Songs that should be dropped from US release of 100 Years

[Toph]

Two definite drops -
Respect Me - that song SUCKS
Breathe Again - that song makes me want to suffocate

One hanging on by the skin of its teeth
I Don't Believe In Anything

The rest can stay.

[Ash]

Two definite drops -
Respect Me - that song SUCKS
Breathe Again - that song makes me want to suffocate

One hanging on by the skin of its teeth
I Don't Believe In Anything

The rest can stay.

Songs that should have been dropped from Cyclorama

Bourgeois Pig
Fields of Brave
More Love For The Money
Palm of Your Hand
Captain America

[Roboto750]

Two definite drops -
Respect Me - that song SUCKS
Breathe Again - that song makes me want to suffocate

One hanging on by the skin of its teeth
I Don't Believe In Anything

The rest can stay.

I couldn't agree more! I love the album, but I usually skip these two.

[BlackWall]

I agree on "Respect Me". "Breathe Again" works because of the flashback to the late '70s, early '80s sound of Styx. It could be an outtake from "Cornerstone" as far as the melody and arrangement.. not to mention the nod to "Equinox" with the "Prelude 12" sounding beginning. I was actually expecting a rocker the first time I heard it.

"I Don't Believe In Anything" is one of my faves.. I wish, though, that the wah wah guitar that comes at the end would have been come a little earlier in the song, like maybe between 2nd and 3rd verse.

[BlackWall]

Nothing on "Cyclorama" is really bad enough to be dropped, but I think without a doubt that "100 Years From Now" has more interesting moments, and Dennis takes more chances.

[kansas666]

Songs that should have been dropped from Cyclorama

Bourgeois Pig
Fields of Brave
More Love For The Money
Palm of Your Hand
Captain America

Borgeois Pig - Yea, I have to agree with you. It is nothing more than a slam on Denny

Fields of the Brave - Nope, this is a great Gowan penned and sung composition in 3/4 time. Although it does seem a bit derivative of Show Me the Way

More Love For The Money - I'm noticing a trend here. You don't like Gowan? This is one of the best songs on the album.

Palm of Your Hand - I thought it was pretty neat at first. But it doesn't have staying power. More of a novelty than anything else.

Captain America - The hardest rocker on the album. The one song that my non STYX fan friends seem to dig. It's a keeper.

So many bands release albums when they are past their prime. And these albums rarely do well. Most of them are sub-par efforts and deserve low sales figures. But I feel Cyclorama was a diamond in the rough. It was a truely great album released at the wrong time under the wrong circumstances.

[Rockwriter]

Songs that should have been dropped from Cyclorama

Bourgeois Pig
Fields of Brave
More Love For The Money
Palm of Your Hand
Captain America

Borgeois Pig - Yea, I have to agree with you. It is nothing more than a slam on Denny

Fields of the Brave - Nope, this is a great Gowan penned and sung composition in 3/4 time. Although it does seem a bit derivative of Show Me the Way

More Love For The Money - I'm noticing a trend here. You don't like Gowan? This is one of the best songs on the album.

Palm of Your Hand - I thought it was pretty neat at first. But it doesn't have staying power. More of a novelty than anything else.

Captain America - The hardest rocker on the album. The one song that my non STYX fan friends seem to dig. It's a keeper.

So many bands release albums when they are past their prime. And these albums rarely do well. Most of them are sub-par efforts and deserve low sales figures. But I feel Cyclorama was a diamond in the rough. It was a truely great album released at the wrong time under the wrong circumstances.

I agree with part of this. "Bourgeois Pig", the subject matter doesn't bother me; it's just silly, with that godawful Bill Bob vocal. This is a band legendary for its vocals, with every single member of the band (well, maybe with the exception of Chuck) as a capable singer, so I've got an idea: Let's get a guy who's a truly LOUSY singer to come in for a track! It's one of those moments where I truly think, 'What in the world could they have been thinking?' "Fields of the Brave" doesn't cut it for me, either. The lyric just doesn't work for me. But I LOVE "More Love For The Money", which I consider the best song on the album. "Palm of Your Hand" I agree is merely a novelty, but "Captain America" I feel is a sub-par, generic JY effort that could have been on any of his solo albums. It's dot-to-dot songwriting from the Acme School of Hard Rock. For me, a lot of 'Cyclorama' is great, but the tracks I would remove are probably ALL of the little snippets, i.e. "Palm", "Bourgeois Pig", the comedy bit, and the vocal chorale, as well as "Captain America". I'd also like to hear "One With Everything" with a completely different set of lyrics; love the music, love the performances, but the lyrics . . . come on now, seriously!?. They're comically goofy. "Smiling ear to ear, it's something in the atmosphere/Every star above reflected in your sea of love . . . " LOL. I actually laughed out loud the first time I heard that. It's soooooooooo Spinal Tap. But apart from that, I like the record. Very few bands of that era release anything they can be proud of in the present, and Styx can be proud of CYCLO.

