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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Superb sound quality and musicianship, July 24, 2001
I love progressive rock. It's the kind of music you can listen to over and over again...and hear something different each time. (Try that with 90% of the music made today!)So it's not surprising that during the '70s (when I was a teenager), I was a big fan of Rush, Yes, Genesis, ELP and, of course, Kansas. That music became part of my soul. Therefore, it was with lots of excitement that I bought the remastered CD of Masque (the remastered Leftoverture is next; I'll buy it today on my lunch hour). What incredible sound! The drums (especially the cymbals) and the guitar tracks are crisp and clear. The vocals are incredible. This is how Kansas was meant to be heard. I agree with previous reviewers: Masque is not the best Kansas ever recorded. I think Song for America (their second album), Leftoverture and Point of Know Return are Kansas at their peak. However, Masque is head and shoulders above anything recorded today -- not only in creativity and composition, but also in sheer musical talent. I know many people have regarded the opening track "It takes a Woman's Love (To Make a Man)" as fluff. But I kind of like it. It shows another side to Kansas; not a sell-out side, either. Just an ability to rock and make shorter songs that are catchy and fun. My favorite tracks are the punchy, rocking "Child of Innocence" and, of course, the lengthier ones: "Icarus (Borne On Wings of Steel)," "Mysteries and Mayhem" and "The Pinnacle." Why? Because, as I wrote in the first sentence, I love progressive rock. I love its depth, complexity, subject matter and musical distinctiveness. Critics can dismiss it as bombastic and silly, but, man, does it touch something inside of me. If you like well-crafted, creative music, you'll like Masque. If you're a Kansas fan, you need it. If you're tired of the homogeneous, cookie-cutter, every-song-played-at-the-same-pace-in-the-same-raucous-way music that's become popular today, give Masque a listen. You'll probably find it to be a breath of fresh air.
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is Kansas' 
