Edge of the Century

[Baron Von Bielski]

Since Show Me the Way seems to be a well-liked song with members on this board it brought up a question. How well do you think the album could have done had Tommy been in the band instead of Glen? EoTC went gold, which even in 1990 is still an achievement or they wouldn't give awards for them. A&M still felt the need to cut them loose. Keeping DDY's songs the same (yes, I know Burtnik co-wrote one with him... bare with me), and JY's awful effort... do you think 4 TS penned songs would have kept them in the A&M family and maybe even earned them a platinum record? My opinion is that it wouldn't have changed a thing. The reason it went gold was partly on the Styx name and the rest for SMTW.

[cittadeeno23]

All of Glen's songs on Edge were fantastic. Glen is an amazing talent.
But having Tommy's familiar voice instead may have helped the album a little.
1990/91 was when the rotton powers that be decided to shove grunge down our throats, so even with Tommy it might not have made much of a difference.

[Archetype]

I think it would have done about the same with Tommy in the band; perhaps actually worse. His writing wasn't very exciting during that era. Glen's songs were strong and well suited to the overall Styx sound; Dennis and Glen complimented each other very well. I can't imagine listening to "Show Me The Way" and then "Coming of Age" without cringing. But "Show Me The Way" and "World Tonite" or "All In A Day's Work?" Hell yeah.

[S2M]

In my opinion(and my opinion is worth LESS than nothing on this board), grunge had nothing to do with things. Styx fans didn't suddenly switch to grunge. The album was released, and fans bought it. Perhaps some fans 'outgrew' Styx. Perhaps music became a distant force in their lives. I don't think it had anything to do with the material. I find that that excuse is a convenient scapegoat with these legacy bands. Using grunge, or a style change to strategically muscle out one of it's members....DDY, Perry....etc.

Styx is a band that didn't need to(read:shouldn't have) change(d) with the times. I think they changed due to Larry's style for Cyclorama. BBT, and BNW were HORRENDOUS. Again, they didn't need to change up the formula that made them what they were....I'm admittedly no Styx expert. I've never seen them live. And I'm not privy to all the nonsense minutiae that all the Styx loons know....I'm all about the music. Fans want it both ways, and I'm hearing this in the Journey fandom. On one hand fans want the band to 'mature', to 'grow'...then when the band release something off in left field - they clamor that 'this isn't Journey' 'This isn't Styx'....you also hear 'Well, I'm not saying I want to hear an Hysteria II' but "Wow, I don't understand it. If this band can write 2 songs like this and that, why can't they write an entire album like "insert famous album title here'? You can't win....

[Hollywood]

In my opinion(and my opinion is worth LESS than nothing on this board), grunge had nothing to do with things. Styx fans didn't suddenly switch to grunge. The album was released, and fans bought it. Perhaps some fans 'outgrew' Styx. Perhaps music became a distant force in their lives. I don't think it had anything to do with the material. I find that that excuse is a convenient scapegoat with these legacy bands. Using grunge, or a style change to strategically muscle out one of it's members....DDY, Perry....etc.

Styx is a band that didn't need to(read:shouldn't have) change(d) with the times. I think they changed due to Larry's style for Cyclorama. BBT, and BNW were HORRENDOUS. Again, they didn't need to change up the formula that made them what they were....I'm admittedly no Styx expert. I've never seen them live. And I'm not privy to all the nonsense minutiae that all the Styx loons know....I'm all about the music. Fans want it both ways, and I'm hearing this in the Journey fandom. On one hand fans want the band to 'mature', to 'grow'...then when the band release something off in left field - they clamor that 'this isn't Journey' 'This isn't Styx'....you also hear 'Well, I'm not saying I want to hear an Hysteria II' but "Wow, I don't understand it. If this band can write 2 songs like this and that, why can't they write an entire album like "insert famous album title here'? You can't win....

I think you maybe underestimating the power that the shift to grunge had on the music business. Right or wrong their were tons of bands that were just dropped and the few that weren't saw their promotion budgets slashed to nothing. Where to start; Styx (Gold), Alias (Platinum), Martin Page (Gold), Warrant (Gold) were just dropped. To be fair, Styx could have stayed, but with a very bad deal. Other bands that were up and comers where dropped and some bands with debut records ready to release were dropped. The record companies just did not want that music anymore. The fans went away not because they did not want this type of music, but because it was no longer available to them in store, on TV, and on Radio. Radio stations quit playing it because the label money was rolling in on Grunge.

