Listening Party - Paradise Theatre

[Toph]

"Not For Today, But For All Time"

The Paradise Theatre, Styx's most over the top concept album to date with a worldwide tour with a finely crafted stage show with a choreographed introduction that brings the theatre to light in a real time concert setting. Coming off being repositioned to appeal to a broader audience and being named by Gallup as the most popular band in the country on the heels of the success of "Babe", Paradise Theatre took the USA by storm and even made an impact worldwide. Showcasing a jazzier sound with even more horns, Paradise Theatre does bring back some straightforward rock that was arguably missing on Cornerstone. With only 1 real ballad, it gets back to a more balanced sound. with contributions from all three members. While DDY envisions the concept and contributes more than half of the material, all three principle songwriters bring strong showings to the album as at least one of each's songs receives significant airplay.

A few other pieces of trivia about Paradise Theatre

- idea based upon a painting by the same artist that did the cover for DDY's 100 Years from Now Solo Album and was used to represent America's decline in the 70s. Interestingly, DDY came out and publically supported Ronald Reagan for President in 1980 election, just prior to the January 1981 release date of Paradise Theatre.
- Styx's only number #1 album and it hit it for #1 for 3 weeks, - April 4, April 11, May 9
- An example of how hot the band was at the time and how ready radio was for new Styx product, the first single, Best of Times, ENTERED the charts at #35 in its first week in release - which was crazy for a first single (by comparison, Come Sail Away entered the charts at #79 and had a slow climb to the top 10).
- I mentioned this earlier - only week (April 25th) where two Styx songs were in the top 20 (BOT #9, TMTOMH at #19). The next week, TMTOMH would continue its run upward, while Best of Times was fading out to #23, thus making this the only week where Styx ever accomplished this feat
- Recreated Styx cred at Rock Radio with two Rock Singles - RTP (#8), Snowblind (#22)
- 5th single NEGAP had a middling chart performance at #54 on the pop charts.
- The laser etching LP was really innovative for the time

So, relive the early 80s and Styx's contribution to the year 1981 in rock - the peak year for arena rock with huge albums from Styx, REO, Journey, and Foreigner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adOITE1 ... 8B789C4727

[masque]

this album sits very high on my lists for a number of reasons......first of all the songs are freaking fantastic......I love every single song on this album.....even the much maligned "she cares".....

i was so happy with this album because it was great to see them rocking out a bit harder overall than they did on CS. In addition, this album contains what I feel is easily the best ballad DDY ever wrote in "the best of times".......to clarify, i dont really consider CSA as a true ballad and I sort of feel "lady" isnt really a straight ballad. anyway, back to "best of times".......the lyrics are great, the melody is great and the bridge to this song is still one of the best bridges ever written for a rock song. I tip my hat to DDY for writing this gem........and this is the only song that I truly miss hearing from the current version of Styx.....the other DDY songs they omit dont really bother me, but this one hurts as I think it is vintage Styx.

"rockin the paradise" and "half penny-two penny" are two fabulous rockers. i think both are classic styx songs.

"snowblind" is certainly one of the most important songs ever for Styx.....I am always surprised by how many "causal" fans love this song.....you sort of think it's a deep cut but more than a few folks know this song.

'TMTOMH" is a great song and while I admit that I am a but personally burned on it, I recognize that it's classic Styx and is still a great song.

to me, the secret potion that makes this album so good and still a joy to listen to is, are the deeper cuts from Dennis.....NEGAP is freaking great.......this worked real well for me....it was DDY still planted in more theater type of a song but it was very well written and still had a definitive rock feel. the sleeper on this album is "lonely people"......this tune is one of my favorite non-hit Styx songs ever.

and even though I am a huge Tommy guy, this album shines because of DDY and JY.....some of their finest moments....Tommy's hit (TMTOMH) is a great song, She Cares is a tune I like but I know it's the weak point of the album.....his vocal on Snowblind is perfect even though he technically didnt write on the song. So this album isnt Tommy's finest moment....he does good but there are other albums where he shines better.

this album doesnt really sound like GI or POE.....nor does it really sound like CS.....it sort of sets on it's own and combines elements of all three of those albums.....with a slight lean more towards the CS sound.

this was a band that was confident and the album sounded like they were confident.......the other real cool thing about this album that will always be a part of my remembering of it was that Styx was all over MTV. MTV launched in August of 81 and this album was huge at that time so the videos were on all of the time and it was really great getting to see them all the time on TV.

