Styx at the Beacon in NYC 10/28/10

[StyxCollector]

Still processing my thoughts on the show as I'm heading back home (ah, the joys of working on the train). As much as I wish I could say "it was awesome" or "it was the biggest pile of turd I've ever seen", I can't. I walked away thrilled with some moments, disappointed by others ... well, you get the picture. I did have an overall good time and am not sorry I went because I got to see a few songs I know I wouldn't otherwise, but it got me thinking more about how good of a band Styx was back in their heyday and how it's never coming back no matter what lineup (Dennis + band, Styx minus Dennis, Styx with Dennis ... you get the picture) is out there playing to audiences of various sizes.

For the record, I don't mean any of this musing in the "I wish Dennis was back" sense - that ship has sailed.

This show was definitely a stark contrast to DDY's show last month in so many ways, which makes it all the more weird.

Hrm.

[froy]

Still processing my thoughts on the show as I'm heading back home (ah, the joys of working on the train). As much as I wish I could say "it was awesome" or "it was the biggest pile of turd I've ever seen", I can't. I walked away thrilled with some moments, disappointed by others ... well, you get the picture. I did have an overall good time and am not sorry I went because I got to see a few songs I know I wouldn't otherwise, but it got me thinking more about how good of a band Styx was back in their heyday and how it's never coming back no matter what lineup (Dennis + band, Styx minus Dennis, Styx with Dennis ... you get the picture) is out there playing to audiences of various sizes.

For the record, I don't mean any of this musing in the "I wish Dennis was back" sense - that ship has sailed.

This show was definitely a stark contrast to DDY's show last month in so many ways, which makes it all the more weird.

Hrm.

What the hell are you yapping about, It was good it was bad maybe it was good maybe it was bad.
Can't you just admit the show sucked and would have kicked ass with Dennis>
Just say it for gods sakes ,

[Saint John]

What the hell are you yapping about, It was good it was bad maybe it was good maybe it was bad.
Can't you just admit the show sucked and would have kicked ass with Dennis>
Just say it for gods sakes ,

The bolded part made me lol. I *think* what he's saying is that time and circumstances have made him realize that these guys aren't getting any younger and that you can't cheat father time. In other words, some bright spots, some not so bright spots, but it made him realize that it'll never be like it used to, no matter who does or doesn't come back (Dennis).

[StyxCollector]

but it made him realize that it'll never be like it used to, no matter who does or doesn't come back (Dennis).

That's something I've said for awhile. Last night really did put bookends on it since I saw Dennis and Styx in close proximity date-wise.

And froy, Dennis would not have necessarily made that show any better even if the performances were all top notch. Some of the problems were fundamental to executing the albums in sequence. I've seen bad Styx shows (like the one in CA where Tommy looked like he wanted to be anywhere BUT there). This was not that show. I can come out of a show liking some stuff, you know. I hate the a capella version of "Show Me The Way", yet somehow I managed to get through those Dennis shows where he did them ...

[yogi]

My question is why would they put so much into this show special effects etc.... and have it so limited? They are playing in Houston Jan 7, 2011. If it is The Grand Illusion/ Pieces Of Eight Show I am there purchasing the best possible tickets for sure no matter what short of illness or death. If its their tired as hell Greatest Hits type show I am not going and driving 3 hours if the tickets are given to me.

Dennis or no Dennis this is the show I want to see. Why would they make it sooooooo damn limited??

[bugsymalone]

This show was definitely a stark contrast to DDY's show last month in so many ways, which makes it all the more weird.

This is the sentence that intrigues me. Will see what you mean at some point when the reviews are posted, Allan?

Bugsy

[yogi]

I cant wait to read your review.

What I think would be weird is hearing these two albums played exactly as I listened to them as a kid and seeing them played live by musicians that are no longer in their youth.

[StyxCollector]

Why would they make it sooooooo damn limited??