I think Glen made Edge of the Century great. Dennis' song were good also, but it is the variety. The album would have been much bigger with Tommy regardless of his quality of contribution. With Tommy, they make a bigger splash at radio and the tour would have been huge. This would have pushed more units, bottom line.

Now I don't know how Tommy's songs would have been as Ambition was out before this ball started rolling and Jack Blades wrote the majority of the Damn Yankees material.

[S2M]

^^^^^ I disagree. Firstly, it would only hurt an act if the label they were on had switched to finance grunge acts. Polygram had bought out A&M. and these were the acts Polygram had in the 90s(I'm sure there were others): Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Gin Blossoms....the rest were all over the place: Extreme, Amy Grant, John Hiatt, Aaron Neville, Sting, Blues Traveler, Barry White, Sheryl Crow, C.C. Peniston, Therapy?...It's not like the label totally changed to a grunge label.

[Hollywood]

^^^^^ I disagree. Firstly, it would only hurt an act if the label they were on had switched to finance grunge acts. Polygram had bought out A&M. and these were the acts Polygram had in the 90s(I'm sure there were others): Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Gin Blossoms....the rest were all over the place: Extreme, Amy Grant, John Hiatt, Aaron Neville, Sting, Blues Traveler, Barry White, Sheryl Crow, C.C. Peniston, Therapy?...It's not like the label totally changed to a grunge label.

Soundgarden was signed to A & M directly and was not aquired through merger. Soundgarden got a HUGE push from A & M and they went big. They also had Soul Asylum that got tons of push even after pissing off Herb Albert with their first A & M album cover. Gin Blossoms were signed directly to A & M and got huge money thrown at them. They also had a band Hammerbox that failed, but large sums of money were put into that act.

Pearl Jam was on Epic.

[Toph]

interesting idea. Tommy would have excited more folks. But it would have depended on what he brought to the table song wise. Not sure who wrote what on that DY album, but if the first two singles off Edge were SMTW and HIGH ENOUGH that could have been huge. But if Tommy didn't come with any strong songs, probably similar sales and grunge would still have come in.

Also recall A@M stopped promoting Edge right after LAFS was released ad cut Styx before the song had even peaked, thereby killing the album's momentum.

[Boomchild]

Since Show Me the Way seems to be a well-liked song with members on this board it brought up a question. How well do you think the album could have done had Tommy been in the band instead of Glen? EoTC went gold, which even in 1990 is still an achievement or they wouldn't give awards for them. A&M still felt the need to cut them loose. Keeping DDY's songs the same (yes, I know Burtnik co-wrote one with him... bare with me), and JY's awful effort... do you think 4 TS penned songs would have kept them in the A&M family and maybe even earned them a platinum record? My opinion is that it wouldn't have changed a thing. The reason it went gold was partly on the Styx name and the rest for SMTW.

I have to agree with you. First of all I think problems would have surfaced like they did when the band was working on BNW. Secondly, A&M was ready to drop them like a hot rock. They certainly felt the band was past it's prime and wasn't going to invest the effort to promote them heavily anymore. The fate of the band was cooked way before the '95/'96 reunion in my opinion.

[Baron Von Bielski]

As far as the very early 90's and quality goes, it's a solid album. I wouldn't change it. Glen was a great addition to the band... I wish he still were, but the fact that he left and has since performed with DDY doesn't look too good for the Styx camp.

[Boomchild]

As far as the very early 90's and quality goes, it's a solid album. I wouldn't change it. Glen was a great addition to the band... I wish he still were, but the fact that he left and has since performed with DDY doesn't look too good for the Styx camp.

I like the album and was glad to have something new from them at the time even though Tommy was not involved. I thought Glen fit in quite well. As far as Glen working with DDY post the split I don't think Glen has any loyalties to either side. He certainly had his reservations about Styx both pre and post DDY.

