Dear Glen - Edge of the Century - The album
Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 8:37 amhttp://www.glenburtnik.com/bored/viewtopic.php?t=621
Glen -
Just want to say how much I love your work. One of my favorite songs by you is "Hole In My Pocket" off that elusive "Heroes and Zeroes" album. (By the way, I bet you have some copies sitting in your house somewhere - care to auction them off?!?) Anyway, I loved the Edge album and I remember I was in college when it came out. I remember before the album was even out in stores, the DJ on the radio station saying "You've waited 7 years...now hear it is the first single off the new Styx album" and then he played "Love Is The Ritual"!! I went crazy! At first I thought he had put the wrong song on or something because it sounded so modern and different from what Styx had been. But that song really rocked! It was awesome. And I think it went all the way to like #9 on the Rock Charts. So these people (including you I might add!) that say it wasn't a big hit are just plain wrong. It got as high as Rockin In Paradise on the rock chart and people think that it is a big Styx classic. So, I don't understand why LITR doesn't get more play. One of the most underrated and underappreciated Styx songs.
OK here is my question(s). Sorry to ramble. I never understood why A&M didn't release more singles of Edge. You had LITR (#9 rock), Show Me The Way (huge hit #3 pop), Love At First Sight (respectable showing at #25 pop) - you all were touring and on a roll! I was really expecting the next single to be the title track or All In A Day's Work or World Tonite. So, the questions are -
1. Why wasn't anything else released?
2. What was going to be the next single release off Edge?
3. Who makes the decision(s) on which songs to release (on any album Edge or Cyclorama - I think KYAG should have been the first single off Cyclo, but don't get me started on that one)?
4. If Love At First Sight was a single, why didn't you all play it in concert (at least you didn't at my show)? Wouldn't you want to plug your new single in concert?
5. This is just my opinion, but if I WERE THE MUSIC exec, this is what I would have done - released LITR, SMTW, LAFS, Edge of Century, All In A Day's Work, and World Tonite - I think that there are 6 legitimate singles off Edge. Homewrecker did not sound like a single, Not Dead Yet was not an original, Carrie Ann was too slow, and Back to Chicago too Broadway. But everything else should have been a big hit. I am peeved that more singles weren't released. It could have changed everything. More singles would have equaled more sales and then you all might have wanted to capitalize on that and the record company would have probably given you whatever you wanted!!
Anyway, I just had to vent. I LOVE your music and can't wait to hear something new.
Annie
Dear Annie,
Thanks very much. I'm glad you enjoy my music. "Hole In My Pocket" is an oldie, written with my wildly talented friend Bob Miller. Nobody ever mentions that one to me, and I used to really like it. I still do.
"Love Is The Ritual" was a tune I had ready for my 3rd solo album on A&M before the deal went sour (one of my managers physically threatened a label Executive and that was that). Soon after, Styx came along and asked for material and the song became their first single off the Edge album. Those are interesting chart statistics you've brought to my attention. I guess I always was annoyed that my stints with Styx amounted to what they were. I ultimately felt like Dennis' voice was the sound radio was interested in playing, so there was essentially little I could do to effect the band…but I DID write a good portion of “Love At First Sight”, so I guess I took the writer role back then. Since I got a bit of a cold shoulder from earlier Styx fans, I pretty much wrote off the entire exercise.
To answer your questions:
1. No other singles were released off the Edge Of The Century album because it got to be time for Styx to renegotiate with A&M records after the 3rd single. Simply put, the band asked for more than A&M thought they were worth so A&M pulled out, Styx went fishing for another record deal, and A&M felt they had little to gain by investing in any more music off that album. It's all about business.
2. The next single release off of Edge? Good question. It was so long ago, I haven't a clue. I will say this” in this day and age, whenever an album has more than a few singles, either someone's not paying attention or the earlier singles were monster hits. It's rare an album gets up to bat more than 2 or 3 times.
3. The decision on which song gets to be chosen to be the single varies. Most often it's a consensus between the artist and the label's staff. For better or for worse, I've never had any say in the career of Styx, and I'm sorta cool with that.
4. As I recall, 'Love At First Sight' was rarely performed live because either the timing was off, or Dennis didn't think it sounded good or something. Again, I had little say in Styx decisions.
5. Boy, you really must've liked Edge of Century, you would've released half the album as singles!
That was all quite a long time ago. I tend to regard that album as a bit spotty, with a few high points. The first time I heard 'Show Me The Way' (Dennis asked me to harmonize the chorus of it with he & JY) I knew it was a strong song. My only regret is that my contributions didn't leave more of a dent - it would've changed things considerable I think. But it is what it is and I accept all of it. I don't think I ever necessarily belonged in that band to be honest.
