MR

I just heard about this via another mailing list that I am a part of and thought I would share it with you all:

http://www.musicstation.com/cgi-bin/rot ... rch=166934


In case you cannot view the link:

how:
True Spin

Episode:
(#110)

Network:
(VH1) Video Hits One

Date:
Monday - March 15, 2004

Time:
11:30 pm - 12:00 am ET


Featured Artists
Five For Fighting, Matchbox 20, Carly Simon, Styx


About: (#110)
Carly Simon - Anticipation; Matchbox Twenty - Bent; Five For Fighting - Superman; Styx - Mr. Roboto.


About True Spin
What Behind The Music did for viewers and their love of various bands and artists, this show will do for our fascination with their songs. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" - Some say it was a song about LSD. Julian Lennon says it was about a childhood painting he did of a school friend floating in the sky amongst the stars. Want the real story? Go True Spin on VH1.

A classic song may be sweet, salacious, or sexy. But every song has its own original and unique story. Within the tapestry of our pop culture, myths about our favorite songs flourish exponentially. So, what are the true meanings of our favorite songs?

Introducing True Spin - the definitive show that uncovers the truth behind the classic songs of our time.

Just as an aside - for as much as some people like to pick on Mr. Roboto as lame, corny or just a bad song - I'd like to ask which other Styx song has become such a part of the pop culture lexicon. Sure "Come Sail Away" and "Babe" were hits.... but Mr. Roboto seem to be what most people really remember.

I agree with what you say about people remembering Roboto, more than other GREAT Styx songs like Lady, Come Sail Away, Renegade etc... To me thats pretty DAMN sad. To think of a song like Roboto being waaayyy more popular than Suite Madam Blue, Born For Adventure, and sooo many GREAT other Styx songs is sadder still. Having a group of Styx's quality being remembered by soo many casual fans for that song caterogorizes Styx into a group like DEVO. Damn if only they had released Plexiglass Toilet right after Roboto they would probably be in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame right now.

ROFL

yah.... and yet Dennis didn't write that one!

One other thing about something JY said (I think it was JY) about nothing from Kilroy really being all that memorable....

as memory serves me - "Don't Let It End" was a top 5 song and was ranked #60 on the billboard hot 100 for that year (as per the apple iTunes music store billboard chart for 1983).... Mr. Roboto was ranked #20 for that year and I believe it was either a #3 or #2 single. (Not sure if it ever made it to #1)

I still maintain that Mr. Roboto isn't a bad song. It was a perfect fit for the time period of music. A lot of people saw the video as ground-breaking for it's time period. It likely isn't the best "rock band live" song to play since it's basically all keyboards, drums, and bass.... but it's a very good 80s pop tune - and even hard rock acts like Van Halen were doing a lot more keyboard driven music by this time (JUMP anyone?). I don't think you should blame the artist or composer for getting wrapped up in the period of music in which they happen to be living. Stranger influences have happened.

I also think it says a lot that a song has managed to become part of common lingo. Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto has been used very very often since that song's release.

It is a catchy little tune. Sure it made some fans upset, any time a band/artist deviated from what you expect from them, that can happen. But it also brought them a whole newset of fans.Heck, even JY acknowledges that. And if those same fans then get to hear CSA, Renegade, TMTOMH, etc. isn't that a good thing?

Thank you very mucho Mr. Roboto

Sadie

Hey the beatles had Yellow Submarine, the who had momma's got a squeeze box, Jethro Tull had Bungle in the Jungle, how many 80's bands would have killed for one roboto.....I have watched these shows on VH1, I think they interview the members of the band then give two or three possible scenarios of what the song is about, not a bad show condiering some of the other dribble that comes from VH1 and MTV. I will set the VCR....domo arigot Ash

Ash wrote:ROFL

yah.... and yet Dennis didn't write that one!

