My Amazon Reviews: Styx "Pieces of Eight"

Bits and Pieces
3 Out Of 5 Stars

After hitting a new commercial and artistic peak with "The Grand Illusion," Styx wanted to prove that they could rock it with the best of them. "Pieces of Eight" was well received at the time of its release, but it hasn't aged well. It peaked at number six, and was made while the band was still getting along with each other.

"Pieces of Eight" also contains Styx's best rock song in the working man's anthem "Blue Collar Man." Anchored by a huge organ riff and Tommy Shaw's vocal, it sounded big, made for the arena. Shaw also penned "Renegade," the album's over hit and nearly as powerful. Problem is, Dennis DeYoung hadn't reached his ballad-meister phase and his two songs are the dopey "Lord of The Rings" and the title track. Led Zep had already done the Mordor thing and had done it infinitely better. The sword and fantasy thing had even been done better by Styx themselves on "The Grand Illusion's" "Castle Walls."

When the band lightened up a bit, they also showed a knack for delivering some decent material. The stately "Sing for The Day" and positive thinking "I'm OK" (James Young and DeYoung penned that one) were good, folksy pop. At the time, Styx were one of the most popular bands in America, and the solid rocking and prog-lite of "Pieces of Eight" made 1978 sound stately.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Styx "Paradise Theater"

Tonight's The Night We'll Make History
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Once "Babe" became Styx's biggest hit ever, Dennis DeYoung began to push his vision onto the band. There was always a dichotomy in the classic Styx lineup, with DeYoung wanting to be more commercial and theatrical, while Tommy Shaw wanted to be a harder rocker. "Paradise Theater," Styx's first major attempt at a concept album, has DeYoung's imprint on it, from the theater concept of Chicago's (and thereby, America's) decline through the 70's.

The concept is pretty fizzy, even if the singles hold up well. "Too Much Time On My Hands" was a venture into MTV Video for the band, while "The Best of Times" tried to capture the big balled success of "Babe." JY got his point across on "Snowblind," again dealing in the decline of things as seen through both a coke addict's eyes and lack of a future vision. (Ditto "Nothing Ever Goes to Plan.") The opening "AD 1928/Rocking The Paradise" was a crowd-pleaser designed to wake up a stadium filled with concert goers. It's hard to ignore, however, the thinness of the production, which just screams late 70's (the album was issued in 1981).

Because of the splits between Show, DeYoung and James Young (who also wanted harder rock), "Paradise Theater" is an uneven album, even though it became the band's biggest success to date. That success solidified DeYoung's commitment to theatrical concepts, which led to the "Kilroy Was Here" album (better than this) as well as driving the band towards breaking up. JY got the last laugh on "Half Penny, Two Penny" (which was highly reminiscent of "Miss America" on "The Grand Illusion"), foretelling the teardown of the Paradise but scratching at the dissent in the band. "I wanna shake myself free, Back home across the sea, where I know I'll be free..." he shouts, just before DeYoung re-enters the stage with a solo piano to reinforce the shakey concept with "AD 1958," a longing for the good old days and keeping alive "The Memories of Paradise." The band exits with an old-timey 20's sounding piano fade, but ultimately, "Paradise Theater" was grand-thater rock: just like you remember the seventies.

     

My Amazon Reviews: REO Speedwagon "The Essential 3.0 REO Speedwagon"

Oreo Speedcookies!
3 Out Of 5 Stars

REO Speedwagon was one of those American Bands that could have only happened in the 70's. A midwestern-boogie band with a hot live show, they built their rep in the heartland and got a record deal based on their rabid - if not widespread - following. Their first few albums were bland, unexceptional affairs, most notable for the mundanity of their songs and sound. Then, like so many acts from the "Frampton Comes Alive" era, their double live album expanded their audience outside their heartland base. Which also menat that the next album was make-it-or-break-it.

In 1978, that meant tightening up the sound, pushing (in and out and back in again) singer Kevin Cronin to the forefront, making guitarist Gary Richrath tighten up the solos, and writing a batch of songs that was more than bar-band-boogie jams. "You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish" did all of that and gave the rock world one of the worst titular puns, plus REO's first major hit single with "Time for Me To Fly" and a rock radio staple with "Roll With The Changes." The album "Nine Lives" stayed the course with two songs on this set, and then came the blast.

"Hi Infidelity" became the group's high water mark in both sales and performance, putting REO into the leagues of Journey and Styx. Their first number one album, two top ten power ballads (including "Keep On Loving You" at number one) and platinum several times over, 6 of this album's 10 songs are on this set. One of them is the oddly girl-group sounding, "In Your Letter." "Good Trouble" slipped a bit; no singles, but three songs in this set, including concert fave "Keep The Fire Burning." However, one album later and "Wheels Are Turning" put the wheels back on the wagon. "Can't Fight This Feeling" went to number one and a million wedding receptions, while "I Do'Wanna Know" is probably my fave REO rocker (and makes an appearance on the bonus disc).

That was about it, as the ensuing albums began the diminishing returns, albeit with good songs and the power ballads like "In My Dreams." The good extras include a few odd-album cuts like "Just for You" and "Here With Me" from compilations and "Where You're Going" from the soundtrack to The Goonies movie. Now, as a three CD set, this is about all the REO you'll probably ever need. You get all the glory days singles and some of the better tunes from the waning days. But you're also hit with the realization that REO wasn't a very good band until "You Get What You Play For Live," which means you have to wallow through eleven 'meh' cuts on disc one before the good stuff kicks in.