Glen
PS I'm down to too few copies of "Heroes and Zeroes" to be able to even leave each of my children copies after I've kicked the bucket!
Glen -
Just want to say how much I love your work. One of my favorite songs by you is "Hole In My Pocket" off that elusive "Heroes and Zeroes" album. (By the way, I bet you have some copies sitting in your house somewhere - care to auction them off?!?) Anyway, I loved the Edge album and I remember I was in college when it came out. I remember before the album was even out in stores, the DJ on the radio station saying "You've waited 7 years...now hear it is the first single off the new Styx album" and then he played "Love Is The Ritual"!! I went crazy! At first I thought he had put the wrong song on or something because it sounded so modern and different from what Styx had been. But that song really rocked! It was awesome. And I think it went all the way to like #9 on the Rock Charts. So these people (including you I might add!) that say it wasn't a big hit are just plain wrong. It got as high as Rockin In Paradise on the rock chart and people think that it is a big Styx classic. So, I don't understand why LITR doesn't get more play. One of the most underrated and underappreciated Styx songs.
OK here is my question(s). Sorry to ramble. I never understood why A&M didn't release more singles of Edge. You had LITR (#9 rock), Show Me The Way (huge hit #3 pop), Love At First Sight (respectable showing at #25 pop) - you all were touring and on a roll! I was really expecting the next single to be the title track or All In A Day's Work or World Tonite. So, the questions are -
1. Why wasn't anything else released?
2. What was going to be the next single release off Edge?
3. Who makes the decision(s) on which songs to release (on any album Edge or Cyclorama - I think KYAG should have been the first single off Cyclo, but don't get me started on that one)?
4. If Love At First Sight was a single, why didn't you all play it in concert (at least you didn't at my show)? Wouldn't you want to plug your new single in concert?
5. This is just my opinion, but if I WERE THE MUSIC exec, this is what I would have done - released LITR, SMTW, LAFS, Edge of Century, All In A Day's Work, and World Tonite - I think that there are 6 legitimate singles off Edge. Homewrecker did not sound like a single, Not Dead Yet was not an original, Carrie Ann was too slow, and Back to Chicago too Broadway. But everything else should have been a big hit. I am peeved that more singles weren't released. It could have changed everything. More singles would have equaled more sales and then you all might have wanted to capitalize on that and the record company would have probably given you whatever you wanted!!
Anyway, I just had to vent. I LOVE your music and can't wait to hear something new.
Annie
Dear Annie,
Thanks very much. I'm glad you enjoy my music. "Hole In My Pocket" is an oldie, written with my wildly talented friend Bob Miller. Nobody ever mentions that one to me, and I used to really like it. I still do.
"Love Is The Ritual" was a tune I had ready for my 3rd solo album on A&M before the deal went sour (one of my managers physically threatened a label Executive and that was that). Soon after, Styx came along and asked for material and the song became their first single off the Edge album. Those are interesting chart statistics you've brought to my attention. I guess I always was annoyed that my stints with Styx amounted to what they were. I ultimately felt like Dennis' voice was the sound radio was interested in playing, so there was essentially little I could do to effect the band…but I DID write a good portion of “Love At First Sight”, so I guess I took the writer role back then. Since I got a bit of a cold shoulder from earlier Styx fans, I pretty much wrote off the entire exercise.
To answer your questions:
1. No other singles were released off the Edge Of The Century album because it got to be time for Styx to renegotiate with A&M records after the 3rd single. Simply put, the band asked for more than A&M thought they were worth so A&M pulled out, Styx went fishing for another record deal, and A&M felt they had little to gain by investing in any more music off that album. It's all about business.
2. The next single release off of Edge? Good question. It was so long ago, I haven't a clue. I will say this” in this day and age, whenever an album has more than a few singles, either someone's not paying attention or the earlier singles were monster hits. It's rare an album gets up to bat more than 2 or 3 times.
3. The decision on which song gets to be chosen to be the single varies. Most often it's a consensus between the artist and the label's staff. For better or for worse, I've never had any say in the career of Styx, and I'm sorta cool with that.
4. As I recall, 'Love At First Sight' was rarely performed live because either the timing was off, or Dennis didn't think it sounded good or something. Again, I had little say in Styx decisions.
5. Boy, you really must've liked Edge of Century, you would've released half the album as singles!
That was all quite a long time ago. I tend to regard that album as a bit spotty, with a few high points. The first time I heard 'Show Me The Way' (Dennis asked me to harmonize the chorus of it with he & JY) I knew it was a strong song. My only regret is that my contributions didn't leave more of a dent - it would've changed things considerable I think. But it is what it is and I accept all of it. I don't think I ever necessarily belonged in that band to be honest.
Glen
PS I'm down to too few copies of "Heroes and Zeroes" to be able to even leave each of my children copies after I've kicked the bucket!