two thumbs up for PT....overall rating 9.2

[ztyxlynne]

I remember when this album came out like it was yesterday. All my friends and I got the album on the same day. The laser etch on the record itself was cool. The album was definitely more modern than any of the previous albums especially with more horn's. RTP was a great was to open the album. Just like Renagade I do skip over TMTOMH just because I has heard it so much, still a good song. Nothing Ever Goes as Planned I like a lot. Best of times is a lot better than Babe. Lonely People is a great song. She cares, filler. Probably a sign of Tommy's frustration. Snow Blind is still a classic. Half Penny is JY,s best song. Probably because Dennis helped in the writing. Overall a 9 from me. Tommy on Behind the Music said after Cornerstone he wanted a rock record. Well he didn't rock to much on Cornerstone and he came up with She Cares for Paradise? I started listening to this album again and I can't put it away.

[scarab]

A great album throughout. Only thing missing is a good TS rocker. TMTOMH is great, and She cares has a great Jackson Browne vibe. Half Penny and Snowblind are 2 of my favorite Styx rockers. The only real ballad TBOT is great, a real departure from cornerstones sappy ballads.
This is a real close 2nd to Pieces of Eight for my favorite. Pieces of Eight rocked, giving it a leg up.

The sad thing is it all went downhill from here. A good song here and there but This is the last "good" styx album.

[FormerDJMike]

My favorite album of all time. I remember hearing Too Much Time on the radio. I was a somewhat new Styx fan and 10 or 11 years old. They didn't announce the artist or the song but I KNEW who it was by the style. Loved the laser etched album. Not a bad song on it, much better than Cornerstone and I even like She Cares. I have always enjoyed that song.Every song is good. Loved the AD 1928 and AD 1958 as well as the intro to The Best Of Times. I thought it was cool that they were all very similar.

[Archetype]

I wouldn't say that this is Styx's best album, but I can say that it's one of my top favorite "feel good" albums. I associate listening to it with a really good period in my life. I think I'm going to give it a spin tonight. It has been a long time.

[scarab]

Is Kilroy too bad for a listening party?

[Everett]

Is Kilroy too bad for a listening party?

Yup. That's why topher's behind

[Toph]

Is Kilroy too bad for a listening party?

Been traveling. Sorry. Still have to do my PT review. Give me til tomorrow?

[Toph]

Paradise Theatre....or is Paradise Theater? Regardless of how you spell it, it is in my opinion one of the all time great Styx albums. The production is by far the best of any Styx album. Listen to the crispness and clearness of this record. You can tell that the piano in AD 1928 is in fact an old time player piano. It just sounds different than the grand piano. Best harmonies on any Styx album prior to or after. Just a really tight sound. The concept was brilliant. Using a theatre as a metaphor for the US? Genius! The flow of the songs and the fact that all three members have strong contributions to this record makes it the most cohesive Styx record since Grand Illusion.

My only nit - if the record had had a 2nd ballad to release, the sales would have been similar to Escape or Hi Infidelity.

Let's look at it song by song.

AD 1928/RTP - Styx have always done a great job in starting their albums out with a "magical" touch and this one takes the cake. The keys of the player piano followed by Dennis's distinct voice on a lyric "Tonight's the night we'll make history" that will run throughout the album. It segways into Rockin The Paradise, a truly great opener for an album. Upbeat, optimistic with lyrics that match popular phrases of the 1920s. A lyrical masterpiece. Should have been a pop single in addition to a rock track.

Too Much Time On My Hands - Tommy Shaw's big contribution to the album. The first sign of the decline of the theater (the USA) - unemployment. A good almost new wavey type intro with the bass/keyboard duet and some great Shaw/DeYoung harmonies. A song with two catch choruses (the "I've got Too much.." and the "Too much time on my hands" coming into and out of the guitar bridge and at the end). Very poppy tune that I sometimes tire of, but still an excellent song and Styx masterpiece.

Nothing Ever - Underrated track. Very catchy. Not sure why it didn't do better on the charts unless it was just too jazzy for the charts at the time. "still got dem mother nature's blues" is a great ending line.

Best Of Times - I'll quote Glen Burtnik from Sterling's book "The Best of Times is about as good as it gets in the 80s pop/ballad scene" (paraphrase). Its plodding just works! The harmonies. Wow! Great tune that seemed so big when it was out, but hasn't had quite the longevity as it should have given its success. Probably because new Styx refuses to play it. Well, their mistake, its a Styx classic.

