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L Not too long, after the release of this Kansas set,
long time violinist and vocalist Robbie Steinhardt left the
band again and David Ragsdale replaced him, again. The release
of Works In Progress is ironic in that it documents a configuration
of the band with Ragsdale on violin. The reason that the band
decided to release this archival material is that the live
performances contained herein were as tight as the band ever
was. According to the band, it was one of the best Kansas
lineups to set foot on stage. After listening and watching
I have to agree, they were hitting on all of their cylinders
and sounded red-hot.
Music from the underrated album Freaks Of Nature and the
incredibly ambitious Device Voice Drum DVD, which in my opinion
is one of their greatest achievements, and Live At The Whiskey,
with a special guest appearance by Kerry Livgren on select
tracks, are included on this set. You will not hear any rarities;
it is the same tracks you have probably heard over and over
again except with the energy kicked up a few notches. If you
are a Kansas fan, this is a no brainer, get it because you
will enjoy it immensely.
It's disappointing that Steinhardt left again as I was
looking forward to another Kansas studio recording at some
point featuring most of the original lineup, however Ragsdale
does a fine job on violin, he just cannot replace Robbie’s
signature vocals. This documentation is solid proof of Ragsdale's
capabilities.
Time will tell how things work out for the band. In the
meantime, we have plenty of great Kansas music to enjoy; all
remastered in glorious sound and now this fine release to
add to that collection.
Of particular interest to fans will be the compelling
stripped down versions of "Dust In The Wind" and "Hold On."
It's Kansas unplugged, if you will, and yet another enticement
to get this double disc set.
Reviewer: Keith
Hannaleck
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