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Arsillus
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 26 2005
Location: United States
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Points: 7374
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Topic: Styx Posted: July 23 2005 at 15:26 |
Styx is cool. Not prog. But cool.
Just because something isn't prog doesn't mean it sucks.
It just has a better chance to.
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Fearless
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 11 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 442
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Posted: July 23 2005 at 13:51 |
salmacis wrote:
Yes, their second album isn't too bad- it's the proggiest, and ultimately the best, of their early albums. |
It's close between their second, and "Serpent..." for proggiest Styx album. I think Serpent is their second best album behind Grand Illusion, because it doesn't have any real weak points, and includes great rockers (Witch Wolf, 22 years, Jonas Psalter), ballads (Winner Take All, As Bad as This), and the rest is Styx version of prog (Grove of Eglantine, Young Man, title track, Krakatoa/Hallelujah Chorus). Probably their most ambitious album....a big reason why the early records take so much heat is because they try to go in many different directions, often disturbing the flow of the album as a whole, but they are still very enjoyable if you just listen to the music and not for limitations.
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If you don't stand up
You don't stand a chance!
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member
Content Addition
Joined: April 10 2005
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Points: 3928
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Posted: July 23 2005 at 12:34 |
Yes, their second album isn't too bad- it's the proggiest, and ultimately the best, of their early albums.
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BaldJean
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 28 2005
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 10387
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Posted: July 23 2005 at 07:39 |
I only ever heard the 2nd album of Styx. it was certainly not a revelation, but that album definitely was prog by the standards of this site
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A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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felixxx
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 15 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 260
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Posted: July 23 2005 at 06:14 |
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Fearless
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 11 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 442
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 12:57 |
Sean Trane wrote:
gr8dane wrote:
I agree that with later releases they were a bit ?!?over the top.This was my least favorite era.
Early efforts had their crummy moments,i agree,but they certainly also had some great moments.
I like the music best before and including Equinox.
At least ,Herrn Sean Trane you have heard everything from them ,before making your statements.Fair enough that you do not like them. |
Says who?!?. Stynx has been a major joke amongst the oldies on this site , and mostly because of their inclusion here. Their first four albums are clumsy and naive "erreur de jeunesse", that they can be forgiven for it.
I did not say I did not like them. Equinox , Crystall, Illusion and Pieces are superb rock albums. Even DDY is correct during those years. All in all , until then, about Styx , the "Trane Reporting & Rating System" (where do I come up with these stupid ideas) had them on an above than average level.
Unfortunately, then came Babe and Cornerstone and a very boring Cornerstone that proved to be a fatal Cornerstone. Paradise Theater was marginally better (still a DDY thing though) and then Killjoy . Never will I be able to think of Stynx any other way than that.
Actually I did hear a few covers from the latest album they released. Pointless but not bad, either.
Had a chance for tickets to Bonn (in Germany and three hours drive from Brussels ) to see them and Kansas on the same bill , but turned it down . Not worth my while
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I've always wondered who it was that decided to include Styx, err....sorry, i mean 'Stynx'. Anway, i would like to know what the arguments were FOR Styx, surely there must be a good reason if Styx was included and not Queen (who were probably more progressive).
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If you don't stand up
You don't stand a chance!
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Fearless
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 11 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 442
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 12:53 |
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If you don't stand up
You don't stand a chance!
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Hammill
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 09 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 400
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 12:33 |
who is prog? is that prog? is the other thing prog? i think we loose
the meaning of music people...who really cares if something is prog or
not....music is the only thing that counts...name me many prog bands
that have composed a ballad like boat on the river or even albums such
as the grand illusion and Cornerstone. What do you prefer... a band
which is progressive or a band that composes good songs????
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gr8dane
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1127
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 10:38 |
I am glad you oldies have a good laugh every time Styx is mentioned.
I could have sworn that this thread was in the Non-Prog section,and anybody who can string 2 notes together ,can be mentioned here.
In the prog archives Styx is listed as art-rock.Maybe they should not be listed there at all.Fine,i could not care less.Better line up the responsible in front of the firing squad.
For me it was also downhill from Cornerstone.I guess as the albums went by I was hoping them going back to the old style.
When i said over the top,I was visualizing bands like Slipknot and GWAR and Styx do not seem too over the top.
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk
Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 20252
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 09:31 |
gr8dane wrote:
I agree that with later releases they were a bit ?!?over the top.This was my least favorite era.
Early efforts had their crummy moments,i agree,but they certainly also had some great moments.
I like the music best before and including Equinox.
At least ,Herrn Sean Trane you have heard everything from them ,before making your statements.Fair enough that you do not like them. |
Says who?!?. Stynx has been a major joke amongst the oldies on this site , and mostly because of their inclusion here. Their first four albums are clumsy and naive "erreur de jeunesse", that they can be forgiven for it.
