CAUGHT IN THE ACT: LIVE 1984

I like Styx and believe they made some very good albums in the period from "The Grand Illusion" through "Paradise Theatre." But starting with "Cornerstone" the balance of power began to shift to DeYoung and some of the vital chemistry was slipping away as Shaw became more disillusioned. By the time they got to "Kilroy" the band was pretty much a joke and would never be the same again. It's a shame the band leaves this as their only live document from the old days when surely there are much better live performances in the vault from the 70s.

The concert is pretty dreadful on all levels, you can almost hear Shaw praying to God to strike him dead and end the misery. The dopey Kilroy tracks have little traction, and the band's better material is giving a very superficial treatment. They attempt to pump life into the songs by jumping all over the stage in stupid clothes and showboating to a painful degree. All of the real personality and quality of the better material is just glossed over by the lightweight, schmaltzy performance. Shaw's more straightforward delivery of his classics "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man" are pretty much the highlights of the show, but hardly enough to save it. By today's standards or by any standards frankly, the sound, visual, and overall presentation are subpar and anemic. Translation: It sucks. And I'm a fan of the group.

What I did enjoy were the bonus cuts on the DVD release, featuring performance promos of older tracks that sound almost revelatory after the main Kilroy show, the most unique being the video for "Boat on the River" showing Tommy on mandolin and Dennis on accordion, while Young strums an acoustic and Panozzo plays an upright. It reminds how special the band was just a few years earlier. These might be worth your time, but the main gig is not recommended.

I beg the band, open the vault and release a live DVD of material from the "Grand Illusion" and "Pieces of 8" tours. That would be amazing.

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