CAUGHT IN THE ACT: LIVE 1984

STYX's "Caught in the Act" live album and the video of the same name have some differences in the tracks which were included in each other. While the live album has more variety in the songs (including some Hits) which were played from different albums in their discography up to 1983, the video has more songs from the album they were promoting at the time ("Kilroy Was Here", from 1983). That album, which is for me like a "Rock Opera" with a fictional story about "Rock music prohibition by a dictatorial goverment" (similar in some ways to the never finished Rock Opera from THE WHO called "Lifehouse" from 1971) let the band (and more particularly to lead singer Dennis De Young) show their acting skills during that 1983 tour. So, this video shows several songs from that "Kilroy" album being "acted" and not really played "live" with the band, with only the lead vocals maybe being really sung "live" while the music was played from tapes. Not being a fan of Broadway musicals, I don't like the acting during these songs. This concert video also starts with a "Kilroy Was Here mini-movie" which lasts for about 15 minutes, and it explained to the audience the story of the "Kilroy" album in a better way, I think. So, this concert video really starts in a more or less boring way (more for me, because I don't like the "Kilroy" album). I also think that the "Kilroy" story has some influences from PINK FLOYD's "The Wall" album, but obviously without all the more "dark" elements from Roger Waters's story. "Kilroy" was more like a "Broadway Production" in comparison, in my opinion.

I never have been a fan of STYX's music, but I like some of their songs. They sang and played very well, being very "American Rock" for my taste, but they had some quality (particularly with this, their most successful line- up). The songs that I liked from this video are "Rockin' the Paradise ", "Blue Collar Man", "Snowblind" , and particularly, "Come Sail Away", which is the song that I like more from STYX. I have to say that there are very clear differences between the versions of this song which were included in the live album and in the video (with both recorded in the same dates, April 9,10, 1983, at the Saenger Theater, New Orleans), with both versions sounding like being the same recording of the song in most parts, but the main difference is in Tommy Shaw's lead guitar parts. Maybe Shaw's lead guitar parts were re-recorded later in the studio, or one lead guitar part from the other date was edited to the other part of the other recorded date in the live album version. The live album version has an extended final part. I prefer the live album version. Anyway, this song was played and sung very well.

I think that the "Caught in the Act" live album is better in content than the concert video of the same name. I think that the concert video is more for the fans of the "Kilroy Was Here" album.