Seventh Key I Will Survive

The album of this pre-Kansas band begins immediately with a classic. The song "Alt. More Worlds than Known" has everything it takes to remain memorable. The guitar riff and the structure are striking. The keyboards remind me of Murrey Head's "One Night in Bangkok". And towards the end, there's a bit of "Music" from John Miles. Making a reference to Kansas is not sufficient in order to categorize this CD. Besides the artists just mentioned, this album also reminds me of Kaipa …

Early Recordings from Kansas 1971-1973 is a collection of recordings made by the second edition of Kansas (Proto-Kaw) released in 2002 on Cuneiform Records. The songs contain numerous nods to the then-burgeoning scene of experimental progressive rock, often echoing the early work of luminaries King Crimson. The tracks "Belexes" and "Incomudro" were later recorded for the Kansas albums Kansas and Song for America, respectively.

The Wait of Glory is the third album from Proto-Kaw after their retrospective initial release and debut recording Before Became After. Drumming honors have passed from Brad Schulz to newcomer Mike Patrum. The other newcomer is Jake Livgren on lead and background vocals, alto saxophone, and percussion. Livgren has been with the band since its re-inception, but is officially credited as a member on this album. The Special Edition release includes the primary eleven tracks, plus a bonus studio track and a DVD with songs from the bands July, 2005 Nearfest Progressive Rock Festival performance.