[thebook]

interesting idea. Tommy would have excited more folks. But it would have depended on what he brought to the table song wise. Not sure who wrote what on that DY album, but if the first two singles off Edge were SMTW and HIGH ENOUGH that could have been huge. But if Tommy didn't come with any strong songs, probably similar sales and grunge would still have come in.

Also recall A@M stopped promoting Edge right after LAFS was released ad cut Styx before the song had even peaked, thereby killing the album's momentum.

Come Again was a great song too off Damn Yankees and sounds more like something that Tommy wrote the majority of, not so much High Enough or Coming of Age, those two sound more like Jack's work.

[sniper16]

^^^^^ I disagree. Firstly, it would only hurt an act if the label they were on had switched to finance grunge acts. Polygram had bought out A&M. and these were the acts Polygram had in the 90s(I'm sure there were others): Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Gin Blossoms....the rest were all over the place: Extreme, Amy Grant, John Hiatt, Aaron Neville, Sting, Blues Traveler, Barry White, Sheryl Crow, C.C. Peniston, Therapy?...It's not like the label totally changed to a grunge label.

grunge didnt kill off aor, but it might have well, stations that played, t petty, journey, styx etc all of a sudden stopped playing that style, not so much the top 40, but the rock stations, and the economy took a nose dive, arena/shed act toured theatres in the early 80's, remember show me the way was not a record company hit, top 40 push it because of the war connection. i think tommy being involvrd might have made the label more willing to spend on promotion, but would only made a slight difference, as for the change of style, i think its ok to vere a bit but you need to stay true to what won you an audience, look at the stones, they write 1 or 2 songs that fit thier style for every record that thier fans love and continue to buy.

[S2M]

If RUSH can keep their fanbase during p/g, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire.....Styx could have done the same....

[Boomchild]

If RUSH can keep their fanbase during p/g, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire.....Styx could have done the same....

I am not sure about that. It seems to me that Rush as a whole had a much larger loyal fan base then Styx ever did. Also I think that they had quite a few fans that were not too fond of the more keyboard oriented albums at that time.

[S2M]

If RUSH can keep their fanbase during p/g, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire.....Styx could have done the same....

I am not sure about that. It seems to me that Rush as a whole had a much larger loyal fan base then Styx ever did. Also I think that they had quite a few fans that were not too fond of the more keyboard oriented albums at that time.

You're looking at one....I love most of p/g. PW is crap. And HYF is a big dung heap of crap. That's why I get mad at these bands that think they need to change things up. Do what you do, and do it well....and keep doing it. I don't care what anybody says.....I want Moving Pictures over and over. I want Escape/Frontiers over and over....and I want GI/Po8/PT over and over.......I'm funny that way.....

[Toph]

interesting idea. Tommy would have excited more folks. But it would have depended on what he brought to the table song wise. Not sure who wrote what on that DY album, but if the first two singles off Edge were SMTW and HIGH ENOUGH that could have been huge. But if Tommy didn't come with any strong songs, probably similar sales and grunge would still have come in.

Also recall A@M stopped promoting Edge right after LAFS was released ad cut Styx before the song had even peaked, thereby killing the album's momentum.

Come Again was a great song too off Damn Yankees and sounds more like something that Tommy wrote the majority of, not so much High Enough or Coming of Age, those two sound more like Jack's work.

Think he also might have written "Runaway" which sounds like Styx.
So if you assume that High Enough and Coming of Age were Jack's, and that Tommy's songs were the ones he sang on the DY album (excluding Mystified as it clearly isn't Styx), Edge could have looked liked this.


STYX 1990 album
Runaway
Show Me The Way
Come Again
Love At First Sight
Not Dead Yet
Tell Me How You Want It
Carrie Ann
Damn Yankees (probably different title)
Homewrecker
Back To Chicago

First four songs would be a nice leadoff - and maybe 4 big hits...

[thebook]

interesting idea. Tommy would have excited more folks. But it would have depended on what he brought to the table song wise. Not sure who wrote what on that DY album, but if the first two singles off Edge were SMTW and HIGH ENOUGH that could have been huge. But if Tommy didn't come with any strong songs, probably similar sales and grunge would still have come in.

Also recall A@M stopped promoting Edge right after LAFS was released ad cut Styx before the song had even peaked, thereby killing the album's momentum.

