Customer Reviews

Two for the Show

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It has been swimming around the rumor mill for years but finally, the wait is over. Kansas' monumental 1978 double-live album "Two For The Show" has finally been remastered and reissued in its most definitive edition ever. All of the original album tracks are here as well as the restored original artwork. Additionally, there is a second disc of mostly unreleased material from the same tour as well as an extensive essay and unseen concert photos in the CD booklet.
Musically, "Two For The Show" captures Kansas at their peak and shows the band's versatile musicality in full force. Classics such as "Song For America", "Point of Know Return", "Portrait" and "Magnum Opus" are all performed with such precision, they are almost superior to their studio counterparts. Likewise goes for the other tracks I failed to mention. The second disc complilemts the original album's material beautifully with stellar renditions of "Child of Innocence", "Miracles Out of Nowhere", "Down the Road" and "Bringing it Back". There's also a jaw-dropping unreleased drum solo from Phil Ehart that precedes the complex instrumental "The Spider" that has to be heard to believed.
One minor complaint is that as the opening drumbeat of "Portrait" is heard at the end of the "Spider" track, it fades out ("Portrait" is heard among the original album tracks on disc one). It would've been nice to have heard these tracks in continuous performance instead of the way they're presented here.
Apart from this minor glitch, the deluxe edition of "Two For The Show" is a revelation compared to the older releases of this album. The whole thing sounds amazing as if you were standing right there in the middle of the arena as the band performed. As mentioned earlier, this is classic Kansas at their peak and is a testament to their solid musicianship. This is definitely a must for any Kansas die-hard and is a solid live album from beginning to end (bonus tracks and all).

I am overwhelmed at how amazing this 30 year old live album sounds! I had the cassette version, the lps, and the first release of the cd, but Legacy and KANSAS have taken this 2 cd re-issue release to a new level!! The first disc is an amazing upgrade of what was already a great sounding recording and performance. When the cd was released, CLOSET CHRONICLES was omitted due to disc space. (the track was later released on the second version of THE BEST OF KANSAS)
So, now for the bonus material... blistering and stellar sound quality! CLOSET CHRONICLES is included on the cd as well as a brilliant version of HOPELESSLY HUMAN. CHILD OF INNOCENCE begins with the dual guitars of Richard Williams and Kerry Livgren and is a breathtaking lead-in to the main song. There is another amazing dual guitar track called LONELY STREET that sounds like the guitars are bleeding pain! Steve Walsh's vocal performance is one of his very best. (I would say this track is worth the purchase alone, but EVERY track is worth the money!!)
Robby Steinhardt's violin sounds amazing and his placement in the mix allows his talent to shine. Dave Hope's bass playing couldn't be better than on these tracks. And also, there is a great Phil Ehart drum solo that leads into THE SPIDER. This is just a perfect cd re-issue for any KANSAS fan! All of the early hits, and also the epic pieces of music that super serious fans enjoy.
Rather than go on detailing every track, I will move on to the actual recording. The quality is amazing... Jeff Glixman outdoes himself on the mix and mastering. The stereo placement of instruments really brings the live recording into a sonic paradise. There are little bits of things in this version that I had never noticed through all of the years of listening. KANSAS at their best in the early years. (If only there could be more live releases from the KANSAS tour vaults!!?? Hopefully MONOLITH will get this special treatment as well!!) It is really an honor to review this classic KANSAS album... Thank you!

This live effort is a must-own for the Kansas fan. Two For The Show captures the band live at the height of their powers, and this album has a nice blend of epics (Song For America, Journey From Mariabronn, Magnum Opus), and hits (Carry On, Dust In The Wind), that should satisfy all the fans in the band's denomination. The epics are, without question, the highlight of this album. From the raving version of Song For America that kicks off the show to the extropolations of Icarus and Mariabronn to the guitar and piano solos, Kansas really shines here when they let it loose and play their epics live. The extended, jamming version of the closing Magnum Opus might just be the highlight of the collection, going here past the 11 minute mark. However, on a downnote, the performances of Carry On and Dust are less than stellar, particularly the former. Perhaps tired of playing them so many times, the band don't seem as lively or upbeat in performing them as they do on the longer pieces. This might deter casual fans, but hard-core fans (probably the only audience for this album, anyway) will not be buying it for those songs anyway.

