Just Got the S/B Influence Advance CD-R

[StyxCollector]

My initial impressions:

1. Much better recording and mastering job than any of the last few Styx albums post-Cyclorama. No knock on Gary, but this thing has dynamics and is much more open.
2. Most are near-straight readings, but they are actually not bad (even songs I really don't like such as "Summer Breeze" and "Dance With Me" which I didn't like before S/B covered it). Some are more of a departure than others due to the overall arrangement and instrumentation ("I Am a Rock" is a good example).
3. Jack and Tommy can harmonize well together
4. I don't see me listening to this all the time, but it makes me want another proper S/B album
5. Favorite song: "Dirty Work". I'm a Steely Dan fan, but this is really done well.
6. BBT sounds like Tommy phoned it in if you compare it to this album

[DerriD]

Can't wait to pick it up. It was also great for them to get some exposure on VH1Classic.

[StyxCollector]

Can't wait to pick it up. It was also great for them to get some exposure on VH1Classic.

VH-1 Classic is the record label, so that was a no brainer!

[Rockwriter]

Can't wait to pick it up. It was also great for them to get some exposure on VH1Classic.

VH-1 Classic is the record label, so that was a no brainer!

Yeah, it only makes sense that you can cross expose an artist that way. This thing is getting more advance attention than probably any Styx-related product since RTP. I'm going to predict that it way outsells the most recent Styx release. I'm also going to predict that if it does, Styx will wind up on VH1 Classic Records. It's a great demographic matchup, and in this case since the label owns a cable channel (or vice versa), they can expose the artist without having to actually but the air time. That's fantastic, and TV has consistently been one component that's been missing from the Styx game plan with the last few releases. I mean, they've done some spotty things like the Today show, and when they did there has been a quick one-week sales spike like there was for the opening week of BBT. But there has not been consistent TV exposure like this is getting, and that could make all the difference. I hope it does; from what I have heard this is a very credible project that deserves the exposure.


Sterling