Deviations From The Formula

Artists Who Broke The Instrumental Mold To Became Rock Music Innovators

By John Voket

This is the first of a two-part feature which will continue next week in Enjoy.

With hundreds of songs and numerous radio-friendly hits to their credit, it may be impossible for the casual rock and roll fan to name the title to certain tunes from particular bands. But there are a handful of bands that feature an unmistakable trademark sound, made even more unique through their deviation from a standard formula of guitar, bass, drum, keyboard instrumentation.

Two of these acts, the American progressive rock act Kansas, and Ian Anderson, playing solo selections as well as several hits from Jethro Tull backed by a chamber orchestra, will grace boards of venues in Fairfield County in the coming weeks. Utilizing violin and flute, respectively, these two music industry standouts have crafted their own easily identifiable sounds.

In the case of Kansas and the band’s most popular singles — the understated “Dust In The Wind” and rockers “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Point of No Return” — all utilize the violin as a second lead instrument to the acoustic and electric guitar work of co-founder Richard Williams. But even deeper album cuts and fan favorites like “The Wall,” “Song for America” and “Play the Game Tonight,” are not hard to recognize because of the classical instrument sound woven into the mix of synthesizer, percussion and guitar counterpoints.

The latest issue from Kansas, a CD-DVD package entitled Works In Progress, also delivers coincidental similarities to the current Ian Anderson tour by featuring several selections recorded along with the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra. Renditions of “The Wall” and “Cheyanne Anthem” are nothing short of inspiring, taking the already expansive sound of the core group and presenting the material with sweeping passages of full strings, percussion and woodwinds.

More than most of the band’s releases, these tracks from 1998’s Always Never The Same may illustrate the potential Kansas has to be counted among some of America’s most innovative musical acts of the past half-century – and it all started with the addition of one simple violin and a love of rock and roll.

During an exclusive interview with The Newtown Bee, guitarist Richard Williams discussed the band’s songwriting style, the recording process, how personal changes and lifestyle adjustments are positively affecting the band, and most importantly, what’s in store for audience members when Kansas pulls in for a headline set at the intimate Ridgefield Playhouse on October 18.

Newtown Bee: Your mainstream audience is probably familiar with three big radio hits, but your more devoted fans can probably compile a multi-disc “greatest hits” package on the strength of Kansas material including several numbers that, at the time of their release, nearly took up entire album sides. Was it a challenge at the time of the quick-hit single, was it hard to sell the record companies on material like “Icarus,” or “Song for America?”

Richard Williams: At the time, bands like Yes and Gentle Giant and other acts of that era were doing the same thing, so it helped to have bands breaking the mold of the “intro, two verses and out” formula when the record companies came to us saying, “You know if it’s more than three minutes, we have a problem.”

We had some pretty amazing situations with the record company trying to shoehorn us into a conventional single, hit making mold. Rush was another band coming out of that era looking to do something new and out of the box – they had an album-side length tune on their third album, I think.

NB: It’s pretty amazing that Kansas has gathered quite a strong and loyal following not unlike acts like Dave Matthews, Phish and The Grateful Dead. I understand you call your hard-core fans “Wheatheads,” but now they’re bringing along a new generation of fans to your shows.

RW: What’s really weird, especially in the past few years, the young kids are there at our shows. Maybe it’s because of the Internet. We play a lot in the state fair circuit, and while it’s not the ideal gig it feeds the bulldog.

But during these shows it’s really gratifying to see 14, 15 and 16-year-old boys and girls singing along. And it’s not just “Dust in the Wind,” they’re singing along to “Hold On” or “Song For America,” they know the whole catalog. You’ve got these fresh-faced kids with all their exuberance singing along – it’s really rejuvenating.

Bee: I can’t recall there have ever been any attempts to imitate the Kansas sound with the complicated rhythm changes, the overlaid harmonies, your highly unique guitar style and the violin interplaying as lead instruments. It’s got to be pretty flattering and gratifying to the entire Kansas family of personnel past and present.

RW: Twenty years ago I never would have thought I’d still be doing this. But now I can’t imagine doing anything else. After 32 years I feel like I finally have my foot in the door. And this is the best year so far, every year seems to be getting better. And since we manage ourselves we can play anywhere we want.

We just came back from Salt Lake City where we played a concert for the Salt Lake School of Rock. Here were kids on a field trip in front of a thousand people checking out the equipment and the view from the stage.

NB: Let’s talk about the Kansas musical assembly process. Is it easier to Kansas-ize the simpler tunes, or pieces of ideas as they are brought in by individual members of the band?

RW: That’s probably the easiest part. The hard part is coming up with the lyric/melody combination to put a Kansas stamp on the material.

Steve Walsh doesn’t even want to write for us anymore – he does his own albums where he calls all the shots.

As a writer, it’s hard to have peers take this baby you just had tearing it down, rearranging and putting it back together in a different way. But the bottom line is, the individual parts of this band has not begun to live up to the potential of what we can do together.

The bloody process of screaming and crying over things have resulted in some of our best stuff – it’s the compromising that made these things work. Everything that went into the Kansas meat grinder and was ripped to shreds and came out the other end was a result of this collaboration. Reading the credits may be misleading.

NB: In the early days of recording, I know you were on a time clock, playing live in the studio and working primarily working off single takes. How do you recall mastering or mustering the creative juices to get through a five- or ten-minute song and get it down to the last note on a single take?

RW: We would set up the full drums and bass rig, and somebody would cut a rough vocal track with keyboards, and we would play along. Then we’d start layering things on top of that. As long as Dave (Hope,  original bass player no longer in band) or Phil (Ehart, drummer) didn’t screw up we’d come out with something we could work with. [Laughing]

I’ll tell you, you get down to the twelfth take of “Song for America,” and you get down to those final few seconds, the tension is unbelievable – you can see it on everyone’s faces. But there is also a looming energy you can’t recreate without that tension.

NB: Kansas has seen Robbie Steinhart depart and David Ragsdale come in handling violin on this tour. How is that affecting the show?

RW: It’s more than just a change in violin players.

This time around we’ve got Billy (Greer, bass) working a lot more as our front guy, which is a very positive thing. Billy has turned into our new Robbie, singing half the set. It gives Steve (Walsh, vocals and keyboard) a break and keeps him from blowing out his voice.

And Ragsdale (violin and vocals), well he’s just an incredible violin player. There’s so much more energy and the fans are really noticing. It’s really reconfirming for us because we feel it, too.

We added a song called “Wheels,” which was on the box set. And we never really played it live, but we added it for Ragsdale on this tour.

NB: Your perseverance should be a Musician 101 primer on how to make it in the music business. Any tips for young musicians on how to enjoy 30-plus successful years in the music business as a band?

RW: You’ve got to be diplomatic, democratic and surround yourself with people you can see yourself working a long time with. …and leave your ego at the door!

Next week’s conclusion will feature an exclusive interview with the Grammy-winning musician and Jethro Tull founder Ian Anderson.