Come Again was a great song too off Damn Yankees and sounds more like something that Tommy wrote the majority of, not so much High Enough or Coming of Age, those two sound more like Jack's work.

Think he also might have written "Runaway" which sounds like Styx.
So if you assume that High Enough and Coming of Age were Jack's, and that Tommy's songs were the ones he sang on the DY album (excluding Mystified as it clearly isn't Styx), Edge could have looked liked this.


STYX 1990 album
Runaway
Show Me The Way
Come Again
Love At First Sight
Not Dead Yet
Tell Me How You Want It
Carrie Ann
Damn Yankees (probably different title)
Homewrecker
Back To Chicago

First four songs would be a nice leadoff - and maybe 4 big hits...

yeah 'tell me how you want it' was a good tune as well. I would ather have 'All in a day's work' then 'damn yankees'...let tommy sing glen's part's lol

[Boomchild]

If RUSH can keep their fanbase during p/g, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire.....Styx could have done the same....

I am not sure about that. It seems to me that Rush as a whole had a much larger loyal fan base then Styx ever did. Also I think that they had quite a few fans that were not too fond of the more keyboard oriented albums at that time.

You're looking at one....I love most of p/g. PW is crap. And HYF is a big dung heap of crap. That's why I get mad at these bands that think they need to change things up. Do what you do, and do it well....and keep doing it. I don't care what anybody says.....I want Moving Pictures over and over. I want Escape/Frontiers over and over....and I want GI/Po8/PT over and over.......I'm funny that way.....

I can see that from a fans point of view. But, I also take into account that an artist or group can get bored by doing the same kind of thing over and over. Sometimes they need to change things up to keep themselves interested. I am sure they know the risks involved when doing that but it seems it's some they need to do as part of their craft.

[cinj]

If RUSH can keep their fanbase during p/g, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire.....Styx could have done the same....

I am not sure about that. It seems to me that Rush as a whole had a much larger loyal fan base then Styx ever did. Also I think that they had quite a few fans that were not too fond of the more keyboard oriented albums at that time.

You're looking at one....I love most of p/g. PW is crap. And HYF is a big dung heap of crap. That's why I get mad at these bands that think they need to change things up. Do what you do, and do it well....and keep doing it. I don't care what anybody says.....I want Moving Pictures over and over. I want Escape/Frontiers over and over....and I want GI/Po8/PT over and over.......I'm funny that way.....

I can see that from a fans point of view. But, I also take into account that an artist or group can get bored by doing the same kind of thing over and over. Sometimes they need to change things up to keep themselves interested. I am sure they know the risks involved when doing that but it seems it's some they need to do as part of their craft.

Boom is right - most fans don't want things "over and over", but it's cool if you do. Must Rush fans LOVE Power Windows - they're not as crazy about Hold Your Fire though. However, to your original point, most would consider Moving Pictures their fav of all time. To the original point of Rush vs. Styx in 1991 - Remember, Rush never took a seven year vacation, and they didn't replace a key member like Styx did in 1991. I DO think Styx would have kept the momentum if they stayed together right after 1983 and kept the nucleus intact - one of the reason Rush has not dropped in popularity - at least where touring is concerned.

Cinj

[S2M]

If RUSH can keep their fanbase during p/g, Power Windows, and Hold Your Fire.....Styx could have done the same....

I am not sure about that. It seems to me that Rush as a whole had a much larger loyal fan base then Styx ever did. Also I think that they had quite a few fans that were not too fond of the more keyboard oriented albums at that time.

You're looking at one....I love most of p/g. PW is crap. And HYF is a big dung heap of crap. That's why I get mad at these bands that think they need to change things up. Do what you do, and do it well....and keep doing it. I don't care what anybody says.....I want Moving Pictures over and over. I want Escape/Frontiers over and over....and I want GI/Po8/PT over and over.......I'm funny that way.....

I can see that from a fans point of view. But, I also take into account that an artist or group can get bored by doing the same kind of thing over and over. Sometimes they need to change things up to keep themselves interested. I am sure they know the risks involved when doing that but it seems it's some they need to do as part of their craft.

