for America
In Your Eyes
Miracles Out of Nowhere
Hold On
Sky Is Falling
Cheyenne Anthem
Prelude & Introduction
Wall
Need to Know
Nobody's Home

Customer Reviews:

A mistake from the get go..........2006-11-14

Kansas with an orchestra...oh no the Moody Blues disease! Kansas is a mini orchestra- they don't need a orchestra to back them..silly, silly. The new songs are O.K. but I bet they would have more power without the orchestra. A major disappointment. ( I did see Kansas on this tour w/o the orchestra and they were excellent. I think they sold themselves short by buying into the orchestra idea)

soaring strings work well here.......2005-03-31

Why re-record songs that cannot be improved upon? They're not improved just dressed up a little. Of the four songs here that are new to Kansas discography, only Eleanor Rigby really stands out. Walsh's 3 new(?) songs are ballads that don't really feature either the band or the orchestra. Icarus, Lamplight Symphony or Pinnacle would have been great given the orchestral treatment.
Cheyenne and Dust probably work best but elsewhere the orchestra isn't allowed to hold its own with the band. If you like classic Kansas, appreciate how well the band is playing now and are not immediately turned off by the sound of an orchestra, then this cd works really well

Average customer rating:

Kick ass ska!
Awesome ska!

Always Never the Same
Kevin Goes 2 College
Manufacturer: Hairball 8
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Ska General | Ska | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0009JPVTC
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

Tree Of Night
Days Of The Week
Going 2 A Show
Never Giving Up
Guilty Pleasure
Pat C
Reflections

Customer Reviews:

Kick ass ska!.......2006-06-02

This album is a must for any ska lover out there. Even though it's only 7 songs, it packs a HUGE punch. 100% skankable, too.

Awesome ska!.......2005-08-27

This CD will make you jump to your feet and skank the night away! Beautiful vocals on "Reflections". The horns on every song are amazing. Any ska lover should buy this CD.

Average customer rating:

Dance of the Seven Chakras

Manufacturer: Dreamtime Studio
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAFJ90
Release Date: 2003-06-17

Average customer rating:

What's My Pill?

Always Is Never the Same
Dead City Riots
Manufacturer: Casket Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000IHYVLE
Release Date: 2006-10-09

Tracks:

Kerosene
Whiskey Summer Junkie
Say Nothing
Bridge Jumping
Pass It On
Kill The Summer
WhatS My Pill?
Control
SomethingS Got To Give
Car Crash
Real Time

Album Details

Formerly Known as Freeview, the Glaswegian Rockers Dead City Riots Launch their Debut Album on the Back of Two Successful Independent EP Releases, Seeing their Fanbase Grow Locally and Betyond with Shows with the Likes of Kasabian, King Adora and the Ga Ga's Amongst Many Others. Misxing Everything from Old Metallica to Something You'd Think was from Rare Lost Tracks Album from Either Pearl Jam Or Alice in Chains.

Customer Reviews:

What's My Pill?.......2007-03-03

Imagine if Grunge was happy music instead of downcast teenage suicide dirges. Dead City Riots don't imagine it, they play it.

"Kerosene" kicks off `Always Is Never The Same' sounding positively cheerful, taking a sound somewhere between Alice In Chain's metallic Grunge and Stone Temple Pilot's poppier take on the Seattle sound and giving it a big dose of Prozac. That's not to say the music is artificially happy. Far from it, these guys sound like they enjoy what they do and do what they enjoy.

Scotland, and more precisely Glasgow are hardly places associated with good-time Rock and Roll. Persistent drizzling rain, godawful football teams and a headbutt after a night on the booze seem far more appropriate. While Dead City Riot's music is upbeat, their lyrics suit their environment. Hell, just check out song titles like "Whiskey Summer Junkie", "Kill The Summer" and "What's My Pill?" for a fix of alienation and post-teen angst.

There are more hooks on this album than on a dolphin snagging Japanese longline fishing boat. The poppy vocals and guitars on "Bridge Jumping" almost creates an Emo feel. "Pass It On" could pass for Foo Fighters at their most melodic. "What's My Pill?" is a radio-friendly rocker with enough grunt to keep punters interested but not so much as to scare radio programmers.

That it took this band five years to record their first album shows in their musical maturity and confidence. Vocalist David Cunningham has no need to show off, not bothering to scream or whine as more inexperienced singers often do. Similarly, Paul Clark is assured of his own abilities and has left out any hint of histrionics or fretboard fiddling, instead going for a controlled feel, restraint suiting the band perfectly.

