Styx ~ USA ~ Chicago, Illinois

Styx was my first contemporary favorite band when I started collecting LPs instead of 45s. This would be 1977 and I was 12. No surprise that I gravitated to progressive rock (it would be another few years before I even knew what that term meant), and it was 'Castle Walls' (from The Grand Illusion) that initially drew me in. Along with 'Suite Madame Blue' from Equinox, this wonderful composition demonstrated that Styx could have been a successful progressive rock band had they tried. But why do that when they ultimately became megastars doing what they did best - marrying commercial FM radio hits with some sophistication. Styx are very much Chicago (the city) in their approach - brash, in your face, and as subtle as a train wreck. With added street smarts. They played both sides of the rock radio commercial fence and won most fans over. Today, Styx are one of those bands that creates handwringing from the modern critic. Aren't they just too cheesy? All that is endemic to late 70s and early 80s AOR? They don't get a pass like Steely Dan does. To be fair, I do think experiencing their albums from the era does help in this case. I was just coming of age myself, so music like this is more part of my DNA than an objective viewpoint all these years later. While obscurities such as Alpha Centauri, Gideon, etc... continue to roll in, and I (and others) heap much praise, they really aren't so much different from a musical approach. But superstardom has a way of bringing out the naysayers. And I too can be just that person when groups like REO Speedwagon and Journey find themselves on my turntable. Yuck - how could have anyone liked that I ask? While I personally think Styx is a cut above, not all who hear them agree.

Paradise Theatre (1981)

As noted in the summary, Styx were my favorite band in 1977 and 1978. By 1981 I was hiding from them, disassociating myself from my early fandom. Their prior album Cornerstone (1979) was a disaster with no redeemable qualities whatsoever. Not only that but by 1981 I was an early adopter of heavy metal having loaded up on Judas Priest and the Scorpions albums, plus getting on board with the new generation like Iron Maiden and Saxon. Such is the trajectory of the anger filled teenager going from age 12 to age 16. As would be the case throughout my life, when I first embraced Styx they weren't very popular with my school mates. By the time I was a sophomore in high school, they were extremely popular in the same way that Journey and Foreigner were. And Paradise Theatre was that album that propelled them to the highest ranks of respect among that crowd. Being the contrarian I was, my reflexive response was to hate it. So take that you soft-bellied weenies! About seven years ago I grabbed the CD for dirt cheap and made an objective go, but I wasn't impressed. Now I've found the LP for a buck, let's try it one more time. These past seven years has allowed me to ditch a lot of my prior bias' and embrace albums and styles of music that I once scoffed at. If you've noticed my latest motif, an album review without a cover means I didn't keep it. There's your clue. Even after all this time, my 2018 analysis was correct. The songwriting just isn't there. They have hits from this album like 'Too Much Time on My Hands', 'Snowblind', and 'The Best of Times' but they're just bad reminders to me of the sad state of radio in the early 80s. I do like that Styx boldly went forward with a concept album when doing such a thing was considered nerdy at best, and nerdy was not cool in those days. And I also like that the concept was about a glorious time (1920s) in their breeding ground of Chicago. So yea, certainly better than Cornerstone (not much is worse) but not even close to earning shelf space.

Source: 1981 A&M (LP). Gatefold

1981 (first listen); 2/12/18; 2/23/25 (review)
 

Styx II (1973)

As noted on in the summary, Styx were my favorite contemporary act as a 12 year old. Going into my first year as an teenager, they also represented the first band I began to deep dive on. I believe Styx II was the second full length for me to own.

About 18 years ago I wrote the following (after acquiring the CD comp): "Styx II, the album famous for spawning ‘Lady’, starts to show the band tighten up their sound and composition structure. The first three tracks are awesome (including ‘Lady’) and features one of their best “pure prog” tunes with the eight minute 'A Day'. They don't sustain the momentum though. Each early Styx album has at least one hideous woofer, where they try to show that they can play old style 50’s rock and roll, and Styx II is no exception. The band were too diverse for their own good in the early years. ‘Lady’ didn’t become a hit until 1975 just after the release of their 5th album Equinox. From there they skyrocketed into the mainstream."

Yea, exactly that. Typical unfocused early Styx release. But it does include John Curulewski's greatest contribution to the group which would be 'A Day', a wonderful drifty melancholic proggy number. 'Lady' is a beautiful song, and the A&R guys missed the boat originally. That track would also predict their future. In the end, not really a great work overall, and arguably the worst of their original quartet of albums.

Ownership: 1973 Wooden Nickel (LP); 2005 Hip-O Select - The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings (2xCD). See Man of Miracles at the bottom of this post. 