1. It's a limited appeal - this is not a "casual fan" show that will make them their living. Their bread and butter is the shows focusing on the hits.
2. Pure speculation here on my part, but I think this was a trial run to see if this kind of thing is a viable venture to kick the tires on every so often. If I had to guess, I don't think it will happen again.

[yogi]

To me this makes no sense because their Greatest Hits shows only draw big audiences if they are paired with other similar type bands. Styx/REO/ Journey - Styx/Kansas/Foreigner Styx/Bad Company/ Billy Squire.

When they play alone they only draw 1000 - 2500.

With this show they play most of their classic hits from two TOTALLY classic albums. These are the albums the current band members say they want to play. This is who they are as musicians. Dennis made them go in a different direction. It's a state of the art show. It's orginal. It is something that will keep them fresh. It is something that will challenge their GREAT GREAT drummer. It gets them away from another tired Greatest Hits type show, and finally they will draw virtually the same amount of fans if they were playing solo anyway.

If they must pair themselves with another similar type band do this show anyhow. REO could do Tuna Fish & Hi Infidelty while Styx keeps playing this.

[Keiferb]

Still processing my thoughts on the show as I'm heading back home (ah, the joys of working on the train). As much as I wish I could say "it was awesome" or "it was the biggest pile of turd I've ever seen", I can't. I walked away thrilled with some moments, disappointed by others ... well, you get the picture. I did have an overall good time and am not sorry I went because I got to see a few songs I know I wouldn't otherwise, but it got me thinking more about how good of a band Styx was back in their heyday and how it's never coming back no matter what lineup (Dennis + band, Styx minus Dennis, Styx with Dennis ... you get the picture) is out there playing to audiences of various sizes.

For the record, I don't mean any of this musing in the "I wish Dennis was back" sense - that ship has sailed.

This show was definitely a stark contrast to DDY's show last month in so many ways, which makes it all the more weird.

Hrm.

Are you going to shed any more light? I am really torn as to whether I would go see this. For now, the answer's been easy, because they really aren't going to be close by (I don't count Erie near, it's 6 hours away).

For example, the clips I've seen thus far do NOT show, IMO, Gowan as being a capable replacement on DDY's songs. However, the quality of what I have seen, hasn't been good, so I'm trying not to pass judgement too harshly. However, I sense a good deal of being off key, and I don't think the quality has anything to do that.

What's your opinion of songs like Grand Illusion, I'm OK, Castle Walls, Queen of Spades? And how did TS and JY come off. Older, it sounds, but OK? JY sounded stretched (resorted to shouting??) on the version of Great White Hope I saw, but again, not good quality.

[brywool]

Still processing my thoughts on the show as I'm heading back home (ah, the joys of working on the train). As much as I wish I could say "it was awesome" or "it was the biggest pile of turd I've ever seen", I can't. I walked away thrilled with some moments, disappointed by others ... well, you get the picture. I did have an overall good time and am not sorry I went because I got to see a few songs I know I wouldn't otherwise, but it got me thinking more about how good of a band Styx was back in their heyday and how it's never coming back no matter what lineup (Dennis + band, Styx minus Dennis, Styx with Dennis ... you get the picture) is out there playing to audiences of various sizes.

For the record, I don't mean any of this musing in the "I wish Dennis was back" sense - that ship has sailed.

This show was definitely a stark contrast to DDY's show last month in so many ways, which makes it all the more weird.

Hrm.

Are you going to shed any more light? I am really torn as to whether I would go see this. For now, the answer's been easy, because they really aren't going to be close by (I don't count Erie near, it's 6 hours away).

For example, the clips I've seen thus far do NOT show, IMO, Gowan as being a capable replacement on DDY's songs. However, the quality of what I have seen, hasn't been good, so I'm trying not to pass judgement too harshly. However, I sense a good deal of being off key, and I don't think the quality has anything to do that.

What's your opinion of songs like Grand Illusion, I'm OK, Castle Walls, Queen of Spades? And how did TS and JY come off. Older, it sounds, but OK? JY sounded stretched (resorted to shouting??) on the version of Great White Hope I saw, but again, not good quality.

