THE GRAND ILLUSION / PIECES OF EIGHT LIVE

Last week while making one of my usual musical safaris, found a new STYX Blu Ray that featured a concert with two of my favorite albums by this unfairly maligned USA band. If it was only for having the complete The Grand Illusion on stage with decent quality, not only for nostalgic reasons (but mainly because I considered it a masterpiece), would had bought it without any doubt, but if they also present the full version of Pieces of Eight, well, It's a must have.

Some people will avoid The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight Live because they miss Dennis de Young, especially in Come Sail Away (We all do), but let's be honest, Lawrence Gowan is in STYX by own merits and has gained his place in the band.

The rest of the formation mixed with relatively new and older members is amazingly good, most notably Todd Sucherman who in this moment is one of the best drummers of the circuit, plus the always comforting opportunity to see a healthy Chuck Panozzo playing some tracks.

The tracks are well known and beloved by the fans of the most representative band from Chicago, as usual I listened first my favorite musical song, the eternal Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) with a Tommy Shaw who refuses to grow old and a more calmed but equally skilled JY. But this time it was a pleasure to see a complete version of Pieces of Eight and Sing for a Day for the first time in an official video, instead of bad quality versions from Youtube.

It would be absurd to make a song by song review, because I did it already when talking about the studio albums, so I will focus in one of the most important factors you ask for in a Blu Ray, the video and sound quality, which I must found impeccable.

So, if you add the excellent quality and great songs of this Video, STYX fans have no other chance than to buy it...Now, if you don't like the band or consider them just another AOR group that shouldn't be in Progarchives, it's your loss. In my case I can't rate The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight Live with less than four solid stars.