KANSAS – Vinyl Confessions [Japan Blu-SpecCD remastered]

“Vinyl Confessions” was, without adoubt, the album that approached KANSAS to commercial mainstream music & radio This superb Japanese remastered edition pressed on high quality Blu-SpecCD sounds incredible.

Kansas were one of America’s most successful rock bands during the mid to late ‘70s. Their brand of progressive pomp rock had spawned several multi platinum albums and hit singles, including the ubiquitous radio staples ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ and ‘Dust In The Wind’.
By 1981, singer Steve Walsh had elected to leave the band, paving way for the appointment of a new vocalist, the previously unknown but extremely talented John Elefante.

Recorded in Los Angeles at Chateau Recorders with English producer Ken Scott (Supertramp, Jeff Beck, David Bowie) and featuring Queen’s Roger Taylor on backing vocals, the band crafted a winning slice of melodic rock with all the twists and turns that you might expect from such masterful musicians.
“Vinyl Confessions”, originally released in 1982, manages to remain true to the roots of Kansas, while at the same time noticeably moving from the band’s traditional sound of the ’70s into the more AOR-friendly ’80s.

The storming AOR anthem “Play The Game Tonight”, which opens this album was a big US hit. John Elefante and his brother Dino contributed four of the album’s strongest songs, one of them being the
the sweet and beautiful (and pretty commercial for Kansas’ standards) ballad “Chasing Shadows”.
But the other Elefante co-penned tracks “Right Away”, “Face It” and especially “Play On” were all written in a typical Kansas style, just arranged and produced with a more friendly sound.
Livgren weighed in with some great tracks too, particularly the busy “Windows”, the brilliant multi-textured “CrossFire”, and the heavily orchestrated “Diamonds And Pearls”.

Having become increasingly rare on CD of late, this remastered reissue of “Vinyl Confessions” on this maximum technology Blu-specCD is more than welcomed. A truly great Kansas album when they turned more melodic (as Styx did around the same era) and commercial
A highly recommended purchase for all ’80s AOR fans.

カンサス / Vinyl Confessions ~ EICP-20080
【完全生産限定盤 / Blu-spec CD】

01 – Play The Game Tonight
02 – Right Away
03 – Fair Exchange
04 – Chasing Shadows
05 – Diamonds And Pearls
06 – Face It
07 – Windows
08 – Borderline
09 – Play On
10 – Crossfire

John Elefante (vocals, keyboards)
Rich Williams (guitar)
Dave Hope (bass)
Robby Steinhardt (violin, vocals)
Kerry Livgren (keyboards, gutiars)
Phil Ehart (drums)
Roger Taylor (backing vocals)

BUY IT !
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/EICP-20080
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