ONE WITH EVERYTHING

[yogi]

This new 'Assembly Line' is going to touch on a little bit of everything so bear with me.

First off, my $ 22.95 Amazon Styx w/ Childrens Contempory Youth Orchestra CD One With Everything arrived yesterday. I've given it two pretty good listens so far. My initial impression is that #1 I got COMPLETELY hosed on the price. For 13 dollars extra I traded 'A Criminal Mind' for 'I Don't Need No Doctor'. I like Gowan's Criminal Mind 10 times better. I would of done the trade off for 'A Salty Dog', but thats another post. Anyway I got screwed.

As for the actual CD................. I think that it's pretty damn good. The orchestra really adds something to songs that for the most part have been done to death. The reviews that keep stating missed opportunity I think are wrong. I really like the two new songs. Everything All The Time is EXCELLENT. I bet Ive listened to it 10 times already. This is a live version, and it sounds super polished. Just Be( studio) is a mellow Tommy/ Styx song thats pretty good.
JY's two selections It Dont Make Sense & Miss America both sound real good with the orchestra backing. On Big Bang, I TOTALLY disliked It Dont Make Sense. I like it here. One With Everything, Fooling Yourself, Too Much Time & Crystal Ball all hit the mark.
As for Gowan, He's no Dennis , but hes one hell of a musician. Walrus is a Styx song now. I never liked Doctor, but Gowans got the chops. This is a very good CD. I just wished my version had A Criminal Mind & of course The Medley which it was advertised to have on it.

Finally, on this topic it has been posted numerous times in another similiar assembly line that the orchestra gets drowned out on this CD. Thats not true. As with Dennis's orchestra CD the orchestra seems to make its mark at the very beginning of each song. They do it here on every Styx song. I like it.

After hearing this CD,knowing Styx is going to Europe to play second fiddle to Deep Purple, and are in the process of recording a new CD we all ought to 'Just Be' happy that they and Dennis are still out there entertaining & making new music. This band is now Styx. My two favorite Styx members( Dennis & Glen) are working together. Dennis is going to release a new CD soon. It's ALL good.

Finally, my prediction on Styx's US tour compainion for this summer will be..... Night Ranger. Look for a 30 minute Shaw/Blades acustic set to start the show followed by Night Ranger & then Styx. They will take turns headlining. Like Chuck, Uncle Ted will pop in from time to time. This will lead to a new 2008 Damn Yankees CD. Tommy working with the Damn Yankee Boys again could also open the door for a total Styx reunion in 2009. This will only happen if someone purchases JY a muzzle this year for Christmas.

[Jodes]

Good review Yogi.. but I can't see it being Night Ranger this summer, their management is going to want to go where the money is, and I can't see it being in a Styx/Night Ranger shed tour, UNLESS Ted Nugent is part of the package.

I'm pretty sure it will be the Thin Lizzy/Deep Purple/Styx tour, with Styx and DP either trading off closing sets or Styx headlining in the US, very similar to the Billy Squire, Bad Company and Styx tour of 01.


I guess it all depends on how the British tour goes..