Gowan's handling the tunes a lot better than JY for sure! Yikes!

[StyxCollector]

Are you going to shed any more light? I am really torn as to whether I would go see this. For now, the answer's been easy, because they really aren't going to be close by (I don't count Erie near, it's 6 hours away).

For example, the clips I've seen thus far do NOT show, IMO, Gowan as being a capable replacement on DDY's songs. However, the quality of what I have seen, hasn't been good, so I'm trying not to pass judgement too harshly. However, I sense a good deal of being off key, and I don't think the quality has anything to do that.

What's your opinion of songs like Grand Illusion, I'm OK, Castle Walls, Queen of Spades? And how did TS and JY come off. Older, it sounds, but OK? JY sounded stretched (resorted to shouting??) on the version of Great White Hope I saw, but again, not good quality.

Gowan's handling the tunes a lot better than JY for sure! Yikes!

Why are you torn? Either you want to go or you don't. If you can't due to distance, cost, whatever ... there's your decision. Not to be cut and dry but it's usually that simple for me.

Quick thoughts:
1. The harmonies were much better at this show than other Styx shows I have seen in the past. Perfect? No. It's clear they've worked on blend. I think the difference is that Ricky is doing a lot more vocally now than when I saw him last.
2. Brywool is right - JY was arguably the most disappointing part of the show from beginning to end. I noticed his voice not being quite right last time I saw them, but he was off quite a bit last night. The Cowardly Lion rant in the middle of Superstars was bad. JY may need to replace himself vocally ... and I'm not kidding. The glue that his voice used to be in the Styx harmonies is nowhere near what it was.
3. TS was for the most part fine. He nailed the notes at the end of Man in the Wilderness, but kinda chunked some of Sing for the Day. His voice has aged well.
4. Gowan didn't annoy me as much as he normally does vocally. Yes, he's not Dennis. Yes, I prefer Dennis' voice on Dennis' songs. However, Castle Walls is a song he should never sing again after this tour. I've never loved his rendition of QoS, either. The other stuff was passable for the most part. He's not going to be Dennis and I accept that. Gowan's voice is what it is, and it's not much different than if you had seen Styx last year ... the year before that ... you get the picture.
5. Last night was definitely not as spotty as a whole as some of the YouTube videos I saw. I expect that since they're basically mid-tour. Early on you get the kinks out, so now they're about hitting full stride.

[StyxCollector]

With this show they play most of their classic hits from two TOTALLY classic albums. These are the albums the current band members say they want to play. This is who they are as musicians. Dennis made them go in a different direction.

Can we stop perpetuating this myth? Tommy wrote "Crystal Ball" (originally not a rocker and to some degree it never was even with the electric stuff added), "Fooling Yourself" (not exactly Back in Black). "Sing for the Day" (not a rocker), "Aku Aku" (a slow instrumental) - both songs off of Po8, "Boat on the River" (not a rocker or even close) ... shall I go on? This is before the days of robots. No one pushed Tommy into writing those tunes. That's who he is. Listen to Shaw Blades. Listen to those bluegrass clips. Come to the grips that your favorite little blonde haired dynamo actually likes to play acoustic driven music more than most would like to admit.

I could see where they may have revolted against writing about robots, but saying Dennis was the only one who had a softer side or embraced that stuff is bullshit pure and simple. At heart, Tommy is a good ol' boy who loves down home music and things like the blues.

[Mr JY Roboto]

Are you going to shed any more light? I am really torn as to whether I would go see this. For now, the answer's been easy, because they really aren't going to be close by (I don't count Erie near, it's 6 hours away).

For example, the clips I've seen thus far do NOT show, IMO, Gowan as being a capable replacement on DDY's songs. However, the quality of what I have seen, hasn't been good, so I'm trying not to pass judgement too harshly. However, I sense a good deal of being off key, and I don't think the quality has anything to do that.

