MR

I am going to compare Styx "The Mission" to one of my favorite albums, Gentle Storm's "The Diary". I was thinking about doing this because they are very similar in some ways...and the differences are what I would point to that could have made "The Mission" even better than what it is.

The premise of "The Mission" is a group going on a mission to Mars. The struggle of being away from home and the people you love. Dealing with all of the things that could go wrong. Getting through the struggles of facing problems and the environment. Ultimately getting to the Mars outpost and establishing their new 'home'.

"The Diary" takes place a couple hundred years ago. It is about a 'diary' a lady keeps about her relationship with her husband.
The are a young couple and the man becomes a sailor and leaves on his own 'mission' of sailing around the known world. It also addresses the struggles of being away from someone you love. It also talks about dealing with the struggles of being on a ship at sea. However, the songs are about both his, and her, points of view.

One of the feature of "The Diary" is that there are two discs. There is a "gentle" version and a "storm" version. The two CD's contain the same songs but under different arrangements. The "gentle" version is a lighter, softer, acoustic, sometimes even Jazzy version. The "storm" version is an electric, rock, version. Both feature a lot of orchestration. So, there is a TON there to absorb musically.

So, now I'll compare the songs and how the two stories were written:

"THe Mission" starts with "Overture"/"Gone, Gone, Gone". To me, these are one song. WIthout "Overture" the song is very short. It is essentially the start, the launch of the mission to Mars. "Let's get this show on the road".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1gVIBKZ6cg

"The Diary" starts with "Endless Sea". This is a song about the man going out to sea and the woman writing a sorta "goodbye". It is the start of the tale, the separation...a peek at their love, and a prelude to what the adventure on the sea will be like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPE3j6Gg_r4 (storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml-v1bgMJDQ (gentle version)

--------------
The Mission - "Hundred Million Miles From Home" - This song is about being out in space so far away from those you love. They are pushing forward on their mission, while missing home and wanting to communicate with them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETjnmDV6heg

The Diary - "Heart of Amsterdam" - Basically a song about the lady living in Amsterdam...and speaking of what he left behind when he left her. BTW, I love the video - I find it hilarious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q2Wx5H6wkg (storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck0Z40AZKu0 (gentle version)

--------------
The Mission - "Trouble at the Big Show" - A problem happens. But, this token JY song almost feels unfinished to me. It could have used at least one more verse to flesh out the song more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLYp8MyMZRs

The Diary - "The Greatest Love" - She writes a letter to tell her husband that she is pregnant with his baby. This adds a bit of a twist and depth to the story. It's not just two lovers being apart any longer, but a family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKAI5Aff-K8 (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOMnruKNArw (Gentle version)

---------------
The Mission - "Locomotive" - Just a wonderful poem about someone on Earth writing about one of the crew on the mission.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOMnruKNArw

The Diary - "Shores of India" - The man writing back about his adventures and arriving in India. Also, replying to the news about the coming child. Again, I love the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY0Y1AwOyw0 (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyJdcvNfo3s (Gentle version)

----------------
The Mission - "Radio Silence" - Chorus is all about not being able to communicate with people. But, the song itself is all about putting that aside and continuing the mission as they make it to Mars and are about to land.

The Diary - "Cape of Storms" - Sailing around the cape at the southern tip of Africa is one of the most dangerous parts of the ocean in the world. A song about doing that. The music always reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CoweiwwqoE (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbJX34squJw (gentle version)

-----------------
The Mission - "The Greater Good" - A song about getting your shit together and pushing yourself to the end and being the best you can...regardless if that ending is good or bad.

The Diary - "The Moment" - Another letter she writes to her man. This time to tell him that her health is failing and wishing he was there with her. A bit of an instrumental at the end, too. Another twist that adds depth to the story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89l7NGvA3qQ (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4546zYs8fg4 (Gentle version)

--------------------
The Mission - "Time May Bend" - A song about losing time with those you love on Earth, in exchange for going on this mission to Mars and facing all of the risks that go along with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1hNT0llPfs

The Diary - "The Storm" - Basically his response to the letter in the last song. Now he is trying to get home to be with his wife, but he has to sail through a storm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaqGcJBFXPk (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC-w5Ej2670 (Gentle version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qpseRKIYuE (official live video)

----------------------
The Mission - "Ten Thousand Ways" - Just a short bit about worrying about the multitude of mistakes that can be made. Again, too short. Feels unfinished.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIMMjjtzdlo

The Diary - "Eyes of Michiel" - A song about the birth of their child, Michiel, and her wanting him home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyDknhDKM6U (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QWsKw-E3jw (Gentle version)

----------------------
The Mission - "Red Storm" - To me, this is comparable to "The Storm" above. It is a song about fighting their way through a wind storm on Mars. FWIW, wind storms on Mars can engulf the entire planet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83ccY-cxsis

The Diary - "Brightest Light" - He is finally on his way home with clear skies and will arrive in Spring. It's a song about determination to get home to reunite his family, see his child, and be there before his wife dies and a belief that his return will save her life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxDNTUkgcvo (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s46nY_lghf0 (Gentle version)

----------------------
The Mission - "All Systems Stable" and "Khedive" - These are essentially preludes to "The Outpost". Excellent keyboards by Gowan on Khedive.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... ms+stable+
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT922bkoOI4

The Mission "Outpost" - The final destination of "The Mission". Setting up an outpost on Mars to create a link to go back and forth to Mars. The mission completed they go back to Earth with success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW3-Wjj_WKM

The Diary - "New Horizons" - She is giving a bit of a reprise and expressing her continuing hope for his return. When he returns, she hopes for a rebirth of a new future. All she hopes for is to see him one last time before she dies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5mHBaS48ag (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVabPdSBcQg (Gentle version)

-----------------------
The Mission - "Mission to Mars" - a sorta quick celebration type song to end the album. A fun song to wrap up the album

The Diary - "Epilogue: The Final Entry" - A bitter sweet ending in that he does not make it back home before she dies, but he does have their son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdXqPNVShpE (Storm version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQtI_jYgUwM (Gentle version)

So, that is my summary of both albums. For some final comments:

Before I begin, IMO, "The Diary" is a perfect album. IMO, "The Mission" is very good, but not perfect. These two albums are very comparable in their stories they are trying to tell. Comparing them allows me to critique "The Mission" without using past Styx albums, or DDY, for comparison. That is why I did this.

