30 Years ago today...

[Toph]

What bands stayed the course and died because of it?

BTO?? - They were already dead- They never had a piano or synth

I havent a clue as to what bands Sterling is refering to.

I also dont see that much of a difference between The Grand Illusion/ Pieces Of Eight/ and Cornerstone. To me the difference was Dennis added a ballad ( 2 ballads on a record) Tommy actually had the biggest musical change with Boat On The River- To me that is the song that by faaaarrrrrrr strayed the most from the Styx sound. Lights, Never Say Never Borrowed Time, Why Me, Eddie, Love In The Midnight all pretty much fit into the Styx mold- a little lighter but they still fit.


The album where they went off the deep end was the techno sounding Kilroy Was Here & that killed the band- Roboto, Cold War & High Time were a death blow to a rock band.

As I have stated a thousand times the Kilroy Concert was their BEST ever the album was by far their worst.


I really would like to know from Sterling what bands died around 1979-1981 because they wouldnt go ballad or they didnt go fluffier??

\\


Kansas for one....

Didn't change their sound and died...

Disagree with your point about how Cornerstone was similar to Pieces of 8 and Grand Ilusion.. it was a different type of album.

[brywool]

Let's give Babe the credit it deserves - it brought Styx into the mainstream and let them become the huge band that they became (#1 band in the USA Gallup poll), Grammy nominations, People's Choice Awards, and set the stage for the #1 album Paradise Theatre. The haters tend to conveniently forget these facts in their continual dissing of the song.

Actually, I didn't forget it...
I liked Styx better before they were "mainstream" and music for girls to wet their pants over.
I usually like everything better before it's 'mainstream'. Once it's 'mainstream' then bands start chasing that formula to stay there. It happened with Styx and many other bands.
Who cares about polls? I sure didn't. I liked their music cuz it rocked and it was performed well.
I guess we also need to give it credit for breaking up the band... oh wait, that was more Roboto.
I actually didn't mind Babe as a song. I DID hate the Rhoades piano that pussified it so much. Just made it so damned whimpy. There's a version they did on VH1 with a real piano (when they reunited) and it blows the original away.

First time is another story. HATE HATE HATE the song.

[Everett]

Only good thing about first time is the quitar solo.

[cittadeeno23]

I don't like "first time" either. Not what Styx is all about. But Dennis' voice IS amazing in that song. That Sombitch can sing his ass off!

[yogi]

Kansas - Play The Game - Fight Fire With Fire - These were hits and are still played today.

Maybe not as big as Dust in the Wind, Carry On Wayward Son & Point Of No Return, but still they were top 40 hits.

Love In The Midnight & Lights is alot more Pieces Of Eight sounding than Sing For The Day is.

[Everett]

No love for eddie eh?

[yogi]

JY is JY from Wooden Nickle to CMC International JY and his songs always sound the same

[SuiteMadameBlue]

It's funny how people talk about a "bathroom break" during a concert - LOL It seems that MAJORITY of people that need the bathroom break are the ones that drink & party during a concert and I really don't think it matters what song is playing during the concert, if you gotta go, you gotta go - LOL

[Jodes]

JY is JY from Wooden Nickle to CMC International JY and his songs always sound the same

I'll mostly agree with you on that one.. Miss America, Great White Hope, Put Me On, Eddie., Heavy Water, HMP, were similar, flat out "rock" and some can say are the "weakest" tracks on the albums, but then JY threw in some very progressive, bombastic surprises like Midnight Ride, Half Penny Two Penny and have to say, Cyclorama's "These Are The Times" are three of JY's best works in Styx.

[Everett]

It's funny how people talk about a "bathroom break" during a concert - LOL It seems that MAJORITY of people that need the bathroom break are the ones that drink & party during a concert and I really don't think it matters what song is playing during the concert, if you gotta go, you gotta go - LOL

Gotta go gotta go gotta go right now gotta go gotta go lol

[Higgy]

JY is JY from Wooden Nickle to CMC International JY and his songs always sound the same

I'll mostly agree with you on that one.. Miss America, Great White Hope, Put Me On, Eddie., Heavy Water, HMP, were similar, flat out "rock" and some can say are the "weakest" tracks on the albums, but then JY threw in some very progressive, bombastic surprises like Midnight Ride, Half Penny Two Penny and have to say, Cyclorama's "These Are The Times" are three of JY's best works in Styx.

You actually consider Midnight Ride and Half Penny Two Penny to be "progressive"? I would say the only thing JY did that has any progressiveness to it would be "Double Life" and that was due to DDY's production.