What's your opinion of songs like Grand Illusion, I'm OK, Castle Walls, Queen of Spades? And how did TS and JY come off. Older, it sounds, but OK? JY sounded stretched (resorted to shouting??) on the version of Great White Hope I saw, but again, not good quality.

Gowan's handling the tunes a lot better than JY for sure! Yikes!

Why are you torn? Either you want to go or you don't. If you can't due to distance, cost, whatever ... there's your decision. Not to be cut and dry but it's usually that simple for me.

Quick thoughts:
1. The harmonies were much better at this show than other Styx shows I have seen in the past. Perfect? No. It's clear they've worked on blend. I think the difference is that Ricky is doing a lot more vocally now than when I saw him last.
2. Brywool is right - JY was arguably the most disappointing part of the show from beginning to end. I noticed his voice not being quite right last time I saw them, but he was off quite a bit last night. The Cowardly Lion rant in the middle of Superstars was bad. JY may need to replace himself vocally ... and I'm not kidding. The glue that his voice used to be in the Styx harmonies is nowhere near what it was.
3. TS was for the most part fine. He nailed the notes at the end of Man in the Wilderness, but kinda chunked some of Sing for the Day. His voice has aged well.
4. Gowan didn't annoy me as much as he normally does vocally. Yes, he's not Dennis. Yes, I prefer Dennis' voice on Dennis' songs. However, Castle Walls is a song he should never sing again after this tour. I've never loved his rendition of QoS, either. The other stuff was passable for the most part. He's not going to be Dennis and I accept that. Gowan's voice is what it is, and it's not much different than if you had seen Styx last year ... the year before that ... you get the picture.
5. Last night was definitely not as spotty as a whole as some of the YouTube videos I saw. I expect that since they're basically mid-tour. Early on you get the kinks out, so now they're about hitting full stride.

I agree, the early shows were pretty rough but the videos I saw from this past week they were much better.

[Mr JY Roboto]

Still processing my thoughts on the show as I'm heading back home (ah, the joys of working on the train). As much as I wish I could say "it was awesome" or "it was the biggest pile of turd I've ever seen", I can't. I walked away thrilled with some moments, disappointed by others ... well, you get the picture. I did have an overall good time and am not sorry I went because I got to see a few songs I know I wouldn't otherwise, but it got me thinking more about how good of a band Styx was back in their heyday and how it's never coming back no matter what lineup (Dennis + band, Styx minus Dennis, Styx with Dennis ... you get the picture) is out there playing to audiences of various sizes.

For the record, I don't mean any of this musing in the "I wish Dennis was back" sense - that ship has sailed.

This show was definitely a stark contrast to DDY's show last month in so many ways, which makes it all the more weird.

Hrm.

What did you think of the video presentation? Did it add to the show?

[StyxCollector]

What did you think of the video presentation? Did it add to the show?

While high tech and cool at times, I think it could be viewed at times as enhancing, and other times, distracting. Sometimes some of the best moments were just done with effective lighting.

[Everett]

What did you think of the video presentation? Did it add to the show?

While high tech and cool at times, I think it could be viewed at times as enhancing, and other times, distracting. Sometimes some of the best moments were just done with effective lighting.

I wonder how they were able to find a copy of styx I in exceptional condition with the original cover.

[Monker]

With this show they play most of their classic hits from two TOTALLY classic albums. These are the albums the current band members say they want to play. This is who they are as musicians. Dennis made them go in a different direction.

Can we stop perpetuating this myth? Tommy wrote "Crystal Ball" (originally not a rocker and to some degree it never was even with the electric stuff added), "Fooling Yourself" (not exactly Back in Black). "Sing for the Day" (not a rocker), "Aku Aku" (a slow instrumental) - both songs off of Po8, "Boat on the River" (not a rocker or even close) ... shall I go on? This is before the days of robots. No one pushed Tommy into writing those tunes. That's who he is. Listen to Shaw Blades. Listen to those bluegrass clips. Come to the grips that your favorite little blonde haired dynamo actually likes to play acoustic driven music more than most would like to admit.

