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"Very faithful in form, "The Absence of Presence" remains closer to Californian rock than to the unbridled progressive of the beginnings."
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3/5
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A question arises when listening to a new Kansas album: does the current band still have something to do with the legendary combo that marked the years 1974-1980? At the end of this golden period, changes in the personnel brought the band to musical lands far away from the creative debridement of the early days, even to the point of abandoning the violin, a distinctive Kansas trademark. The release of "The Prelude Implicit" 4 years ago seemed to mark a certain rebirth of the band, with a strongly reworked line up: only Phil Ehart (drums) and Richie Williams (guitar) survived, but the Kansas spirit seemed to be present.
However, Kansas has evolved so much in its way of producing music that this statement may seem debatable. It will be just as debatable when listening to "The Absence of Presence" which interests us here. In form, we are well connected to early Kansas: the album unfolds a dynamic rock with the violin, present in all the tracks. Ronnie Platt's vocal signature, surprisingly close to Steve Walsh's, contributes to the overall colour. But there's a "but": the two composers who made sparks fly by their collaboration in the band's mythical albums (Walsh and Livgren) have left the ship, and on the musical background, the listener finds himself far from the spirit of "Leftoverture" and other "Masque", and much closer to the Californian rock period of "Freaks of Nature" or "Power".
With a consummate know-how, the now septet (with the arrival of an additional keyboard in the person of Tom Brislin) serves us a selection of effective but often formatted titles, like the ballad 'Memories Down the Line' or the predictable 'Circus of Illusion' which are too obvious. It's extremely well executed and produced, but if the whole has the colour of Kansas, the taste of Kansas, it's not Kansas! To sum it up quickly, you could almost say it's Toto with violin; apart from the inaugural eponymous track, the progressive touch is absent on the album, which aligns the tracks without unleashing passions.
Maybe (and probably) we expect too much from a band with a mythical title. "The Absence of Presence" is an honest record in that it tries to keep the spirit of Kansas alive. Far superior to Elefante period productions, it doesn't betray its purpose, but delivers smooth music with carefully arranged markers. To enjoy listening to this opus, it is best to avoid comparisons and let yourself be carried away by an efficient ensemble. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. The Absence Of Presence
02. Throwing Mountains
03. Jets Overhead
04. Propulsion 1
05. Memories Down The Line
06. Circus Of Illusion
07. Animals On The Roof
08. Never
09. The Song The River Sang
LINEUP:
Billy Greer: Basse
David Ragsdale: Guitares / Violon
Phil Ehart: Batterie
Rich Williams: Guitares
Ronnie Platt: Chant / Claviers
Tom Brislin: Claviers
Zak Rizvi: Guitares
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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The album may not have been released or the spotify ID has not yet been entered or there is no spotify ID available
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READERS
3/5 (7 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.4/5 (7 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH KANSAS
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LAST INTERVIEW
KANSAS (JUNE 2020)
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Almost 50 years of career and Kansas is still there! Back with the excellent "The Presence Of Absence", the singer Ronnie Platt came back for us on the release of the 16th studio album of the band!
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT KANSAS
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