This is intelligent Rock without sliding into the abyss of intellectual excess. It is several steps above most of the pap played on the radio. Hey, if you're not hearing Dead City Riots on the weekly top 40 show, do your ears and the band a favour and go and track down `Always Is Never The Same', because you're missing out.

Average customer rating:

Always Never the Same

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Power
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ASIN: B0002TKWHK
Release Date: 2006-07-18

Average customer rating:

Great return after a few clinkers!
hold on baby hold on
Brilliant
Absolutely Brilliant Reworking Of Kansas Best
!

Always Never the Same
Kansas
Manufacturer: Distr
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00003Q4PA
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Customer Reviews:

Great return after a few clinkers!.......2001-05-13

After a few albums exemplifying 80s pop crud the band return to the soul of what Kansas is.The Beatles cover is pointless but ok.The rest of the album is a trip through some of their greatest work combined with classical orchestration.Great!

hold on baby hold on.......2001-04-14

A beautiful cd and done with amazing finesse. As others have noted, the difficulties of vocal repro after so many years/miles could have been a prob, but this is a very nice collection, unfort not demoed or played on line in the usa.Kansas demonstrates their incredible talent and musicianship again . Ignored but not forgotten, true Kansas fans will enjoy this again and again . Besides, Im from Ks.

Brilliant.......2001-04-14

Out of all the various "symphonic rock" albums I have heard, this one is the best. The music of Kansas is as well suited for the symphonic treatment as anyone else's, and certainly better than most. And unlike, say, Metallica Kansas didn't just go in and play their songs with the standard arrangements and have the orchestra play behind them. Rather, for the most part, anyway, the songs are re-arranged to better fit the orchestrations, and the orchestrations themselves are stellar. Don't get me wrong, the songs aren't changed dramatically, no Kansas fan would want them messed with too much, but the true Kansas fan will notice and appreciate the differences. There are also three new Steve Walsh-penned songs here (Need To Know being the standout), as well as a cover of the Beatles Eleanor Rigby, and two orchestral overtures. So, even for the Kansas fan who has everything, this album is essential. However, even the old standbys-especially Dust In The Wind, Song For America, and The Wall are given fresh, uplifting new renditions, that any fan will love and appreciate. The latter track, especially, with it's startling new arrangement, hearfelt Walsh vocal, and orchestral overture, is the standout track on the album. This inspired effort may well be the wet dream of the Kansas fan unsatisfied with the band's post-Livgren output.

Absolutely Brilliant Reworking Of Kansas Best.......2001-03-08

I approached the release of this album with excitement and trepidation. Excitement that Robbie Steinhardt had returned and Kansas classics filled with their unique violin sound would be brought to a new scale with the inclusion of the London Symphony Orcherstra. And trepidation that Walsh's voice could no longer span the range required for these classic songs (see Live At The Whisky review).

I can happily report that this is by far the best album Kansas have put out since Audio Visions even though it contains classics (and if you ignore 2000's brilliant Somewhere To Elsewhere where the original line up reforms with Kerry Livgren).

My first minor criticism of this album is the opening song, a cover version of the Beatles classic Eleanor Rigby. I like this song but I feel it is very out of place on an album containing fresh reworkings of some of the bands greatest songs. I also feel that as good as Kansas are they're style cannot do true justice to the song.

My only other criticism is the lack of Magnum opus in this collection - a fresh version including a full piece orchestra would have been awesome.

With these minor criticisms aside we launch straight into classic Kansas territory with a lovely version of Dust In The Wind to remind us exactly why I purchased the album. The remainder of this album is packed start to finish with classic Kansas brilliantly reworked with a full piece orchestra. New freshness is brought to old friends like Song For America and The Wall. The band's sound and style fit a full piece orchestra perfectly and the songs are performed with a gusto last seen on Two For The Show and desperately lacking in performances like Live At The Whisky. Even Walsh's deteriorated vocals stand up relatively well although still far from the astonishing power and range he had in the 70's.

This is an album worthy of gracing any Kansas fan's collection. Although you may have the songs on their original albums and even live versions this album is one to own.

Strong Recommendation to buy.

!.......2000-10-21

Have to say, I have every Kansas album, and this one really takes a different approach to the band. I have read bad reviews , but dont listen to them. All I can say is wow. I made 3 copies - - one for work , one for home and one for the ol' Tahoe. Great 4X4 music! (call me crazy!)

Have fun... buy it. Worth the bucks.

Rob Blanda

Music Album:

Music Album