Be that as it may, for your 80's nostalgia money, this is the REO set to get. If even this is too much, you can get "The Hits" or "The Ballads" collections (or even just "Hi Infidelity") for what you need.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Styx "Icon II"

A Solid, if Unnecessary, Release 
3 Out Of 5 Stars

As far as Band for the Buck is concerned, this 2 CD set of Styx songs from the A&M years is worth its price. It loads you up with 24 songs and gives it to you at a superb, budget price. It even brings back the original, top ten version of "Lady" from 1974, replacing the Tommy Shaw "Lady 95" from the greatest hits collection. It covers mainly the superstar years from "Equinox" to the Dennis DeYoung centric "End of The Century," with nothing after that album.

However, the packaging is minimal. The sole photo of the band is the back cover, from what looks like an alternate shot from "The Grand Illusion." The inner-sleeve is a listing of the songs and writing credits, production credits, but with no listing of dates or albums. I must add the the remastering sounds terrific and makes me wish for some deluxe versions of the original albums! If you don't already have "Styx: Gold" (2 discs and 35 songs) or the 1995 single disc Greatest Hits, this will suit you well. But this is likely best for the casual Styx fan.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Styx "The Grand Illusion"

Climb Aboard our Starship
4 Out of 5 Stars

Styx was a great band on multiple fronts in their prime. With a three pronged lead vocal attack (Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw and James Young) and a musical sensibilty split between 70's prog-rock and big hair arena bands, they were able to have album rock classics and top 40 singles. Their second album for A&M (and 6th overall), "The Grand Illusion" was the album that found Styx merging into a peak with ambitions.

Of course, like many prog-wannabe's in the 70's, they also had a few hang-ups. The lyrics still were locked onto hobbits, castles, damsels in distress, men lost in their wilderness and UFO's. What was profound to a 17 year old fan now sounds kitschy, yet no less enjoyable. And again, like so many progsters in the 70's, there was a concept behind "The Grand Illusion," in that fame can be an illusion and dirty trick on those who seek it, and it's often better to just let yourself travel a natural course (best emphasized by Shaw's "Fooling Yourself").

There's also the playing. An edited version of "Come Sail Away" became the band's second big hit, but on the album's six minute version, spacey synthesizers bob and weave through an extended instrumental break. During the mid section of "Castle Walls," the band stomps through a medieval sounding build-up, complete with the kind of keyboard bursts you know were just itching for an over-the-top concert light extravaganza.

The flipside is "Miss America," a basic hard rocking put down of shallowness and the toughest song here. It's the kind of rock that would explode on "Blue Collar Man" two years later. Styx's willingness to meld various styles was what made this album so appealing in 1978 (as well as on South Park decades later). "The Grand Illusion" is the album where the classic Styx line-up becomes crystal clear.

    

My Amazon Reviews: "The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life with Styx" Chuck Panozzo

Don't be fooled by the radio, the pictures or the magazines  
4 out of 5 Stars

Chuck Panozzo is an anomaly. A popular musician who is gay and plays rock and roll. Ask most pop music fans about homosexual rockers and you'll be lucky if they can name one (and no, The Village People don't count). During the late seventies and though most of the 80's, Chuck was the bassist and a founding member of multi-platinum rockers, Styx. And like so many teens in the seventies, I was a Styx fan. There was a "Grand Illusion" poster in my room (an album cover that Chuck, also an art teacher, designed). But Chuck had a big secret. He was a gay man in one of the biggest bands in America.

"The Grand Illusion" is about Chuck Panozzo's journey. Like many gay men in the seventies, he was terrified that being outed would cost him his career, but then also that of his bandmates. While the band was onstage in front of thousands of fans, with groupies, drugs, and an awful lot of money, Chuck was either hanging out in his hotel room or sneaking off to clubs and bars while hoping his bandmates and fans didn't spot him. It's a double life that almost kills him.

Like Chuck as a gay rocker, I can emphasize with the plight as a gay rock fan. Chuck bemoans that, as he goes to clubs, no-one recognizes him because none of the patrons would likely be fans of Styx, but would certainly know Donna Summer or Sylvester. (He also sees this as a good thing, as it preserves his anonymity.) He finds it hard to locate any cultural touchstones in the gay world, becoming almost as much an outsider there as he was in the world of arena rock. When Styx disbands in 1984, he gets an extended break and finds life to be pretty sweet.

That's about half of the book. If you're expecting a long history about Styx, this isn't it (although there's plenty of good stories to be found). It's a book about Chuck, who, when Styx reunites in 1990 for "End Of The Century," falls ill. He discovers he has AIDS. For the remainder of the book, Chuck struggles with life and death issues, his own psyche, and just surviving each day. It can be a pretty tough read, as Chuck not only is fighting to stay alive, but he also watches his twin brother (and Styx drummer) John destroy his own life, loses his mother and tries to control his own destiny.

Granted, there is something of a happy ending in that Chuck lives to find love and health, but his coming to grips with the closet and his illness is a compelling and moving story. I admire his courage in finally making the decision to live openly and to tell the story of "The Grand Illusion." And it makes me proud to pull that CD of "Pieces of Eight" out and blast "Renegade" again with the memories of being that 18 year old Styx fan still in my memory.