GREATEST HITS

Well, I guess I can call this review Guilty Pleasures, since I have always liked Styx, much to the dismay of my prog friends. Ok, I agree there is not much prog here. It is quite prog influenced, especially on the keyboards parts and the arrangements, very well done. But they also wrote great songs, with marvelous vocal melodies. Even their ballads, as much sappy as they appear to be, are above average if you compare to your standard pop songs of the day.

The band had excellent musicians and singers, and their success was well deserved, since they were no fluke: they had a steady, long career and a string of great albums, whatever you like their earlier or later periods. I really think a lot of people have much prejudice against them without even trying to hear their music carefully. And this album is for the beginners, or the ones who want to have a good overview of their most successful (commercially at least) period when they were on A&M records. Since there were some problems concerning their former recording company, the band had to re-record Lady for this compilation. But it was a good inclusion.

The title of this CD tells all. It´s a sum up of their radio hits. Not really their best songs (there are so many excellent non single tracks that obviously were not included here), but a good introduction to one of the most underated and misunderstood AOR groups of the world. If you don´t believe me just hear some gems like Crystal Ball, Come Sail Away and The Grand Illusion. Great melodic music for any music lover.