Current Styx vs. Current REO
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 7:07 amWe all know that Styx and REO are great buddies. We also know, that while we all love Styx (or most of us), that they are getting rather stale on stage, since they tour sooo much with the same set list.
Interestingly, I was reading this recent message from Kevin Cronin to the fans (seen below) about what to expect in 2008. Then it dawned on me, this is why it seems REO has so much more spunk on stage than Styx. Look at the changes they are gonna do to keep it fresh (and the attention paid to the fans wants.) Of course there is the fact that they just released an album too. Maybe Styx can take the clue from their buds in REO. I would love see Styx revive themselves in a sense.
(P.S. - A second rocker like Smilin In The End? I guess they really do want to rock these days!)
HI GANG,
WELL, I SHOULD PROBABLY PREFACE THIS LETTER BY MENTIONING THAT MY CURRENT PHYSICAL STATE IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A GIANT PILE OF POO, AND THE WAY I USED TO FEEL WHEN THE SUN WAS COMING UP AFTER A LONG NIGHT OF PARTYING, BACK IN 1983.
THAT HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED, I AM HOPING YOU WILL UNDERSTAND IF THE TONE OF THIS LETTER IS RATHER SOUR. OR, YOU MIGHT SIMPLY HIT THE OLD DELETE BUTTON NOW, AND SAVE YOURSELF THE AGONY OF SHARING IN MINE.
ACTUALLY I FEEL A BIT OF RELIEF IN HAVING VENTED…SO THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SHOWN THE COURAGE TO VENTURE ON WITH ME TODAY.
COME TO THINK OF IT, THE DAYS LEADING UP TO MY BEING STRICKEN BY THIS HELLISH AMOEBA WERE SO FILLED WITH GREAT ENERGY THAT IT WAS PROBABLY INEVITABLE THAT MY BODY WOULD BE EVENTUALLY OVERWHELMED, AND THEREFORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS NASTY BUG.
IT ALL BEGAN LAST MONDAY WHEN THE REO FAMILY CONVENED AT OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME, MATES REHEARSAL STUDIOS. NOW THAT WE ALL LIVE SCATTERED AROUND THE COUNTRY, IT WAS ESPECIALLY GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE TOGETHER. AND WHEN WE STRAPPED ON OUR GUITARS, FIRED UP THE GEAR, AND STARTED JAMMING, IT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME FEELING. I WAS ONCE AGAIN REMINDED HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO STILL BE DOING WHAT WE LOVE TO DO.
WE JAMMED FOR A WHILE ON A NEW SONG I AM WORKING ON CALLED, “WHIPING BOY”. IT IS ANOTHER ROCKER, ALONG THE LINES OF “SMILIN’ IN THE END”…A TOTAL BAND SONG.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE THESE REHEARSALS SO MUCH FUN WAS THAT WE ALL KEPT UP OUR CHOPS IN THE OFF TIME. IT IS SO TEMPTING, ESPECIALLY AFTER A LONG TOURING SEASON SUCH AS THAT OF 2007, TO COME HOME AND LET YOUR INSTRUMENT COLLECT DUST. THEN WHEN YOU FINALLY PICK UP THE GUITAR, OR TRY TO SING A SONG, YOU ARE SO RUSTY THAT IT ISN’T ALL THAT MUCH FUN.
SO THIS TIME AROUND I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD NOT FALL INTO THAT TRAP. I LITERALLY PLAYED AND SANG FOR AN HOUR OR SO, AT LEAST EVERY OTHER DAY. I NEVER REALLY GOT OUT OF ROAD SHAPE, AND I EVEN DISCOVERED SOME NEW PLACES IN MY VOICE THAT I’LL TRY OUT IN CONCERT THIS YEAR.
ONE OF THE SONGS I GOT INTO SINGING AT HOME WAS, “BUILDING THE BRIDGE”. IN THE PRESENT POLITICAL CLIMATE, I FIND THAT SONG TO BE ESPECIALLY ENJOYABLE TO PLAY. WE REWORKED THE ARRANGEMENT, REWROTE THE GUITAR SOLO SECTION, AND PLAN TO PLAY IT IN OUR 2008 THEATER SHOWS.
