Styx album by album thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MikeInFla, Jun 14, 2021.

  1. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...


    Thanks but with shipping the cheapest price for that is $17.99... I'm not going to pay that for one song.

    But I will keep my eyes out for it in a B&M.

    :wave:
     
  2. SRC

    SRC That sums up Squatter for me

    Location:
    New York, NY
    If you hate all their other songs anyway, why not just get another copy of...Cornerstone...feel like I've seen it endlessly in $1 bins.
     
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  3. Melllvar

    Melllvar No Matter Where You Go, There You Are!

    Location:
    Anchorage, Alaska
    I can't believe that I forgot about the Babe CD single that was released in 1995, which I have:

    Styx – Babe / Why Me (1995, CD)

    So there you go. :)
     
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  4. BeatleJWOL

    BeatleJWOL Senior Member

    Neat, so they can be reminded of why they don't like Styx with the other side :laugh: I mean, of all the flipsides...
     
  5. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    Hmmm……I’ve always felt “Lights” and “Why Me?” went together like 2 peas in a pod. An amazing 1-2 opening punch to an otherwise lackluster album.
     
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  6. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...


    OK will look next time I'm in a B&M... I've only been once (a couple of weeks ago) since Covid lockdowns.
     
  7. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    In discussing the first album, I noted the (surprisingly!) dominant presence of JY over the others. Well, Styx II comes to life roaring with the talents of Dennis DeYoung! Aside from the two Curelewski cuts, he writes the whole album and unleashes some of those bravura vocal performances that would later dominate the heights of their A&M albums. There's a world of difference between Styx and Styx II, but not much distance between Styx II and Equinox, IMO. Father OSA could fit quite comfortably on that fifth album, I believe...

    I think You Need Love is a TERRIFIC opener, sort of a Beatle-y, hippie-ish ode to a perfect place of peace & love - I like it! And that's some killer guitar laid over the top of it. I love those chiming guitar riffs just before the first verse (and a later verse) start. I think this could have been a hit, but it appears not to have been issued as an A-side until 1975, after Lady's success, when Wooden Nickel suddenly thought they might have another potential hit lurking. Funny that JY takes the lead vocal on a Dennis song. I like his performance just fine, but I'd have loved to hear Dennis sing it, too. Perhaps our knowledgeable OP or someone else might know if Dennis ever commented on this song in later years?

    I think DDY is guilty of trying to go back to the well too many times with power ballads for the band, but I have zero issues with Lady, another terrific recording. Love that piano riff to open the song, love the dynamic shift, and love that the thing doesn't even rhyme. For a guy who later got some flak for writing wimpy ballads, the first one was pretty ballsy. When I was younger, A Day didn't do much for me (and JC's vocals were a little thin), but I've grown to love this lengthy, moody track. That instrumental break should be forced listening for all the Styx Stynx crowd. I get that they don't like Babe or Roboto, but the band did so much more. This is the great example from the second album where they "aimed higher" as I said in my review of the first. You Better Ask is probably the weakest vocal track here, but I even enjoy that slightly warped little JC number. Kudos to our OP for pointing out the Strangers in the Night outro, too. Heard if for years, but never thought about what tune it was (or how perfectly it matches the "story" of the song).

    Side two is where DDY really takes the reins. Just like he'd do a few albums later, he intros a lengthy cut with a classical piece and I think Little Fugue/Father OSA works well. I have no flippin' idea what "OSA" means :help: but wow, what a lead vocal, and those layered bah-bah-bum-bum backing vocals are pretty impressive, too. I don't see this as a SINGLE, and from what I can tell it wasn't ever a commercial single, but I'd be curious to hear the promo edit chopping away several minutes of it (and it's b-side, A Day). Earl of Roseland is another winner for me, as we hear Dennis take his first real "rock" vocal. I'd never noted the references to Chuck & John in the song until our OP mentioned it, but I did thing Dennis put a lot of emphasis on singing the word "sticks" (is that just me?). Another song for the Styx Stynx brigade should be Dennis' I'm Gonna Make You Feel It. Tell them that's from the wimpy Babe guy. It certainly finishes the album with a "bang." :laugh:

    As you can tell, I'm a HUGE fan of this album, it ranks very highly in their catalog for me, besting several of the A&M discs. I would love to see Styx tackle some more of the album live when it turns 50, but I suspect they'll be sticking to the same old hits for the most part. Sadly, II didn't have any more initial success than I. So JY's album tanked. DDY's album tanked. For album three the focus would almost seem to shift again...
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2021
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  8. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Another note on those crazy single edits...
    Lady is pretty much the definition of the three-minute pop song. Perfect, as is. But, if the original label is to be believed, Wooden Nickel once again felt the need to edit, chopping off nearly 30 seconds of it. I'd love to hear this quirky edit, but am unable to find it anywhere (one YouTube vid which even shows the single and correct - earlier - catalog number plays the 1995 version!):
    [​IMG]
    The 1973 b-side was You Better Ask, later to be replaced by an edited version of Children of the Land (previously posted) when the single was re-released (and found success). I'm only able to find pics of the promo version, but it appears that You Better Ask also got the knife on the b-side. Here's a single edit of that (which really just fades early). This version was the b-side to the You Need Love single, too. Confused, yet? :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2021
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  9. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    And, if you we’re wondering if that 1975 A-side version of You Need Love got edited … why, of course it did!
     