1978 (first listen); 5//05 (notes); 11/12/23 (review)

The Grand Illusion (1977)

So here is where I started with Styx. I love the opening 'The Grand Illusion' which I think is the perfect blend of who Styx really were at this point: AOR, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock. In that order. Tommy Shaw really comes into his own with 'Fooling Yourself' and 'Man in the Wilderness', the latter featuring a killer guitar break. Shaw adds a touch of folksiness to most of his tunes, another lever for the band to pull on. Other than the proggy 'Castle Walls', my other favorite track was (and is) 'Miss America'. This tune is quite possibly James Young's finest hard rock composition. While I gravitated towards prog at an early age, I also had some pent up anger for a lot of reasons, and 'Miss America' helped me through some early aggression. As strange as this may sound, it was Styx that introduced me to the hard rock, and ultimately, heavy metal genres. Both still favorite styles of mine today, though the anger element is long gone from me. I appreciate the energy and tone they both bring.

That leaves the throwaway 'Superstars', the only track on the album I have no memory of despite hearing it hundreds of times. And then comes their blockbuster 'Come Sail Away'. It is an absolutely beautiful track. Had it been only three minutes - perfect timing for the radio - then I would have loved it. But that annoying chorus which never stops drives me batty. Why they felt it so necessary to carry that on for so long is a great mystery to me.

Ownership: 1977 A&M (LP). Lyric insert and poster. 

1977 (first listen); 7//05; 11/6/23 (review)

Styx (1972)

I think to fully appreciate Styx's debut, one has to immerse themselves into the era from which they came. As I've mentioned a few times prior, while England and Europe had full blown progressive rock scenes operating in the early 70s, America's labels didn't support it. Couldn't see the commercial value. Album rock was an English thing. Singles are where it's at! This mindset prevailed despite massive sales going to English bands thriving in that market. It isn't like progressive rock didn't exist on these shores, it's that they were four to five years behind the curve. There were meager attempts (commercially speaking that is) by awesome groups that remain unfairly obscure such as Ram, Polyphony, and Sanctuary. But they were few and far between. The mid to late 70s saw the grassroots prog movement here finally explode - to strictly local and regional audiences. Essentially the major labels missed the boat. Something they were careful not to replicate as the States were the leader in future musical endeavors, the various styles of heavy metal in particular comes to mind.

So back to Styx. Their debut was a fish out of water. A prog rock record released by an American band. Now it didn't help that Styx weren't really all that progressive to begin with. It's 1972, so you're up against Yes' Close to the Edge and Genesis' Foxtrot as but two examples of hundreds. Styx is miles less interesting than that. What Styx really did was predict the regional nature of such music here in America. They couldn't be more Chicago-born even if they tried. Most folks were likely to discover Styx's debut after the fact, long after they were megastars. And in that scenario, they also fail, because this is a long way from their patented professional AOR / prog formula. Styx's debut is music for the local club set, not the arena.

With all of that in mind, were it a private press, or even a major label one-off flop, the album would have more underground fans. It's definitely charming. The lengthy opener 'Movement for a Common Man' has a lot of quality jams and songwriting. Besides, I heartily agree with the old codgers in 'Street Collage' lol. 'Best Thing' was their big bet on a hit. It's a really good song, but too heavy and dirty for 1972 pop rock. It's definitely an album rock cut. 'Quick is the Beat of My Heart' is another quality hard rock track. There's nothing weak on this debut, though it was hardly a bold statement going mightily forward. It sounds hedged primarily because Styx were never truly an all-out prog band. They were a Chicago bar band who extended their skills way beyond their peers. And it ultimately paid off.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Wooden Nickel (LP); 2005 Hip-O Select - The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings (2xCD). See Man of Miracles at the bottom of this post.

1978 (first listen); 1985; 5//05; 7/19/22 (review)

Equinox (1975)

One of the earliest albums I ever owned, I pretty much have this album memorized. It was one of my favorites when I was 13, a couple of years after its release. The album's two openers 'Light Up' and 'Lorelei' were FM radio staples in the late 70s. Both feature punchy synths and hard rocking guitars, the new formula for Styx once they joined the A&M record label stable. The only two tracks I don't recall are the last couple of cuts on the A side. I should remember 'Mother Dear' though, as it's an excellent organ driven proggy number. Perhaps a look back to their earliest albums. 'Lonely Child', yea OK, it's pretty forgettable. All of side 2 kicks ass. 'Midnight Ride' is patented James Young hard rock, with some ripping solos, and I've always appreciated his rough n' ready vocals. 'Born For Adventure' is another heavy prog oriented number, with some great bass work, and we used to go wild as kids when they phased the vocals towards the end. But it's closer 'Suite Madame Blue' that wins the blue ribbon, and is arguably the greatest progressive rock composition in Styx's career. The bit where the synthesizer melts down and the heavy guitar riff comes in and then they start singing "America" in harmony sends chills up one's spine. Equinox is part of my DNA by now, so no chance for objectivity here.

Ownership: 1975 A&M (LP). Lyric inner. 

