Styx with CYO - Reviews

[DerriD]

I liked the song "The Calling" off of the Talk album. The rest is okay at best. Big Generator was a huge drop from 90125, but then again it's one of those albums that alienates a bunch of hardcore fans while bringing in scores of new ones. An Innocent Man by Billy Joel is a good example. Hugely successful, but most long time fans don't like it. 90125 is a hard pill to swallow for those Yes fans that think everything after Fragile sucks. 90125 was a HUGE album. A popular album, but still a GREAT album. I like it best of all their material...by a long shot. What stinks is that their last few tours they play only old material and most fans want to hear "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and other more popular tunes.

[shaka]

I think 90125 was genius too. I did like several songs off Big Generator: Love Will Find a Way, Rhythm of Love, Holy Lamb, and Big Generator. It took me a while to warm up to Big Generator but ultimately I liked it.

[styxfanNH]

I liked the song "The Calling" off of the Talk album. The rest is okay at best. Big Generator was a huge drop from 90125, but then again it's one of those albums that alienates a bunch of hardcore fans while bringing in scores of new ones. An Innocent Man by Billy Joel is a good example. Hugely successful, but most long time fans don't like it. 90125 is a hard pill to swallow for those Yes fans that think everything after Fragile sucks. 90125 was a HUGE album. A popular album, but still a GREAT album. I like it best of all their material...by a long shot. What stinks is that their last few tours they play only old material and most fans want to hear "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and other more popular tunes.

That is why bands of their longevity need to balance all eras. The problem is that if they listen to their hardcore fans then they alienate many of their more recent fans or pop oriented fans and if they embrace their pop fans they make their longterm fans wanting more of the old stuff. They arre all in a no win situation.

[Ash]

I liked the song "The Calling" off of the Talk album. The rest is okay at best. Big Generator was a huge drop from 90125, but then again it's one of those albums that alienates a bunch of hardcore fans while bringing in scores of new ones. An Innocent Man by Billy Joel is a good example. Hugely successful, but most long time fans don't like it. 90125 is a hard pill to swallow for those Yes fans that think everything after Fragile sucks. 90125 was a HUGE album. A popular album, but still a GREAT album. I like it best of all their material...by a long shot. What stinks is that their last few tours they play only old material and most fans want to hear "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and other more popular tunes.

That is why bands of their longevity need to balance all eras. The problem is that if they listen to their hardcore fans then they alienate many of their more recent fans or pop oriented fans and if they embrace their pop fans they make their longterm fans wanting more of the old stuff. They arre all in a no win situation.

I dunno... Styx seemed to have it all. At the time this was all happening they kept enough people buying their records to make a fortune and win a ton of awards. They must have been doing something right. Sounds like they won to me.

For some people it's not enough to win. It's about nitpicking how you got to the finish line. It's the typical kind of ungrateful attitude prevelant in today's society. Of course, a rock band is a different planet with different egos and I won't pretend that I understand it. I guess thats why I'm normal and most musicians aren't. All I can say is it's pretty fucked up to reach the top of the mountain only to have the "hangers-on" gripe about the path the leader took to get there and then throw him off the cliff once you're there.

[bugsymalone]

All I can say is it's pretty fucked up to reach the top of the mountain only to have the "hangers-on" gripe about the path the leader took to get there and then throw him off the cliff once you're there.

As the topic of this thread attests, they are still following the leader.

Bugsy

[Zan]

ZAN IS THAT A SHOT OF YOU DURING LORELIE???????

I don't yet have a copy of the DVD, but if she's blonde & wearing a white tank top with silver beads on it, than most likely yes.

Glad you like the DVD, Mike. I can't wait to get mine!

[Rockwriter]

I thought Trevor Rabin did a great job with redirecting Yes. Leave It is one of my all time favorite songs.

IMHO it's different. When Jon Anderson left and they did Drama, Yes was essentially dead for a few years. Styx and Genesis had momentum and made the switch from prog rock band to popular. Journey did it, too (just listen to the 1st three Journey albums which are w/o Steve Perry).

Yes (the 1983 lineup) was supposed to be called Cinema until Jon Anderson re-joined, and then it made sense to call it Yes. Big Generator despite having a hit with "Love Will Find A Way", was not as worthy a successor. It doesn't hold up as well for me. 90125 is genius. Love that album. It was downhill from there for Yes. Subsequent albums such as Talk didn't do so well, and then you had the whole ABWH thing and then Union. So they had a brief Phoenix moment, only to sink again.

