Tag Archives: US rock

KANSAS – Vinyl Confessions (1982)

Leave a comment

KANSAS’ second studio album of the ’80s was the first to feature a change to a more 80s AOR/Hard rock direction. Gone was singer/keyboard player Steve Walsh, and in was new singer John Elefante. Now, let me add in – I was never a Kansas fan, but I liked the single “Play The Game Tonight” when this came out in the summer of 1982, as well as 1983’s hit “Fight Fire With Fire”, and that is really where my big ‘like’ for this band starts and ends. Oddly, back in the day of super-cheap vinyl LPs, when hardly anyone wanted them in the mid-90s I regularly filled gaps in catalogues and added to my collection picking up albums for 1 or 2 dollars at the flea markets. So, one Sunday I came across the entire Kansas catalogue (up until 1983) for $2 a piece! I never got in to them much, I found the debut tough to get through, but occasionally would pull out Vinyl Confessions and Drastic Measures due to the hits. Over the past year I’ve pulled this one out a lot more, and dig most of this album. I’ve also been motivated to revisit the band’s catalogue more due to Tim Durling’s book Let It Be Your Guide: The Kansas Album Review (who’s Youtube channel is ironically titled Tim’s Vinyl Confessions!). The first 4 tracks here are all very good, from the well known “Play The Game Tonight” (a top 20 hit in the US, and my favorite Kansas song), the 2nd single “Right Away” (a minor hit), “Fair Exchange” and the piano based ballad “Chasing Shadows”. Not so enthused with “Diamonds and Pearls”, but things pick up again with “Face It” (tho’ I can do without the sax solo). The latter half also features “Windows”, a faster paced progressive track, curious why they did a video for this one if it wasn’t released as a single(?), “Borderline”, “Play On” (this is a great track, that might’ve made a decent single, though it was a B-side), and closing out is the minor epic “Crossfire”, another pretty progressive track, lots of changes, and a memorable chorus – all good songs. Some pretty Christian based lyrics throughout this album, with both Livgren and Elefante being religious (this causing a rift amongst some bandmembers, which lead to Walsh leaving prior to and Livgren leaving after the next album), but really, I haven’t taken much notice, and enjoy most of this album; probably their most accessible for those not so familiar with Kansas. Also noted is Roger Taylor (Queen) singing backing vocals on a few tracks (uncredited).

KANSAS -Vinyl Confessions, Kirshner FZ 38002 (CBS). Produced by Kansas and Ken Scott. Producer Scott’s high -tech studio finish is as well- suited to the progressive pop /rock sextet as it was to such kindred souls as Supertramp, yielding expansive keyboard crescendos, sweeping drum codas and layered choral harmonies, among other headphone highlights. Brass and reed choruses from the Heart Attack horns, borrowed from LA’s Jack Mack, inject a whiff of soul into the proceedings, but the main suit is still the rococo, portentous brew that’s made their reputation.

KANSAS (Kirshner ZS5 03084) Right Away (4:06) (Full Grown Man Music/Mastodon Music — BMI) (J. Elefante, D. Elefante) (Producers: Kansas, K. Scott) After the great chart recovery with “PlayThe Game Tonight,” Kansas continues in the by-now-familiar cascading keyboards and thundering guitar vein with this encore from “Vinyl Confessions.” It may seem a bit more suited to AOR, but Kansas is hot again, and pop will keep that In mind. (CashBox, 08-07-82)

KANSAS- Drastic Measures, CBS Associated Records QZ 38733. Produced by Kansas, Neil Kernon. Kansas made it back to the top 20 last year with the album “Vinyl Confessions,” and here returns with another set of high- energy pop – rock. The sound is a bit punchier and more uptempo, almost in the Loverboy vein. It’s been awhile since Kansas was a top 10 consistent platinum act, but it still has a sizeable audience. The label designation is CBS Associated Records rather than Kirshner.

NORWAY – Rising Up From The Ashes Revisited & Band Update

Leave a comment

Norway was (is?) a band from New Jersey. Many years back I received the band’s 2nd album – Arrival (on Frontiers). It was a good disc of AOR/Hard rock featuring excellent cuts like “Givin’ It All”, “One Night Alone”, and “Find My Way Home”.

The band featured Jim Santos (guitar, synth prog), Glenn Pierson (vocals, keyboards), Joe Slattery (bass) & Marty Brasington (drums). In 2006 the band changed singers with Pierson being replaced by Dave Baldwin (ex Voices), and issued Rising Up From The Ashes (MTM). Not sure how this album did at the time, but I was unaware of it til I stumbled on it a few months ago. The songs and performances here are still just as good than the previous 2 albums, though the production and approach comes up a bit more AOR than Arrival. Plenty of appealing radio friendly tracks like “Save Me”, this could’ve been a hit in a slightly different era, But there’s plenty of good pop/rock songs here – “Anything At All”, “The Power of Gold”, as well as ballads like “Haunted”, and “The Only One I Need”

Much of this stuff bordering on Bon Jovi and Journey. type tunes and sound not so much keyboards, but in the backing vocals. Guitarist Jim Santos notes that the album did not turn out as planned- “MTM basically released our demos;-the drums and guitars were supposed to be re-done in a proper studio — didn’t happen.”

Santos is planning to put together a ‘Best of Norway‘ for possible release later this year, and having heard one of his much improved remixes, it sounds like it will be a welcome release for those who dug those Norway albums – “There are 5 songs from Night Dreams and 5 from Arrival, and 2 from Rising Up-that Glenn will redo the lead vocals that were sung by Dave Baldwin, plus we’re thinking of 2-3 brand new tunes and a pile of ‘extra’s’ -demo’s, lost unreleased tracks, and possibly a few special collector editions. Might be two discs. We’ll see what happens.”

Although Santos insists the band never really broke up, the members have gone on to other things, but intend to get back together for the upcoming Best of – “Drummer Marty Brasington had moved to Columbus Ohio shortly after Rising , which made it “difficult”. There were other individual personal matters that each of us had to handle. I moved to California for 5 years which didn’t make it any easier, lol. For my part I stay active playing everyday, recording, songwriting. I wrote lyrics for one song on the forthcoming new Frozen Rain album, and played guitar on a couple of things for Adry A (Mattsonn) and we wrote one song together. I know Marty plays with a classic rock band in Ohio. He has a small recording setup, and will be working on drums for a couple of new songs for the Best Of. Glenn also just writes and plays piano at home. Now he moved to South Carolina only 3 1/2 hours away from me, so we’re planning some catchup sessions. Bassist Joe Slattery, I think still lives in NJ, not sure what he is doing these days.”

https://www.norwayrocks.com/