Apart from Right Away, which we both like, we have pretty much polar opposite opinions on this album. Nothing wrong with that at all, obviously. It'll be interesting, though, to see if our tastes correlate as we go through the discography.
Interesting (?) note about that debut single: if the timing on the 45 is to be believed, the a-side was trimmed a bit (3:06 vs 3:13 on the album). On its TWO (!) later appearances as an a-side (for Man of Miracles and Best of Styx), it shrunk to 3:03, if label timings are to be believed. Meanwhile the b-side, What Has Come Between Us was really chopped, from 4:53 to a mere 3:03. Loses the raucous intro completely, trims most of the quieter bit leading into Dennis’ vocal and fades before the guitar solo at the end. It’s on YouTube if anyone is curious...
Planning on doing Styx II on Monday. If I am going too slow let me know. I don't mind one a week but open for suggestions.
Styx II – July 1973 1. You Need Love 3:44 2. Lady 2:56 3. A Day 8:19 4. You Better Ask 3:54 5. Little Fugue In “G” 1:17 6. Father O.S.A. 7:08 7. Earl Of Roseland 4:39 8. I’m Gonna Make You Feel It 2:23 Artwork by Bob Miles. Originally released as a Gatefold. Produced by John Ryan, recorded at Paragon Studios in Chicago by Barry Mraz. You Need Love written by Dennis opens the album. A nice up tempo rocker with JY on vocals. This would remain in the set list until around 1976. This song shows you they are miles ahead of where they were on the first album. Lady is a power ballad written and sang by Dennis but it was NOT a breakout hit until a few years later. We all know this song and it’s a great one. Dennis says “The was me defining myself at the age of 24. I invented myself at that moment but didn’t know it. I didn’t own a piano until 2 years after we recorded it”. It was the obvious choice to release as a single. It failed to chart upon release. Dennis said “I took it to mean people didn’t like what I was doing”. A Day by John Curulewski – His first Styx song and what a great one! Great playing from all the band members and nice drums and bass from the Panozzo twins. This is also when JC and Dennis starting butting heads – JC wanted to play all the instruments on the song but Dennis refused to let it happen. A Day is followed by You Better Ask – another tune from JC about “the social disease” based on his own romantic adventures. Kind of a silly topic for Styx but it does feature some nice musical work from the band. The outro features Strangers In The Night on calliope organ. Little Fugue in “G” was recorded at the Cathedral of St. James in Chicago and leads into Father O.S.A., another song the band would perform live through the Man Of Miracles tour. It was about an alcoholic priest the band knew. This also featured organ work from Dennis recorded at St. James. Cables were run down the street from Paragon Studios to the Cathedral. Earl Of Roseland was a look back at their youth and features some nice drum work from John. The song mentions Spiderman & The Human Torch and references Dennis seeing Chuck & John. “I can see Charlie on the porch and Johnny clicking his sticks”. The album closes out with I’m Gonna Make You Feel It's penned by Dennis and sang by JY. It was a straight ahead rocker in a style that was popular at the time. The only album not to feature any songs written by JY (not counting Big Bang Theory since it's a covers album). After this album failed to make an impact the band became more dismayed. They later found out Wooden Nickel only spent $160 to promote the album – the money it cost in postal fees to mail the album to radio stations. There were no promotional people promoting the album at all. Chuck would say they would always get asked when they were going national. People assumed that since they made an album that they would be on top. Chuck “It just doesn’t work that way”. Reissued by RCA Records in 1980 as "Lady".
