Rating: Summary: Incredible Concert Film Review: If you own any Kansas music you will love this DVD.As a long time Kansas fan this DVD is a real treat. Watching it in stereo makes you feel like you are right there in the front row. Plenty of Phil Ehart shots for the drummers out there. Great close ups and far shots of the band. The talent and power of Kansas really comes through and spills into your living room. There were three moments while watching that I actually got goose bumps and found myself spinning around like Robby Stienhart.The rest of the time I was transformed to a great musical place I didnt want to leave. In Sum - Device Voice Drum has delivered the wonderful natural energy of the voice and drum to our living rooms through this excellent DVD (device) Go buy it! It rocks! It dances! It opens your heart! It challenges your mind! Its Kansas!
Rating: Summary: Not a Kansas fan, but I say 5 stars Review: I write this because I want to make one point: Those reviewers who expect Walsh to have the same interpretation and vocal timbre as he did in the 70s I believe are missing the depth of his latest interpretations as heard on Device Voice Drum. I think previous reviewers are so stuck on the old Walsh they mistakenly call his new interpretations "experiments" or signs of struggle. Actually, I like his new chops a lot. Walsh conveys tremendous soul and depth with his new interpretations of the songs. Sure, the timbre and strength of Walsh's voice have changed over the years--as with the voices of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and so on, who all went on to make great records even after experiencing voice changes. I was momentarily surprised at the tone of Walsh's voice when the first song began on the DVD, but that was because I hadn't heard him since the old days. It only took me a moment to adjust to his new sound. He sounds differently now, yes, but he sings beautifully now too. As someone with a limited tolerance for Kansas's musical forms, while watching this DVD I was surprised to find that Walsh's vocal melodies were piercing me to the heart. That's the mark of a great singer, which I believe Walsh is. Again, as a non-fan I have no agenda in defending Walsh. But I have to admit on this video his capacity to convey emotions and to execute good new interpretations blew me away.
Rating: Summary: Awesome! Review: This is a great Kansas concert. I think they are closer to what they were in the 70s than in the 80s and 90s. The selection of songs is great, though I would of left out the 80s stuff and put other great songs from their golden-era. Steve Walsh's voice is better than in the 90s, like a reviewer quote, he has re-invented his vocals succesfully. I can't believe some reviews in here, complaining about Steve Walsh's pants??? The look of Robby Steinhardt??? The weight of Rich Williams??? OH MY GOD, what the heck has that to do with the music folks? Do they think that Steve Walsh would play or sing better 'cos of different clothes? How much sence does that have please. Be quiet people, don't be so silly now. I'm pleased with this DVD and I only hope that some day, we can watch a DVD quality concert of Kansas in the 70s. I have non-official videos of them performing at Don Kirshner Rock Concerts 1974/1975 & Live In Houston Texas, 1980; and some others rare things like Carry On Wayward Son live in 1976 somewhere in the US and promo films. Of course, their quality are not the best, so c'mon people related to Kansas, do some effort to put out now a great LIVE DVD with 70s footage ;-) please !!!! Kansas at their very best and Steve Walsh's voice so superb that make him my ALL-TIME fave singer.
Rating: Summary: Mr Yuckey Review: Some of the best Quality sound and video ever,just like seeing them live which I have done 6 times!
Rating: Summary: A worthwhile DVD for Kansas fans Review: Let me say first that I really like this DVD and recommend it to all Kansas fans. However, I'm surprised how glowing some of the reviews are here. This performance certainly has some flaws. First, I wish it was in a bigger arena. I don't like seeing shots of fans sitting on their butts because they happen to be right behind a band member. This is a fault of the small round stage with seating close all around. Also, would it kill Steve to sing the songs using the original melodies that we all know and love? Too often he's getting creative with the vocals and after a while I felt like strangling him and telling him to "sing it the right way!!" Also when he gets in trouble on some of the high stuff he really botches some of the lyrics. It sounds like he's drunk or something. Oh well I guess he's better than he used to be. If so he must have REALLY been bad. Thankfully Robby sings well, and everyone's playing is superb. They're from a time when you had to be a musician to be a musician. The tracklist is awesome as well, so all's not lost. Anyone who thinks this is the best concert DVD they're ever seen needs to pick up Styx - Return to Paradise. Now THAT is a perfect concert DVD!!