Lonely People - More jazzy Styx and a bit of a shift for Dennis as the song is clearly in a minor key with some weird key changes throughout. Have come to appreciate this song more over the years, but I didn't like what I felt was Dennis's off key scream/shouting (We both are empty, Paradise and me....do you believe I'm still chasing rainbows). I always thought it would sound better without the talk/shout/singing but I appreciate it more. Love the horns on this one. Another great insight into the decay of America.

She Cares - The most overly criticized song on the album, but I am going to defend it. Great melody, awesome hook. Not sure why it wouldn't have fit in as a later single off the album. Has tons of pop sensibilities to it. Of course Tommy has now really strayed from his Pieces of Eight years not having penned a real rocker since that album. The biggest beef I have with She Cares is the lyrics. They don't fit the album or its theme at all.

Snowblind - Scared the crap out of me as a kid. But I can appreciate it now and really find its message insightful - especially coming from the eyes of an addict. It shows Styx as being anti-drug which is a message I really like. Of course one could argue that its hypocritical since the only addict in the band is singing it and his drug problems continue to worsen years after the song is released. Or maybe that was the reason he did sing it? I'm sure he wished he had followed the song's advice.. Love the harmonies here - especially the ones over the guitar solo and at the end. A real departure from Styx, but keeps in the theme of the theatre - another sign of decay in America...drugs.

Half Penny/AD 1958 - Best JY song of all time! Harmonies continue to shine - they are just great on the entire album. Great mix of rocking JY offset by crisp harmonies and piano to bring it down just a tad and make it extremely melodic. Lyrics that summarize the exploitation of America and the power of money. The ending with the sax and piano, whether that is considered AD 1958 or still half penny is beautiful. And AD 1958 acknowledges the end of the theatre and repeats the theme first encountered in best of times of living on memories of the "good old days" - a great way to wrap up the album and it ties it all together.

State Street Sadie - love this. Why wasn't it longer?

Overall Styx's last hurrah. Their last truly great album in my opinion. It is always in my top 2. In fact some days it even beats out The Grand Illusion.

[yogi]

GREAT GREAT review TOPH!

Nothing Ever Goes as planned and Lonely People are both good songs but at the time were to jazzy and with the horns were a turn off for too many. I didn't like either song at the time but I do now.

Tommy's lyrics killed She Cares. 'Treats me like a Human' worst lyric ever. Why not Hero then you may have another hit.

Great review of a simply fantastic album.

[Kilroy1983]

"Tonight's the night we'll make history, as sure as dogs can fly ...." I always liked this. Go Sparky! - The flying dog.
But what I would like to comment on this album is about the last track - "State Street Sadie". The original album version is very short (just a few seconds) but there´s a long version (over 1min) of this song, with extended sessions of saxophone and clarinet and it was played as playback at the end of every show of "Paradise Theater Tour 81-82". Just a question, why Styx never officially released this long version? Maybe Sparky knows!!!!!! LOL

[ztyxlynne]

If I remember correctly at one of Dennis's Milwaukee shows he was selling Sparky the flying dog t-shirts. Wish I got one.

[Toph]

Does anyone have a transcript of the JY/Dennis dialog during the bridge in Half Penny Two Penny? I get bits and parts but haven't ever gotten what is said - the music over it is too overpowering.

[RPM]

Paradise Theatre....or is Paradise Theater? Regardless of how you spell it, it is in my opinion one of the all time great Styx albums. The production is by far the best of any Styx album. Listen to the crispness and clearness of this record. You can tell that the piano in AD 1928 is in fact an old time player piano. It just sounds different than the grand piano. Best harmonies on any Styx album prior to or after. Just a really tight sound. The concept was brilliant. Using a theatre as a metaphor for the US? Genius! The flow of the songs and the fact that all three members have strong contributions to this record makes it the most cohesive Styx record since Grand Illusion.

My only nit - if the record had had a 2nd ballad to release, the sales would have been similar to Escape or Hi Infidelity.

Let's look at it song by song.

AD 1928/RTP - Styx have always done a great job in starting their albums out with a "magical" touch and this one takes the cake. The keys of the player piano followed by Dennis's distinct voice on a lyric "Tonight's the night we'll make history" that will run throughout the album. It segways into Rockin The Paradise, a truly great opener for an album. Upbeat, optimistic with lyrics that match popular phrases of the 1920s. A lyrical masterpiece. Should have been a pop single in addition to a rock track.