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  10. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    You Need Love is one of the best tracks by Styx (Wooden Nickel or A&M). I just love that tune! As for his thoughts on it? Well, he didn't say much about the period. I tried to dig deep into the Wooden Nickel stuff and really all he revealed to me was that "Christopher, Mr. Christopher" was one of his favorites from the era.

    Father OSA - Order of St. Augustine. Chuck & John attended a Catholic High School. There was a priest who taught English Literature and he was an alcoholic. Since he lived nearby where the band practiced he would sometimes stop by when he heard them playing. He would come in drunk and tell them the same stories over and over.

    And Styx II is just great all around, for me the weak link is "You Better Ask".

    Yes... A change is coming in direction on the next one. Will post album 3 on Monday.
     
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  11. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    I happened to remember something about Styx II. When it was first issued to CD in 1990

    (this version)

    [​IMG]

    The insert had an interesting note. It credited Chuck as playing the "Ass" instead of the "Bass".

    Keep in mind, this was 1990 way before he would ever come out but I remember the old Styx mail groups were laughing about it claiming the error was done on purpose. If you have this version of the CD check the inside and you will see. I no longer have my copy as I sold it after getting the Japanese version in 1999.
     
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  12. MechanicalAnimal6

    MechanicalAnimal6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Glad to find this thread just now!
    Can't wait to read all the future posts!

    I would say i am definitely a fan of Styx, like the majority of their music and only 2 albums i don't own.
    The rest though, i like it all otherwise. Great band!!

    Going to listen to the first 2 albums right now to get caught up!
     
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2021
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  13. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Yes, indeed it does. Funny, never noticed that!
     
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  14. MechanicalAnimal6

    MechanicalAnimal6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    okay, playing catch up here.....

    Styx I album

    my thoughts with a fresh listen

    Movement for the Common Man - 8/10
    Pretty good song. It loses me at the 5:15 mark with that talk mess.
    Thankfully it's somewhat short lived and kicks back in at 7:05. Great tune and i don't find it too long other than
    that annoying spot in the middle.

    Right Away - 9/10
    Great song, standout track to me.

    What Has Come Between Us - 8/10
    Nothing outstanding or anything, but it's still definitely a cool and interesting track.

    Best Thing - 10/10
    Always loved this song and think it's one of the best early Styx songs for sure.
    Love the organ/keyboard playing by Dennis. Just a nice, solid rockin' tune that is short enough to be
    a radio hit....at least it should have been, imo. Always thought the album should have started with this song instead.

    Quick Is the Beat of My Heart - 7/10
    Decent tune, but nothing too impressive really. Don't dislike it, but it's not a standout track either.
    Still glad it exists either way. They have made FAR worse songs, haha.

    After You Leave Me - 7.5
    I feel that Dennis should have sang the lead vocal on this song. For some reason i hear it in my head
    and it sounds better to me than JY singing it, if that makes sense, haha. Still a pretty cool song though.

    That's an average of 8.25/10 for a ranking of the album. Not bad, not bad. I do definitely like this album!
     
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  15. MechanicalAnimal6

    MechanicalAnimal6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    okay, Styx II


    You Need Love - 10/10
    Those first 40 seconds to me is Archetypal sounding Styx. Great opener and great faster paced tune.
    It kicks in and tells me "hey, we're Styx and we're here to rock!" Another stellar tune that i think should
    be in setlists now even still. One of their best earlier tracks for sure!!

    Lady - 11/10
    This song kicks so much butt! Always been a HUGE fan of this tune ever since the first time i heard it.
    When i think of Styx, this is one of the first songs i would think of for sure. If i'm in my car and this song
    is on, you bet i'm singing the song like if i'm auditioning for American Idol or something. This song still
    gets me excited to listen to, and when it kicks in with the whole band, i get goosebumps. Wish the song
    was a little bit longer too. Give me one more minute of this awesome-ness ! Heck yeah!!

    A Day - 6/10
    Okay, we get our first song sung by John Curulewski. Definitely and interesting tune. It's not bad.
    It has it's moments. Doesn't sound like a typical Styx song, that's for sure. John's voice is pretty good,
    very soft and lush sounding. This song shouldn't have come after Lady on the album though. It really
    brings the mood down a few notches. I really like the instrumental passage in the middle of the song the most.

    You Better Ask - 7/10
    A decent rockin' tune. I feel that this and "A Day" should have been swapped on the album as "A Day would have been
    a nicer way to end the side of the record i think and "You Better Ask" keeps that rockin' momentum going a little bit more.
    It's nothing spectacular, but it's a fun song still. I dig it.

