The Best of Kansas

Combining British-style prog-rock with Middle American values, Kansas became a force to be reckoned with, thanks to its ambitious themes and grandiose sound.The Best of Kansas draws upon the band’s work from their mid-‘70s heyday through their less-remembered early ‘80s period. Steve Walsh’s clear-toned vocals lend these tracks a heroic quality, while his keyboard touch adds neo-classical embellishments. Also crucial to the Kansas sound is Robbie Steinhardt’s deft violin work and Kerry Livgren’s strategic guitar crunch. The mega-hits “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind” define Kansas’ twin polarities — the stirring optimism of the first tune balances the bleak fatalism of the other. Kansas’ catalogue includes Aaron Copeland-like effusions (“Song for America”), bold anthems (“Point of Know Return”), passionate power ballads (“Play the Game Tonight”), and even New Wavy synth-rockers (“Fight Fire With Fire”). Glimmers of the spiritual yearnings that would later inspire Livgren to pursue a Christian music career are evident in “Hold On” and “The Wall.” At times overblown but always in earnest, Kansas remains a classic rock favorite.