LOL, true, but what a moment! 90125 was like some kind of epiphany for me, that prog and pop and rock could intermingle and all work together. I agree Big Generator was nowhere near as good, though I don't hate it. I don't like much of anything after that other than in bits and pieces.

Incidentally, Trevor Rabin was one of the best interviews in my first book, UNSUNG HEROES OF ROCK GUITAR. A really fascinating guy with a life story that I had no clue about, really interesting stuff. He is the most stable, normal member of Yes in my view . . . but that's not a hard thing to be, lol.

I hope all is well.


Sterling

[shaka]

I thought Trevor Rabin did a great job with redirecting Yes. Leave It is one of my all time favorite songs.

IMHO it's different. When Jon Anderson left and they did Drama, Yes was essentially dead for a few years. Styx and Genesis had momentum and made the switch from prog rock band to popular. Journey did it, too (just listen to the 1st three Journey albums which are w/o Steve Perry).

Yes (the 1983 lineup) was supposed to be called Cinema until Jon Anderson re-joined, and then it made sense to call it Yes. Big Generator despite having a hit with "Love Will Find A Way", was not as worthy a successor. It doesn't hold up as well for me. 90125 is genius. Love that album. It was downhill from there for Yes. Subsequent albums such as Talk didn't do so well, and then you had the whole ABWH thing and then Union. So they had a brief Phoenix moment, only to sink again.

LOL, true, but what a moment! 90125 was like some kind of epiphany for me, that prog and pop and rock could intermingle and all work together. I agree Big Generator was nowhere near as good, though I don't hate it. I don't like much of anything after that other than in bits and pieces.

Incidentally, Trevor Rabin was one of the best interviews in my first book, UNSUNG HEROES OF ROCK GUITAR. A really fascinating guy with a life story that I had no clue about, really interesting stuff. He is the most stable, normal member of Yes in my view . . . but that's not a hard thing to be, lol.

I hope all is well.


Sterling

I think I need to check out that book. I have been a big fan of Trevor for a long time. When I had the opportunity to live in South Africa for a couple of years I was able to listen to some of his pre-Yes music particularly that of a band called Rabbitt. You could hear his early flashes of brilliance in that band. Trevor is an extremely accomplished guitar player. It always bugged me when I'd read about Steve Howe bagging on Trevor. I enjoy Trevor's playing every bit as much, maybe even more than Steve's.

Eric

[Rockwriter]

I thought Trevor Rabin did a great job with redirecting Yes. Leave It is one of my all time favorite songs.

IMHO it's different. When Jon Anderson left and they did Drama, Yes was essentially dead for a few years. Styx and Genesis had momentum and made the switch from prog rock band to popular. Journey did it, too (just listen to the 1st three Journey albums which are w/o Steve Perry).

Yes (the 1983 lineup) was supposed to be called Cinema until Jon Anderson re-joined, and then it made sense to call it Yes. Big Generator despite having a hit with "Love Will Find A Way", was not as worthy a successor. It doesn't hold up as well for me. 90125 is genius. Love that album. It was downhill from there for Yes. Subsequent albums such as Talk didn't do so well, and then you had the whole ABWH thing and then Union. So they had a brief Phoenix moment, only to sink again.

LOL, true, but what a moment! 90125 was like some kind of epiphany for me, that prog and pop and rock could intermingle and all work together. I agree Big Generator was nowhere near as good, though I don't hate it. I don't like much of anything after that other than in bits and pieces.

Incidentally, Trevor Rabin was one of the best interviews in my first book, UNSUNG HEROES OF ROCK GUITAR. A really fascinating guy with a life story that I had no clue about, really interesting stuff. He is the most stable, normal member of Yes in my view . . . but that's not a hard thing to be, lol.

I hope all is well.


Sterling

I think I need to check out that book. I have been a big fan of Trevor for a long time. When I had the opportunity to live in South Africa for a couple of years I was able to listen to some of his pre-Yes music particularly that of a band called Rabbitt. You could hear his early flashes of brilliance in that band. Trevor is an extremely accomplished guitar player. It always bugged me when I'd read about Steve Howe bagging on Trevor. I enjoy Trevor's playing every bit as much, maybe even more than Steve's.

