My thoughts on the cd of ONE WITH EVERYTHING with CYO

[Abitaman]

If you don't like my thoughts here, you can blame it on the drugs (pain pills) I am on. But I have listened to the cd for a month now. The dvd a little over a week (not ready to speak on it yet).

Blue Collar Man-Do we need another version of this song? Styx thinks so. How many cds has this been on anyway. Most of them live. Last years version on Big Bang was ok. BUT this version is really surprisingly good. It rocks, has a good bass line running thru it, and vocals are on. The CYO is pretty good in the mix too.

One With Everything- I always liked this song off Clyorama. Thought it was one of the stand out songs on a very good cd. Here it keeps the punch. But the CYO choir almost over kills the chorus, giving it too much punch. But still very good.

I Don't Make Sense ...-I never really liked this song on Big Bang. thought it was one of the weaker songs. JY's voice just didn't do it justice, and was one of the few songs on that cd I usually skipped. Here the the songs comes off better. JY actually does a little better vocally. But what really gives this song a lift is the CYO. They pull what was a boring song, jazz it up a little, put a little spring to it's step, and now the song comes off different. Like hearing two different songs from the original.

I Am The Walrus- Actually liked the song when Styx first did it. Still like it, not as much. thought they did a good job taking a Beatles song (never been a Beatles fan either) and giving it life. Here the song is still good, but nothing new to it. Should have left it off if nothing new was going to come from it. Should have used the CYO more.

Just Be- Don't really care for the way it starts. Tommy seems lost and wandering (of course what he is singing about, maybe it is suppose to be that way?). "Don't be hard on Yourself" with the dual vocals is cool, and guitar work is cool too. But kinda goes back to wondering part. Noticed whenever the dual vocals and chorus is on is a good song, and along with the axe work. As it fades out, not too impressed. Had a lot of potential in it, but never made it.

Fooling Yourself- Like the way it opens, that's for sure!! When the signature sound kicks in, I am already hooked. The choir from the CYO pump this song up. Good use of the CYO!!! One of my favorite version of this song. Maybe my favorite!!!!

A Criminal Mind-One of Larry's songs (solo) that I have really liked. Liked the version they did a few years back on one of their many live cds. Like the version on his recent live dvd. Here I was hoping for the CYO to really inject the song with power. They did. A stunning version of the song.

Everything, All The Time- Starts off better than the other new song (not saying much on that). Little too much echo in Tommy's voice, a little distracting. Like the slow down in the middle, and how it picks back up. Todd is a good drummer! Ending is out there, better than other new song, but not that good.

Too Much Time on My Hands-CYO is very up front. Like it!. Too Much Time...has always been good, but the live version from Caught In The Act, was the version to beat. It blew the original away. This one comes close to pulling the same stunt. A very supercharged song.

Crystal Ball-One of my favorite Tommy Shaw songs. Had high hopes for this song. Liked the violin (?) playing in the beginning. The song comes off clear with CYO putting in another good outing. But I was not blown away by it. Maybe I was expecting too much out of this song. Having already formed an opinion of what I thought it should have been like. But still good.

Miss America-CYO does a good intro, and plays good off the band. The choir again kicks it up on chorus, adding a new life thru out the song. Best life version of the song I have.

Boat On The River-like Crystal Ball, I was expecting a lot out of the song with the CYO. I got more! Still a little of a let down, expected the CYO in this song to blow me away. They are there, and it's a good job, but not as good as it could have been. Plus miss DDY's vocals at the end of the song.

Renegade- was wondering how this would sound. As usual a sing along at the front. Not much from the CYO but some wondering sounds during the beginning.
Songs picks up but not the CYO. This song could have been outed IMO. But no Renegade, and already no Come Sail Away, Best of Times, lady, Suit Madame Blue, so this had to stay. Over long ending drags it to a close.

Overall a vaery good effort by Styx. I am not going to get into the Styx following DDY thing, cause yes Dennis has been doing this for a lot longer than Styx. And Dennis put out a very good cd. But so has Styx. Styx rocked there songs up with CYO, were DDY filled his songs out with his orchestra. Two different cds, from two different people(s). So both can Just Be in the same world. If I had to give this cd a grade, it would be a B+
The dvd coming soon-ERIC

[styxfanNH]

Glad you are back Eric. Hope everything went ok

Mark

[Abitaman]

Glad you are back Eric. Hope everything went ok

Mark

Back till Wed. Then 3 hr drive to a new doctor in Nashville, to see if he can get it out.-ERIC

[sadie65]

Glad you are back Eric. Hope everything went ok

Mark

Back till Wed. Then 3 hr drive to a new doctor in Nashville, to see if he can get it out.-ERIC

Eric,

Thanks for the review. And I sincerely hope this time, it gets taken care of for you. I really hope 2007 brings you a good year.

[bugsymalone]

I am not going to get into the Styx following DDY thing, cause yes Dennis has been doing this for a lot longer than Styx. And Dennis put out a very good cd. But so has Styx. Styx rocked there songs up with CYO, were DDY filled his songs out with his orchestra. Two different cds, from two different people(s). So both can Just Be in the same world. If I had to give this cd a grade, it would be a B+

Eirc, I like that summation by you! Well said!

And hope this trip will bring you some relief to your ongoing health situation. Good thoughts headed your way that this doctor can make life a bit easier for you.



Bugsy