Toph wrote:OK - since people are always saying that Journey and Styx are similar in story. Compare each of the albums. Which one do you like better
Infinity vs. The Grand Illusion
Evolution vs. Pieces of Eight
Departure vs. Cornerstone
Escape vs. Paradise Theatre
Frontiers vs. Kilroy Was Here
After that the timeframe of album releases diverges - hard to compare Raised On Radio with Edge of The Century since they were 4 years apart.
Discuss
Well I will compare the albums since I asked the question.
Infinity vs. Grand Illusion - Infinity peaked at #21 had 0 top 40 singles, but 2 great rock classics in Wheel In The Sky and Lights (not to mention Feeling Thay Way/Anytime), but Grand Illusion #6 with a top 10 single CSA #8 and Top 40 single FY, in addition to rock classic TGI and Miss America wins hands down. Journey shows promise with Infinity, but Styx hits a grand slam with TGI. Outside of Superstars, not a weak song in the bunch. There are a few duds at the end of Infinity. Winner - Grand Illusion
Evolution vs. Pieces of Eight - Evolution peaks at #20 and Journey finds the singles chart with LTS peaking at #16 and also featuring the Gregg Rollie sung rock track "Just The Same Way". Pieces of Eight is essentially Grand Illusion II, but not as strong. Hit singles BCM #21 and Renegade #16 lead Styx's hardest rocking album ever. Sing For The Day is a B side single hit at #41. Winner - Pieces of Eight
Departure vs. Cornerstone - Both bands were very excited about the dawn of the 80s as seen by comments on the record jacket (Journey's "Join up for our departure in the 80s") and on the record (Styx's "Don't look now, but here come the 80s!"). Albums that were pretty opposed to one another in production value and content. Styx goes soft with Babe #1, Why Me #26, Boat on the River #1 Europe, with rock track Borrowed Time also getting airplay. Journey rocks out with AWYWI (#23) and blues it up with Walks Like A Lady. Although they still don't have a top 10 single, Journey's Departure lands in the top 10 (#8) while Styx peaks at #2 with Cornerstone which is nominated for a Grammy, wins the People's Choice award for Babe, and the band is voted the most popular band in America after its release. Arguably history has shown that these are the two weakest albums by either group of their "classic albums". At the time, Cornerstone was clearly more successful, but has caused a rip in the fan base that continues on today. Winner - TIE - Strictly a matter of personal preference.
Escape vs. Paradise Theatre – Both bands were at their commercial peak. Both hit #1. Both have classic songs on them. Journey’s ESC4P3 though had 4 top 20 singles, 3 of which hit the top 10 and also all charted on mainstream rock and ac charts. Styx Paradise Theatre had 2 top 10 singles, both of which charted on mainstream rock and an additional top 10 mainstream rock single. Both albums were solid, but Escape was the bigger seller and has had much better staying power. Winner – ESC4P3
Frontiers vs. Kilroy Was Here – They came out within a week of each other, both featured robot like characters on their cover. Styx had the higher charting singles, with two top 5 smashes, but once again, Journey had more shelf life – charting 4 singles, one in the top 10 and another at #12. Neither album was as good or as successful as their previous seller, but both were respectable chart wise with Journey peaking at #2 and Styx at #3. Both got experimental – the Styx sound became techno poppy and alienated an entire legion of fans. The second side of Journey’s Frontiers made a critical error in dropping two mainstream songs, Only The Young and Ask The Lonely, and replacing them with two songs, Troubled Child and Back Talk, which were weak at best. At the end of the day though, Frontiers is the stronger of the two albums. Winner – Frontiers
Overall score Styx 2, Journey 2, Toss Up 1
One man’s opinion…