1978 (first listen); 7//05; 12/18/12; 12/27/21 (review)

Crystal Ball (1976)

I've owned this album in one form or another since 1978, when I was just starting to get into record collecting as an early teen. Styx was my first "favorite band" and even had a belt buckle of their emblem. Hey, I was a kid. Wish I still had it, I'm sure it's worth quite a bit today. Maybe I would even wear it! Yea, and my wife would kill me, so scratch that. In any case, Crystal Ball was never one of my favorites by the band and I hear it weaker than the two it sits between. But JY's hard rocking opener 'Put Me On' and Dennis DeYoung's slick 'Jennifer' provide some highlights. Crystal Ball is, of course, Tommy Shaw's debut with the band and he wrote the title track. It's a signature tune, and foreshadowed his excellent songwriting abilities for future albums. Side 2 kind of wheezes out even though it has progressive rock ambition. Regardless, Crystal Ball has aged well for me.

Ownership: 1976 A&M (LP). Lyric inner. 

1978 (first listen); 7//05; 10/14/21 (review)

Return to Paradise (1997) 

This is a double live album that heralds the return of Styx to south Chicago. It features four out of five of the key protagonists, with only John Panozzo missing (who had recently passed away). This is one of those live albums that prove the band know how to play the songs they wrote. And nothing else. No improvisation, alternate arrangements, or different energy levels. Essentially one is hearing a play list. There are a couple of newer tracks thrown in, but given they aren't anything special, it's hardly a reason to buy it. Not for me.

Source: 1997 CMC (CD)

3/4/21 (review)

Cyclorama (2003) 

I've been long curious what Styx sounded like after Kilroy, but never took the chance on buying one of their new CDs. So the thrift shop is perfect for just this kind of album. Based on the contents of Cyclorama, it's a good thing I hesitated. Sometimes you wonder why they even bother with new albums. They should just do the Oldies Tour thing and hang it up. The magic of songwriting is gone. In Styx's case, the personnel is mostly gone too. Styx without Dennis DeYoung is already stating it's a different band. Drummer John Panozzo and original guitarist John Curulewski are long RIP. Bassist Chuck Panozzo has had serious health issues for many years, and only does cameo's for the band. Original guitarist James Young is still on board, and he was the hard rocker of the bunch, but unfortunately he takes a backseat role on Cyclorama. That leaves Curulewski's 1976 replacement Tommy Shaw as the de facto leader of Styx. And it pretty much sounds like a Shaw solo album with guests. Mostly this is boring folk rock or ridiculous ass-kissing AOR music (there's even a song with a title similar), without any decent hooks. The latter was irrelevant by 2003 anyway. There are a couple of good tracks, namely 'These Are the Times', and if you hang in to the end, 'One With Everything'. This last track shows Styx in full-on progressive mode, even more so than their classic 70s albums. More of that would have resulted in a late era classic. In the end, I can only rate the album as a disappointment. It should have been much better really, as they had the freedom to do what they wanted.

Source:  2003 CMC (CD)

3/3/21 (review)

 

Man of Miracles (1974)

Man of Miracles is the 4th album from south Chicago's favorite sons Styx. Objectively speaking, one could make a strong argument that this was Styx's weakest album of the 70s save the awful Cornerstone that closed off the decade.

Despite featuring a cover and title that indicates a prog rock extravaganza, Man of Miracles shows Styx splintering into two entirely different groups. The two guitarists - James Young and John Curulewski - appear to be moving Styx into a good times boogie rock club circuit band. This is evident by the two opening tracks 'Rock & Roll Feeling' and 'Havin' a Ball'. Later on Young bonks the 'A Man Like Me' and the whole band double dribbles the cover song 'Lies'. It's only later we see Young redeem himself with his trademark hard rocking 'Southern Woman', a blueprint for what was to come from him.

Oddly it's the much-maligned Dennis DeYoung that holds Man of Miracles together and saves it from a complete disaster. 'Golden Lark' is a beautiful ballad, one of his best, and among the album's highlights. 'A Song for Suzanne' promises similar, though DeYoung always had this gnawing habit of injecting a Broadway play type mentality into his songs. 'Evil Eyes' and 'Christopher, Mr. Christopher', while not highlights, are certainly well penned tracks. This all leads to the title track, and the one place Styx seems to be operating as a cohesive unit. Co-written by Young and DeYoung, 'Man of Miracles' demonstrates the best of Styx - James Young's heavy rock nature juxtaposed against DeYoung's full onslaught of proggy keyboards. It was an indication of what was to follow, and Styx were to become a force thereafter. If it weren't for the belated two-years-in-the-can hit 'Lady' suddenly thrust upon the FM radio airwaves, one could easily see Man of Miracles as Styx's swan song. But they caught a break and never looked back. Great things were to come for the boys from South Chicago.

Ownership: 1974 Wooden Nickel (LP); 2005 Hip-O Select - The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings (2xCD). Encapsulates their four album run on RCA's Wooden Nickel imprint. Comes with liner notes and full album details.

1978 (first listen); 5//05; 4/3/19 (review)

4/3/19 (new entry)