Smashin Jack
Member
Phil is definitely one of my favorites. What could you not like about his drumming on Magnum Opus or Song for America??
I have been a huge fan since I was 17. I saw Kansas in Don Kirschner's Rock Concert. Us old farts will remember that Don Kirshner introduced them as "progressive country".
I have seen them live a few times but the first time was the original band with Moorse. I was lucky enough to see them in the round from the front row, that meant as the stage slowest rotated I got to watch him play from behind about 8 feet away. I was a real treat.
Song For America is a masterpiece.
I Us old farts will remember that Don Kirshner introduced them as "progressive country".
I always thought "Song for America" was a great drum track. It's still one of my workout tunes to stay sharp.
OK...
I get you.
Hey you know what...in my 'mind's eye'..not blurry after all these years haha!...I'm thinking that snare (in the pics I'm talking about) MAY be a wood snare with reinforcing hoops....
He has the snare pretty angled from what I recall too....without having the pic in front of me that is.
If you listen to some Kansas tracks carefully, Phil's patterns are so intricately complex that it virtually defies imitation...I'll even go as far as to say that if there were no Phil Erhart there would be no Peart, Palmer or any of the prog rock drummers that of us grew up admiring.
Kansas is agreat live band. Steve Walsh's voice has recovered quite a bit in the last five years or so. He sounds much better on the new DVD than he did on the first one. I have seen Kansas live twice in the last four years, and they are very good live. I really wish they would make a new studio album, but that will probably never happen. Phil Ehart plays great on both DVD's. Peace and goodwill.
Even though Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope have been split off and in Proto Kaw, I think there are no bad feelings between them all. Provided Kerry gets feeling back in his hands after that stroke, I sure would like to see them all back together, Robby included.