Eric

Everyone who orders THE GRAND DELUSION between Dec. 12th and I think the 25th, during our Christmas promotion, will get a free download of UNSUNG HEROES as a promo item.

As for Steve, I've interviewed him, too, and at least in the course of our talk he had nothing but positives to say about Trevor's playing. At the same time, both of them admitted that when they tried to play together on the UNION tour that their styles were so far apart that it really didn't work out at all.

I hope all is well.


Sterling

[shaka]

Very cool. I will order the book as soon as pre-orders are available. How are you handling your ecommerce? I'm in the merchant services/ecommerce industry and would be glad to help out if you need it.

Just for clarifications sake, I think both Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin are two of the most talented guitar players alive today. They are absolutely two of the most underrated musicians ever.

Eric

[Rockwriter]

I've listened to OWE quite a few times now and I still feel it's a missed opportunity. Look, I've seen Styx numerous times since 1999 (and DDY plenty as well since, oh, 2001), so I'm not in any camp.

The mixing is flat out bad. The kids are an afterthought in the mix in most songs. The whole reason for this CD is the kids. Instead, it sounds like here's a Styx live album. Oh, and there are some talented kids playing with us in an orchestra that you sometimes cn hear. For example, in the title track, when the kids "sing" the chorus with the band, it sounds like they're shouting it like they're just part of the audience. If you're playing with an orchestra, you should feel the power of it. I'm sure it was powerful in person. Here, it's a whimper.

Larry's keys are 10x louder than the orchestra. His keys are one of the worst offenders on the album.

Bottom line: Gary Loizzo and TS (I think that's who mixed it - the booklet is at home and I'm in O'Hare) were way outclassed in mixing this one. I mean, did it sound good in the studio and like shit in the final product? Do they even know? This isn't a mastering problem (i.e. too loud, too bright, etc.), although I have issues with that as well. As StyxFanNH says, it's VERY uneven. They needed an outside mixer to do this right. Even if they fucked up the mastering, at least the songs would have a good mix. Here, you basically get neither sans "Just Be".

And it also sounds like the way the vocals are mixed, you're creeping into "Brave New World (Reprise)" territory. Just flat out bad.

Say what you want about DDY, but this would have been better with him because the mix and the final product would have most likely been better. I feel even worse for the kids because they got a piss poor souvenir of their time with Styx.

I hope the DVD is better, but I doubt it since I assume the 2.0 (stereo for you non audio geeks ) mix is the same. And heaven help us on the 5.1 if the 2.0 is this bad.

Now, the lone studio track on the CD ("Just Be") sounds a billion times better. Gary is a great rock band mixer in the studio. He's earned that for the past 20 - 30 years with Styx. I still think "Just Be" is mediocre at best (the middle is the best part; the beginning still plods and the chorus is forgettable).

Sad, really. This had SO much potential. I wanted to really like this one despite it being another live album and having no DDY songs (it would have been interesting to hear this orchestral version of, say, "Come Sail Away", to compare and contrast).

As I said, I feel the worst for the kids.

Well, I've finally listened to this enough to feel comfortable venturing my own opinion, and I have to admit I agree with most of what's been said. Since I don't want to abuse the phrase "missed opportunity", I will instead say that this is yet another Styx live album that is, in my opinion, not as good as it could and should have been.

It's kind of unavoidable to compare this with the DDY live orchestra thing, and on that note I will say that Dennis is performing the portion of the Styx material that more naturally lends itself to orchestration to begin with. "Lady", Grand Illusion", Come Sail Away", "Suite Madame Blue" . . . those just seem to call for strings moreso than some of the songs on OWE. There are songs that I think the arrangements are good, and there are others on here to which the strongs seem to add nothing at all. And like others have pointed out, there are some serious imbalances in the mix throughout. Like Arch Allies, this comes off as kind of a cheap souvenir of what was probably a very good show if you saw it live.

All in all - and I hate to say it - this is just another sideways step for Styx, just another product in the bins with zero career impact.


Sterling

[ChicagoSTYX]

I haven't seen the DVD yet but from what I heard it is better then the CD.

[ChicagoSTYX]

Any DVD reviews yet.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Any DVD reviews yet.