Boom is right - most fans don't want things "over and over", but it's cool if you do. Must Rush fans LOVE Power Windows - they're not as crazy about Hold Your Fire though. However, to your original point, most would consider Moving Pictures their fav of all time. To the original point of Rush vs. Styx in 1991 - Remember, Rush never took a seven year vacation, and they didn't replace a key member like Styx did in 1991. I DO think Styx would have kept the momentum if they stayed together right after 1983 and kept the nucleus intact - one of the reason Rush has not dropped in popularity - at least where touring is concerned.

Cinj

True....they took a SIX year vacation.

[Glenn]

In my opinion(and my opinion is worth LESS than nothing on this board), grunge had nothing to do with things. Styx fans didn't suddenly switch to grunge. The album was released, and fans bought it. Perhaps some fans 'outgrew' Styx. Perhaps music became a distant force in their lives. I don't think it had anything to do with the material. I find that that excuse is a convenient scapegoat with these legacy bands. Using grunge, or a style change to strategically muscle out one of it's members....DDY, Perry....etc.

Styx is a band that didn't need to(read:shouldn't have) change(d) with the times. I think they changed due to Larry's style for Cyclorama. BBT, and BNW were HORRENDOUS. Again, they didn't need to change up the formula that made them what they were....I'm admittedly no Styx expert. I've never seen them live. And I'm not privy to all the nonsense minutiae that all the Styx loons know....I'm all about the music. Fans want it both ways, and I'm hearing this in the Journey fandom. On one hand fans want the band to 'mature', to 'grow'...then when the band release something off in left field - they clamor that 'this isn't Journey' 'This isn't Styx'....you also hear 'Well, I'm not saying I want to hear an Hysteria II' but "Wow, I don't understand it. If this band can write 2 songs like this and that, why can't they write an entire album like "insert famous album title here'? You can't win....

Ugh....Very well said Sean.

[FormerDJMike]

Runaway was written by Tommy for use as a Styx song. i think it would have fit on Edge but I like the album the way it is. Also, RUSH lost me on Grace Under Pressure. I liked "Big Money" from Power Windows but never bought another Rush album until Counterparts.

[DracIsBack]

That was a rotten time for radio for so-call 'corporate rock' bands. Every one I was into at the time had a bunch of big albums in the 1980s (Styx, Chicago, REO, Foreigner, Huey Lewis and the News) and then the decade changed over and they couldn't get on the radio suddenly. All this dance and rap was on the air crowding out the top forty and their sales all dropped clean off. I remember watching a whole bunch of albums like "Unusual Heat", "The Earth A Man, His Dog and a Chicken", "Kingdom Of Desire", "Innuendo", "Hard At Play", "Twenty-1" and even "Edge Of the Century" go to the cut-out bins as stores ordered a bunch of them expecting similar sales to previous albums and then hardly any had big hits. Even the Cassette Singles (then new!) seemed to just sit around because of lack of airplay.

Edge of the Century faired a bit better (going gold), partly because of SHOW ME THE WAY becoming a gulf anthem, but wow that era was unkind.

I remember being furious when all these albums tanked and yet New Kids on The Block, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, and C&C music factory were all over the top forty and selling like Gangbusters. I still remember playing Queen's "Under Pressure" and having someone proclaim, "hey - they ripped off Vanilla Ice".

I just twitched a little remembering that sad, sad time.

[Toph]

That was a rotten time for radio for so-call 'corporate rock' bands. Every one I was into at the time had a bunch of big albums in the 1980s (Styx, Chicago, REO, Foreigner, Huey Lewis and the News) and then the decade changed over and they couldn't get on the radio suddenly. All this dance and rap was on the air crowding out the top forty and their sales all dropped clean off. I remember watching a whole bunch of albums like "Unusual Heat", "The Earth A Man, His Dog and a Chicken", "Kingdom Of Desire", "Innuendo", "Hard At Play", "Twenty-1" and even "Edge Of the Century" go to the cut-out bins as stores ordered a bunch of them expecting similar sales to previous albums and then hardly any had big hits. Even the Cassette Singles (then new!) seemed to just sit around because of lack of airplay.

Edge of the Century faired a bit better (going gold), partly because of SHOW ME THE WAY becoming a gulf anthem, but wow that era was unkind.

