KANSAS - VYNIL CONFESSIONS - 1982

I remember the first time I heard John Elefante. MTV (back when the "M" in MTV stood for music) world premiered "Play The Game Tonight", and until the chorus, the band wasn't even shown. I hadn't heard that Walsh had left to form Streets, and since he and Elefante's voices are (somewhat) similar, I assumed what I was hearing was Walsh. Imagine my surprise when the little curly haired dude pops up during the chorus. Steve Walsh was (and still is) one of my favorite vocalists; so, I took this a little hard. So, I didn't even give Vinyl Confessions a try until about 4 years ago, when I picked it up on CD. What was I thinking back in the early 80's?

I missed Walsh, but thought Elefante came in and did a damn fine job replacing that legendary voice. And Vinyl Confessions should be considered a classic Kansas album. "Play The Game Tonight" has a great hook, but maintains some progressive integrity. And Dave Hope on "Windows" simply drops my jaw as he just powers away on the bass.

Although a little less progressive as their past records, there's still enough that should interest the listener. Elefante brought an interesting dynamic to the band...and some good songs. "Chasing Shadows" is one of the best Kansas tunes ever. A very intimate song with minimal instrument, but full of emotion from Elefante. Always will be a favorite of mine. It's just a shame that Elefante didn't stick around Kansas a little longer.
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