What Was Your First Impression Of Glen/ The Edge Album?

[Everett]

Just wondering what you all were thinking when you first heard of them getting back together in 1990? Do you know glen replaced tommy or did you think they were all back together? And what was your first impression of the Edge Of The Century Album? Did you hate it or like it? And finally how did you react to knowing tommy wasin't there? Just a little curious.

[yogi]

I LOVED it from Day 1!!!

[brywool]

Loved Glenn's tracks. Was dissapointed in the rest of them.

[DarwinNebraska]

To be honest I didn't care for it... I didn't like "Love is the Ritual"... still don't really like it.

I've grown to like some of the other Glen sung tracks, but I really preferred the Dennis sung tracks but even those were somewhat disappointing.

Overall, that album was a disappointment to me.

[GrandIllusionist725]

I really liked the album, it ranks as one of my favorites. Love is the Ritual is a nice opener and Show me the Way was wonderful but Love at First Sight is my favorite off the album.

[LifeGiver]

I never bought it because I was upset that Tommy Shaw wasn't on the album. When I heard Love Is The Ritual on the radio, I was offended by it.

-Shane

[stabbim]

First impression of GB came with the "Love Is The Ritual" single, which I thought was catchy and cool but very different for Styx. Second impression of GB came with the video for that song. Seemed like a cool, charismatic guy. I was impressed that they chose this very different song with this very different guy fronting the band as the lead-off single. Gutsy move.

First impression of the album: some cool tracks, some meh. I still feel the same way, though certain songs have swapped categories over the years.

[Zan]

HATED Love is the Ritual. Heard it, and called my best friend in hysterics. said it sounded like a Bon Jovi rip-off wannabe song. It was the "heys" that did it. It did eventually grow on me, however (ya think?). And when I heard Glen sing maybe two notes that opening night of the Edge tour, I was blown away. I think it's fair to say that I was okay with the new addition after that night, for sure. LOL

[Grotelul]

Was sad that day I first listened. I didn't know anything about GB so I had no idea what he would create but I was in my HEAVY mode at the time and didn't find anything I really cared for on this record. Years later I like Love Is The Ritual. I don't like Edge of the Century at all or really anything else.

[pinkfloyd1973]

I liked it right away believe it or not, I remember reading an article in the Illinois Entertainer about Styx and the new guy and going out and buying the album right away......"All In A Day's Works" is still one of my favorites and I do love "Love Is The Ritual". I like all of Glen's songs on the album and Dennis' version of The Bad Example's "Not Dead Yet" is killer



Robin

[cinj]

I was one of the very very very few people who knew who Glen Burtnik was before he joined Styx (outside of New Jersey) and I owned his "Heros and Zeros" CD. At the time, Glen was kind of "my little secret" amongst my friends. You know how when someone visits you and they look through your CD collection? I would always hear "Who's <I>Glen Burtnik ?!</I>."

So, for me, it was a bit of a "laugh" when "my little secret" joined "my favorite band". Of course, I was dissappointed that Tommy wasn't in the band, but based on what I knew at the time, it really didn't surprise me.

As time went on, Glen's material became my favorite on the CD. I always felt that CD was too uneven for my taste. How do you have "Homewrecker" and "Back to Chicago" on the same CD?? Back-to-back made it even worse! Especially when they were the last two..... never mind.


Cinj

[kipthekid]

I actually liked the way "Love is the Ritual" opened the album - the heavy harmonied "LOVE IS THE RITUAL!!" to me was a sort of shout out that "Styx is BACK!" The song itself is 'ok.' "EOTC" the song was pretty lame IMHO...World Tonight was ok musically but rather dumb lyrically and "All in a Day's Work" IMHO was a gem musically and lyrically.

Dennis' contributions were inspired (Show Me the Way) to decent ("Love at First Sight" co-written with GB) to fun (cover of not dead yet - terrific rock vocal by Dennis) to self-indulgent schlock (Carrie Ann) to "this would have sounded good on a DDY solo record but it really doesn't belong on a Styx record" (Back to Chicago).

JY's "Homewrecker" was the obligatory JY contribution. JY's normally known for clever lyrics...this time, he "crapped out." Awful.

A "C" to "C+" IMHO.

[cittadeeno23]

I didn't know what to expect, but I was so friggin happy that they were back that I bought the album as soon as Tower Records opened up on that Tuesday morning in October. By that time I had worn out the debut Damn Yankees album, and because of Damn Yankees, I knew Tommy wasn't going to be in Styx. But I had no idea that they were replacing him. I thought it would just be the 4 of them. An article I had read earlier in the year said that Styx was getting back together Without Tommy, but it did not mention Glen. Without the internet, that article was all I had to go on until "Love is the Ritual" hit Rock radio.

Anyway, the first time I heard it on the radio several months before the album came out, I thought Love is the Ritual was and still is a great song. It rocked the shit out of anything that was on the radio at the time. I wasn't in shock to hear a strange voice because right before the DJ played if for the first time, he said "here is the Brand new Styx song with
Tommy Shaw's replacement, Glen Burtnik, on lead vocals."
And I thought the "HEYs" were COOL! It also got named on KOME radio in San Jose 'the Dennis Erectus' "ERECTION" song of the week!!
I tracked Show me the Way all the way up the charts. I can still name off the positions it hit in billboard week by week. Yea, I know, pretty pathetic! 40-30-21-17-11-7-5-3!! I can actually name every position it hit from when it debuted at #96, but we won't go there!!

The only song I wasn't happy with was Back to Chicago. It really belonged on a Dennis solo album. But his voice in that song is still killer.

Overall, I was very happy. I would have preferred that Dennis had written some rockers to go with Glens tunes, but Show me the Way did put Styx back on the map, even though Grunge had all but killed real music at the time.

The classic lineup will always be my favorite, but this EDGE lineup was very good. Glen is one hell of a talent.

[mikemarrs]

i bought the album the day it was released and yes i was very satisfied.it took me a while getting used to tommy shaw not being there but overall a thumbs up.i bought it on cassette if i remembercorrectly.also attended the tour as well.

[Abitaman]

Loved the cd, thought they were great in concert. Tommy had the better debut song with CB, but rest of songs were weak. Glen didn't have a stand song like CB, but overall his songs were stronger. Looked forward to the future-ERIC