Too Much Time On My Hands - Tommy Shaw's big contribution to the album. The first sign of the decline of the theater (the USA) - unemployment. A good almost new wavey type intro with the bass/keyboard duet and some great Shaw/DeYoung harmonies. A song with two catch choruses (the "I've got Too much.." and the "Too much time on my hands" coming into and out of the guitar bridge and at the end). Very poppy tune that I sometimes tire of, but still an excellent song and Styx masterpiece.

Nothing Ever - Underrated track. Very catchy. Not sure why it didn't do better on the charts unless it was just too jazzy for the charts at the time. "still got dem mother nature's blues" is a great ending line.

Best Of Times - I'll quote Glen Burtnik from Sterling's book "The Best of Times is about as good as it gets in the 80s pop/ballad scene" (paraphrase). Its plodding just works! The harmonies. Wow! Great tune that seemed so big when it was out, but hasn't had quite the longevity as it should have given its success. Probably because new Styx refuses to play it. Well, their mistake, its a Styx classic.

Lonely People - More jazzy Styx and a bit of a shift for Dennis as the song is clearly in a minor key with some weird key changes throughout. Have come to appreciate this song more over the years, but I didn't like what I felt was Dennis's off key scream/shouting (We both are empty, Paradise and me....do you believe I'm still chasing rainbows). I always thought it would sound better without the talk/shout/singing but I appreciate it more. Love the horns on this one. Another great insight into the decay of America.

She Cares - The most overly criticized song on the album, but I am going to defend it. Great melody, awesome hook. Not sure why it wouldn't have fit in as a later single off the album. Has tons of pop sensibilities to it. Of course Tommy has now really strayed from his Pieces of Eight years not having penned a real rocker since that album. The biggest beef I have with She Cares is the lyrics. They don't fit the album or its theme at all.

Snowblind - Scared the crap out of me as a kid. But I can appreciate it now and really find its message insightful - especially coming from the eyes of an addict. It shows Styx as being anti-drug which is a message I really like. Of course one could argue that its hypocritical since the only addict in the band is singing it and his drug problems continue to worsen years after the song is released. Or maybe that was the reason he did sing it? I'm sure he wished he had followed the song's advice.. Love the harmonies here - especially the ones over the guitar solo and at the end. A real departure from Styx, but keeps in the theme of the theatre - another sign of decay in America...drugs.

Half Penny/AD 1958 - Best JY song of all time! Harmonies continue to shine - they are just great on the entire album. Great mix of rocking JY offset by crisp harmonies and piano to bring it down just a tad and make it extremely melodic. Lyrics that summarize the exploitation of America and the power of money. The ending with the sax and piano, whether that is considered AD 1958 or still half penny is beautiful. And AD 1958 acknowledges the end of the theatre and repeats the theme first encountered in best of times of living on memories of the "good old days" - a great way to wrap up the album and it ties it all together.

State Street Sadie - love this. Why wasn't it longer?

Overall Styx's last hurrah. Their last truly great album in my opinion. It is always in my top 2. In fact some days it even beats out The Grand Illusion.

Great Review. This is sonically there best album. I never really appreciated it enough until I had a system
that would do it justice. "Nothing Ever goes as planned" stands out, ahead of its time really.

[yogi]

' Nothing Ever Seems To Matter' was the hidden track when you played Snowblind backwards at 78 RPM.

Styx was far far ahead of their time even back then with hidden tracks.

[masque]

' Nothing Ever Seems To Matter' was the hidden track when you played Snowblind backwards at 78 RPM.

Styx was far far ahead of their time even back then with hidden tracks.

yeh that was also my favorite hidden track from the album

[FormerDJMike]

' Nothing Ever Seems To Matter' was the hidden track when you played Snowblind backwards at 78 RPM.

Styx was far far ahead of their time even back then with hidden tracks.

yeh that was also my favorite hidden track from the album

Now that I have a turntable that plays in reverse (Audio Technica LP120) I need to play it backwards so I can hear Nothing Ever Seems to Matter

[yogi]

If you play it backwards at any other speed than 78 RPM you will hear JY in fine voice saying that Tommy and Dennis stole his Cheetos. He says it over and over again. No doubt its JY

It's at 78RPM where you hear the entire hidden track of Dennis on lead vocal singing 'Nothing Ever Seems to Matter'