You really want my review?? LOL

Just to let you know, all the DVD's that I owe will be mailed out tomorrow

Zan, I saw you a few times during Lorelei !!

[shaka]

I went to Best Buy and the darn things were sold out. In fact, all the Best Buy's in my state were sold out. so I went to Walmart and they didn't even have it. I'll try Target and a couple of other places tomorrow.

Is there a preferred place to buy the DVD?

Eric

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I went to Best Buy and the darn things were sold out. In fact, all the Best Buy's in my state were sold out. so I went to Walmart and they didn't even have it. I'll try Target and a couple of other places tomorrow.

Is there a preferred place to buy the DVD?

Eric

Hi Eric

I pre-ordered mine right through the Styxworld site believe it or not. I thought the prices were pretty good and I received them today I'm sure they'll have fast shipping if you can't find it in a local store. Good luck

Too bad you didn't have a bet with me, you would've ended up with a free one

[bugsymalone]

Hi Eric

I pre-ordered mine right through the Styxworld site believe it or not. I thought the prices were pretty good and I received them today

Waiting for your review, Suite.

Bugsy

[Zan]

Any DVD reviews yet.

You really want my review?? LOL

Just to let you know, all the DVD's that I owe will be mailed out tomorrow

Zan, I saw you a few times during Lorelei !!

Oh boy. LOL

I keep hearing about these sightings, but I've yet to get my hands on a copy. Mine's in the mail.

I did listen to the CD, which, for the most part, I thought was pretty good - took me back to the day of the show, which was awesome. I thought the group vocals were weak in some places, like during BCM and OWE (which is a sin because OWE is such a powerful song vocally). I LOVE "Just be," I don't care what anyone says, that song is the business. "Everything All the Time" is great too. I too wish I could hear slightly more of the orchestra for parts of the performance, but all-in-all, a good CD. I'm still pissed about the medley though.

[Rockwriter]

Any DVD reviews yet.

You really want my review?? LOL

Just to let you know, all the DVD's that I owe will be mailed out tomorrow

Zan, I saw you a few times during Lorelei !!

Oh boy. LOL

I keep hearing about these sightings, but I've yet to get my hands on a copy. Mine's in the mail.

I did listen to the CD, which, for the most part, I thought was pretty good - took me back to the day of the show, which was awesome. I thought the group vocals were weak in some places, like during BCM and OWE (which is a sin because OWE is such a powerful song vocally). I LOVE "Just be," I don't care what anyone says, that song is the business. "Everything All the Time" is great too. I too wish I could hear slightly more of the orchestra for parts of the performance, but all-in-all, a good CD. I'm still pissed about the medley though.

Here's the Rolling Stone review of OWE . . . very rarely do I agree with that magazine, but this one happens to say almost exactly what many of us have said already on this board.




Styx

One With Everything: Styx & The Contemporary Youth Orchestra

RS: 2of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4of 5 Stars



This live record presents not-terribly-obvious picks from Styx's back catalog, with accompaniment from a Cleveland youth orchestra. Though some arrangements are tweaked nicely and avoid arena overload on cuts like "Miss America," some of the orchestra's contributions veer toward the irksomely splashy, when they're not buried. Mostly you get Styx rocking mediocre material, something you can hear on a half-dozen other live records.


CHRISTIAN HOARD

(Posted: Nov 16, 2006)


I hope all is well.


Sterrling

[ChicagoSTYX]

I went to Best Buy and the darn things were sold out. In fact, all the Best Buy's in my state were sold out. so I went to Walmart and they didn't even have it. I'll try Target and a couple of other places tomorrow.

Is there a preferred place to buy the DVD?

Eric

I saw them at Walmart and Best Buy near Chicago. Best Buy has them on sale for $13.99 Walmart was $14.93

[ChicagoSTYX]

Any DVD reviews yet.

You really want my review?? LOL

Just to let you know, all the DVD's that I owe will be mailed out tomorrow

Zan, I saw you a few times during Lorelei !!

I moved last March.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I moved last March.

You moved? You're lucky I just read this and grabbed it out of the mailbox!!! PM your new address.

Or are you talking about something else??

[rajah2165]

Any DVD reviews yet.

You really want my review?? LOL

Just to let you know, all the DVD's that I owe will be mailed out tomorrow

Zan, I saw you a few times during Lorelei !!