As far as '100 Years From Now" goes, I couldn't agree more that "Respect Me" shouldn't have made the cut, and it's also completely out of step stylistially with the rest of the collection. I'd lose that in a nanosecond, as well as "Save Me" (which I know a lot of fans seem to love, but I think it's pretty generic). And "Breathe Again", I like the melody, chords and arrangement, but I'd like to hear it with a different lyric. I really like the idea behind "I Don't Believe In Anything", but I'm not sure the resulting song is as good as the idea. It seems to me that the verses belong in one song, the choruses in another. I don't DISlike it, per se, but I can't help but feel it could have been stronger. The title track I am looking forward to hearing in all English, but I sincerely wish Dennis would just sing it alone. I'd like to hear it as a solo vocal and with a little bit more edge to it. '100 Years' is another album that, like CYCLO, I think it's rare for an artist to make a record as strong that late in his career, and Dennis should be proud of it as well.

Well, that's my two cents, for what it's worth! In this economy, probably half a cent, LOL.


Sterling

[cinj]

Songs that should have been dropped from Cyclorama

Bourgeois Pig
Fields of Brave
More Love For The Money
Palm of Your Hand
Captain America

Borgeois Pig - Yea, I have to agree with you. It is nothing more than a slam on Denny

Fields of the Brave - Nope, this is a great Gowan penned and sung composition in 3/4 time. Although it does seem a bit derivative of Show Me the Way

More Love For The Money - I'm noticing a trend here. You don't like Gowan? This is one of the best songs on the album.

Palm of Your Hand - I thought it was pretty neat at first. But it doesn't have staying power. More of a novelty than anything else.

Captain America - The hardest rocker on the album. The one song that my non STYX fan friends seem to dig. It's a keeper.

So many bands release albums when they are past their prime. And these albums rarely do well. Most of them are sub-par efforts and deserve low sales figures. But I feel Cyclorama was a diamond in the rough. It was a truely great album released at the wrong time under the wrong circumstances.

I agree with part of this. "Bourgeois Pig", the subject matter doesn't bother me; it's just silly, with that godawful Bill Bob vocal. This is a band legendary for its vocals, with every single member of the band (well, maybe with the exception of Chuck) as a capable singer, so I've got an idea: Let's get a guy who's a truly LOUSY singer to come in for a track! It's one of those moments where I truly think, 'What in the world could they have been thinking?' "Fields of the Brave" doesn't cut it for me, either. The lyric just doesn't work for me. But I LOVE "More Love For The Money", which I consider the best song on the album. "Palm of Your Hand" I agree is merely a novelty, but "Captain America" I feel is a sub-par, generic JY effort that could have been on any of his solo albums. It's dot-to-dot songwriting from the Acme School of Hard Rock. For me, a lot of 'Cyclorama' is great, but the tracks I would remove are probably ALL of the little snippets, i.e. "Palm", "Bourgeois Pig", the comedy bit, and the vocal chorale, as well as "Captain America". I'd also like to hear "One With Everything" with a completely different set of lyrics; love the music, love the performances, but the lyrics . . . come on now, seriously!?. They're comically goofy. "Smiling ear to ear, it's something in the atmosphere/Every star above reflected in your sea of love . . . " LOL. I actually laughed out loud the first time I heard that. It's soooooooooo Spinal Tap. But apart from that, I like the record. Very few bands of that era release anything they can be proud of in the present, and Styx can be proud of CYCLO.

As far as '100 Years From Now" goes, I couldn't agree more that "Respect Me" shouldn't have made the cut, and it's also completely out of step stylistially with the rest of the collection. I'd lose that in a nanosecond, as well as "Save Me" (which I know a lot of fans seem to love, but I think it's pretty generic). And "Breathe Again", I like the melody, chords and arrangement, but I'd like to hear it with a different lyric. I really like the idea behind "I Don't Believe In Anything", but I'm not sure the resulting song is as good as the idea. It seems to me that the verses belong in one song, the choruses in another. I don't DISlike it, per se, but I can't help but feel it could have been stronger. The title track I am looking forward to hearing in all English, but I sincerely wish Dennis would just sing it alone. I'd like to hear it as a solo vocal and with a little bit more edge to it. '100 Years' is another album that, like CYCLO, I think it's rare for an artist to make a record as strong that late in his career, and Dennis should be proud of it as well.

Well, that's my two cents, for what it's worth! In this economy, probably half a cent, LOL.


