Review KANSAS ‘Another Fork In The Road – 50 Years Of Kansas’

Kansas is one of the icons of progressive rock and this now for 50 years. That’s why the moment is right to look back on five decades of music that has defined progressive rock.

It all started in 1972 when Kansas was formed from a union of White Clover and Proto-Kaw. In 1974 the debut album was released and this was the starting point of a more than stunning voyage through the landscapes of progressive and at the same time rocking music.

Even if Kansas was always an album band that regularly managed to get longplayers into the US charts, it was the single hits that made the band the talk of the town. The breakthrough in their home country, but also in the UK came in 1976 with the release of the ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ single. The song brought Kansas a lot of attention and is still one of the most played songs on classic rock radio stations. Such a song has to be on a 50-year retrospective and of course got its place.

In 1978, another hit single took the charts by storm – ‘Dust in the Wind’ – and there was nothing that could stop the band. Kansas was established in the major league of progressive rock bands and what followed were longplayers of which several have been rewarded with platinum or gold.

Photo: Emily Butler

That the band still has a loyal fan base even after 50 years was evident last year. Kansas released with ‘The Absence of Presence’ a new studio album, which made it to position seven of the charts in Germany.

The structure of the tracklist is chronological, from new to old which means that we start with a 2022 version of ‘Can I Tell You’, followed by two songs from ‘The Absence of Presence’ longplayer.

Step by step the musical journey goes back to the early days of the band and includes all the songs that make the heart of the fans beat faster. The finale of the album is ‘Death of Mother Nature Suite’, ‘Belexes’ and ‘Journey From Mariabronn’, three tracks from the debut album. If you listen to the total of 41 songs, spread over three CDs, you will notice the continuity. Even if Kansas have evolved and have gone through different phases, the band has managed to preserve their musical roots. This constancy and the conviction to follow one’s own passion is what distinguishes Kansas and makes them an outstanding band. Even if there were a few ups and downs in these five decades, Kansas always came back stronger and it’s a pleasure to listen to the creative work of 50 years of Kansas.