I remember being furious when all these albums tanked and yet New Kids on The Block, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, and C&C music factory were all over the top forty and selling like Gangbusters. I still remember playing Queen's "Under Pressure" and having someone proclaim, "hey - they ripped off Vanilla Ice".

I just twitched a little remembering that sad, sad time.

Edge had bigger potential and while sit a GOLD album did not meet expectations for the following reasons:

1. Single release order...haven't come out with any songs in 7 years and the first single you pick is a nod to modern metal from a singer that sounds nothing like you.
2. If Show Me The Way is the first single - the band has huge momentum and this sets the stage for the next songs to be released and also capitalizes on all the merchandising for the album when it first came out. By the time SMTW hit, the album was 3 montyhs old and had lost a lot of its front end display activity.
3. Love At First Sight was climbing the charts when A&M pulled the plug on the entire album - stopped promoting altogether because they couldn't agree on a new contract with Styx. Probably cost it top 10 status.
4. If LAFS goes top 10, that would have been worth a 4th single - All In A Day's Work was somewhat in the vein of Extreme's More Than Words which was popular at the time - could have been anopher big hit..

Thanks,
Toph

[cittadeeno23]

Love at first sight was climbing the charts when several radio stations in my area suddenly changed format.
The HUGE top 40 POP station KWSS switched to dance/rap crap and so did several other stations in Northern California right when LAFS was
climbing the charts.
From that point forward, Mainstream pop and Mainstream Rock got the shaft. Everything was then Grunge or Dance.
It was really an awful time for music.

[Monker]

That was a rotten time for radio for so-call 'corporate rock' bands. Every one I was into at the time had a bunch of big albums in the 1980s (Styx, Chicago, REO, Foreigner, Huey Lewis and the News) and then the decade changed over and they couldn't get on the radio suddenly. All this dance and rap was on the air crowding out the top forty and their sales all dropped clean off. I remember watching a whole bunch of albums like "Unusual Heat", "The Earth A Man, His Dog and a Chicken", "Kingdom Of Desire", "Innuendo", "Hard At Play", "Twenty-1" and even "Edge Of the Century" go to the cut-out bins as stores ordered a bunch of them expecting similar sales to previous albums and then hardly any had big hits. Even the Cassette Singles (then new!) seemed to just sit around because of lack of airplay.

Edge of the Century faired a bit better (going gold), partly because of SHOW ME THE WAY becoming a gulf anthem, but wow that era was unkind.

I remember being furious when all these albums tanked and yet New Kids on The Block, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, and C&C music factory were all over the top forty and selling like Gangbusters. I still remember playing Queen's "Under Pressure" and having someone proclaim, "hey - they ripped off Vanilla Ice".

I just twitched a little remembering that sad, sad time.

Edge had bigger potential and while sit a GOLD album did not meet expectations for the following reasons:

1. Single release order...haven't come out with any songs in 7 years and the first single you pick is a nod to modern metal from a singer that sounds nothing like you.
2. If Show Me The Way is the first single - the band has huge momentum and this sets the stage for the next songs to be released and also capitalizes on all the merchandising for the album when it first came out. By the time SMTW hit, the album was 3 montyhs old and had lost a lot of its front end display activity.
3. Love At First Sight was climbing the charts when A&M pulled the plug on the entire album - stopped promoting altogether because they couldn't agree on a new contract with Styx. Probably cost it top 10 status.
4. If LAFS goes top 10, that would have been worth a 4th single - All In A Day's Work was somewhat in the vein of Extreme's More Than Words which was popular at the time - could have been anopher big hit..

Thanks,
Toph

You are such an idiot.

Conventional wisdom was to NOT release the 'big ballad' as your first single..because nothing that follows it can equal its success. Releasing SMTW earlier would have actually HURT the single since it only gained in popularity during the Gulf War remix...the remix may not have even HAPPENED if it were released earl LAFS went about as far as it could go...and was probably even lucky to hit the top 40, IMO. Extreme's, "More Then Words" (and Mr. Big's "To Be With You") sounds NOTHING like "All In a Day's Work", which is an OBVIOUS album track with NO single potential, the complete opposite of MTW. Extreme and Mr. Big had the market cornered on that acoustic sound for that year.