One of the best live albums ever is re released surpassing expectations!
If you are a Kansas fan and own the original Two for the Show, you will LOVE this. You already know disk one, but wait 'till you hear disk two!
The previously unreleased live songs will amaze you.
If you don't really know Kansas, this is the place to start. They are/were at their best live, and were at their peak when this was recorded. What I like best are the guitar jams leading into Child of Innocence, or in between Portrait and Carry on Wayward Son. They showcase a side of this band that you wouldn't know even existed with commercial radios sorry playing of them.
This band is so diverse, from near Metal (Mysteries and Mayhems twin guitars are Priest like) to Blues, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Prog Rock, Jams,etc. and they pull it off better than anyone.
Did I mention the vocals?!! Unreal!
This recording should be played for anyone who doesn't give this band the credit they so richly deserve.

Progressive rockers Kansas' first live album, and sixth overall, Two For the Show was released in November of 1978.
The album captures singer/keyboard player Steve Walsh, guitarist/keyboard player Kerry Livgren, violinist/vocalist Robby Steinhardt, guitarist Rich Williams, drummer Phil Ehart and bass player Dave Hope at the height of Kansas' commercial success on the band's 1977/78 Point of Know Return tour.
Alot of the songs from the band's five studio albums are played, in all instances, superior to their studio counterparts.
We kick things off with a stellar version of "Song For America" which was a killer rendition. Next is a 1-2 punch of the Point of Know Return's two opening cuts of the title cut and "Paradox" which both trump the studio versions. Next is "Icarus - Borne on Wings of Steel" which decimates its studio counterpart. We then have a killer version of "Portrait (He Knew)" which segued into a stellar version of "Carry On Wayward Son". The first disc of the original album closed with a superb rendition of "Journey From Mariabronn".
The original album's second disc started with a beautiful "Dust In the Wind" which is a great version. Then we have solo spots from Richard Williams and Kerry Livgren on acoustic guitar and piano respectively as a lead in into a wonderful rendition of "Lonely Wind". Then a rocking rendition of "Mysteries and Mayhem" is next which then goes into an instrumental segment of "Lamplight Symphony" which gives way to a beautiful version of the Leftoverture album cut "The Wall". Next is a stellar "Closet Chronicles" (which was left off original CD due to time constraints but appears on the remastered 2-CD set on disc two for some reason). We closed the original album with a killer "Magnum Opus" which dwarfs the studio version.
Two For the Show was yet another million seller for Kansas and peaked at #32 on the Billboard chart in early 1979.
For years, the album was given a shoddy CD re-issue in 1989 and only way to hear the album as intended was with either LP or cassette or 8-track tape. Now, Legacy/Epic have re-released the album with a full second CD of tracks left off due to time constraints and a stellar booklet.
The bonus tracks (including the aforementioned "Closet Chronicles") are all superb. My favorites of the bonus tracks are a superb version of "Hopelessly Human", an awesome "Miracles Out of Nowhere", a phenomenal Phil Ehart drum solo with the instrumental "The Spider", an excellent reading of "Lonely Street" and a killer "Down the Road". "Cheyenne Anthem" and "Sparks of the Tempest" differ from the versions that appeared on the Leftoverture and Point of Know Return reissues respectively. The other bonuses "Lonely Street", "Belexes", "Child of Innocence" and "Bringing it Back" are all excellent additions to an already legendary live album.
Two For the Show 30th Anniversary Edition is HUGELY RECOMMENDED!

Since Amazon insists on including all these older reviews of Two for the Show (that don't apply) and doesn't care enough to include only reviews of the newly remastered and expanded 2 disc version, I have been forced to edit and update my review. So here goes:

Finally, and I've been waiting for this for YEARS! KANSAS's stunning Live album, Two for the Show has gotten Remastered and Expanded to 2 discs. I was beginning to think this would never happen. I have heard no complaints about this one (unlike Led Zeppellin's The Song Remains the Same Remaster). For one thing, the song Closet Chronicles, included on the original 2 record set, but omitted on the single disc version of Two for the Show, has been included. And obviously it is the same version, or people would be shouting in the streets. I was curious about why Amazon had a strange thumbnail picture of some kind of clouds as the cover art? Well, when you ope up the tri-fold digi-pak, that is what you see (check my scans under customer images for more info). Amazon has actually dropped the ball in many ways on this one, but more on that later.