Sterling

Could we also cut, from Cyclorama "Genki Desu Khan", or whatever that last song is called? Man, is that horrible or what?

Cinj

[Zan]

Borgeois Pig - Yea, I have to agree with you. It is nothing more than a slam on Denny

sigh. No. It really, REALLY isn't. For the 1,496th time.

Fields of the Brave - Nope, this is a great Gowan penned and sung composition in 3/4 time. Although it does seem a bit derivative of Show Me the Way

More Love For The Money - I'm noticing a trend here. You don't like Gowan? This is one of the best songs on the album.

No, he doesn't. Isn't it obvious after 4 years of the same digs that we're not getting exactly an unbiased POV?

Palm of Your Hand - I thought it was pretty neat at first. But it doesn't have staying power. More of a novelty than anything else.

well, if they had went ahead and...

Never mind. lol

So many bands release albums when they are past their prime. And these albums rarely do well. Most of them are sub-par efforts and deserve low sales figures. But I feel Cyclorama was a diamond in the rough. It was a truely great album released at the wrong time under the wrong circumstances.

I agree. i don't think anyone in the organization was expecting it to skyrocket up the charts either. They just wanted to make a really good album and promote it as best they could. I think it's one of their best efforts.

[bugsymalone]

Hmmm. Regarding the OT. I would lose "Turn off CNN." I agree "Respect Me" is sort of out of the style on this album, but Dennis seems to like to sing an occasional bluesy song that showcases his vocal range. This one does that.

I like everything else on this album. Everything.

Uh, and what's "Cyclorama" ?

Bugsy

[ManOfMiracles]

I'm kinda with the pro-"Respect Me" camp here. I really kinda dig the tune. I like when an album has character and a lot of different sounds on it... variety being the spice of life and all. I'm not a huge fan of "I believe in you," and "Breathe Again" is the first one to get a little tired for me. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say they should be dropped... after all, it's not my album and I'd never tell an accomplished artist what he should have done... I respect his choices. Those just happen to be my two least favorites. And since we all probably have different least-favorites... if we all got our wish, we'd have a blank CD, wouldn't we?

[brywool]

Two definite drops -
Respect Me - that song SUCKS
Breathe Again - that song makes me want to suffocate

One hanging on by the skin of its teeth
I Don't Believe In Anything

The rest can stay.

Songs that should have been dropped from Cyclorama

Bourgeois Pig
Fields of Brave
More Love For The Money
Palm of Your Hand
Captain America

Fields of the Brave and More Love For the Money were the best things on that album. Those and Kiss Your Ass Goodbye. As for Dennis album, that "I Don't Believe in Anything" has terrible lyrics. Ruins the song. Too bad because other than the lyrics, it's pretty okay.

[Musician95616]

I just got my copy of 100 Years From Now and I have to say that, overall, this has to be one of the BEST Dennis solo albums. Great singing and songwriting throughout! I am really enjoying it.

But I have to agree with those who say drop "Breathe Again". Bad memories of the worst moments of "Cornerstone" came to mind. Or to paraphrase Tommy Shaw, "Barry Manilow" territory (and I kindof like Barry Manilow, to be honest). As far as "Respect Me" is concerned, I kindof like it! Cool bluesy singing.

[BlackWall]

"But I have to agree with those who say drop "Breathe Again". Bad memories of the worst moments of "Cornerstone" came to mind. Or to paraphrase Tommy Shaw, "Barry Manilow" territory (and I kindof like Barry Manilow, to be honest). As far as "Respect Me" is concerned, I kindof like it! Cool bluesy singing."



but terrible lyrics.. well, at least on the chorus: "Respect Me, baby, baby, baby, baby, respect me, please, please, please, please.."
I don't know, I don't mind it as much as I did at first, but I still don't think it's one of the better tracks on the album. I do kind of enjoy the subject matter though. I wonder if this is a personal one, or if this is another one of those, "Call Me", kinda deals, where he's writing about another couple or someone elses situation.

"Breathe Again" is not one of my favorites, lyrically, but I like the nod to the late '70s, musically.

I don't understand what the issue people seem to have with "I Don't Believe In Anything" is.. What's wrong with it, especially lyrically? I kinda feel like it's Dennis at his cynical best.. an element that I think was sorely missed on "Cyclorama", with all of Tommy's happy go lucky "Gankki De Ska" or whatever the hell it was.

[ManOfMiracles]

"

I do kind of enjoy the subject matter though. I wonder if this is a personal one, or if this is another one of those, "Call Me", kinda deals, where he's writing about another couple or someone elses situation.

I realllllly really doubt this song could possibly be personal enough to be about Suzanne. Really. I mean, really.
Anyone else..? LOL