Rating: Summary: Renewed Mastery Review: This DVD exemplifies legendary rock longevity. These guys are into their 4th decade of high-level rock, and are still playing with a freshness and passion as if an up-and-coming band trying to earn a name for themselves. Steve Walsh's voice might have "matured", but it's as good as there is in regards to singing in a way that conveys the message of the song. Whatever Walsh might have "lost" he MORE than makes up for. Steve's keyboard sounds as good as ever, and is greatly underrated. Phil Ehart is one of the top 4-5 drummers in rock history. Being a drummer myself, I would appreciate a camera locked in on his performance alone, and use it as a teaching tool. Phil's precision and explosiveness are unmatched, and can be evidenced on numerous songs throughout this DVD (just see Miracles Out of Nowhere!).Robbie Steinhart is back where he belongs...in Kansas with his violin and powerful vocals. Robbie's lead vocals are the ideal complement to Walsh, and another of the key components that sets Kansas apart. This DVD illustrates this beautifully. Steinhart's stage presence has the charisma of him playing in your own backyard. Billy Greer is greatly underrated in both the axe and vocals. He tends to stay in the background (literally and figuratively), but you can't help but notice the value of his distinct bass, and harmony vocals (and the leads on Fight Fire, and Play the Game). Richard Williams handles the single-guitar format of this version of Kansas flawlessly. Much of Kansas' material was written for two guitarists, and admittedly some of those songs are omitted on this DVD, but Williams' proficiency and accuracy is well-displayed. Overall, the production of this DVD (Ehart was the producer)is a 9.5 out of 10 (near perfection). The inclusion of a quartet on "Dust In The Wind" provides a eloquence at the mid-point of the DVD that fits in nicely with the more powerful songs. And, the choir on "The Preacher" earlier in the DVD exudes an explosive atmosphere. "The Wall" tends to stand out as the epic song/ performance for the diehard Kansas fan. These five musicians come together in brilliance, that is highlighted with Walsh's sing-from-the-heart vocals. The song selection of such performances is never "perfect" in that there will be certain favorites that are left out due to obvious constraints. However, you would be hard-pressed to construct a better playlist for a DVD that captures the dynamics of a legendary band, and brings out the personality of each member of Kansas. The added features such as the interviews give you a nice, though brief, up close view of each gentleman. This is a must have DVD that I have personally recommended to countless people.
Rating: Summary: Kansas - Device, Voice, Drum Review: Outstanding song selection and performance. The return of violinist, Robby Steinhart is invaluable as he lends sturdy lead and back-up vocal support and an amazing energy to the show. Incidentally, Steve Walsh has regained much of his vocal range that was missing in the band's 1990's performances and his vocals on "Dust in the Wind" has never sounded better. The inspired performance is vintage Kansas at their best!
Rating: Summary: It is about time!! Review: First off, I would like to say to those that have made comments about Steve's voice (sounds better today than it did through the 90's, but yes, is not close to what it was), Robbie's Hagrid look (he looks the same as he did 30 years ago, so not sure when the reviewer that commented he stole Hagrids look became a fan, but it must have been after Robbie left the band in the early 80's.), and Rich Williams weight (he has always been a large man and in the last 10 years has seen that weight increase), where have you guys been? Obviously, you are fans who have not had anything to do with Kansas since the early to mid 80's. In that, your negative reviews reflect an ignorance of who Kansas is TODAY. Ok, with that out of my system, the review. This is a much welcomed DVD from America's fathers of prog rock. The atmosphere for which this DVD was shot in is perfect. They are, at heart, not an arena rock band, but a band that is more suited in the smokey small venues off the beaten path. I have read negative comments about the grainy appearance, which was an intentional effect, to give the DVD that smokey club appearance. If your renting/purchasing this DVD with the expectation of it looking like slicked out Hollywood production rather than to hear and see your favorite band playing, then you would be best to spend your money elsewhere. Song selection is the best I have heard in many concerts. They really covered the catalog this time around. The only nit picking I have with the song selection is that Monolith, Audio Visions, Power & Freaks of Nature are not represented. This is a minor gripe, one that is cooled given the great selection we do get. Dust In The Wind and Preacher have the extra effort of adding more players to the mix and the result is fantastic. They really tried to make this a special moment in time and succeeded. My only real negative comment is in the extras department. Yes, there are interviews added to the disk. But you would expect that a band who has been around for 30 years would have more than 30mins worth of information to share. I would have liked to have seen a more indepth history discussion from all the band members. A commentary track would have been wonderful, with band members giving inside information on the songs and such. Along those lines, some archive footage of the band, both photo and video, etc. That would have been a really nice touch given this is Kansas' one and only DVD release. That caused me to give this disk 4 stars instead of 5. A must for any Kansas fan that has followed the band from the beginning to the last 15 years. If you haven't bothered to follow the band since its early 80's days, you should stick with your old CDs because you will end up looking for a Kansas that is no longer there.
Rating: Summary: Could be better Review: I saw Kansas open for Yes about 3 years ago, and it seems that Steve Walsh's voice has really dropped off in that time, or else he was just trying too hard for the recording of "Device Voice Drum" becuase he draws the notes out too far, trying to make up for not hitting them. The rest of the band plays great, although they suffer for not having another guitarist/keyboardist filling out the sound (they even chop half of Steve Morse's killer guitar solo from "The Preacher", the best Kansas guitar solo ever! How dare they!!!) But the good news: Great song selection, from early hits like "Belexes" (with a hint of "Lightning's Hand" thrown in for good measure!) and "Song For America" to non-Walsh songs like "Fight Fire With Fire" and "Play The Game Tonight", and newer stuff like "Icarus II" and "Preacher". Ehart and Williams still play their hearts out, and it's good to see Robbie Steinhardt back where he belongs. Good production, good sound... they play a little slower than they used to, but hey, at 50, who doesn't? Comparable to Live At The Whisky in terms of performance, but a well put-together DVD, even if the show could have been better.
Rating: Summary: Don't listen to the nay-sayers! Review: I've started collecting music DVDs lately and this is the best yet. If you are any type of Kansas fan, you have to have this DVD. Yes, Walsh's voice is not as strong as it once was and the vocal arrangements in some parts are slightly different because of it, but they play almost every note perfectly. The drumming rivals Peart and everyone else is right on the money. Any slight hint of graininess came from low lighting and being shot on film. But you really have to look for it and it is a nit-picky issue. And there is fog used on stage which might make it appear as though you are watching it through "smoke" as one review put it. If you like Kansas, get it, don't hesitate. You won't be disappointed.
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