By Mark McKay KMLA Radio Disc Jockey
If you were in Shreveport on the night of August ninth this past summer at Hirsch Coliseum chances are that you might recognize your own screams on the live two-record album released this week from KANSAS. All fourteen cuts on that evening recording were recorded at 1977 & 78 concerts. If you weren’t at the concert, this album is a perfect way to make up for it.
KANSAS is a hard group to describe. They possess a quality that is southern rock mixed with a bit of hard acid and with a little European rock thrown in. The first two albums from KANSAS were not as popular as the next two. “Kansas” and “Masque” were really big on a small coast, but not big enough to get a word to buy them. But in 1977 “Leftoverture” came out and it is the best, I think. Last year, “Point of No Return” debuted. It is also better than the first two. To sum up the best cuts on the “Leftoverture” and the most popular album cuts are on “Two For The Show.”
Usually live albums tend to sell better than studio cuts. “Two For The Show” is no exception. All of the songs are given a new twist on the ending like many studio. There is more instrumentation, different endings and all surprises in this track taken live.
The best song on the album is “Closet Chronicles” from “Leftoverture”. It also happens to be my favorite song of KANSAS: “Point of No Return”, “Dust in the Wind”, “Carry On my Wayward Son”, all their big hits are included.
Also in this album are some of the best album cuts that are KANSAS’ trademark: “Portrait”, “Magnum Opus”, and “Paradox”.
The mixing is very good, a problem that is sometimes there in some of live recording. Also a note on an upcomer: AEROSMITH will be in concert at Hirsch in Shreveport, Saturday December 9th. Tickets are now all sold by offer, but should go on sale in the next couple of days. They will be performing songs from their new album “Arrowsmith Have Boiled”.
The big alert I didn’t realize in last week’s column, LINDA RONDSTADT will be in concert at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas on December 16th. If you want to go you’d better get your tickets soon because she usually sells out soon after they go on sale.