Finally, after years of endless touring, KANSAS gives us a Live album that comes as close as you can get to the stunning spectacle that is KANSAS Live in concert. Culled from various shows during the Point of Know Return tour from 1977 to 1978, Two for the Show has a nice cross section of KANSAS music on it. Reaching all the way back to their debut album and touching on every album in between, right up to the then current, Point of Know Return.

As some other reviewers have noted, the sound quality of the recordings on this album is quite astonishing. It really sounds great. And what's most astonishing is that these guys can recreate their very challenging music in a live setting. It is one of the best live rock albums of all time and definitely deserved to be remastered in a deluxe version.

Included with this deluxe packaging is a 10-page booklet with more individual band member photos, liner notes, and production info. The product description on Amazon's web page is wrong. It says there are only 2 previously unreleased tracks on disc two. Actually ALL the tracks on disc two are previously unreleased except Closet Chronicles, which was on KANSAS's 1999 Best of disc.

KANSAS has no less than eight different live album offerings put out by various record labels and Import companies, but by far, Two For The Show is the Best one out there, and an essential addition to any fan of KANSAS's music.

***** Highly Recommended *****

"Two for the Show" has always been my favorite live recording. I remember feeling angry and cheated by the omission of "Closet Chronicles" when the CD was first released in the 80's. Not any more. WOW! I am speechless at the superior sound quality and the bounty of never before released A+++ performances from the 77-78 tours. I just can't adequately express my satisfaction at this purchase. Not only do I recommend this item, I would classify this recording as an "absolute must have" for any lover of progressive rock or just quality music in general. These guys were at the top of their game during this short period in the 70's and I am so grateful that their superior musicianship and sheer brilliance was captured forever with this recording.

Adding a perfect balance to the previous release, this reissue shows a little more of the side of Kansas that doesn't take themselves too seriously although they had every right to. Though their works have been blasted as being too ambitious both lyrically and musically, they have proven beyond doubt that they are up to the challenge of combining classical, progressive, and pop rock.

The second disk also showcases the superior talents of Phil Ehart on the drums not as evident in the commercial hits of the first disk. This drummer had something so special that it was actually his talents that helped set the band apart in the beginning when trying to be discovered. Steve Walsh is untouchable in these previously unheard versions of the songs. He always keeps things fresh and new. Could anyone be better behind the mic? Sorry Tommy, Lou, Steve P., Paul! The band was at their peak and it shows. Some other bands have been dubbed the "Greatest of All Time", even though they have a fraction of the musical (and vocal) talent. I couldn't believe that some of those bands could compare to Kansas even if I was Rolling Stoned.

This work is absolutely crucial for any Kansas fan to own, and one of the best live works to ever enter my ears. It is a fairly raw mix with no overdubbing except for Robby's voice on Man Overboard of course. This is the true Kansas experience that also is a must own for any true fan of live rock of any era.

I like live albums because they're usually raw and gritty. You get to hear the band without the benefit of too much processing, and the ambience is incredible. To that end, I unflinchingly admit that "Two for the Show" is without a doubt the best live album by any band. The fact that it happens to be by one of my favorite bands of all time, Kansas, is just icing on the cake. My second favorite live album, the Little River Band's excellent and underrated "Backstage Pass" has been unavailable for years.

All of the tracks here have incredible sonic clarity that one would not normally expect from a live album. Given the complexity of most of Kansas' material and the instrumental parts, the producers did an incredible job putting this collection of songs together. I can only say that I have two complaints, both minor: the omission of "Closet Chronicles" in the transition from LP to CD, and a subpar performance of "Carry On Wayward Son". This is more than compensated for by Rich Williams' guitar solo and Kerry Livgren's piano solo following "Dust in the Wind", followed by an abbreviated version of "Lonely Wind" with a searing harmony vocal. I also like the extracted portion of "Lamplight Symphony" which is used as a segue to "The Wall".

The fact that there are no reviews for this CD below 5 stars ought to be telling you something. Buy this CD! After 22 years "Two for the Show" remains my favorite live rock or pop album of all time, and it still brings a smile to my face and a song to my heart.

These additional tracks have been in the vaults for 30 years and just recently discovered. Makes you wonder what else is in those vaults. This makes an already perfect album even more perfect if that is possible.Kansas smokes live.