Paradise Theater, paradise or theater

[Abitaman]

Ah, Paradise Theater, my second favorite Styx CD. This CD is so close to be my favorite CD of all time (GI holds that title, and I think Journey's Escape is a little better than Paradise..), so Paradise Theater is my 3rd favorite CD of all time. It is Styx only #1 CD, and is Styx only CD to have 2 top 10 hits off of it if I remember right. But I still hear some people talk about how much better they think this CD could have been. So I was wondering, like before, what your thoughts are on this CD. Here are mine.
To me Paradise Theater is a masterpiece. And Styx is one of the few groups to have back to back CD run of great Cd's, and have theses CD sell outstanding too.
The Cd's starting song Rockin the Paradise starts off doing that and sets the tone for the whole CD. AD 1928 is the intro to the song and the whole CD revolves around this, the rise and fall of the American dream or society. But Rockin is a straight forward rocker, there is no metal or prog rock about it. Dennis sings the lyrics fast and straight ahead, no time to showboat his awesome vocal ability, but he gets the point across. the band sounds great, and drive the songs home.
Too Much Time On My Hands, is probably one of Tommy's best songs, and maybe better know than any other song of his. Yes I think even better know than Renegade. Too Much.. is a straight a head rock song with a disco feel to it, or is it a disco song with a hard rock line to it? But either way "I" think it is a disco connected song. After all it came at the beginning of the 80's. In concert they play a more rock version of the song. Great song with it's reflection of society. But then the whole CD is about that.
Nothing Ever Goes As Planned has a great vocally by Dennis, here he gets to strut his stuff. I miss Dennis doing songs like this, just cutting lose. with the music right behind him
Best of Times starts just like Rocking the Paradise, first time I heard it I thought it was a mistake on the record. But both songs build up the same, but after that, they head off in to different directions. Both great songs. Best of Times is one of Styx best know songs. The piano in the middle, is just awesome.
Lonely People, as great ans the music and lyrics are on this song, again Dennis' voice is the main attraction on this song. Singing from the gut, he just lets loose.
She Cares is the weak song of the CD, it is not bad, but not quite as good as the rest of the CD. Musically and vocally I like the song, it is the lyrics that are not the best. Of course Tommy didn't really want to do a concept CD, so maybe that was the problem, he only wrote two songs for this CD.
Snowblind, written by Dennis and JY, sung by JY and Tommy. This song rocks. This song has been said to be about so many things. Backward satanic masking, to cocaine use, to satanic possession, to doing anything for love. Plus there are probably more ideas floating around out there, to what this song is really about. Me for the longest time, I thought the song was about being in love and not being able to walk away from her. But as I got older and saw more, I realized it was more about love fro drugs and how hard it is to get away from it. Anyone else and idea on it? But a great song either way
Anyone have any idea on the backward masking they "were" suppose to put on it?
Half Penny Two Penny is my favorite JY song. Miss America and These are the Times are a very close second and third. Amazing guitar work, Jy's voice is great and not annoying like it can be. Solo in song just graet. But the CD must come to an end. and it ends the way it begins. Like the way AD 1958 plays into Half Penny... And yes it is not only the end to a CD but an era of our country and Styx has well.
Cut to State Street Sadie, curtain falls, music fades..the end
So was this a magic moment for them, or just pure theater with some rock music throw in?-ERIC

[AnnieOprah]

Thanks for posting your thoughts on Paradise Theater. I tend to really enjoy that album myself. It was definitely more "harder" that Cornerstone. The entire first side is Classic Styx. Lonely People is ok - even though at one point it sounds a bit pitchy in Dennis's vocals. She Cares is the most UNDER-RATED Styx song of all time. Catchy, upbeat - it could have and should have been a single!! Snowblind, I can take or leave, but oh what a controversy it created with the backwards Satanic Messages!! I heard an interview with Dennis and he said once that they went back into the studio because they said "these people are idiots!!" and they played the whole song backwards. And they heard "Mooo Satan Mooo im our voisajnaka" And he said it kind of freaked them out because you could definitely hear what people were talking about. Anyway, they were as surprised at anyone that you could hear that - has something to do with phonics and coincidence of certain sounds. But he said it was unintentional. Enough of That - Half Penny Two Penny and the ending - CLASSIC!!

Great album. Great concept. And well worth a number one ranking.

A couple of chart notes
The album actually had 3 top 10 singles. 2 on Pop (BOT, TMTOMH) and RTP hit #6 on Rock Charts. If they had released She Cares as the next single, I bet they would have had another top 10 hit.

And on your note, I think Kilroy also joins Paradise as having two top 10 Pop singles with Roboto and DLIE. Isn't that true?

Great review and write up!

[gr8dane]

Yes Eric.Nice one.
Well,Paradise did have a few classics.
Snowblind, one of my favorite AM years.
Lonely people is a fine song too.But but but,not much else here for me.

[bugsymalone]

Whoo! Finally recovered from my Jersey trip so I can reply to this.

Eric, you covered a lot of territory in your review.

I will say that this album, despite its status as Styx' only number one, is not among my top favorites. Probably 3rd or 4th favorite.

AnnieOprah, I agree about DDY's voice. For the entire album, to me, it was not his best vocal work. Not sure what was going on at the time.

That said, I LOVE "Lonely People" except for that looooong, hard-to-hear, intro. I do not think it belonged at the beginning of that song. And THAT said, the song itself is one of Dennis' strongest -- music and lyrics. And that long, sustained, unexpected note at the end is just fantastic.

Rockin' the P is a fun, rocking song and I still love hearing it in concert. It is a real barometer of how much fun Dennis is having onstage when he sings it.

This album does have one of JY's best -- Half Penny, Two Penny. Such a good song! And JY sings it just right. I love how it fades into the closing of the album, too.

Snowblind is one I usually skip.

Best of Times has never done a whole lot for me. Love Dennis that I do, I am way more a fan of his prog rock songs than his ballads with Styx.

Nothing Ever Goes as Planned is ok. It has some great lyrics, but I prefer earlier DDY songs in this vein (Why Me and I'm OK).

Tommy is hit and miss here. She Cares is so-so. NOT a big fan of this song. Too Much Time is a good one and it has a great video they made for it. Still makes me chuckle. It is a clever, fun song with a great, driving beat.

I like the concept of this album very much and it fit in with the times perfectly, and with what Styx would eventually go through as a group.

Bugsy

[Abitaman]

Whoo! Finally recovered from my Jersey trip so I can reply to this.




Snowblind is one I usually skip.





Bugsy

Have you done a review of the concert yet?

Why do you skip snowblind, is because of the song, or you have heard it to much?-ERIC

[bugsymalone]

Have you done a review of the concert yet?

Why do you skip snowblind, is because of the song, or you have heard it to much?-ERIC

Some of the reviews are in the Ash Jersey Blog on this site. I did a longer one on DDYTalk and the Dennis Yahoogroups.

Snowblind -- Kinda tired of it. Also, not crazy about the song itself.

Bugsy