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Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
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Points: 15926
Topic: Recommend some Styx Please! Posted: August 16 2013 at 00:22
pjt wrote:
Now there's one album that nobody is likely to recommend, and that's Kilroy was Here. It's rather far from being a prog masterpiece, but I still love it. I thnk the 2.06 it got is rather harsh, to me it's closer to 3. I love Mr. Roboto for being a very good prog pop song, High Time is also a good song, and Heavy Metal Poisoning is just mad. Just Get Through This Night is the closest thing to prog, in a rather 80's pop with traces of prog style. All in all, with an open mind, it's rather nice to listen to it, especially after a real prog concept album's crushing weight.
'Don't Let It End' is miles better than 'Babe'. And I gave Kilroy a 2 star review coz I thought I'd be banished from the archives if I gave it a 3 .......... A 'guilty pleasure' you may call it, although I think the horn arrangement in 'High Time' is dopey........... oh, I just remembered something - the last 30 secs or so of 'Cold War' reminds me of 'Planets' era Eloy.
Joined: June 05 2009
Location: Budapest
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Points: 15
Posted: August 15 2013 at 17:33
Now there's one album that nobody is likely to recommend, and that's Kilroy was Here. It's rather far from being a prog masterpiece, but I still love it. I thnk the 2.06 it got is rather harsh, to me it's closer to 3. I love Mr. Roboto for being a very good prog pop song, High Time is also a good song, and Heavy Metal Poisoning is just mad. Just Get Through This Night is the closest thing to prog, in a rather 80's pop with traces of prog style. All in all, with an open mind, it's rather nice to listen to it, especially after a real prog concept album's crushing weight.
Crystal Ball & Kilroy Was Here are decent, Cornerstone isn't all that great, and I don't care for any of the early stuff (yes, I've heard all of them/owned them on vinyl once upon a time)
Joined: July 20 2013
Location: United States
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Points: 123
Posted: August 12 2013 at 18:42
BrufordFreak wrote:
I came on board with Styx II cuz of their hit "Lady" in 1973-4, but the album remains, IMHO, their most proggy with Bach's "Little Fugue in G" leading into the seven-minute "Father O.S.A." Still my favorite album of theirs despite it's engineering/production being a step (or two) down from later albums.
After that it's probably Grand Illusion though Equinox has the awesome one-two-punch of "Light Up" and "Lorelei" on Side One and Side Two has the classical instrumental "Prelude 12" leading into the proggy "Suite Madame Blue" and "Mademoiselle," "Jennifer," "Crystal Ball" and "Claire de lune/Ballerina" from Crystal Ball are pretty awesome, too.
I think Grand Illusion lost a little of its possible due because it was competing for air and turntable time with Going for The One, I, Robot, Heart's Little Queen, Cat Scratch Fever, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steve Winwood, James Taylor, and, of course, the Star Wars soundtrack.
Joined: January 25 2008
Location: Wisconsin
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Posted: August 12 2013 at 16:51
I came on board with Styx II cuz of their hit "Lady" in 1973-4, but the album remains, IMHO, their most proggy with Bach's "Little Fugue in G" leading into the seven-minute "Father O.S.A." Still my favorite album of theirs despite it's engineering/production being a step (or two) down from later albums.
After that it's probably Grand Illusion though Equinox has the awesome one-two-punch of "Light Up" and "Lorelei" on Side One and Side Two has the classical instrumental "Prelude 12" leading into the proggy "Suite Madame Blue" and "Mademoiselle," "Jennifer," "Crystal Ball" and "Claire de lune/Ballerina" from Crystal Ball are pretty awesome, too.
I think Grand Illusion lost a little of its possible due because it was competing for air and turntable time with Going for The One, I, Robot, Heart's Little Queen, Cat Scratch Fever, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steve Winwood, James Taylor, and, of course, the Star Wars soundtrack.
Joined: July 20 2013
Location: United States
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Points: 123
Posted: August 12 2013 at 15:48
Ooh Styx is fantastic! I see Equinox as one of their greatest works, Conerstone being one of their weakest. I always found Paradise Theater to be a pretty strong concept album with some awesome pieces of music on it. My three favorites are probably: Equinox Pieces of Eight The Grand Illusion
Anyway, they rock. Tommy Shaw was the death of them in my opinion.
Joined: February 03 2007
Location: The Heartland
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Points: 16914
Posted: February 08 2012 at 15:36
^
Featuring this great lyric
A boy of 5 stands close to the toilet
Holds the lid up with one hand
Won't let go the lid for fear that
On his banana it will land
Don't sit down on the Plexiglas toilet yeah
This was the work of the rather eccentric first guitarist, replaced in 75 by Shaw.
Joined: February 03 2007
Location: The Heartland
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Points: 16914
Posted: February 07 2012 at 14:47
^
Indeed it does, with a sing-along that touched on butt wiping among other things. Needless to say that album is the one Dennis DeYoung wishes he could erase from history, but lots of fans enjoy it.
Joined: April 01 2009
Location: Atlanta
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Points: 26138
Posted: February 07 2012 at 14:43
I think Equinox is quite solid. And it has "Suite Madame Blue" which might be their best song. It's kind of the precursor to "Come Sail Away", same kind of thing.
I think "The Serpent is Rising" has a strange song about a plexiglass toilet on it, but my recollection is hazy.
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It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
Joined: July 02 2008
Location: Australia
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Points: 14258
Posted: February 06 2012 at 08:22
Finnforest wrote:
Cornerstone is sweet! Yeah, it has a few sappy ballads but so what, it also has some very good tracks. I know I'm in the minority being a Styx fan around here, but like Kansas they get too much abuse. Frankly, Styx-haters can kiss my rump.
Scott, the first four Wooden Nickel albums are good but more hard rock affairs, their first guitarist was a bit different than Shaw. You can check those out later. These are the peak art-period albums, the litmus test to whether Styx is for you or not. I would check them out in this order:
The Grand Illusion Pieces of Eight
then...in any order Crystal Ball Paradise Theater Cornerstone Equinox Wooden Nickel compilation
Keep in mind, Styx is not "prog" but rather great art-rock.....theatrical hard rock with occasionally proggy references. If you need it to be "real prog" in order to enjoy it, skip it. If you just like good music, check it out.
Edit: The first four albums are a LOT of fun, especially "Serpent is Rising" which is considered their weirdest album. But try Grand Illusion before you venture back to the early ones.
Thanks I will have a listen to Grand Illusion as soon as I can,
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Recommend some Styx Please!
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pjt wrote:
.......... A 'guilty pleasure' you may call it, although I think the horn arrangement in 'High Time' is dopey........... oh, I just remembered something - the last 30 secs or so of 'Cold War' reminds me of 'Planets' era Eloy.
Indeed it does, with a sing-along that touched on butt wiping among other things. Needless to say that album is the one Dennis DeYoung wishes he could erase from history, but lots of fans enjoy it.