One other thing about something JY said (I think it was JY) about nothing from Kilroy really being all that memorable....

as memory serves me - "Don't Let It End" was a top 5 song and was ranked #60 on the billboard hot 100 for that year (as per the apple iTunes music store billboard chart for 1983).... Mr. Roboto was ranked #20 for that year and I believe it was either a #3 or #2 single. (Not sure if it ever made it to #1)

I still maintain that Mr. Roboto isn't a bad song. It was a perfect fit for the time period of music. A lot of people saw the video as ground-breaking for it's time period. It likely isn't the best "rock band live" song to play since it's basically all keyboards, drums, and bass.... but it's a very good 80s pop tune - and even hard rock acts like Van Halen were doing a lot more keyboard driven music by this time (JUMP anyone?). I don't think you should blame the artist or composer for getting wrapped up in the period of music in which they happen to be living. Stranger influences have happened.

#3 Mr Roboto 1983
#6 Don’t Let It End 1983

Just saw it. Thought it was good. At least they didn't talk to JY and Tommy like they did for the VW/Roboto commercial. From that you would have thought they loved everything that ever surrounded that song.
Even though it was fast, there were some great images and footage in there Styx things over the year.
It was nice and appropriate too just see Dennis from Styx talking about this.
Cracked me that it was in the same show as the Superman song because in an interview on the radio last year when Dennis was asked if he liked any music of today, he mentioned that song, but he said the lyrics were great, not sure about the singer though.
It was just cool to watch.

Don't forget that these artists are (or at least WERE) quite shrewd. I've always had the feeling that each album had a couple of songs that STYX "planned" to be hits. By planned I mean that there are songs on each album which sound very much as if they were carefully crafted to fit the current rock/pop top 40 sound. Then, they would be as creative and artistic and original as they wished on the rest of the album. That isn't to say that these "planned" hits weren't artistic, just that they were carefully crafted to meet the "tastes" of the day. Often, these are not my favorite songs, although I have to admit, I dig "Mr. Roboto" :-)

Obvious example:

Renegade from Pieces of Eight.
Mr. Roboto and Don't let it End from Kilroy

but Mr. Roboto seem to be what most people really remember.

Unfortunately, yes. Nothing is more personally embarassing for me as a Styx fan than to tell someone not familiar with the band all about one of my favorite groups of all time and have the first response out of their mouth be "Hey, didn't they sing Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto."

Well it couldn't have been that bad. It sold over 2.5 million copies and garnered a whole second generation of fans. I think that says a lot that a band could have lightning strike twice.

Sadie

and the people he's asking may have a very favorable impression of that song... he's just embarrased because thats not the song that *he* wants them to associate with Styx.

Man isn't a band blessed when people from different walks of life get confused over which hit songs can be attributed to a band because there are so many?

and the people he's asking may have a very favorable impression of that song... he's just embarrased because thats not the song that *he* wants them to associate with Styx.

I'm sorry, I should've used a smiley instead of rolling eyes, I meant the Roboto thing in humor. In actuality, I've never been embarassed once in my life to be a Styx fan, nor do I have a pet song (or songs) that I want anyone to associate with Styx (didn't mean to come off quite so shallow ). For you to say that about me solidifies the fact that we are strangers and that you don't know me very well.

Well it couldn't have been that bad. It sold over 2.5 million copies and garnered a whole second generation of fans. I think that says a lot that a band could have lightning strike twice.

I agree. Selling millions of copies doesn't mean I have to like it. My dislike of Roboto is simply my own personal tastes and opinion. I'm not trying to argue that the general public didn't like it, or even that the majority of Styx fans didn't like it.

At first I didn't care for Mr. Roboto, but now I love it. It totally grew on me. My kids love it too. I even bought the Mr. Roboto Dancing Hamster. But, hey that's just my opinion.

Roboto was the epitome of a band altering their sound, and trying to fit in with the times.......or in other words, trying to be something they were not. Kilroy as a whole was a major step backwards for them IMHO.

I'm not sure I agree witth that. I think perhaps Kilroy was a vision of something that was troubling to it's writer. The fact that the band used a sound/style that was popular at the time was to enhance the vision. By no means am I suggesting that everyone should like it, did like it, or that it didn't have flaws. But I myself have always found it to be more forward thinking than most of the material that was out at the same time.

I fully appreciate that it isn't everyone's cup of tea however.

Sadie