Happy 21st Anniversary, Brave New World

[StyxGuy]

It was 21 years ago today that Styx fans received the first new studio album by the band since Edge of The Century, and the first featuring Tommy Shaw since Kilroy Was Here.

Sadly, many fans and critics would find it just didn't measure up as a Styx album. We would then find out that the recording sessions were disjointed between Tommy/JY and Dennis with Chuck sitting out for all but 1 song.

As I recall, Dennis was quite critical of the album and publicly stated his disappointment with how it sounded, the song arrangement and what singles were released. In retrospect (pure speculation) I wonder if the tensions over touring caused Dennis to speak out against the album so much... why would you poo poo your own work, leaving your fans to wonder if they should even bother buying it or seeing the band on tour?

The last time we would see Dennis DeYoung as a member of Styx would be an appearance on the Children's Miracle Network telethon on June 6th, 1999.

I was just a 15 year old kid when this album released, having recently discovered Styx the year before. I was filled with such excitement, because a new album should mean a new tour! I would have to wait until 2000 to see them, as when they came to my city in 1999 it was a bar/club (drinking age here is 19) so I couldn't get in.

Some of my favourite tracks from BNW - I Will Be Your Witness, Fallen Angel, Everything Is Cool, High Crimes & Misdemeanors, Goodbye Roseland and the Reprise


What do you remember about the time when this album came out? How did the release meet or fail your expectations? Did you find you didn't like any of the album, all of the album, a few songs yes but the rest no?

Cheers

[cinj]

Extremely disappointed. It was clear from the finished product that there were tensions. According to Dennis, Tommy didn’t want to finish the album because Dennis couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tour. I think management forced Tommy to complete his portion.

How ironic that one of the songs was named “Great Expectations”.

Cinj

[yogi]

Thought Goodbye Roseland & Everything Is Cool were by FAR the album highlights - Both Fantastic.

Did not like at all the rest of DDYs songs besides Roseland.

JYs songs ( Heavy Water & What Have They Done To You - with Tommy)were both solid.

Brave New World was a decent track as well as the reprise.

The rest of the album was terrible. Best New Face & Just Fell In were two of the worst songs EVER by ANY band since rock & roll was invented. This Is Not a Test & Toys For American Boys are like Mozart compare to those two songs. Absolutely TERRIBLE.

[StyxGuy]

Extremely disappointed. It was clear from the finished product that there were tensions. According to Dennis, Tommy didn’t want to finish the album because Dennis couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tour. I think management forced Tommy to complete his portion.

How ironic that one of the songs was named “Great Expectations”.

Cinj

Yes, when Dennis told management in Feb 1999 that he couldn't commit to a summer/fall tour, Tommy said it was "not in his best interest" to complete the album if they weren't going to tour right away and JY told Dennis that they would tour without him if he would not commit. The record label apparently didn't know about this and eventually got their lawyers involved which forced JY and Tommy to finish the album.

https://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/ ... young.html


Great Expectations makes plenty of sense now that we know the backstory.

"And all the doctors are contemplating. Can the smart ass still pull through" - literally reference to being sick and going to doctor after doctor without a diagnosis (I've dealt with something similar to what Dennis went through, it's real and it's terribly difficult to get down to a diagnosis)


and OOPS... I should have said 21st anniversary.. fixed the title

[ztyxlynne]

I remember rushing out and buying the CD when it was released. I do like the song I will be your Witness, Brave New World, Heavy Water is a good also. Goodby Roseland is awesome. Buy why Just Fell In. Horrible horrible song. Tommy's voice is awful and at song also sounds like he is a clothes pin atteched to his nose ,sounds very nasally.

I did read somewhere that Dennis did want to go back and fix the album and I really think that song would not have made the cut.

Just listened to it the other day and I don't mind the album at all. It's just a drama that was attached to it was very sad.

[FormerDJMike]

I remember buying it and before opening it looked at the back cover and noticing the producing credits. It seemed a bit off that it was not produced soley by Dennis or "Styx" as previous releases had been done. And the Paradise Theatre website had gone completely silent so I knew something was amiss. I liked it when it first came out but it felt very disjointed. I thought DDY's songs were the weakest of the bunch but still liked them with the exception of "Hip Hop" (terrible song).

I think I liked Everything Is Cool and Heavy Water the best. Heavy Water reminded me of Born For Adventure as the chorus sounded kind of like it (Heavy, Heavy Water!.... Born For, Born For Adventure!).

Great Expectations has some great guitar work. I didn't like that song at all at first but it grew on me.

Haven't played it in about a year so I need to listen to it again sometime.

Not one of their better efforts.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Thought Goodbye Roseland & Everything Is Cool were by FAR the album highlights - Both Fantastic.

Did not like at all the rest of DDYs songs besides Roseland.

JYs songs ( Heavy Water & What Have They Done To You - with Tommy)were both solid.

Brave New World was a decent track as well as the reprise.

The rest of the album was terrible. Best New Face & Just Fell In were two of the worst songs EVER by ANY band since rock & roll was invented. This Is Not a Test & Toys For American Boys are like Mozart compare to those two songs. Absolutely TERRIBLE.

I'm playing the album again right now.....

Goodbye Roseland and While There's Still Time are my favorite from the album. I also like "Brave New World".

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I remember rushing out and buying the CD when it was released. I do like the song I will be your Witness, Brave New World, Heavy Water is a good also. Goodby Roseland is awesome. Buy why Just Fell In. Horrible horrible song. Tommy's voice is awful and at song also sounds like he is a clothes pin atteched to his nose ,sounds very nasally.

I did read somewhere that Dennis did want to go back and fix the album and I really think that song would not have made the cut.

Just listened to it the other day and I don't mind the album at all. It's just a drama that was attached to it was very sad.

I agree what you said about "Just Fell In", I'm listening to it again, haven't heard it in a while.. This was one of the songs that I use to skip on the cd back in the day.

[gr8dane]

Of the 14 tracks on the album,I have 7 on my I-pod.
Guess I like
I will be your witness,Brave new world,Fallen angel,Everything is cool,Great expectations,Heavy water, BNW reprise.