I think you need to show the awesome original die-cut gatefold, Mike! These are tough to find in decent condition as the ends of the letters are frequently broken off. My brother had an original that was in ok shape (just damage to one letter, I think) which I inherited, but I bought a copy a few years back that was better. I posted it here in some discussion or another, and someone asked if I’d mind if they made my pic the main one on Discogs. So, straight from Discogs, here’s the original die-cut front cover! The LP actually slid out from the inner gatefold, and the band photo was the back cover… (not my copy below):
STYX II Another album that's not up towards the top of my Styx rankings but it's an improvement on their debut, I think, and a good listen in its own right. 1. You Need Love 3/5 - Not much of a song really but it's redeemed by some fabulous guitar & keyboard work and by JY's cracking vocals. 2. Lady 3/5 - I don't love this one as much as many Styx fans. The early piano/vocal parts are splendid but as soon as the heavy rat-tat-tat-tat guitar comes in, all the atmosphere dissipates. They nailed the quiet/loud dynamic later in their career but I don't think it works all that well here. 3. A Day 5/5 - This feels like a great lost David Crosby song to me. What a wonderful way for John Curulewski to properly introduce himself to fans. Brilliantly played too. It's long but it doesn't outstay its welcome at all. Never going to happen but I'd love the current band to resurrect it for their live shows. Didn't know the story about JC wanting to play all the instruments. Fascinating! 4. You Better Ask 4/5 - Still JC but a complete contrast to the above. A fun little Fifties-style rock 'n' roll pastiche reinvented for the early Seventies. To my eternal embarrasment, I've never noticed that the pipe organ outro was actually Strangers in the Night. Doh! 5. Little Fugue In G 3/5 - A nice little introduction for.... 6. Father O.S.A. 5/5 Arguably the first song that wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of the golden run of early A&M albums. Every element of classic Styx is present and correct apart from Tommy's presence. Magnificent. 7. Earl Of Roseland 3/5 - Decent but dwarfed by the previous tune. Thought the lovely lyrics could have done with a more epic melody & arrangement. 8. I'm Gonna Make You Feel It 4/5 - Nice, strong rocker to end the album.
I was looking for a good die-cut and couldn't find one! Nice photo! I remember you posting one before in another thread. I think I have only seen the gatefold one time and the "y" part was completely missing. Other than that, I have never run across it. Wooden Nickel quickly pressed a second run that wasn't die-cut and those are way more common. The very first version I owned was "Lady" pictured above. At the time I did not know it was called "Styx II". I might have been 13 or so when I bought it.
Lady was the first Styx song I heard.... although I didn't know it was Styx until much later. I had the Wooden Nickel set back in Aus, but like a lot of stuff, I had to let it go when I moved overseas.... another I need to replace. If you have time OP, you should run through the songs. If you post a song each day, it will bring the thread back into the front of the board, and more folks will see it, and join in. It will also give you smooth spacing for your weekly album installations
Busy day today, but I'll chime in with a weird release here. Note: I LOVE the Wooden Nickel label. It's probably 2nd only to the Fabs' Apple label for me. I love the heads/tails and Indian Head/Buffalo artwork. Just too cool, imo. I mentioned upthread that the singles history of this band fascinated me somewhat. Well, in keeping with our "song of the day," take a look at this promo single! Sorry the pics are kind of small, but check out those timings! Would love to hear the single edits on these "heads" and "tails" sides!
Just found this thread today- what a fantastic idea! I have been a fan since I heard "this new album I just got" at my friends house. It was Cornerstone. I really liked it, and started searching out the other albums. Got really turned off after Dennis left the group when the remaining group started dissing Dennis. I will chime in when I can. I haven't listened to the Wooden Nickel stuff for quite awhile, so my comments will be a bit scattered. Really loved the Common Man suite on the first album, along with Best Thing. As a rule, anything JC sang was a favorite of mine- he was quite eclectic, and I quite enjoy his contributions! Lady is, of course, one of my favorite tracks from back then. Earl Of Roseland is also a favorite (love the Marvel comics references).Looking forward to more of the discussion.
I also noticed on Discogs that there is a single version of "Father O.S.A." with part one on Heads and part two on Tails.... I am assuming they split the song? That's weird. I assume it is much like an 8-track where a song would fade out, change tracks and then fade back in. Honestly I was unaware they released anything other than Lady. I wonder if that $160 spent on promotion was just for Lady or a total amount on everything? (And it could be something else entirely since the single is listed as RCA not Wooden Nickel and was released in Germany). Styx – Little Fugue In "G" & Father O.S.A. Part 1&2 (1973, Vinyl)
Another funny single. This was the LEAD single from the album, apparently. Still trying to push JY as the frontman, maybe? The copyright on this single is 1972! Also note that writing credit on the “heads” side (?) and that the b-side is listed as coming from the album “Styx” but the a-side doesn’t list an album. Presumably before it was named??? The b-side also got another edit, chopping off 30 seconds or so…
STYX II - Now this is where Styx really gets going for me. They still had a lot of growing to do but a handful of tracks here really standout and are part of my regular Styx playlist: "Lady", of course, is "the song" here. "Father O.S.A." and "I'm Gonna Make You Feel It" are just as good. "A Day" is really interesting as well. "You Need Love" is fair enough. The rest I can live without. So overall, a nice way to build on the first album, but still plenty of room for growth. I give it 6/10.
