MR

Okay, I know some of these are going to be ridiculous, but as I consider some of you older and wiser Styx fans, the following questions continually lurk in my thoughts. . . . .

What exactly is said during the bridge of "Lights"? I can't make it out and I am too lazy to skip back and listen over and over again!

Why DOES Tommy always hold his acoustic guitar up vertically during the intro to Fooling Yourself at concerts?

What is the best Styx song to listen to if I want to get an idea of what John Curulewski's singing voice sounded like?

Why doesn't JY sing background vocals for the chorus of Come Sail Away in concert? (it's always DDY and TS in all the footage I've ever seen)

Did Styx play The Grand Illusion on the original tours like they did during Return To Paradise (with the additional music between the opening lines)?

What was the typical encore in the pre-Grand Illusion days?

Did John Panozzo make a habit of wearing what appears to be Navy whites? I've seen him dressed in them in a couple of different pieces of old footage, and was curious if this was just coincidence or a passing fad or was there something more to it? (This definitely qualifies as one of the sillier questions, but humor me).

How often and/or during which tours did JY wear that white outfit with the tall boots?

Did Tommy look good in those jumpsuits back in the day? Most of the older outfits I've seen from footage and pictures look dated, but not necessarily bad (with the exception of the jumpsuits). Just wanted a perspective from someone who was there. Seriously. I know, I need to get a life, or at the very least, a hobby.

Is JY REALLY a legend? If so, in your mind, when did he become one? Have as much fun as you'd like with this question!

I can answer some...
John only wore that sailor outfit on the PT tour as far as I know...
Grand Illusion on the PT tour was played with the extra part...
Tommy has always seemed to be a very trendy guy which make his photos age about as well as a bananna on top of the fridge...
JY a legend? Where? For what?...
Finally I can guess that Tommy holds his guitar up and spins around during Fooling Yerself because he used to do it back in the day and if he didn't do it he is afraid the internet would crash with all of the fans (on this board and others) speculating as to why he stopped.

in regards to tommy holding the guitar upright, two reasons i can think of: 1. It does sound a little bit of tone diiference but thats a musician thing. 2. dramatic effect. - I would go with the second option.

in regards to jy not singing on come sail away, i am going to guess that it is the harmony arrangement they are trying to get.

both are guesses but probably aren't that far off.

A few answers here:

No idea what is being mumbled in the background on Lights. I really have been too lazy myself to figure it out. I just enjoy that jazz tinged bridge they do on it. Tres cool!

I am about 90% sure Tommy holds up the guitar for dramatic effect. He has a spotlight on him (something he clearly loves) while he does it. I personally really like how it looks when he does it. And I am a 12-string freak anyway.

I think "A Day" is a great song to listen to John C's voice. It is a long song and he sings most of it by himself. My personal favorite John C. song is "Mother Dear" which he does in harmony with Dennis. Really good song!

I think John P just wore the navy uniform as a sort of "signature" for himself. Make him stand out a bit. That and his enormous afro. He abandoned it finally.

Tommy's jumpsuits? Well.....I guess they were better than the little sailor suit he has on in the "Lights" promo video. I am sure he wore them for comfort. Not a great look on him. I knew a lot of old men who wore those in the 70's too.
The stage outfits of Styx could fill a whole thread on here alone. Dennis' pink suit, JY's white jumpsuit and boots. Dennis' riverboat gambler look, Chuck P's mafia getup. You get the idea.

Ah...JY the legend. I only know the reference he made on VH1Classic Headline Act where he referred to himself, with, what I could tell, a straight face, as a "reluctant legend." Uh hunh. In his dreams.....


Bugsy

Bugsy,

You nailed the John C Vocals question.... "A Day" is JC 's signature song with Styx vocally, and It's one of my favorite Styx songs of all time. If JC had stayed with the band, they probably wouldnt have made it commercially, or been a band similar to Ambrosia, who made it commercially with only their ballads. JC would have probably kept their sound more towards progressive Rock vs commercial. It's an interesting alternate universe to consider.

JC's voice did blend beautifully with DDY's, as evidenced by the vocals on Mother Dear. Tommy was obviously by far a more gifted Writer, but JC blended voices with DDY as well as Tommy does IMO. He also played a mean Acoustic Guitar ( both 6 and 12 string) Listen to Prelude 12 closely, that's no walk in the park, even for an accomplished Guitar Player.

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday weekend......it's raining cats and Dogs here in America's Dairyland, with no relief in sight.

I figured out what is said on Lights... but being a gentleman I can't post it...sawry.