I could see where they may have revolted against writing about robots, but saying Dennis was the only one who had a softer side or embraced that stuff is bullshit pure and simple. At heart, Tommy is a good ol' boy who loves down home music and things like the blues.

And, none of your examples are "Babe"....or even close to as much of a syrupy ballad song.

And, "Babe" isn't "Lady"...which is Yogi's point about the direction and comparing the earlier Styx to where they ended up...Dennis rewriting Babe over and over again on every album.

[Boomchild]

Are you going to shed any more light? I am really torn as to whether I would go see this. For now, the answer's been easy, because they really aren't going to be close by (I don't count Erie near, it's 6 hours away).

For example, the clips I've seen thus far do NOT show, IMO, Gowan as being a capable replacement on DDY's songs. However, the quality of what I have seen, hasn't been good, so I'm trying not to pass judgement too harshly. However, I sense a good deal of being off key, and I don't think the quality has anything to do that.

What's your opinion of songs like Grand Illusion, I'm OK, Castle Walls, Queen of Spades? And how did TS and JY come off. Older, it sounds, but OK? JY sounded stretched (resorted to shouting??) on the version of Great White Hope I saw, but again, not good quality.

Gowan's handling the tunes a lot better than JY for sure! Yikes!

Why are you torn? Either you want to go or you don't. If you can't due to distance, cost, whatever ... there's your decision. Not to be cut and dry but it's usually that simple for me.

Quick thoughts:
1. The harmonies were much better at this show than other Styx shows I have seen in the past. Perfect? No. It's clear they've worked on blend. I think the difference is that Ricky is doing a lot more vocally now than when I saw him last.
2. Brywool is right - JY was arguably the most disappointing part of the show from beginning to end. I noticed his voice not being quite right last time I saw them, but he was off quite a bit last night. The Cowardly Lion rant in the middle of Superstars was bad. JY may need to replace himself vocally ... and I'm not kidding. The glue that his voice used to be in the Styx harmonies is nowhere near what it was.
3. TS was for the most part fine. He nailed the notes at the end of Man in the Wilderness, but kinda chunked some of Sing for the Day. His voice has aged well.
4. Gowan didn't annoy me as much as he normally does vocally. Yes, he's not Dennis. Yes, I prefer Dennis' voice on Dennis' songs. However, Castle Walls is a song he should never sing again after this tour. I've never loved his rendition of QoS, either. The other stuff was passable for the most part. He's not going to be Dennis and I accept that. Gowan's voice is what it is, and it's not much different than if you had seen Styx last year ... the year before that ... you get the picture.
5. Last night was definitely not as spotty as a whole as some of the YouTube videos I saw. I expect that since they're basically mid-tour. Early on you get the kinks out, so now they're about hitting full stride.

A Styx fan coming away from a concert not blown away by this awesome "Best Version" of Styx? Say it isn't so. Looks like people are starting to burst JY's bubble. Funny how he feels this version is better when fans feel that DDY's replacement can't do justice to songs that they were hired to sing.

[Boomchild]

To me this makes no sense because their Greatest Hits shows only draw big audiences if they are paired with other similar type bands. Styx/REO/ Journey - Styx/Kansas/Foreigner Styx/Bad Company/ Billy Squire.

When they play alone they only draw 1000 - 2500.

With this show they play most of their classic hits from two TOTALLY classic albums. These are the albums the current band members say they want to play. This is who they are as musicians. Dennis made them go in a different direction. It's a state of the art show. It's orginal. It is something that will keep them fresh. It is something that will challenge their GREAT GREAT drummer. It gets them away from another tired Greatest Hits type show, and finally they will draw virtually the same amount of fans if they were playing solo anyway.

If they must pair themselves with another similar type band do this show anyhow. REO could do Tuna Fish & Hi Infidelty while Styx keeps playing this.

