MR

We seem to have a few people who post here that have inside info and have been behind the music scene at one time or another. It also seems that more and more stars or famous people today are coming forward and stating in one interview or another that the really liked and respected the music of Styx when they were growing up, and they still love it today.

What I dont understand is why was Styx blasted sooo back in the day when they were EVER SOOO popular among the fans. They sold millions of albums and packed the biggest of venues. TOTAL CLASSIC albums like Equinox, The Grand Illusion, and Pieces Of Eight were deemed as trash by almost all of the critics.

Even today as many 'stars' state their love for the band the critics dismiss Styx newer efforts such as Cyclorama, and DDY Live W/Symphoney.

Minus some of their Wooden Nickle efforts, Styx has ALWAYS written GREAT songs that are complex musicially,lyrically superior pieces, with great vocals and harmonies.

So inside info people, why TODAY is their music still bashed??????

Just a thought...because they are still critically perceived as being over the top. Note the word critically.

The public has always had a history of liking things that the critics dismissed. Dallas, Three's Company, KC & the Sunshine Band. Critics won't ever acknowledge that something doesn't have to be deep, spiritual, or thought provoking to be entertaining. The fact that Styx was able to do that and be entertaining was always missed by the critics.

Add to that that Styx didn't play the corporate, didn't bow before Jan Wenner and his ilk, and well, they aren't going to get critical respect. I'd like to think respect for them comes from all the fans who attended and bought, are still attending and buying their concerts and their music.

Critics be damned.

Sadie

Sadie, you nailed it.

I might add that critics are like lemmings and far be it from any to stray from the perceived "cool" and "uncool" designation thrown over this person or that, this group or that. Once that is established, nothing will get them to change their point of view, or let's say their PUBLIC point of view.

Styx, for the reasons Sadie sited above, fell into the "uncool" category and so whatever they produced, no matter how good or how beloved by the fans, was immediately dismissed by the criticarazzi, for want of a better word.

And what the critics deem "cool" has absoultely nothing to do with whether it is any good or not. Or whether a person or group has any talent or not.

Critics once dubbed Styx music a "parking lot full of whale vomit." Well, to my mind, what many of them write is often a "parking lot full of whale s***."

Bugsy

sadie and bugs,

I'd be foolish to even try to add anything to your most excellent posts! Well said, both of you!

They are returning.........haha, yes, they are returning.