Edge went as far as it could go. The singles were in the right order. They got a boost from the Gulf War remix...and they were struggling from start due Tommy being gone and having success in DY. Anybody who thinks Edge could have done better is showing their bias, IMO. It was a mediocre album, with mediocre success, in a market that did not favor them, from a band who was struggling to make up for losing a key member. Get over it...and be happy it even went Gold.

[Glenn]

That was a rotten time for radio for so-call 'corporate rock' bands. Every one I was into at the time had a bunch of big albums in the 1980s (Styx, Chicago, REO, Foreigner, Huey Lewis and the News) and then the decade changed over and they couldn't get on the radio suddenly. All this dance and rap was on the air crowding out the top forty and their sales all dropped clean off. I remember watching a whole bunch of albums like "Unusual Heat", "The Earth A Man, His Dog and a Chicken", "Kingdom Of Desire", "Innuendo", "Hard At Play", "Twenty-1" and even "Edge Of the Century" go to the cut-out bins as stores ordered a bunch of them expecting similar sales to previous albums and then hardly any had big hits. Even the Cassette Singles (then new!) seemed to just sit around because of lack of airplay.

Edge of the Century faired a bit better (going gold), partly because of SHOW ME THE WAY becoming a gulf anthem, but wow that era was unkind.

I remember being furious when all these albums tanked and yet New Kids on The Block, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, and C&C music factory were all over the top forty and selling like Gangbusters. I still remember playing Queen's "Under Pressure" and having someone proclaim, "hey - they ripped off Vanilla Ice".

I just twitched a little remembering that sad, sad time.

Edge had bigger potential and while sit a GOLD album did not meet expectations for the following reasons:

1. Single release order...haven't come out with any songs in 7 years and the first single you pick is a nod to modern metal from a singer that sounds nothing like you.
2. If Show Me The Way is the first single - the band has huge momentum and this sets the stage for the next songs to be released and also capitalizes on all the merchandising for the album when it first came out. By the time SMTW hit, the album was 3 montyhs old and had lost a lot of its front end display activity.
3. Love At First Sight was climbing the charts when A&M pulled the plug on the entire album - stopped promoting altogether because they couldn't agree on a new contract with Styx. Probably cost it top 10 status.
4. If LAFS goes top 10, that would have been worth a 4th single - All In A Day's Work was somewhat in the vein of Extreme's More Than Words which was popular at the time - could have been anopher big hit..

Thanks,
Toph

You are such an idiot.

Conventional wisdom was to NOT release the 'big ballad' as your first single..because nothing that follows it can equal its success. Releasing SMTW earlier would have actually HURT the single since it only gained in popularity during the Gulf War remix...the remix may not have even HAPPENED if it were released earl LAFS went about as far as it could go...and was probably even lucky to hit the top 40, IMO. Extreme's, "More Then Words" (and Mr. Big's "To Be With You") sounds NOTHING like "All In a Day's Work", which is an OBVIOUS album track with NO single potential, the complete opposite of MTW. Extreme and Mr. Big had the market cornered on that acoustic sound for that year.

Edge went as far as it could go. The singles were in the right order. They got a boost from the Gulf War remix...and they were struggling from start due Tommy being gone and having success in DY. Anybody who thinks Edge could have done better is showing their bias, IMO. It was a mediocre album, with mediocre success, in a market that did not favor them, from a band who was struggling to make up for losing a key member. Get over it...and be happy it even went Gold.

I think it sucked...period...I'd rather listen to...ugh...Cyclosuckarma than Edge.

[DracIsBack]

You are such an idiot.

Nice dude. Real nice ...

[Toph]

That was a rotten time for radio for so-call 'corporate rock' bands. Every one I was into at the time had a bunch of big albums in the 1980s (Styx, Chicago, REO, Foreigner, Huey Lewis and the News) and then the decade changed over and they couldn't get on the radio suddenly. All this dance and rap was on the air crowding out the top forty and their sales all dropped clean off. I remember watching a whole bunch of albums like "Unusual Heat", "The Earth A Man, His Dog and a Chicken", "Kingdom Of Desire", "Innuendo", "Hard At Play", "Twenty-1" and even "Edge Of the Century" go to the cut-out bins as stores ordered a bunch of them expecting similar sales to previous albums and then hardly any had big hits. Even the Cassette Singles (then new!) seemed to just sit around because of lack of airplay.

