THE SERPENT IS RISING

I discovered the Styx back catalog the same way I suspect most other people did – after John Curulewski left the band, Tommy Shaw joined, and the band blew away most of America with ‘Grand Illusion’.

Of the early Wooden Nickel recordings this is generally considered the weakest, but even here there are numerous hints of what was to come. The animated organ passages on “Young Man”; the pretentious but charming “Grove of Eglantine”; and the pompous parody “Hallelujah Chorus” are all raw and early attempts to fashion a big swing into in-your-face entertainment.

The only things remotely approaching prog territory are the organ-laden title track and the teasing and brief “Krakatoa”. These give a little hope for better days for the band ahead.

But there are some turds too, and probably too many of them. The most egregious error came with the faux-reggae disaster “As Bad as This”, which I still am not sure was really meant to be a serious work. Curulewski’s bland anthem “22 Years” is barely more than filler, and “Winner Take All” isn’t any better.

In all this is probably just for collectors. But I wonder if this would have become a bit more respected over time if it hadn’t come from the same guys who gave us so many hundreds of hours of FM listening pleasure in the mid-seventies, and if the band had hailed from some place hard to pronounce instead of from Chicago U.S.A.

Who knows. A decent album, but one that hasn’t aged very gracefully or been remembered in very flattering terms. Three stars for me, probably two for most prog fans, but worth picking up if you are even remotely a Styx fan.

peace