What do you think of Styx?

I like some Styx songs very much. I have never heard a full album, but I enjoy what I have heard. "Too Much Time on My Hands" reminds me of driving on a very sunny, hot day in a pickup truck with my now husband.

"Babe" is even more sentimental. We have a VHS tape documenting my father's unit going to Kuwait around 1989/1990. One of the soldiers in his unit made it and used some of his favorite songs to score various scenes. "Babe" was used for the footage of all the soldiers saying goodbye to their families and boarding the plane to head to the Middle East. It is touching and a personal favorite song of mine because of this association.

for Styx.

 

I saw them on the Grand Illusion tour so their set list was mostly pre. They were great. In an arena, about 16 or so thousand people, lots of toking and pocket flasks. Loud as he** but clear.

 

That is the one thing that was consistent with Styx shows....the sound. (for me) from Pieces of Eight to now overall, clean sound. My only gripe - I wish they would roll the drums down a notch or two.

 

I saw them live on every tour from Equinox through Kilroy Was Here. Paradise Theater and Kilroy were actually my favorites, partially because the show was so good. I'd probably give the Paradise show my #1 slot. They were very theatrical at that point--it was as much like going to see a Broadway show as it was like going to a rock concert.

I've seen them a few times since then, but that was their heyday.

 

They were more influential than The Beatles.

 

I had Equinox on in the car yesterday. My nine year old was most pleased. A great band.

 

I stand corrected. I still found their music self indulgent and uninteresting. To each his own of course!

 

Ramones recalibrated what?..Didn't Styx just get bigger and bigger right after the Ramones debut? The punks didn't get rid of anything. Not Metal nor Arena Rock nor Disco nor 60's dinosaurs nor the singer/songwriter. Also, New Wave is as far from punk as any of those.
The Ramones eventually called it quits because they couldn't really make it.
The shirts on the super-fashionistas make for great irony, though.

 

I fully admit my prejudices are showing, and won't hijack this thread any further after this. Just this-
Probably subject for another thread, but back in the day, New Wave (Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Blondie) was a more melodic or evolutionary step from punk (Ramones, Sex Pistols, Dead Boys), but they both grew out of the same primal soup (think CBGB's in NY). The term New Wave is used somewhat different today.
And as for super-fashionistas...no greater irony than Che Guevara shirts....

 

FIRE THIS WRITER AND NEVER LET HIM WRITE ABOUT MUSIC AGAIN

 

Yeah, and I can't imagine Kraftwerk even existing without those early Styx albums to use as a template.

 

Have them all from Styx I to The Mission and all the solo albums so yes, I am a huge fan. My favorite band since 1980.

 

I describe the starting to get popular in the late 70s into early 80s rock bands that were perennial hit makers on the radio in America (Styx, Boston, Foreigner, Journey, The Cars, Van Halen, et al.) as Camaro Rock!

I'm looking forward to the upcoming Audio Fidelity SACD of Pieces Of Eight (note: great album!)

 

Rings true to me! I hate Styx music by and large. I do think they are very talented musicians - no doubt. I just don't connect to their music.

 

I just saw Dennis Deyoung and his band play the music of Styx last night at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair. It was a great show. Dennis was in great voice and I really liked the band that he put together. They do the Styx songs justice in my opinion. The breakdown of songs was all the familiar songs. Dennis sang 9 of his songs, The guitar player sang 4 of Tommy's song really well. He sounded a lot like Tommy and the other guitar player sang James Young's Miss America. Last week Dennis said he asked somebody in the band if they wanted to sing that song. The guitar player( I cannot remember his name) volunteered and he really sang it well. He really surprised Dennis with how well he sang that song. He has been in the band for years and wonders why he did not mention how good a singer he was. This concert has inspired me to order the Styx catalog from the 1970s and 80s.

 

One of the worst bands of all time. Look at this picture.

***** WARNING: CANNOT UNSEE *****

Spoiler

 

Along with Stones, they break my bones.

 

Just getting into Styx here, just aquired Pieces of Eight & Paradise Theatre on original European 80's vinyl.
The Journey/Supertramp/Styx sound of the late 70's & early 80's which is pretty unfamiliar to me, seems very worth exploring.
All good stuff so far, at this mileage.

 

Really enjoyed rocking "Styx"!
IMO, they got to 'theatrical'.
Don't even know for certain that's true or not; just after the "Grand Illusion" i got dis-illusioned!!

At one time "Lady" was my favorite song tho; same time i was lucky enough to be partying w/my 1st "Lady".

 

I really enjoy my own compilation, and the new album is terrific.

 

When graphing the bell curve of rock bands, it's necessary to have an artist whose quality of output is consistent enough to unequivocally define the critically important left-hand point of the axis, from which the quality of all other bands can be appropriately and proportionately graphed to define both the robust peak of the preponderant mediocre and the rightmost apex of the truly excellent. Styx, better than any other band, epitomizes that left-hand point of the axis, providing an immutable reference point through which all other bands gain their context. As such, Styx constitute an essential rock artist.

 

That might be a good example of the left-hand point of humor writing.

And opinions.

 

One of many bands I've just never heard. They're big in the States?

 

“Babe” was a #6 UK hit:



Apologies if they’re warranted.

 

I worked in the basement of a library all through college. We only had an AM radio, and there were certain songs that played in a constant rotation. "Babe" by Styx was one of them, and to this day, I cannot hear those introductory notes without switching the song off as fast as I can.

I like some of the non-Dennis de Young songs though.