JY's role in Styx was to be an adequate rhythm guitarist and provide 1-2 filler songs per album. Too bad JY never took a break from the band. I wish we could have seen what DDY and Tommy could have come up with without having to humor JY for 2 songs.

[KWH17]

JY is JY from Wooden Nickle to CMC International JY and his songs always sound the same

I'll mostly agree with you on that one.. Miss America, Great White Hope, Put Me On, Eddie., Heavy Water, HMP, were similar, flat out "rock" and some can say are the "weakest" tracks on the albums, but then JY threw in some very progressive, bombastic surprises like Midnight Ride, Half Penny Two Penny and have to say, Cyclorama's "These Are The Times" are three of JY's best works in Styx.

You actually consider Midnight Ride and Half Penny Two Penny to be "progressive"? I would say the only thing JY did that has any progressiveness to it would be "Double Life" and that was due to DDY's production.

JY's role in Styx was to be an adequate rhythm guitarist and provide 1-2 filler songs per album. Too bad JY never took a break from the band. I wish we could have seen what DDY and Tommy could have come up with without having to humor JY for 2 songs.

I like all of the above songs PLUS What Have They Done To You.

I heavily disagree with JY being gone or taken out for an album. Every record has a good balance to it. Too much JY, ya you want him out of the picture, but if he only has those 1 or 2 'filler' songs it's not overbearing, and quite enjoyable. Just my opinion, of course.

[Toph]

Kansas - Play The Game - Fight Fire With Fire - These were hits and are still played today.

Maybe not as big as Dust in the Wind, Carry On Wayward Son & Point Of No Return, but still they were top 40 hits.

Love In The Midnight & Lights is alot more Pieces Of Eight sounding than Sing For The Day is.

Fight Fire was not a big hit at all.

Look at the album sales after Point Of Know Return and you tell me...

[KWH17]

I can't believe I didn't think of this until just now.....

"It was thirty years ago today, Dennis D. told the band to play
a little ballad he called "Babe", a #1 song was made
still the band get's abused, even after all these years
For Dennis' sappy love ballad!"



ya, I know. Corny Beatles parody.

[Higgy]

I can't believe I didn't think of this until just now.....

"It was thirty years ago today, Dennis D. told the band to play
a little ballad he called "Babe", a #1 song was made
still the band get's abused, even after all these years
For Dennis' sappy love ballad!"



ya, I know. Corny Beatles parody.

Yeah, how did that awesome cleverness escape you before? Why don't you write for SNL? Your pen name could be "sock puppet".

[brywool]

JY is JY from Wooden Nickle to CMC International JY and his songs always sound the same

I'll mostly agree with you on that one.. Miss America, Great White Hope, Put Me On, Eddie., Heavy Water, HMP, were similar, flat out "rock" and some can say are the "weakest" tracks on the albums, but then JY threw in some very progressive, bombastic surprises like Midnight Ride, Half Penny Two Penny and have to say, Cyclorama's "These Are The Times" are three of JY's best works in Styx.

You actually consider Midnight Ride and Half Penny Two Penny to be "progressive"? I would say the only thing JY did that has any progressiveness to it would be "Double Life" and that was due to DDY's production.

JY's role in Styx was to be an adequate rhythm guitarist and provide 1-2 filler songs per album. Too bad JY never took a break from the band. I wish we could have seen what DDY and Tommy could have come up with without having to humor JY for 2 songs.

maybe so... but his guitar solo in Renegade is really good.

[KWH17]

I can't believe I didn't think of this until just now.....

"It was thirty years ago today, Dennis D. told the band to play
a little ballad he called "Babe", a #1 song was made
still the band get's abused, even after all these years
For Dennis' sappy love ballad!"



ya, I know. Corny Beatles parody.

Yeah, how did that awesome cleverness escape you before? Why don't you write for SNL? Your pen name could be "sock puppet".

What is this awesome cleverness of which you speak? I straight up said it was a corny parody, and I wasn't trying to woo anybody with it. When I said "I can't believe I didn't think of this until just now," what I meant was I usually come up with corny sh*t like that right away. It was in no way me being a show-off, just having a little fun. I guess I need to make sure that the intent of my posts is spelled out for everyone.

[bugsymalone]

I am one who thinks JY added a needed element to the Styx sound. He was certainly not a talent anywhere in the neighborhood of Tommy or Dennis, but that is true of most bands. You always have your big guns and your background guys. They all add to the whole.

I do like a few of his album contributions and he had a voice that was able to add a strong element to those Styx harmonies. Double Life is my favorite song off of Kilroy to this day.

All that said, I do think he was one member who was probably replaceable at all stages of the Styx progression through the years, both as a guitar player and singer, who might not have been missed.


Bugsy