I remember liking Saga long ago.

Pompous? Sorry, but half the bands we talk about in this forum are pretty pompous...in fact, that might be a prime ingredient of prog! And I don't mean that in a bad way.

There are songs on Styx, Styx II, The Serpent is Rising, Man of Miracles, and Equinox that are undeniably progressive.  Maybe they did go downhill and get poppy and popular (like Genesis), but that's no reason to slam them and act like they've never been progressive.

I guess "ignorance is bliss" for those who just like to attack bands that they aren't really familiar with.

This thread is a f**king JOKE and the person who started it is a pompous ass, certainly more pompous than he claims Styx to be, which is pretty ironic and pathetic at the same time.

Styx is a GREAT band and YES, they are prog related.  Anyone who has listened to their albums and can't hear the prog influenced (particularly the early albums) needs to get their hearing checked.

This thread just inspired me to pull out my copy of THE GRAND ILLUSION and give that awesome album a spin!  Awesome band, awesome music, but it's a shame people here can't just leave this band alone... I guess they're simply jealous since for all intents and purposes Styx have had a successful career while other more traditional progressive rock bands are obscure.  Well, that's what happens when you write catchy QUALITY pop songs.  And yes, pop and prog can coexist.  Very much like Supertramp straddled the line between art rock and pop, so have Styx.  Both bands are great.

Next thing you'll know, some pretentious ass from England is going to claim that Kansas and every single other American prog act is worthless.  Way to give prog fans a bad name fellas!

Look to this guys and say that Styx is prog.

I was once 1982-1984 listening and singing their songs (and Queen also) but I'm ashame for that period

Sorry if I hurt someone, but for me they didn't pass the test of time

Ranger wrote:

HOW GAY ARE  STYX

I'm never so direct, but his is the most stupid and offensive post I ever read.

I'm not gay, I been raised by a father who hates gay people in a very conservative sovciety as the Peruvian in the 70's where we had a Communist Military Government who banned long hair and Rock saying it was Yankee evil that turned the kids into gays

When a kid I was homophobic, I accept I was one of those cowards who made the life of the gay kids impossible, we took their lunch boixes, closed them in their lockers etc.

But when I was 12 or 13 I discovered gay people wasn't bad (Despite my dad's opinion), as a fact one of my closest friends from school was gay (He died in New York because of AIDS), and really felt ashamed of what we had done to this poor kids only because they didn't liked to play soccer.

But not even when I wasa child wasn't able to accept that art makes no distinctions between sexual preferences, some of the best artists were gay, probably they are more incontact that us normal strauight guys, because they are not ashamed to embrace art despite the prejudices that we feel against some forms of art.

Freddie Mercury was gay, but he probably was the most charismatic frontman ever and one of the most talented plus he had a wonderful voice.

As a fact:

Tommy Shaw is  married, he's closer to be a redneck than gay (He was born in Montgomery Alabama), the redneck ithing is a joke.

Dennis De Young is happily married with the same woman for whom he wrote the cheesie song Babe almost 30 years ago.

JY: Well, he's a lunatic but not gay either

John Panoozzo was not gay, sadly he died before STYX released Return o Paradise

Chuck Panozzo is gay, he's bravely fighting against AIDS and he deserves a lot of respect because he was brave enough to accept his sexual preference when he was already famous and when being gay was harder than today.

Just to end, Who told you that there's gay or straight music??????

Iván

Will you lot pick up the dummy you spat out....what a bunch of weans..........Styx ain't prog.

If it is a f*****g joke, don't add a reply, but yes i forget North American bands on here are exempt from criticism, at least that is what it seems like, so go on pick up your dummies and get on with it. Other people in the world are allowed an opinion.

This is a personal oppinion, but I certainly think that parts of Equinox, Crystal Ball & Grand Illusion have proggish elements to them, and deserve to be in an 'Art Rock' section, along with bands like Saga and the more recent ACT, which people rightly rave about....

...I've always enjoyed stuff like 'Suite Madame Blue', 'Man In The Wilderness' and 'Castle Walls'...if you've never heard these tracks, then do yourself a favour and try them out and make your own judgement whether they have a place in the archives, before ridiculing the band out of hand...

there...that's got that off my chest...