User reviews

I came in as a big Kansas fan, like many watching this film I imagine did. But there was a lot to like if you are a classic rock or Progressive rock music fan in general. And there's a good chance one would like the film even if they didn't know anything of Kansas going in. The editing and pacing is very good for the casual viewer, and the twists and turns and since of beating the odds and rising from obscurity to the main stage is a story that is easy to like for just about anyone. The band members come off as very humble which is a nice refreshing change compared to many bands. The doc ends at the moment the band reaches their pinnacle,(not the song:) so there is no info on the bands decline and it's nasty effects which is mostly nice to avoid seeing. It's a very satisfying documentary.

As a Kansas I was a bit surprised that the documentary didn't cover Monolith or Audio Visions albums since the original 6 were still together for those two, and both albums were solid, if not legendary. I wish there was more talk about some of the deeper tracks on the albums, which many Kansas fans like but know very little of their origins. Also I would have loved to hear more on how all the members got together. I know it wasn't as quick of a process as they made it out to be. But I really liked the documentary being focused on their unlikely rise to fame, in contrast to telling the usual band story of disagreeing, changing, breaking up, changing members, getting back together, etc.(Not that Kansas didn't go through all of that stuff) It seemed the thing was edited with a determined focus on fitting a 2 hour TV window.(which it did) I wish there was a longer edit too.

1st watched 4/12/2015 – 7 out of 10(Dir-Charley Randazzo): Well put together rock documentary about the rise of the band Kansas. The movie goes quickly and gives out a lot of information about the band's beginnings all the way up to their popularity "peak", which was the "Point of Know Return" album. As un-pretentious as the band is --- that is how the documentary is, you get what you get – nothing more, nothing less. Although there is a little self-promoting at the end – otherwise they use other folk like Brian May of Queen and Garth Brooks to promote the band instead of themselves. The movie is no more than a bunch of people talking about the progression of the band(including all the original members), but the director makes the conversations flow easily from one to the next, and there is no wasted film-time. Some music is played, but only enough to make you want to listen to the recordings – the documentaries primary focus is the evolution from small house band to sold-out major stadium rock legends. After 40 years since the band's beginning the original members are brought back for this filming(which is a small miracle in itself). The "Miracles out of Nowhere" title refer to them being from rural Kansas and hitting the big time. The story isn't a whole lot different than other bands except for the previous fact. Their breaks came as other band's breaks come – from a record executive giving them a chance – which in this case is Don Kirshner. He patiently waits during the release of the first 4 albums – promoting them and the providing the money, until their big breakthrough album "Leftoverture." A must for fans of the band, and for those who are interested in how this group came about. Concise – to the point – filmmaking excels in the case of this story.

I can't give this 10/10, which rating would simply a film you simply can't miss irrespective of your interest in the music: it certainly helps here to be interested in Kansas to begin with. But it's not essential. It's an appealing underdog story regardless of your musical tastes or familiarity.

First, there's just the sheer improbability of six mostly self-taught, highly virtuosic rock musicians out in the Middle of Nowhere somehow getting a toehold and rising to the top of pop music. And there's an extra layer of improbability added by the fact that their music was insanely complex and sophisticated, a far cry from most singles that got airplay then or at any time. I used to wonder how it was that these guys managed to make a living churning out their first few albums, when nothing contained on them would appeal to fans with short attention spans. As this documentary explains, they were incredibly fortunate to have both the faith and the financial backing of Don Kirshner, who went a good million dollars in the hole supporting them through several albums, even when they showed no signs of generating a radio-friendly payoff.

The documentary focuses primarily on the band's formation, how they managed to get themselves discovered, and their improbable rise to the top of the pop music world in their fourth and fifth albums. The documentary inspired me to refamiliarize myself with their work, most of which simply sailed over my head back in the 1970s. It's truly phenomenal, the richness and creativity of the music, sometimes symphonic in its complexity and yet also rocking hard. One thing that distinguishes Kansas from other bands with prog elements is that they were so much tighter, and could rock any house.

All six of them were truly virtuosos, which means there is something interesting going on at every moment of their recordings. The film enhanced my appreciation of Kerry Livgren's songwriting genius, Steve Walsh's and Robbie Steinhardt's vocals, and all of the instrumental brilliance on display. What you hear on their records is basically how they sounded live, incredibly enough.

A number of interviewees contribute generous comments. Garth Brooks gushes in the manner of a genuine fan. Queen's Brian May is incredibly gracious -- perhaps not that surprising, given that Queen was one of the few bands out there who were comparable to Kansas in terms of performing skill. Still, May generously praises not only the likes of Carry On Wayward Son but also appreciates the beautiful simplicity of Dust in the Wind, so unusual for a Livgren creation. Even a few rock magazine critics contribute praise here, which was nice to see; Kansas was never appreciated by critics as they deserved to be.

There was only one mildly sour note for me: there seems to be a slight undercurrent of disrespect for Steve Walsh in this documentary. We're told how his creative inspiration dried up at the critical moment of recording Leftoverture, leaving Kerry Livgren to step up with his greatest work under pressure. And Walsh himself is quoted as saying that sometimes he wrote songs for the wrong reasons, and wasn't very proud of any of them. Good grief, that's harsh. Yes, no one else in the band was the compositional genius that Livgren was, but Walsh was a strong #2 and co-writer of much of their finest work. His vocals are among the best in rock history. I thought he deserved a little better than to have his few shortcomings magnified.

But overall, it's a brief, entertaining underdog story about six humble guys. They don't come across like decadent rock stars, just phenomenal, down-to-earth musicians. Easy to pull for whether you know their music or not.

To answer the previous reviewer about why the story stopped without including "Audio-Visions" and "Monolith", there is one main reason. Kerry Livgren had already become the main songwriter for Kansas by the time to make "Audio-Visions". Both he and Steve Walsh make reference to that in the video. What is not explained is that Kerry had a conversion experience and became a committed Christian; that shines through in both "Audio-Visions" and "Monolith" as well the reunited Kansas effort of 2000 "Somewhere Out of Nowhere". Walsh left the group after "Monolith" deciding that the musical approach of Christian lyrics and prog style was not his thang. Kansas recruited John Elefante to replace Steve but after 2 more albums, both Livgren and Dave Hope packed it in too.

I never thought Steve Walsh hated Kerry for his Christian views. Likely it was more of an ego thing between them that caused friction and Steve's ultimate departure. Look up the lyrics to "Relentless", the first song on "Audio-Visions". You will not find a more powerful witness to acceptance of Jesus Christ ANYWHERE in modern music.

Kansas not being in the RnR Hall of Fame is a travesty and an indictment of the smug swarminess of the NYC cretins who control the Hall's operations.

If you've ever heard "Dust in the Wind", a rock classic, you'll be blown away about how the song came about.

And then, if Kansas was ever a favorite band of yours in the seventies, as they were for me, this is a fun and nostalgic documentary.