Friday, June 4, 2010
Before Kansas, it seemed that all the progressive art-rock types (Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, et al.) came from England. With the arrival of Kansas, the U.K. monopoly on the genre was ended. At the root of their music, there usually seemed to be a more down-to-earth quality than their British counterparts. More importantly, underneath it all was a good song, driven home by the band’s elaborate, choral-style hooks.