Struggling through lineup changes and ever-slippery musical tastes through the 1980s and '90s, the members of Kansas still have a loyal group of fans. Somewhere to Elsewhere rewards their patience with a 20-years-after reunion of the band's original lineup including Kerry Livgren on guitar and keyboards, bassist Dave Hope, lead singer Steve Walsh, violinist and frontman vocalist Robby Steinhardt, drummer Phil Ehart, and guitarist Rich Williams. Livgren has written all ten songs.
Much like the Kansas albums of old, Somewhere to Elsewhere combines classical, progressive and hard rock. There are strong melodies, driving rock, and complex arrangements. The playing is superb, the writing is as good, but some of the vocal sounds are disappointing. There are a few places where Walsh's vocal strain shows and I don't care for Steinhardt's vocals. The CD starts off with a typical Kansas sound in "Icarus 2" and "When the World Was Young." "Byzantium" starts off with a beautiful Eastern sound. Unfortunately, Walsh's vocal strain seems really apparent here. "Myriad" was the first song Kansas ever wrote together over 20 years ago, but never found its way on any album. "Distant Vision" is one of the band's best songs ever, with majestic violin, soaring vocal harmonies, and classic Livgren lyrics. Overall, the album is reminiscent of classic Kansas while still fresh and contemporary sounding. Somewhere to Elsewhere truly has something for everyone--ballads, intricate movements of progressive rock, blues, and plenty of guitars.
4 tocks