WE ALSO TOTALLY RETOOLED, “IN YOUR LETTER”, FROM THE HI INFIDELITY ALBUM. THAT TUNE WAS ALWAYS KIND OF A NOVELTY SONG FOR US…A LITTLE TRIBUTE TO THE DOO-WAP GROUPS THAT WE USED TO HEAR ON OUR TRANSISTOR RADIOS, BEFORE THE BEATLES CAME OUT. BUT THE FACT IS, THERE IS AN EMOTIONAL SIDE OF THAT SONG WHICH WAS LOST IN THE ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENT. THIS NEW APPROACH HAS MADE IT FEEL LIKE A WHOLE NEW SONG, HOPEFULLY WITHOUT ABANDONING ITS NOSTALGIC CHARM.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN SUGGESTING THAT WE PLAY SOMETHING OFF OF THE “GOOD TROUBLE” ALBUM. I KNOW…I KNOW. I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR A SONG FROM THAT RECORD THAT EXCITES ME ENOUGH TO WANT TO SING IT TODAY. I PROMISE I WILL KEEP TRYING TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
WE HAVE ALSO GOTTEN NUMEROUS REQUESTS ON THE WEB SITE FOR, “SON OF A POOR MAN”. SO DON’T BE SURPRISED IF WE TROT THAT ONE OUT THIS YEAR. WE DIDN’T PLAY, “LIKE YOU DO”, LAST YEAR FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, SO THAT SONG WILL BE FINDING ITS WAY BACK ON TO THE SET LIST. AND WE REALIZED HOW MUCH A PART OF OUR HISTORY “GOLDEN COUNTRY” HAS BECOME, SO YOU WILL BE HEARING THAT ONE THIS YEAR TOO.
IN GENERAL THE BAND IS SWINGING MORE THIS YEAR. EVEN BALLADS LIKE, “CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING”, ARE BEING TREATED WITH LESS OF A PLODDING TYPE OF FEEL. THAT APPROACH WORKED GREAT IN THE 80S, BUT WITH A FEW SUBTLE CHANGES, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SINGING THAT SONG MORE THAN EVER.
OUR SHOWS WITH STYX AND DEF LEPPARD WILL BE VERY COMPACT… FULL OF NON STOP ENERGY. THEN FOR OUR HEADLINE SHOWS, WE WILL STRETCH OUT A BIT, AND DIG A BIT DEEPER INTO OUR CATALOGUE.
OKAY, THAT WASN’T TOO HORRIBLE, WAS IT? BUT ALL THIS TYPING IS MAKING ME DIZZY, GOTTA RUN,
KC
Interestingly, I was reading this recent message from Kevin Cronin to the fans (seen below) about what to expect in 2008. Then it dawned on me, this is why it seems REO has so much more spunk on stage than Styx. Look at the changes they are gonna do to keep it fresh (and the attention paid to the fans wants.) Of course there is the fact that they just released an album too. Maybe Styx can take the clue from their buds in REO. I would love see Styx revive themselves in a sense.
(P.S. - A second rocker like Smilin In The End? I guess they really do want to rock these days!)
HI GANG,
WELL, I SHOULD PROBABLY PREFACE THIS LETTER BY MENTIONING THAT MY CURRENT PHYSICAL STATE IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A GIANT PILE OF POO, AND THE WAY I USED TO FEEL WHEN THE SUN WAS COMING UP AFTER A LONG NIGHT OF PARTYING, BACK IN 1983.
THAT HAVING BEEN ESTABLISHED, I AM HOPING YOU WILL UNDERSTAND IF THE TONE OF THIS LETTER IS RATHER SOUR. OR, YOU MIGHT SIMPLY HIT THE OLD DELETE BUTTON NOW, AND SAVE YOURSELF THE AGONY OF SHARING IN MINE.
ACTUALLY I FEEL A BIT OF RELIEF IN HAVING VENTED…SO THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SHOWN THE COURAGE TO VENTURE ON WITH ME TODAY.
COME TO THINK OF IT, THE DAYS LEADING UP TO MY BEING STRICKEN BY THIS HELLISH AMOEBA WERE SO FILLED WITH GREAT ENERGY THAT IT WAS PROBABLY INEVITABLE THAT MY BODY WOULD BE EVENTUALLY OVERWHELMED, AND THEREFORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS NASTY BUG.
IT ALL BEGAN LAST MONDAY WHEN THE REO FAMILY CONVENED AT OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME, MATES REHEARSAL STUDIOS. NOW THAT WE ALL LIVE SCATTERED AROUND THE COUNTRY, IT WAS ESPECIALLY GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE TOGETHER. AND WHEN WE STRAPPED ON OUR GUITARS, FIRED UP THE GEAR, AND STARTED JAMMING, IT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME FEELING. I WAS ONCE AGAIN REMINDED HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO STILL BE DOING WHAT WE LOVE TO DO.
