Sunday, March 09, 2008

Sunday Music:

This was just added to YouTube. It's Kansas doing a tune from Kerry Livgren's first solo album about Satan called "Mask of the Great Deceiver." The song was originally sung by, of all people, Ronnie James Dio. This was Kansas last show with Steve Walsh and the original 6 (Walsh later reformed the band in the mid 80s). It was lyrics like this that caused Walsh to quit. Walsh wasn't a born-again Christian and really didn't feel comfortable singing lyrics with such overt messages. Though this is a kick ass tune which illustrates why Steve Hackett of Genesis once said Walsh possessed the "perfect white rock voice."

5 comments:

Leo said...

Wow I had no idea that Kansas ever performed anything from Seeds of Change. But as I sit hear I suppose that they would have done the song that Walsh sang for the album - How Can You Live...

Jonathan Rowe said...

Thanks. Yes I've seen an interview where they noted exactly that. But instead they chose "Mask of the Great Deceiver," probably because it was a better "band" song.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I find it perplexing that a peron whose intellect is so keen and supple (as yours clearly is) actually listens to such unsubtle music. Then, again, it does add to your uniqueness.

Jonathan Rowe said...

Heh. Love Steve Walsh's voice. And I love Livgren's compositions.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I'll give it another shot, O.K.? What do you think of Wilco?