So, first thing, as I said above, some of the Styx songs are just too short. They easily could have been fleshed out a bit more and made into longer, more complete songs. However, there are only a couple. It's not like the entire album is full of tiny songs.

When comparing the two, "The Diary" is almost a conversation between two lovers who have been separated and miss each other. Then the pregnancy and sickness is thrown in to add more drama. "The Mission" started to do this with "Locomotive" but it seems the POV from those on Earth who care about those on the mission was held back. Styx chose to concentrate more on the mission then on the human drama. That's not good or bad, it is just a choice but I think it worked out a lot better in "The Diary". It just adds more depth to the story and the songs.

One thing with "The Diary" is that Anneke sings the songs from both the male and female perspective. I am not sure if that would have worked out so well with Styx and maybe that is why they didn't go there.

"The Mission" has a lot of things in it that most people may miss. For example, 'hyperbolic fumes' is a real dangerous thing in space flight. All of the themes of dealing with isolation, loneliness, missing home are real things things that astronauts have to deal with. The same with being 'perfect', a small mistake can kill everybody...the amount of pressure is something I doubt most people can understand. Of course, the wind storms on Mars is a real danger. All of these things Tommy had to read about or research.

The music on "The Mission" is very Styx'ish. I don't see how anybody can deny that. I doubt anybody wrote Gowan's keyboard bits for him. It IS lacking JY, but I honestly do not miss that for what this album was doing.

For me, to make "The Mission" a perfect album, like "The Diary" is very simple...complete the couple songs that seem too short and maybe add one or two more songs from the Earth perspective. That's all it would have taken.

"The Diary" is very ambitious in that they have two versions of every song. In addition, they had a single that included some cover songs. There is so much there to digest and go back to and relisten and enjoy in a different way. Styx needed something more to push "The Mission" to that level.

So, "The Mission" isn't perfect...but it is definitely a great album full of great songs.

The extra Gentle Storm songs from the single/EP:

The Castle Hall : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bLBqN_FhSk
A Day In the Life : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jBuAGtSQ5g
Comatose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyStZWH7tF4
Waking Dreams : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lec9HPqzgs

First off I’ve never in my life heard of Gentle Storm. What type of band are they? Where are the from? Were they popular? Shit I’m gonna purchase this album once I start to wane from 26 East. I’m not kidding I’m really interested in this band now. Compare their vocals to a band or singer I may know please.

Secondly & final - this is a great great post & assembly line Monker. I hope it doesn’t get hijacked because I really enjoyed reading this. I love the album The Mission. I think it’s a great concept where the songs played to the concept and could stand on their own. I thought Locomotive was genius and is one of my favorite all time Styx songs. The Red Storm, Greater Good & Radio Silence were also fantastic. I enjoyed the entire album and have played the hell out of it. For me Styx doing this album minus Dennis and now Dennis creating 26 East minus Tommy , JY , Chuck & Todd shows how truly brilliant they ALL are.

Never heard of them either.But looking them up,I know the name Arjen Lucassen.Dutch can be a good thing.
Not into this new metal stuff really, but there is always an exception.Nice review tho' Mo.

yogi wrote:First off I’ve never in my life heard of Gentle Storm. What type of band are they? Where are the from? Were they popular? Shit I’m gonna purchase this album once I start to wane from 26 East. I’m not kidding I’m really interested in this band now. Compare their vocals to a band or singer I may know please.

Secondly & final - this is a great great post & assembly line Monker. I hope it doesn’t get hijacked because I really enjoyed reading this. I love the album The Mission. I think it’s a great concept where the songs played to the concept and could stand on their own. I thought Locomotive was genius and is one of my favorite all time Styx songs. The Red Storm, Greater Good & Radio Silence were also fantastic. I enjoyed the entire album and have played the hell out of it. For me Styx doing this album minus Dennis and now Dennis creating 26 East minus Tommy , JY , Chuck & Todd shows how truly brilliant they ALL are.

Well, as said above, they are a Dutch band with Arjen Luccassen and Anneke van Giersbergen. Though I would not consider them a "metal" band. I would consider them more a Progressive Rock band, with a lot of orchestra instruments. I guess the closest description would be combining Kansas with Ann and Nancy Wilson singing.

As far as vocals, I think Anneke is incredible. She can sing anything. She's done albums singing everything from folk music to country music to opera and hard metal music...she's done covers from everything from Barbara Striesand to Pink Floyd to U2, to Queen, to Iron Maiden. Prior to the pandemic, she was going to do a solo tour in various churches. She's like a female Steve Perry to me...well, the Steve Perry from the late 70's. It's hard for me to compare her to anybody because she really doesn't fit into any specific category.

Gentle Storm did morph into a metal, well Progressive Metal, band called Vuur. They have released one album titled, "In This Moment We Are Free". It's also a concept album written about various cities that have left various impressions on her as she has toured...and the lyrics weave "in this moment we are free" in various ways. Arjen isn't involved and it a MUCH harder rock album then Gentle Storm...there is nothing "gentle" about Vuur.

Thanks I’m gonna check them both out soon.