WE JAMMED FOR A WHILE ON A NEW SONG I AM WORKING ON CALLED, “WHIPING BOY”. IT IS ANOTHER ROCKER, ALONG THE LINES OF “SMILIN’ IN THE END”…A TOTAL BAND SONG.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE THESE REHEARSALS SO MUCH FUN WAS THAT WE ALL KEPT UP OUR CHOPS IN THE OFF TIME. IT IS SO TEMPTING, ESPECIALLY AFTER A LONG TOURING SEASON SUCH AS THAT OF 2007, TO COME HOME AND LET YOUR INSTRUMENT COLLECT DUST. THEN WHEN YOU FINALLY PICK UP THE GUITAR, OR TRY TO SING A SONG, YOU ARE SO RUSTY THAT IT ISN’T ALL THAT MUCH FUN.
SO THIS TIME AROUND I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD NOT FALL INTO THAT TRAP. I LITERALLY PLAYED AND SANG FOR AN HOUR OR SO, AT LEAST EVERY OTHER DAY. I NEVER REALLY GOT OUT OF ROAD SHAPE, AND I EVEN DISCOVERED SOME NEW PLACES IN MY VOICE THAT I’LL TRY OUT IN CONCERT THIS YEAR.
ONE OF THE SONGS I GOT INTO SINGING AT HOME WAS, “BUILDING THE BRIDGE”. IN THE PRESENT POLITICAL CLIMATE, I FIND THAT SONG TO BE ESPECIALLY ENJOYABLE TO PLAY. WE REWORKED THE ARRANGEMENT, REWROTE THE GUITAR SOLO SECTION, AND PLAN TO PLAY IT IN OUR 2008 THEATER SHOWS.
WE ALSO TOTALLY RETOOLED, “IN YOUR LETTER”, FROM THE HI INFIDELITY ALBUM. THAT TUNE WAS ALWAYS KIND OF A NOVELTY SONG FOR US…A LITTLE TRIBUTE TO THE DOO-WAP GROUPS THAT WE USED TO HEAR ON OUR TRANSISTOR RADIOS, BEFORE THE BEATLES CAME OUT. BUT THE FACT IS, THERE IS AN EMOTIONAL SIDE OF THAT SONG WHICH WAS LOST IN THE ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENT. THIS NEW APPROACH HAS MADE IT FEEL LIKE A WHOLE NEW SONG, HOPEFULLY WITHOUT ABANDONING ITS NOSTALGIC CHARM.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN SUGGESTING THAT WE PLAY SOMETHING OFF OF THE “GOOD TROUBLE” ALBUM. I KNOW…I KNOW. I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR A SONG FROM THAT RECORD THAT EXCITES ME ENOUGH TO WANT TO SING IT TODAY. I PROMISE I WILL KEEP TRYING TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
WE HAVE ALSO GOTTEN NUMEROUS REQUESTS ON THE WEB SITE FOR, “SON OF A POOR MAN”. SO DON’T BE SURPRISED IF WE TROT THAT ONE OUT THIS YEAR. WE DIDN’T PLAY, “LIKE YOU DO”, LAST YEAR FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, SO THAT SONG WILL BE FINDING ITS WAY BACK ON TO THE SET LIST. AND WE REALIZED HOW MUCH A PART OF OUR HISTORY “GOLDEN COUNTRY” HAS BECOME, SO YOU WILL BE HEARING THAT ONE THIS YEAR TOO.
IN GENERAL THE BAND IS SWINGING MORE THIS YEAR. EVEN BALLADS LIKE, “CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING”, ARE BEING TREATED WITH LESS OF A PLODDING TYPE OF FEEL. THAT APPROACH WORKED GREAT IN THE 80S, BUT WITH A FEW SUBTLE CHANGES, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SINGING THAT SONG MORE THAN EVER.
OUR SHOWS WITH STYX AND DEF LEPPARD WILL BE VERY COMPACT… FULL OF NON STOP ENERGY. THEN FOR OUR HEADLINE SHOWS, WE WILL STRETCH OUT A BIT, AND DIG A BIT DEEPER INTO OUR CATALOGUE.
OKAY, THAT WASN’T TOO HORRIBLE, WAS IT? BUT ALL THIS TYPING IS MAKING ME DIZZY, GOTTA RUN,
KC