Kansas - Two For The Show - 1978

If you are looking for a great recording or rip of this release, you have come to the wrong spot. This is a beat up record and I'm sure there are better copies out there. You can also still find this for sale on CD through many online channels. One of the reasons I ripped the record with the thought of sharing was that at the time a few years ago the CD release lacked a couple tracks. However since that time there has been a nice new 30th anniversary edition that has everything the vinyl record had. So if you like what you hear through all the dust and crackling go out and find the record or the 30th anniversary release of the CD.

So a few words about Kansas and how it relates to me. After all that is the whole point of me writing this thing. You can get the music just about anywhere. Hopefully there is some fun in reading about my experiences with the music that you can relate to and get some enjoyment out of it. Then again maybe that is just my self delusion. In which case, please humor me for a few more rambling sentences or paragraphs.

I'm really a music child of the 80's. I was pretty little in the 70's and so my association with a lot of 70's music is after the fact. Such is the case with early Kansas. I knew and listened to Kansas songs for many years purely based on the rock radio staples that played throughout the 80's on into today. "Dust In The Wind", "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Point Of No Return" were what I knew. Short well constructed rock songs, tailored for the radio. I really knew nothing of their more prog-rock roots or leanings. So this album really was my introduction to their earlier work. Some songs are better than others. It is by no means a must have record. If you already are inclined to be bored with prog-rock and it's indulgences you may want to just skip this all together and stick to the radio friendly classic rock staples. However if you like Emerson Lake and Palmer or early Genesis or Yes, you might want to give this a try. There is a good chance, thought that if you like those bands I just mentioned, then you have already checked this out.

After this record on into the 1980's Kerry Livgren became a born again Christian and their music shifted to reflect this conversion. It was during this phase that I was introduced to Kansas. I was listening to the radio when singles like "Hold On" and "Play The Game Tonight" were on the airwaves. They are still decent songs, but you don't hear them too much these days.

My memories of Kansas are tied to a couple things. The first thing is my best friend back in 5th and 6th grade, Jay Nelson. He introduced me to a lot of music. His allowance was more than mine and he bought an album just about every week. For some reason I think he bought vinyl confessions and he may have played it for me one time when I slept over at his house. That could be a faulty memory, though. I say that because Kansas also reminds me of Triumph who were gracing the airwaves also at the time. In case you missed it, the connection to Triumph is the second thing Kansas reminds me of.


In doing research I was looking at the various album covers. For some reason the cover to Audio-Vision didn't ring much of a bell for me. I don't know why I don't remember the cover. It cracks me up because it is a mixture or Mr. Roboto and disco. It's not exactly rock. The Vinyl Confessions cover is kind of boring, but at least it seems like a rock record.

So this one won't stay up long because it is a major label release and I'll probably get complaints if it remains up.

Enjoy!

Side 1
01 Song For America
02 Point Of No Return
03 Paradox
Two For The Show Side 1.zip

Side 2
04 Icarus Borne On Wings Of Steel
05 Portrait (He Knew)
06 Carry On Wayward Son
07 Journey From Mariabronn
Two For The Show Side 2.zip

Side 3
08 Dust In The Wind
09 Acoustic Guitar Solo
10 Piano Solo
11 Lonely Wind
12 Mysteries And Mayhem
13 Excerpt From Lamplight Symphony
14 The Wall
Two For The Show Side 3.zip

Side 4
15 Closet Chronicles
16 Magnum Opus
Two For The Show Side 4.zip

Lester Flatt - Lester Flatt Live Bluegrass Festival - 1974

Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe live. It is a bluegrass fan's dream. Some real fine performances here. The record is just fun from start to finish. There really is no reason to pick apart each track. I also don't think this one's in print so I'm happy to share this one.

Enjoy!

01 Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Instrumental)
02 Lost All My Money
03 Homestead On The Farm
04 Rawhide (Instrumental)
05 Wabash Cann0n Ball
06 Orange Blossom Special (Instrumental)
07 Nine Pound Hammer
08 Flint Hill Special (Instrumental)
09 Get In Line Brother
10 Blue Moon of Kentucky
11 Will You Be Loving Another Man
12 My Little Cabin Home On The Hill
13 Salty Dog
14 Dig A Hole In The Meadow
15 Cumberland Gap

Lester Flatt Live Bluegrass Festival.zip

Andy McCarroll & Moral Support - Zionic Bonds - 1981

This is one interesting record. One that when I bought it I had no idea what it was. I dug the cover and it looked like it might be a fun power pop record. I didn't pick up on the Christian reference in "Zionic Bonds" and the song titles didn't really give me any indication that this was an overtly Christian record. Some may be immediately put off by the overt Christian preaching of the record and I understand that.