Edge of the Century faired a bit better (going gold), partly because of SHOW ME THE WAY becoming a gulf anthem, but wow that era was unkind.

I remember being furious when all these albums tanked and yet New Kids on The Block, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, and C&C music factory were all over the top forty and selling like Gangbusters. I still remember playing Queen's "Under Pressure" and having someone proclaim, "hey - they ripped off Vanilla Ice".

I just twitched a little remembering that sad, sad time.

Edge had bigger potential and while sit a GOLD album did not meet expectations for the following reasons:
1. Single release order...haven't come out with any songs in 7 years and the first single you pick is a nod to modern metal from a singer that sounds nothing like you.
2. If Show Me The Way is the first single - the band has huge momentum and this sets the stage for the next songs to be released and also capitalizes on all the merchandising for the album when it first came out. By the time SMTW hit, the album was 3 montyhs old and had lost a lot of its front end display activity.
3. Love At First Sight was climbing the charts when A&M pulled the plug on the entire album - stopped promoting altogether because they couldn't agree on a new contract with Styx. Probably cost it top 10 status.
4. If LAFS goes top 10, that would have been worth a 4th single - All In A Day's Work was somewhat in the vein of Extreme's More Than Words which was popular at the time - could have been anopher big hit..

Thanks,
Toph

You are such an idiot.

Conventional wisdom was to NOT release the 'big ballad' as your first single..because nothing that follows it can equal its success. Releasing SMTW earlier would have actually HURT the single since it only gained in popularity during the Gulf War remix...the remix may not have even HAPPENED if it were released earl LAFS went about as far as it could go...and was probably even lucky to hit the top 40, IMO. Extreme's, "More Then Words" (and Mr. Big's "To Be With You") sounds NOTHING like "All In a Day's Work", which is an OBVIOUS album track with NO single potential, the complete opposite of MTW. Extreme and Mr. Big had the market cornered on that acoustic sound for that year.

Edge went as far as it could go. The singles were in the right order. They got a boost from the Gulf War remix...and they were struggling from start due Tommy being gone and having success in DY. Anybody who thinks Edge could have done better is showing their bias, IMO. It was a mediocre album, with mediocre success, in a market that did not favor them, from a band who was struggling to make up for losing a key member. Get over it...and be happy it even went Gold.

Monker - Your statements are really laughable. You go off on the diatribes that show how ignorant you are about the music business, and even history. it truly is amusing to see you show how little you actually know and do it in such an abraswive way. maybe this is why you've been kicked off the Journey board 4...5 times?

Here are a few facts vs. your rants.

1. Not choosing to release a ballad as the first single off the album? Hmmm...just off the top of my head...Babe, best of Times, Keep On loving You, Who's Cryin Now, I want To Know What Love Is, Sister Christian would like to have a word with you....all were ballads and all were the first single release off an album. So, that point is useless.

2. The Gulf War or Operation Desert Shield actually began on August 7 1990. From Wikipedia..."Operation Desert Shield began on 7 August 1990 when U.S. troops were sent to Saudi Arabia due also to the request of its monarch, King Fahd, who had earlier called for U.S. military assistance." Edge of the Century was released in the fall of 1990, 2 months after the war. If SMTW is released then, it still ties into the war, is sung by a recognizable singer from Styx, and does as good or better than #3. plus, it gives the album momentum as it appears on the scene and takes advantage of being in prominent places in records stores at the time. When SMTW was finally released, the album promotion had been stopped and other albums were in prominent display positions on the shelf.

3. All In A Day's Work not single worthy? then why was it planned to follow LAFS when the plug was strangely pulled from all Edge promotion by A&M? You can have your opinion that it wasn't a single, but apparently the people in the know who made such decisions did not share your point of view.

4. Not showing any bias on thinking Edge could have done better. if it had better promotion and the singles were released in the right order and promotion hadn't stopped, it would have been at least a platinum record.

But don't let a few facts get in the way of your DDY bashing....