Oh boy. LOL

I keep hearing about these sightings, but I've yet to get my hands on a copy. Mine's in the mail.

I did listen to the CD, which, for the most part, I thought was pretty good - took me back to the day of the show, which was awesome. I thought the group vocals were weak in some places, like during BCM and OWE (which is a sin because OWE is such a powerful song vocally). I LOVE "Just be," I don't care what anyone says, that song is the business. "Everything All the Time" is great too. I too wish I could hear slightly more of the orchestra for parts of the performance, but all-in-all, a good CD. I'm still pissed about the medley though.

Surprise, surprise.....

[kansas666]

Well I don't have the CD or the DVD. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So I am qualified to report on them both.

No really, I have watched the HDNET version a couple of times. And I can honestly say that the orchestra is NOT an after thought. When listening in 5.1 surround, the orchestra is everywhere! At times it seems the band is an after thought. The guitars are mixed very low. It is apparant that the point of this program is that every year the CYO picks an artist to join them on stage. This video is about the CYO not STYX.

[styxfanNH]

Well I don't have the CD or the DVD. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So I am qualified to report on them both.

No really, I have watched the HDNET version a couple of times. And I can honestly say that the orchestra is NOT an after thought. When listening in 5.1 surround, the orchestra is everywhere! At times it seems the band is an after thought. The guitars are mixed very low. It is apparant that the point of this program is that every year the CYO picks an artist to join them on stage. This video is about the CYO not STYX.

I watched the dvd yesterday. Want to watch and listen to it again. The big question to me after the first viewing is how can the dvd and the cd be so different? It is like they are two different recordings.

[StyxCollector]

I just got the DVD in the mail from Eagle Rock. I'm going to watch it tonight or tomorrow and I'll report back. My guess is my reaction will be similar - the DVD is most likely going to be superior to the CD.

[Ash]

Well I don't have the CD or the DVD. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. So I am qualified to report on them both.

No really, I have watched the HDNET version a couple of times. And I can honestly say that the orchestra is NOT an after thought. When listening in 5.1 surround, the orchestra is everywhere! At times it seems the band is an after thought. The guitars are mixed very low. It is apparant that the point of this program is that every year the CYO picks an artist to join them on stage. This video is about the CYO not STYX.

I watched the dvd yesterday. Want to watch and listen to it again. The big question to me after the first viewing is how can the dvd and the cd be so different? It is like they are two different recordings.

likely because Styx didn't produce the DVD.... while they DID produce the CD. It's harder to ignore the orchestra when you can actually see them on the screen. That would sure be an interesting study in egotism.


Seriously - DVD's have to be compressed to a different standard than the CD - resulting in perhaps a different mix, but definitely a different master. Things mastered for video tend to be more compressed and therefore more even sounding - even though they do not have the sonic range of CD's due to the television media. Although I could be wrong. You'd think with the advent of home theatre's that DVD's could be just as sonically robust as CD's and not take away from the picxture quality

[DarwinNebraska]

It's sad that this band has sunk to such depths.

It's really starting to get embarassing at this point.

They need Dennis more than he needs them.

[Grotelul]

It's sad that this band has sunk to such depths.

It's really starting to get embarassing at this point.

They need Dennis more than he needs them.

If you feel that way, why bother having anything to do with this lineup? There are other bands I no longer care to listen to for various reasons but I don't waste my time or anyone else's going on message boards to trash them. Why would I? BECAUSE I DON'T CARE!! This isn't your band or anyone else's. It's only the current members who are now STYX and it is their band. I appreciate objective criticism and the current lineup sometimes deserves some, but some of the criticism here is just plain retarded. Done wasting my time here folks. Enjoy the bashing!

[Ash]

It's sad that this band has sunk to such depths.

It's really starting to get embarassing at this point.

They need Dennis more than he needs them.

If you feel that way, why bother having anything to do with this lineup? There are other bands I no longer care to listen to for various reasons but I don't waste my time or anyone else's going on message boards to trash them. Why would I? BECAUSE I DON'T CARE!! This isn't your band or anyone else's. It's only the current members who are now STYX and it is their band. I appreciate objective criticism and the current lineup sometimes deserves some, but some of the criticism here is just plain retarded. Done wasting my time here folks. Enjoy the bashing!

8 posts - wow you "wasted" a lot of time here. Don't let the door hit you in the...... well you know.