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 Should've remixed ALL of this, but it's still good Nov 03, 2008
It's a good package, but I'm wondering why they didn't remix the first disc. Disc one is essentially identical to the single-CD release of this album from years ago ( including the omission of Closet Chronicles ). The mix sounds a bit flat, and pretty much monaural...again, no different from the initial CD release. Then you get to side two of mostly unreleased tracks, and the stereo is wonderful! Kerry and Rich's guitars are panned left and right, which makes for a BIG difference in imaging. They had to go back to the original multi-track tapes to cull out the gems for disc two...I'm just baffled as to why they didn't remix the disc one nuggets at the same time. Under headphones the difference is really striking on disc two, as it contains Closet Chronicles ( part of the original 1978 vinyl release, albeit omitted from the single-CD issue ), which was never remixed. Also, as someone else pointed out, The Spider instrumental, missing from the original album all these years, is on disc two, but fades as it segues into Portrait ( which is still part of disc one! ). This could have been handled a lot better through a bit of re-sequencing tracks, but apparently they didn't want to bother with remixing the original tracks.
One more significant note: During Kansas' tour of 1978, the boys in the band pulled a slick little trick during one of their numbers ( and I'd forgotten over the past thirty years just which number it was )...one by one, each band member quit playing his instrument, yet you continued to hear the instrument! They had a multi-track tape machine back at the sound board, and had it synched up with the song ( Sparks of the Tempest, I believe )...and as each guy quit playing on stage, the engineer would punch on the track featuring his instrument from the two-inch multi-track tape. You can hear this transition during the song on disc two: toward the end of the track, especially when Phil drops out on the drums, the remainder of the song is the ambient mikes picking up the multi-track recording of the number playing through the PA system! Only a band of Kansas' caliber would have the chutzpah? gonads? to pull off a stunt like this. As a musician myself, I shudder over how badly this could have ended up ( had the tape machine not been cued up properly, or the wrong multi-track tape loaded ). But then, once again, we're talking about Kansas. And bravo, guys, for being brave enough to not do any overdubs to "fix" mistakes.
 Don't be misled by bad reviews Oct 19, 2008
This is a review for the remastered and expanded edition of Two for the Show, released in July 2008. Note that all the reviews rating this album as a 1-, 2- or 3-star record were written long before this remastered version was released. In all cases the reviewers appear to be rating the original version of the album.
The remastered version's sonic qualities far exceed that of the original vinyl, which I owned as a teenager back in the seventies. That said, the original was still one of the finest live albums of its day: great sound quality, realistic example of what the band sounded like live (I've seen them five times), and featuring an excellent selection of their best songs at the time.
But this reissue takes all that one step further by including a second disk of songs any Kansas fan will remember and cherish. There's a reason this band that hasn't released anything new in nearly a decade continues to tour nearly non-stop (albeit in smaller venues than where these songs were recorded), and continues to enjoy a sizable and rabidly loyal following. Steve Walsh's voice isn't nearly what it once was, but on this record you can hear him at the pinnacle of a career that defied odds in so many ways I can't describe them fully here.
Serious Kansas fans have already picked this treasure up; for the rest of you, do yourselves a favor and experience a band that defines the live concert experience like few others have managed to do. Buy this CD and plan on a long, fast drive along a lengthy stretch of highway while it takes you back to an age when a group of kids from middle America spent a couple of years rocking the world. Enjoy!
peace
Best Live Album Ever Sep 06, 2008
I remember beating this record to death when I was a kid. I also remember cursing the music gods when this came out on CD and was trimmed to fit on 1 disc!
NOW....it's all here and then some! "Closet Chronicles" is back with 10 other tracks recorded during the same shows but until now were unreleased. The tracks include a killer drum solo from Ehart, which is one of the most underrated drummers ever, and a great version of my all time favorite, "Miracles Out of Nowhere".
This has got to be the BEST sounding live rock album of all time. The band is tight in the groove and yet the songs just flow out. The sound quality is fantastic, esp. when you take into consideration it was recorded in 1977-78!
This is an absolute must for any Kansas fan and I think a great starting point for anyone wanting to discover Kansas for the first time.
Finally! Sep 02, 2008
This album (album, does that date me?) does not disappoint. The expanded material is long overdue, and very much welcome. It's a great insight into the unique entity that is Kansas. You don't have to be a Kansas die-hard to enjoy it, just be open to rock music that is a little more intelligent and orchestral than you might be accustomed to.
I had no problems playing or putting this on my iPod.
I highly recommend it!
One of my most prized CDs ! Aug 24, 2008
This live album captures Kansas at their peak. I have listened to this LP more than any other live album I have ever owned. (Of course, I'm a big Kansas fan). This new edition has quite a few previously unreleased songs during this same tour, so I was most anxious to get my hands on it. I wasn't disappointed.
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