I do agree with your assessment of Kansas' more 'commercial' tunes, though I 
wouldn't have used quite as strong a word as 'suck'. I still like the songs, 
but not *nearly* as much as their more esoteric stuff. Hey, they had to make 
a buck, too, y'know? I had the opportunity to hear them live at the peak of 
their career, around 1980 or thereabouts. It was in-freeking-credible! There 
was one band who sounded wonderful live!
 I have a "new age-ish" album by Kerry Livgren, produced in the last four or 
five years or so, that's pretty weird (but reasonably good). I'd also heard 
that after Kansas' spilt-up that Steve Walsh went off to do vocals and kbd's. 
with Ronnie James Dio for a while. Now I understand that Kansas is or was 
back together or a tour or two.
 A friend of mine, who is a Civil War buff bought their first album whn it 
came out lo, those many years ago, just because he liked the cover art 
depicting John Brown, etc. He called me up on the phone after he heard it, 
and said I just had to come over and hear this album! I did, and it was 
great! Later that weekend, he slipped the album on at a party, and everyone 
just stopped, and came over to ask, "Who IS that? It was a huge hit in my 
lil'ol' hometown of Kilgore, Texas! I've been a big an ever (make that Fan!) 
since.
Dave
--- Maximus/2 2.02
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