Not that I had any doubt that an autobiography written by Phil Ehart wouldn’t be interesting. But in I Am Phil (written with Paul Braoudakis), the Kansas drummer/manager/OG manages a great read of his life.
Having seen Mr. Ehart with his classic American prog band, the only one of its kind to hit the kind of heights Kansas has, and even having met the man when he was promoting his Native Window debut (if there was ever an album the mainstream missed but is worth having it is Native Window) I suspected he’d relate an honest, poised and overall classy account…just like I found the man himself to be when I met him. But what I loved about I Am Phil, is that we are given the story of all that was and is Kansas, surely ‘a band,’ as well as a rich unveiling of the life of a working musician, manager, ‘Army brat,’ father and man of faith (not necessarily in this order).
Mr. E’s triumphs and trials with the juggernaut rock outfit he pretty much pieced together — in Kansas of all places — is told here in matter-of-fact facts, but Kansas and the man’s incredible drumming for the band are just a piece of who he is. The other adventures Phil Ehart has managed, lots of them his constant good work of reaching out and helping folks in many regards, musical and not, are so inspiring.
I had heard about Mr. Ehart’s specific family difficulties, as well as bits and pieces of these Kansas stories, the latter of which anyone can attest to when viewing the fabulous documentary Kansas: Miracles Out of Nowhere, which again, Ehart had a significant hand in. And I’m not so sure I agree with his assessment of keeping the band going with ‘understudies’ (an argument for another time surely). But one can’t ignore the guy’s tenacity, what he describes often in the book as a middle-of-the U.S. work ethic, his love for what he does and the people he has come in contact with, fans, friends and first and foremost, his family as he enjoyed fun and yes, sometimes heartache, of keeping a rock band trudging along for 50+ years. Simply put, I Am Phil is surely a rock star’s autobiography written by someone who never actually comes off as a rock star.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
