conversationpc wrote:Ragsdale is certainly a versatile musician. His forte is the violin, but he's a pretty good guitarist as well. As for Steinhardt, his voice was starting to sound too "old" for my tastes. He just sounded like an old man. He sounded good on the "Somewhere to Elsewhere" album but he just really seemed to age after that. Greer has a great voice, especially for a guy in his 50s. He's a much better singer than Walsh is at this point.
Agreed on all counts.
I think Ragsdale is much better on the violin than Steinhardt was. When Steve Morse left the band, he was the chief proponent for Rags covering the second guitar parts while Richard Williams played the leads. I watched some of their Vina del Mar show from Chile in 2006 earlier today. Steinhardt did sound like an old man, especially on Icarus. I had to stop watching the song, it was so bad. He looked like he didn't want to be there and sounded like it, too. Steve Walsh didn't sound as good as he sounds now, either. They probably gain more musically with Rags and Greer than with Steinhardt and Dave Hope. Hope didn't sing. Rags and Greer both sing well. Rags is a better violinist than Steinhardt and adds the second guitar they had been missing since Morse left. Greer is better on vocals than Steinhardt. Too bad Kerry didn't stick around on a consistent basis. If he had stuck with it and stayed healthy, the lineup of Walsh, Livgren, Greer, Ragsdale, Williams, and Ehart would have been their strongest and even moreso if Walsh's voice had stayed as strong as it was into the late-80's. Kerry was the main songwriting force, and from what I have read, Steve Walsh isn't interested in writing anymore, so we probably won't get any new Kansas material unless Kerry regains his health and/or Steve Walsh changes his mind.
Billy Greer's voice is great. He sounds a lot like what Walsh sounded like before his voice started to go. That helped a lot with the vocals when they were in Streets together, that they could harmonize so well. Greer's voice still sounds very good, like you said, and it helps cover a bit of what Walsh has lost over the years due to wear and tear and his past indiscretions. I'd like to see Billy cover more lead parts. Pick up the Native Window CD if you haven't already to get a dose of what he sounds like on leads. His Seventh Key stuff is pretty decent, too.
Steve Walsh has a two-song EP available on iTunes. The songs are "Dark Day" and "Faule Dr Roane." Very good stuff and you can hear how he sounds now for $1.98 plus tax.
When I saw them at BergenPAC, I got there early and was waiting outside to get in. Richard Williams was sitting on a bench across the street with a few people smoking some cigarettes before the show. No "rock star" persona at all.
