Phil Ehart

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.

Yes, I fondly remember seeing Kansas on Don Kirshner's show. I wish I could remember what they played- I was too blown away for it to stick with me! I had just heard Rush's 2112 at the time, and I abhorred pop and country. These two bands and especially their drummers, helped me to see that there were artists that could make an entire ALBUM (yes, I remember vinyl!) that held you by the throat and didn't let go, even after it ended. I had the great fortune to meet Kansas in 1982 on their Vinyl Confessions tour. It was at a record-signing at the largest record store(vinyl, again) in Jacksonville, Fl, called Coconut's Records. And yes, I had my album there for them to sign. They were all very humble-seeming and engaging people. Phil had a couple kind words about the need to practice and keep drumming. Very powerful to a 21 year old who was trying to balance fatherhood, work and drumming. That night at the Jacksonville Coliseum, one of the songs on the list was We're All Together from Audio-Visions. The sound was clean, powerful, and very true to the studio version. Phil is definitely one of the most inventive drummers ever. He played in a band that was harmonically and musically very diverse, yet he always seemed to come up with the right part for the song. His playing of odd times was so fluid and un-forced. One of my favorites has Always been Miracles Of Of Nowhere. The 7/4parts sounded so fluid, I didn't realize at first that I was listening to Common Time. The metric modulations the band performs in the last couple minutes of the song are still inspiring and sound great to this day. With his excellent sense of time, he was always able to help me hear things in the musical context of the song in a different light from most other drummers.
A great drummer with a great band.
 
I really like Phil's playing "Carry On Wayward Son" was one of the first songs I ever learned that whole "Leftoverture" album(yes I said album LOL) has great drumming on it,"Point of No Return" was a good album also very cool drumming.IMO Phil falls into the underrated not overrated bracket.

Keep Swattin'
Bonzolead
 
I Us old farts will remember that Don Kirshner introduced them as "progressive country".

I suppose this explains Rich's ridiculous Kansas wheat farmer outfit in this outstanding live performance on Kirschner's Rock Concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZzLPf_zyKk

BTW, Walsh looked so much better before all the cocaine. I saw them live on the Audio Visions tour in 1980. They were excellent in concert - all very good musicians, and tight with good timing, especially with all the changes they do.
 
Resqguy, you must have been reading my mind.

I'm an unabashedly Kansas fan and the reason why is Phil Ehart, beginning way back in 1979 - my first concert as a young lad.

Needless to say, I have seen Phil and band as recent as Ocotber 2010 and two weeks ago, and Phil was simply amazing behind the kit. So much energy and passion. I was transfixed. Wow, he gets better every year. He plays simple, is not very flashy, but solid amongst the many time changes and twists in Kansas' music. And a to-die-for Yamaha kit.

I took a killer photo of Phil playing live a couple weeks ago and I'll post it here soon.

Phils my #1 drummer. Better than Peart even.

Thanks for the post!!!
 
I always thought "Song for America" was a great drum track. It's still one of my workout tunes to stay sharp.
 
I really respect Ehart's playing as well. Somebody mentioned that he feels a bit stiff - I think this is true, but a lot of it has to do with the recording technology back then. It makes everything sound really dry and un-resonant, so it's impossible to get a really big, fat, or legato sound like we can today. Of course, maybe that's just the sound that he likes. Regardless, he is a technical master.

I think Kansas laid down the foundations for epic rock and metal bands later on. So many of those songs are full of interesting time changes and strange movements between them - a lot like what you hear epic metal bands doing today. Kansas is like a Dream Theater from the 70's to me, but with a more natural sound.

-sheldon
 
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.
 
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.

Yes, if you look at his set even on the current Kansasband website, his snare and toms look like something featured in our infamous "Tom Angles" thread, lol.
 
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.

He and everybody in that band were very talented. I hear some say they were "lesser thans" to the British Progressive rockers of the era. In fact I was listening to Walsh's famous outro in Journey to Mariabronn, and thinking that Greg Lake or any of the variety of vocalists that King Crimson produced just sounded commonplace compared to Steve.
 
Kansas is a great 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.
 
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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.
 
No, no bad feelings in the band. Maybe some minor rifts over the years, but the former and current member are all good. Someone said above about Steve's voice - yeah it's much much better and he's in great shape too.

I agree about Phil - I tried to play along with "No One Together" from Audiovisions album and immediately threw in the towel. Phil makes it look easy but we all know it ain't.
 
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.

Dave Hope is not in Proto Kaw; he is pastor in Florida. Robby was sorta asked to leave because he was not playing up to par. Billy has been the bass player in Kansas longer than Dave Hope was. I am a big fan of Kerry Livgren, but IMHO, the current version of Kansas is the best one yet. This is just one guy's opinion.
 
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I am big Kansas fan. They may not be regarded as highly as some other prog bands, I always thought they sounded more coherent than Yes or ELP.

In a transcription book Kerry Livgren talks about how everyone had to really lay back and make sure not to overplay because there were so many instruments in the band. Phil's parts are appropriate for the songs and he is given time to shine on several tunes.

Cool drum break at the end of Belexes - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kflsPW6m6A

Old school double bass and a drum solo in How my sould cries out for you - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hpDJr4Wj5g
 
Kansas... Long time fan of the band.
Each member brings a special sumpin sumpin to their very unique sound. And there's a few band changes... again.
Ehart's percussion constantly amazes me and thank gawd, he has been the catalyst to keeping the band going. He now manages the band.

Anyway, Kansas just released their latest project "The Absence of Presence".
I've given it a couple listens and very delighted they still have it. They went through some roller coaster times, but Absence of Presence brings them back to new music, retaining that classic songwriting they became know for.

I was planning on seeing them this summer... but we all know how that goes.

Love the band. Love the music. Just doing a shout out for their new release.

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yes...100%. Foundational to me!

I got into them around Song For America. Spent many a frustrating moment trying to figure out his beats as a young drummer.

He is in my top 5 biggest influences, and I really liked him because he also used concert instruments like tymps and vibraphones, and I was just starting to get into band in school.

Kansas, Styx and Rush were the first 'non-childrens music" bands that I remember getting into. The first bands where the music started to move me and be more important than the corny words and sounds of kids music. I would sit fascinated looking at the album covers, and getting imagery in my head driven by what the music was doing/saying.
 
I'm a big fan of Phil. I haven't given that new album a listen though I need to do that. Here's me playing one of their songs
 
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