Hey Jinksy! I think Styx was my first favorite band too and as we discussed before somewhere I think, you and I are roughly the same age. So getting Grand Illusion was a real watershed moment for me at 12 or 13 years old. I'm a fan of mostly Equinox on up and though I heard some of the earlier stuff, never really got into it. I will use this thread as a way to expose myself to the early Styx work to reassess them with a little more seasoned ear. What great timing for this thread @MikeInFla ! It might just turn out to be a Styx Summer for me! Love the new Styx album (Crash Of The Crown 2021) by the way and suggest all Styx fans give it a listen!
What a fun opening track and partying introduction to Styx! I'm absolutely loving this one! Maybe it is time for a reassessment of these early albums! If John Fogerty was singing the beginning of this song I would probably thing it was a lost CCR track! LOve the drum work at about 3:15 mark that morphs us from the CCR sound right into that unmistakable Styx sound with a little bit of Black Sabbath thrown in for good measure! Their first track on their first album is over 13 minutes long? Don't know if that's gutsy or stupid, probably both!
@Dr. Pepper it's cheap! Double disc set! It's remastered! It's awesome! Go order it now! https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Woo...ooden+nickel+collection&qid=1624297395&sr=8-1
Love this Aaron Copland composition! One of ny main introductions to classical music! Fanfare for the Common Man is a musical work by the American composer Aaron Copland. It was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens and was inspired in part by a speech made earlier that year by then American Vice President Henry A. Wallace, in which Wallace proclaimed the dawning of the "Century of the Common Man". Several alternative versions have been made and fragments of the work have appeared in many subsequent US and British cultural productions, such as in the musical scores of movies. An excerpt of Fanfare for the Common Man was used to open the Rolling Stones Tour of the Americas '75, and their Tour of Europe '76 supporting their Black and Blue album. The excerpt was also included and credited as such on the band's 1977 Love You Live live album. The American rock band Styx has also used the Copland piece. Their 1972 eponymous debut album opens with a suite called Movement for the Common Man. The third section of the suite, titled Fanfare for the Common Man, is loosely based on the Copland original. Additionally, the rock band Asia (which shares the drummer Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake & Palmer) often plays a variation of "Fanfare" during their live shows. Different versions have appeared on various live Asia albums over the years as well.
Another fun track that doesn't sound much like the Styx I'm used to, but fits right in with the 1972 music vibe! I'm really enjoying this album so far, right up my alley! This rocking little track I would be more than happy to drop into a 1972 playlist with the best of what 1972 had to offer!
Alright here is the Styx I know and love! What a fun proto Styx track with the "Lovely lady" part sounding like Styx from their later heyday!
Styx II Almost a night and day difference between this and the debut album, kinda of the opposite of a sophomore slump. All original songs, excluding Little Fugue, and the production seems glossier and less raw. You Need Love (4/10) - JY belting out a Dennis song, pretty much a paint-by-numbers rocker. Lady (8/10) - I'm guessing that Wooden Nickel's ummm, minimalist approach to promotion is the main reason that it stiffed as a single upon initial release. Of course it eventually gets its due, and the band has a future template for success. A personal favorite. A Day (8/10) - I love this song. JC is unleashed upon the world and knocks it out of the park. A dreamy multi-sectional song that would be a 9/10 if not for the droning time time time time part. Great job by the Panozzo rhythm section. You Better Ask (4/10) - Back to back JC tunes. Not bad, but pales to its immediate predecessor. A rocker that sounds like it would it fit on an early Ozark Mountain Daredevils album. Little Fugue (4/10) - Hard to rate an intro. It works well though, as it is hard to see just plowing into Father OSA on the beginning of side 2. Father OSA (6.5/10) - Dare I say birth of the bombast? What Lady hinted at earlier is delivered in spades on this track, although the pattern established here would be perfected in the future in the A&M years. Earl Of Roseland (4/10) - Once again a great job by the Panozzo brothers. The wistful nostalgic tone of the lyrics would be a recurring theme in the band's career. Dennis' yelps and vocal effects are a bit disconcerting however.. I'm Gonna Make You Feel It (4/10) - The matching JY vocal bookend to You Need Love. Short and sweet, just not spectacular. Overall quite a leap from the debut. We'll never know how things might have been with decent promotion and label support, but it did go Gold in the 70s, correct? I wonder how close it is to Platinum....the album sales haven't been certified in decades, I am guessing.