I did not say I did not like them. Equinox , Crystall, Illusion and Pieces are superb rock albums. Even DDY is correct during those years. All in all , until then, about Styx , the "Trane Reporting & Rating System" (where do I come up with these stupid ideas) had them on an above than average level.
Unfortunately, then came Babe and Cornerstone and a very boring Cornerstone that proved to be a fatal Cornerstone. Paradise Theater was marginally better (still a DDY thing though) and then Killjoy . Never will I be able to think of Stynx any other way than that.
Actually I did hear a few covers from the latest album they released. Pointless but not bad, either.
Had a chance for tickets to Bonn (in Germany and three hours drive from Brussels ) to see them and Kansas on the same bill , but turned it down . Not worth my while
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let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword
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gr8dane
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1127
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 08:53 |
I was never a big fan of DDY's personality myself.He came across like a pompous snob,but he has made some great music(and some sh*tty stuff too) ,no doubt about it.
Cartman did make a great version,yes indeed.
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Tony R
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: July 16 2004
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 11979
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 08:15 |
Styx are OK.....in a radio-friendly kind of way. Dennis De Young's vocals make me want to vomit though.He sounds like a cross between Dean Friedman and Marie Osmond.
Grand Illusion,Equinox and Pieces Of Eight all have their moments.
Prefer Cartman's version of Come Sail Away is better though.
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gr8dane
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1127
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 08:13 |
I agree that with later releases they were a bit over the top.This was my least favorite era.
Early efforts had their crummy moments,i agree,but they certainly also had some great moments.
I like the music best before and including Equinox.
At least ,Herrn Sean Trane you have heard everything from them ,before making your statements.Fair enough that you do not like them.
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk
Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 20252
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Posted: July 20 2005 at 03:27 |
Notice and advice to all newbies:
If they are refered as Styx in the Archives database , in the forum , they should be refered as Stynx
The first four albums were sloppy and slightly arrogant as they never had the skill or gift to write ambitious prog.
The next four (from Equinox to Pieces Of eight) are some of the best radio-friendly (i almost wrote radio-fiendly) FM rock ever written.
From Cornerstone to Killroy, they became a major joke......
I have not heard anything from them since I threw up on Killroy.
Edited by Sean Trane
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let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword
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The Wizard
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 18 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 7341
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Posted: July 19 2005 at 12:40 |
I dont care to much for styx. They were mainly commercialized arena rockers. I guess the grand illusion is kind of prog though.
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member
Content Addition
Joined: April 10 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3928
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Posted: July 18 2005 at 11:26 |
The greatest hits CD is all wrong- I had that at one point, and it nearly turned me off them. However, I heard 'Equinox' and I have to say it was superb.
'The Grand Illusion' is probably their masterpiece, in my opinion.
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gr8dane
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1127
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Posted: July 17 2005 at 21:28 |
I guess we are talking about Styx in the non-prog section so we should be OK.Anyways,you started of with the absolute worst Styx songs possible.Greatest hits does not always mean best songs.Babe was their biggest hit,sure,but what does that tell you ,sweet F A.
Now ,I agree they do tend to use their synths a great deal,so what,so does Yes.
When Styx was the biggest ,it was at a time of big hair and pomp.
If you do stumble upon Styx-Equinox or Serpent is rising second hand, give them a shot and you may be surprised,though on second thought,you probably won't since you sound like you only like prog,and pure(?) prog only.
All the best
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peter townsend
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 11 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 23
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Posted: July 16 2005 at 18:07 |
I will admit that some of there songs do flirt with prog, but the majority of there albums sound like "Babe" and "Mr. Roboto". I have listened to the entire greatest hits album, and was shocked to find them here. If all the Bands that have flirted with prog deserved to be on this list, then The Who, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple should also be on here also (and they shouldn't because they are not pure prog).
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DolphinFan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 05 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 143
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Posted: July 16 2005 at 16:01 |
I agree with Fearless and gr8dane. Styx is not a prog band, but give them credit for originality, good song writing, and interesting musicianship. Saw them live with Kansas once (mid-90's) and Styx stole the show (despite the fact that I am a Kansas-fanatic). Grand Illusion is my favorite, but I must admit I haven't heard most of the songs that Fearless recommends - so now I have some listening to do...
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gr8dane
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1127
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Posted: July 16 2005 at 07:49 |
It always baffles me,when someone starts a thread ,just to bash.What's the point?
Anyways ,I don't think Styx is progband either,but they did touch prog on occasion.I like the old Styx best myself,but am still listening to them today and got Big bang Theory.Saw them a couple of times over the last 5 years and they put on a good rock show.
Which Styx albums have you actually listened to Mr.Townsend??
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Shake & bake.
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