For me I don't really get down with most "Christian" music, but I do actually like this record. Some of the lyrics hit home for me and some don't. So while I don't necessarily agree with all the lyrics, I don't really get down with the murder and Satan worship of Slayer's lyrics either, but I still have "Reign In Blood" on my ipod. So what does that tell you? I don't know, but it is what it is.

There is also something interesting and maybe even punk rock about lyrics that are so not in step with the main stream of rock and roll. There is a feeling or rebellion against the rock status quo that I do kind of respect. The band isn't happy with what they see wrong with the world and they sing passionately about it in rather well constructed pop songs. I think that should count for something. So even if you disagree with everything I just wrote I think you should give the music a chance. The music and execution is quite good and fun in my opinion. It is actually a pretty good powerpop/new wave record.

As for the songs here is what you get. Track one is titled "Sin" and on any other rock record that would be escapist revelry in the pleasures of sin. Not here. It is all about how bad sin is. While the Supersuckers would sing about loving sin, Andy McCarroll & Moral Support sing "I wanna hate it" with a snarly defiant delivery.

"To Know You" has a reggae feel and by that I mean something closer to The Clash's take on reggae.

"How The Kids Are Feelin'" is a quick paced rocker. You can definitely bop around the dance floor with this one and get your pogo on.

"Slippin' and Slidin" is quite a catchy little number and you may find yourself humming along.

"I Am Human" may cause some heads to turn. It is a straight up song about abortion taking a pro-life stance that isn't ever really heard in pop music. Actually I don't know that it is totally an anti pro-choice issue, but I think he is trying to at the very least voice the opinion that perhaps the issue isn't so simple and there may be mutiple lives or ramifications to consider. Maybe I'm being naive giving them the benefit of the doubt.

"King Man" buzzes and jolts along with angular rhythms and guitars and a punk attitude.

"Cyan City" is okay and has moments of "Flock Of Seagulls" in the opening. There is also a laser sound. Not one of my favorites.

"Livin' A Lie" gets back to the new wave pop formula. Still not one of the better songs, but it is okay.

"20th Century" is a pretty good song. It is basically a spiritual testimonial of their belief in a God. If you have a theistic leaning, you may really dig this track, because it is catchy and hopeful. If you're agnostic or an atheist you may just find this offensive and have no connection to it. There is no subtlety in the message. It is as clear as "there is a God" period.

"In Control" again coops some reggae/ska rhythms much like the Police did for a mid-paced pop number. It proclaims "God is in control" when examining the fears and state of the world in the early 80's. I was a kid in those days and the fear of some sort of nuclear world war 3 was very much in the air. America's fear of the Soviet Union and likewise I think the USSR's fear of USA was a real fear. This song actually tries to instill some hope that things will be okay and that there is a greater power at work steering things. it doesn't get into exactly how that works, but the thought that someone or something is looking out for the human race is a nice thought and makes it easier to go to sleep at night, at least easier than the thought of nuclear annihilation.

Enjoy!

01 Sin.m4a
02 How The Kids Are Feelin'.m4a
03 To Know You.m4a
04 Slippin' And Slidin'.m4a
05 I Am Human.m4a
06 Cyan City.m4a
07 King Man.m4a
08 Livin' A Lie.m4a
09 In Control.m4a
10 20th Century.m4a

Zionic Bonds Side 1.zip
Zionic Bonds Side 2.zip

Budget Girls - Get In Your Ear 7" - 1996

Screechy, raucus fun. The budget girls rock. I don't know if this qualifies as Riot Grrrl or just rowdy garage rock. Whatever. Who needs labels anyways? The girls are having fun banging away on their guitars and doing something close to singing. The record has a fantasticly racey cover. Reminds me of some lame Benny Hill skit or Austin Powers. The record also has a "teabagging" track, probably one of the earliest. I don't know that for a fact, but how many songs about teabaggin do you know and how many were before 1996. "Go Away Geek" cracks me the way they screech and scream. It sounds just like some snotty girls in highschool. The thing is it doesn't sound ironic, it sounds sincere. "Pop A Wheelie" and "French One" are also good tracks. The whole 7" is good. If you ever com across it, pick it up, bcause who knows how long these links will be active.

Enjoy!

01 Pop-A-Wheelie Cop-A-Feelie.m4a
02 Teabaggin'.m4a
03 French One.m4a
04 Go Away Geek!.m4a