"This Is Styx" - Album version

[Toph]

Gonna piggyback on a note from a little bit ago that asked, if you were to play one song that best represents Styx, what would it be? It seemed like Come Sail Away was perceived by most to represent the band with its piano/ballad beginning, high harmony/catchy chorus, guitar licks, and prog middle and overall pop sensibilities. Now, you get to play an album for this person/alien who has never heard Styx. What, in your mind, best represents the band throughout its entire career? There is an easy answer that most will probably flock to, but I'm not sure it best represents the band for its entire career.

So, first assumption - only the A&M years are in the consideration set? By far and away the most successful and the one where the band, most known as Styx is complete. So, let's take it album by album

Equinox - Great album! But the lack of Tommy Shaw, the heavy DDY influence, and the lack of a true pop song or ballad prohibits it from being the Styx album that best represents the band.

Crystal Ball - Tommy Shaw is on this one and makes a good contribution. The acoustic guitar influence is there, but there is not the memorable song on this album beyond the title track to really make it representative of the band. They are still finding their sea legs here with a new member.

Grand Illusion - This is what I referred to as the easy pick. And justifiably so. Strong contributions by all 3 members. Arguably the best "side" of an album in Side 1 with 3 monster songs. But....does it represent the 80s version of the band well enough? Some may say CSA was as relevant in the 80s as the 70s given its long shelf life (heck, it was even played on an episode of the hit 80s show, the Goldbergs, as its shelf life meant that it had relevance to 80s kids as well as late 70s kids). But the album (and song) clearly belongs in the late 70s and lacks the true power ballad that Styx did very well. But even lacking that, is it the album that best represents Styx?

Pieces of Eight - Another strong album, but overall "harder" edged than the typical Styx album. For that reason alone, Pieces of Eight can't represent the band because it best represents the harder side of Styx. For many "rockers", its their favorite albums - and justifiably so. But does it represent the band holistically? I don't see it.

Cornerstone - The opposite of Pieces of Eight in that it represents the softer/acoustic/ballad side of the band. Can't be the representative Styx album for the same reasons that Pieces of Eight can't be - just on the other side of the spectrum

Paradise Theatre -Now we're getting interesting. A combination of pop ballads, pop rockers, and a touch of progressive rock, Paradise Theatre is an awfully strong contender to represent the holistic Styx. A concept album with strong contributions by each of the three writers in the group. It has strong songs with maybe a clunker in there too. Which leads me to my next thought - Styx had some clunkers, so shouldn't the representative Styx album maybe have a clunker? That being said, the album lacks some of the acoustic style so prevalent in earlier albums. But is that enough to disqualify it? I don't think so. Certainly one with a lot of potential to be the "representative Styx album."

Kilroy - Too techno, too pop, next.

Edge of The Century - Too head band-ish, no Tommy Shaw, next.

So, that leaves us with Grand Illusion and Paradise Theatre as the two finalists to be the most representative Styx album. If we're talking representative - by a tiny hair, I have to go with Paradise as it covers more ground than Grand Illusion and showcases more of the band's variety. It has everything - ballad to hard rock and even a pseduo backwards message thrown in...Both great albums, but if someone said to me, what one album best represents the career of Styx, I have to say Paradise.

What say you?

[masque]

toph you and I are 100% on the same page.......I agree with every word of your post above......well said! i literally think these two albums are a coin flip for showing someone new "what is styx"?" and like you I think I would maybe give PT a VERY slight edge.

this only works though if you are a fan that finds value in their entire A & M run.......which i think you and both are.....so i would understand some people choosing GI or equinox or POE because of that earlier a & m sound.

it's not a slam dunk for me but i think the brilliance of PT simply cannot be overlooked.

[yogi]

Good Assembly Line. Not trying to hijack it.

I love live music if the album is recorded correctly.

I really think that if Styx would have done a better job with 'Caught In The Act' it could have been a GREAT GREAT recording. All I think they would have needed to do was add the video songs onto the albums and it would have been great. Even epic.

They ought to go back, and add those songs.

[FormerDJMike]

Good Assembly Line. Not trying to hijack it.

I love live music if the album is recorded correctly.

I really think that if Styx would have done a better job with 'Caught In The Act' it could have been a GREAT GREAT recording. All I think they would have needed to do was add the video songs onto the albums and it would have been great. Even epic.

They ought to go back, and add those songs.

I asked JY about Caught In The Act sometime. I mentioned that is wasn't complete -- that several songs from the video were missing from the CD and some songs on the video were missing from the CD. It would be more complete to reissue BOTH the CD and Video as a complete show. This was before the DVD came out. He said that was a "good idea" but left it at that. Then the DVD came out and it was the same as the VHS version with extra MTV videos. I don't know how much input they had into the release of it, while it is an enjoyable DVD there are too many "extras" missing from the DVD.

As for Paradise, it is my favorite Styx album so I gotta agree there.