It doesn't make sense because the "we want to rock and Dennis doesn't" is just one of the many excuses for the real reasons the split occurred. They have proved that many times. Best example is the latest new song that's on Regeneration. It's all about their egos and who thinks they should be top dog and "Lord and Master" of the band. I also wouldn't be surprised if money played a part in it as well.

[Boomchild]

With this show they play most of their classic hits from two TOTALLY classic albums. These are the albums the current band members say they want to play. This is who they are as musicians. Dennis made them go in a different direction.

Can we stop perpetuating this myth? Tommy wrote "Crystal Ball" (originally not a rocker and to some degree it never was even with the electric stuff added), "Fooling Yourself" (not exactly Back in Black). "Sing for the Day" (not a rocker), "Aku Aku" (a slow instrumental) - both songs off of Po8, "Boat on the River" (not a rocker or even close) ... shall I go on? This is before the days of robots. No one pushed Tommy into writing those tunes. That's who he is. Listen to Shaw Blades. Listen to those bluegrass clips. Come to the grips that your favorite little blonde haired dynamo actually likes to play acoustic driven music more than most would like to admit.

I could see where they may have revolted against writing about robots, but saying Dennis was the only one who had a softer side or embraced that stuff is bullshit pure and simple. At heart, Tommy is a good ol' boy who loves down home music and things like the blues.

And, none of your examples are "Babe"....or even close to as much of a syrupy ballad song.

And, "Babe" isn't "Lady"...which is Yogi's point about the direction and comparing the earlier Styx to where they ended up...Dennis rewriting Babe over and over again on every album.

If that was true then you could say that if things were different it would be JY rewriting "Miss America" over and over again.
Dennis did put focus on ballads but that's not exactly writing the same song over an over. I'm sure he saw what Babe did for them and usually artists will gravitate to what gets air play and sells records. After all it's a business.

[yogi]

Shirley,

You are going to write an actual unbiased review of this show, correct?? I really want to read it. Damn I hope that they keep this show out there for a year or more. I stated my reasons above why I think they should. The biggest one being that they wouldnt draw many more fans by playing another greatest hits show


On a side note I picked up Nelson's new CD. Song # one is Call Me and is a remake of the DDY 'classic??' off his could of been epic Back to the World album. I would also like to review the rest of the album but as with theorginal DDY Call Me this one also puts me to sleep. Cant stay awake long enough to hear the rest of the CD.

[pinkfloyd1973]

Shirley,

You are going to write an actual unbiased review of this show, correct?? I really want to read it. Damn I hope that they keep this show out there for a year or more. I stated my reasons above why I think they should. The biggest one being that they wouldnt draw many more fans by playing another greatest hits show


On a side note I picked up Nelson's new CD. Song # one is Call Me and is a remake of the DDY 'classic??' off his could of been epic Back to the World album. I would also like to review the rest of the album but as with theorginal DDY Call Me this one also puts me to sleep. Cant stay awake long enough to hear the rest of the CD.

I'll have what Yogi's having

[StyxCollector]

If you're talking about draw, it would actually be less if they stuck it out. The Beacon was not sold out (noticeable gaps in seats on the lower level where I was at) and they lost the crowd in spots during the show. The Beacon is a great place, but it probably would have been sold out in a slightly smaller venue. It was pretty full, though.

[Toph]

To me this makes no sense because their Greatest Hits shows only draw big audiences if they are paired with other similar type bands. Styx/REO/ Journey - Styx/Kansas/Foreigner Styx/Bad Company/ Billy Squire.

When they play alone they only draw 1000 - 2500.

With this show they play most of their classic hits from two TOTALLY classic albums. These are the albums the current band members say they want to play. This is who they are as musicians. Dennis made them go in a different direction. It's a state of the art show. It's orginal. It is something that will keep them fresh. It is something that will challenge their GREAT GREAT drummer. It gets them away from another tired Greatest Hits type show, and finally they will draw virtually the same amount of fans if they were playing solo anyway.

