Roboto's Vs. Rocks

[Ash]

I wanted to bring up something for all those who think Kilroy was the death of Styx (which is arguably true - I think Styx got past it to a certain point but because of new feuds they decided to drudge up all the old baggage - kinda like when you fight with your spouse you bring up EVERY-OTHER-THING they've ever done wrong)..... I find "Cornerstone" to be a much weaker record than Kilroy. Cornerstone had Babe - which was obviously the most popular single... but the only real "rock" song on here is "Eddie"..... Love In The Midnight is just STRANGE. Borrowed Time is also weird, but in a different way. Lights is a good tommycoustic tune in the tradition of Fooling Yourself... but Why Me is just kinda ... blah.

Anyway... I just find it MUCH easier to listen to Kilroy all the way through than I do Cornerstone.

[Ash]

case in point...... in every DDY ballad I've heard (in Styx - I'm leaving out the solo stuff)... I've never seen any lyric quite the calibur of..

"Out here I stand with my heart in my hand
My hopes on a wing and a prayer
<i><b>I must have been born with a hole in my head</b></i>
Cause I've never said these things before"

Born with a hole in my head? First Time is sappy yes - but "hole in my head"?

Anyway, wanted to further illustrate my point

[classicstyxfan]

Ash, yes TS occasionally had a line or 2 that were real klunkers in some of his songs....more often than not he is a decent lyricist.

Cornerstone was the 1st release on A&M that in my opinion didn't measure up to the prior release....( you could argue Crystal Ball vs Equinox, but I liked Crystal Ball alot....)

Love in the Midnight is actually my favorite cut off of Cornerstone, but there is no accounting for taste, is there ?

I thought the really wrecked a good song when in the middle of Borrowed time, they threw in that YES/NO piece of crap of a bridge. ( what the hell was THAT ? )

Anyways, I ranked Kilroy DEAD LAST on my ranking of Styx LP's, but I am older than alot of the posters here. I preferred much of the Wooden Nickle Era to both Kilroy and Cornerstone.....they were low budget, but you got a better feel for their talents as musicians on those less produced releases.

[yogi]

I really liked the song Love In The Midnight. You know the song is about scoring with prostitutes. I heard an interview where Tommy said this. As for Tommy's worst line . It has to be off of Paradise Theatre and the song 'She Cares'. Still she treats me like a human????? What the hell does that mean??? Wouldnt she treats me like a hero been better??? Dennis's Dont Let It End has to be the worst song fitting into a 'rock opera' I still have not grasped the lyrics' some nights I wake up I look at your pillow'. They haul Dennis off to prison still he grabs his wifes pillow. Classic!!!!!!

[swwskj]

Six Words,

I'm schizophrenic and so am I.

'Nuff said.

Scott

[ek88]

I think Cornerstone blows Kilroy away. First Time is the only song on Cornerstone that I don't much care for, and Why Me is a bit dorky. Borrowed Time has really grown on me through the years, and I really like Lights, Love In The Midnight, Never Say Never, and Eddie. I'm not a huge Boat On The River fan, but not a bad song. As far as Babe, I liked it initially, but I rarely listen to it anymore (usually just skip past it when listening to Cornerstone). As far as Kilroy, I'm hard pressed to say much positive. Double Life and Don't Let It End are decent songs, IMO. Just Through The Night is OK. Cold War, Roboto, High Time, and Heavy Metal Poisoning are not only some of the worst Styx songs, they are some of the worst songs I've ever heard (again, just my opinion). I kind of like Haven't We Been Here Before, but talk about a horrible time for Tommy to decide to write a ballad. What was he thinking? All in all, while Cornerstone was a step down from previous albums, I thought it held true to the Styx sound. I'm still scratching my head about Kilroy.