heavyharmonies Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Just received my DVD today from Amazon UK. This concert has been begging for an official non-bootleg release for ages. I've not been shy in stating that I FAR prefer John Elefante-fronted Kansas to Steve Walsh at the helm. As such, I had high hopes for this disc. Unfortunately no mastering processing/remastering was done to the video, which is a shame as it is a very dark video. No audio setup, no bonus material. Just "Play All" or 2 screens where you can choose individual songs. That's it. Amazon UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...x_ya_oh_product Here is the review I just wrote for Amazon: In short: Based strictly on the audio and video quality, this would get 1 star, 2 stars at best, however given that this material has been in dire need of an official release since its only release on VHS (in the U.S. as "Best of Kansas Live" in the mid-1980s), I'm inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. It truly is essential for any Kansas fan. I have several bootlegs of this concert (Omaha 1982) as well as the original commercial VHS release, and the audio on this release is by far the cleanest of all that I have heard. Unfortunately, no work at all has been done to the video; it's very dark and coarse; par for the times I guess. Furthermore, the "Show Time" circular logo is everpresent in the upper right corner throughout, very annoying, and the song titles that appear at the beginning of each song look like they were done by a 1970s Pong game. Talk about being low budget. Also, whomever did the case artwork gets the EPICFAIL award for the year: "Steve Walsh at it's Best". Oh really? Not appearing in this film: Steve Walsh. All my petty niggling aside, this performance is absolutely superb. I've always preferred John Elefante at the helm of Kansas over Steve Walsh, and this performance showcases why. His voice is epic. The quintessential AOR voice. As an aside, if you're a fan of John Elefante, you MUST pick up the CD Mastedon - 3 from 2009. His voice has held up amazingly over the years, far better than Walsh's voice, and the compositions are phenomenal! At any rate, outside of other source material existing of this concert, this is most likely to be the best you'll ever see and hear of John Elefante as the front man of Kansas, given that the band now pretty much ignores the years he fronted the band, and for that reason alone it is a must buy. So at the end of the day it's great to have it in "official" form, but I wish more effort had been done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Posted February 12, 2010 Report Share Posted February 12, 2010 Just received my DVD today from Amazon UK. This concert has been begging for an official non-bootleg release for ages. I've not been shy in stating that I FAR prefer John Elefante-fronted Kansas to Steve Walsh at the helm. As such, I had high hopes for this disc. Unfortunately no mastering processing/remastering was done to the video, which is a shame as it is a very dark video. No audio setup, no bonus material. Just "Play All" or 2 screens where you can choose individual songs. That's it. Amazon UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...x_ya_oh_product Here is the review I just wrote for Amazon: In short: Based strictly on the audio and video quality, this would get 1 star, 2 stars at best, however given that this material has been in dire need of an official release since its only release on VHS (in the U.S. as "Best of Kansas Live" in the mid-1980s), I'm inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. It truly is essential for any Kansas fan. I have several bootlegs of this concert (Omaha 1982) as well as the original commercial VHS release, and the audio on this release is by far the cleanest of all that I have heard. Unfortunately, no work at all has been done to the video; it's very dark and coarse; par for the times I guess. Furthermore, the "Show Time" circular logo is everpresent in the upper right corner throughout, very annoying, and the song titles that appear at the beginning of each song look like they were done by a 1970s Pong game. Talk about being low budget. Also, whomever did the case artwork gets the EPICFAIL award for the year: "Steve Walsh at it's Best". Oh really? Not appearing in this film: Steve Walsh. All my petty niggling aside, this performance is absolutely superb. I've always preferred John Elefante at the helm of Kansas over Steve Walsh, and this performance showcases why. His voice is epic. The quintessential AOR voice. As an aside, if you're a fan of John Elefante, you MUST pick up the CD Mastedon - 3 from 2009. His voice has held up amazingly over the years, far better than Walsh's voice, and the compositions are phenomenal! At any rate, outside of other source material existing of this concert, this is most likely to be the best you'll ever see and hear of John Elefante as the front man of Kansas, given that the band now pretty much ignores the years he fronted the band, and for that reason alone it is a must buy. So at the end of the day it's great to have it in "official" form, but I wish more effort had been done with it. Will definitely pick this up Dan on your (sort of) recommendation. Elefante is brilliant as a vocalist and like yourself, even though I love the Walsh era, the more I listen to the Elefante stuff, the more I prefer it aswell. Haha - I love the Steve Walsh reference, when he's not even on the damned thing - Excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Of Fire Posted February 19, 2010 Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 The Steve Walsh error AND only having a pic of Robby Steinhardt? Lame. Are you sure this is "official"? Elefante rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Socratic Methodist Posted February 20, 2010 Report Share Posted February 20, 2010 Funny thing and all....Kansas was/is not an AOR band.....Elefante did a decent job while SW was persuing Streets. Problem is: Elefante can't hold a candle to SW vocals. NOW he can. Steve was THE voice of 70s rock. Bar NONE. I like my music with balls. Not wimpy AOR drivel..... Walsh rules. 'nuff said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyharmonies Posted February 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 Funny thing and all....Kansas was/is not an AOR band.....Elefante did a decent job while SW was persuing Streets. Problem is: Elefante can't hold a candle to SW vocals. NOW he can. Steve was THE voice of 70s rock. Bar NONE. I like my music with balls. Not wimpy AOR drivel..... Walsh rules. 'nuff said. You're entitled to your opinion... no matter how wrong it is. -Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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