If they must pair themselves with another similar type band do this show anyhow. REO could do Tuna Fish & Hi Infidelty while Styx keeps playing this.

Again, we have to concede that the Styx Greatest Hits Shows are literally missing most of the hits - since they won't play many of those DDY songs. So, you realy aren't getting Greatest Hits. The best way to see Styx Greatest Hits is to see Dennis, but then again he never leave the midwest and Northeast. Forget about the guy ever coming south.

[Toph]

With this show they play most of their classic hits from two TOTALLY classic albums. These are the albums the current band members say they want to play. This is who they are as musicians. Dennis made them go in a different direction.

Can we stop perpetuating this myth? Tommy wrote "Crystal Ball" (originally not a rocker and to some degree it never was even with the electric stuff added), "Fooling Yourself" (not exactly Back in Black). "Sing for the Day" (not a rocker), "Aku Aku" (a slow instrumental) - both songs off of Po8, "Boat on the River" (not a rocker or even close) ... shall I go on? This is before the days of robots. No one pushed Tommy into writing those tunes. That's who he is. Listen to Shaw Blades. Listen to those bluegrass clips. Come to the grips that your favorite little blonde haired dynamo actually likes to play acoustic driven music more than most would like to admit.

I could see where they may have revolted against writing about robots, but saying Dennis was the only one who had a softer side or embraced that stuff is bullshit pure and simple. At heart, Tommy is a good ol' boy who loves down home music and things like the blues.

GREAT POST...And can I add that I think Tommy is at his best when he has an acoustic guitar in hand. I'll take FY, CB, SFTD, BOTR over BCM 100% of the time....

[Toph]

but it made him realize that it'll never be like it used to, no matter who does or doesn't come back (Dennis).

That's something I've said for awhile. Last night really did put bookends on it since I saw Dennis and Styx in close proximity date-wise.

And froy, Dennis would not have necessarily made that show any better even if the performances were all top notch. Some of the problems were fundamental to executing the albums in sequence. I've seen bad Styx shows (like the one in CA where Tommy looked like he wanted to be anywhere BUT there). This was not that show. I can come out of a show liking some stuff, you know. I hate the a capella version of "Show Me The Way", yet somehow I managed to get through those Dennis shows where he did them ...

"And so my friends, we'll say goodnight
For time has claimed its prize...
But tonight can always live
As long as we keep alive
The memories of Paradise......."

[StyxCollector]

And, none of your examples are "Babe"....or even close to as much of a syrupy ballad song.

That has nothing to do with the price of fish. Dennis wrote "Rockin' the Paradise" and co-wrote songs like "Born for Adventure", too. So what? The bottom line is that it seems like two of the three writers in Styx had a softer spot. "Babe" was at least commercially viable as a song to be a hit; "Boat on the River" didn't here in the uSA. At the end of the day, the band is about making themselves and the record company money. Or perhaps people forget that. Artistic integrity is a crock of crap. Had Styx continued on the GI/Po8 path, they would have died a quick death soon thereafter. Much like Journey changed after their first three albums to remain commercially viable. "Open Arms" is about as syrupy as it gets - waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than "Babe", but you don't see folks over in the Journey camp say it ruined them much.

John Lennon wrote "Imagine". Is he a pussy because of it?

Ballads are not the devil.

It's such a fucking ridiculous argument.

The only band who you could even argue these days kept their integrity all along was Rush. They synthesized new influences and made them ytheir own. The record company wanted hits, they delivered 2112 because it may have been their last hurrah. Bands like Journey and Styx did what they needed to do. Even Mr. Schon realizes not playing "Open Arms" live is a stupid idea even if he hates it.

[Bearded Clam]

Artistic integrity is a crock of crap. The only band who you could even argue these days kept their integrity all along was Rush.

that's a good point, they may have dabbled in 80's nonsense musically but they never sold out.

[yogi]

Shirley are you going to write a review or not?