    Little Fugue in "G" - 6/10
    Just a little intro. Nothing special to me really, and serves more as an intro to the next track.
    Interesting way to open the album side though!

    Father O.S.A. - 8.5/10
    Great epic sounding song! I like it quite a bit. Nothing else to really say about it though.
    Not a fan of the "buh-buh-buh-buh" part in the background.

    Earl of Roseland - 9/10
    Good rockin' song. Another standout song on the album. Dennis' voice sounds great on this one.

    I'm Gonna Make You Feel It - 8/10
    Great, quick little ditty. Interesting way to end the album.

    **Bonus Track** - Unfinished Song - 9/10
    I don't know about you, but i think this is a fantastic tune and it should have been put
    on the original album, imo. I really like this song! Very cool that it was included on the Wooden Nickel 2 cd set!

    And this album ends with an average score of 8.27/10. I would have thought it would have been higher yet.
    I do prefer this one over the debut though, that's for sure
     
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  16. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    You may be the only person who likes JC’s “You Better Ask” more than “A Day.”
     
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  17. PTgraphics

    PTgraphics Senior Member

    I love “Unfinished Song”. I first heard it on the tape “Miracles”.
     
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  18. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Yeah, we’re a little early to be discussing it here, but it will soon pop up in context. It’s a ‘74 recording (Man of Miracles-era), but I think they stuck it after Styx II on the Wooden Nickel collection due to time constraints…
     
  19. Standoffish

    Standoffish Smarter than a turkey

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Just discovered this thread. Looking forward to sharing my rambling thoughts!
     
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  20. Michael Streett

    Michael Streett Senior Member

    Location:
    Florence, SC
    The liner notes in The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings and the production credits therein suggest this is from The Serpent Is Rising sessions. Love the song but doesn’t fit with the rest of that album at all.
    What’s interesting in those liner notes I reference is it says this was released as the B-side to the Young Man single. No such single turns up on Discogs or on any internet search I’ve done.
    There is a mono/stereo promotional single however so very strange release history for this song. But as you say we’re getting ahead of ourselves here…
     
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  21. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Good catch! I hadn’t reread those liner notes in ages, but presumably they know more than me! I have seen reference to the single they mention. Those Wooden Nickel singles are a trip! Will circle back to that one next week!
     
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  22. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Interesting footnote to an earlier discussion re: TW4 demos.

    Listening to one of DDYs recent interviews and he describes the early band as a “successful covers band” in which he wasn’t a songwriter, and “the other two guys wrote more.” The interviewer (kind of an uninformed idiot, IMO) asks how they got signed to a label if they did covers. Dennis said they did “a group of demos” that they sent out to a local record company. So they must have existed at some point! He describes doing Lady during the first album sessions and maintains it was the first real song he wrote…
     
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  23. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    [​IMG]

    Two albums in 1973! Wish bands will still release 2 albums in one year like they did in the old days!

    The Serpent Is Rising – October 1973

    I remember seeing the original painting of this online but can no longer find it. Cover Art by Dennis Pohl.

    1. With Wolf 3:57
    2. The Grove Of Eglantine 5:00
    3. Young Man 4:45 (which JY would re-record in 1988 with re-worked lyrics on his second solo album)
    4. As Bad As This 6:10
    5. Winner Take All 3:10
    6. 22 years 3:39
    7. Jonas Psalter 4:41
    8. The Serpent Is Rising 4:55
    9. Krakatoa 1:36
    10. Hallelujah Chorus 2:14

    Witch Wolf is an excellent rocker from JY and a great way to open the album. Written by JY and his brother Rick.

    The Grove Of Eglantine features Dennis on vocals with a nice musical montage in the middle.

    Young Man was JY’s protest song about the Vietnam War. He would later re-work the lyrics and re-record the song on his "Out On A Day Pass" solo album in 1988.

    JC’s first song on the album was “As Bad As This” an acoustic melancholy and depressing tune. The end of the song features JC letting out a sigh. It really does feature some nice acoustic guitar work. Following the sigh is a moment of silence then it leads to the uncredited novelty track “Plexiglass Toilet”. A very odd tune from Styx but hilarious if you are 10 years old. Has a but of a Latin feel to it.

    Winner Take All was written by Dennis & Charles Lofrano with JY on lead vocals. As nice, positive tune. Not sure if it was ever performed live.


    22 Years is a nice rocker duet between JY and Dennis. It remained in their set list in the mid 70’s on the Equinox tour. It would be nice for them to pull this one out again but JY could never hit those high notes. Surprisingly this one is credited to Curulewski (I did not realize that until researching the album).

    Jonas Psalter by Dennis and vocals by JY is about a pirate. I always thought it was a cool tune but Dennis HATES it.

    The Serpent Is Rising was a song written and sung by JC and performed live on the next 2 tours.

    The song segues into Krakatoa (named for the volcano of the same name) which is a spoken/shouted piece by JC. This features what sounds like the intro for the THX theme that plays before movies.

    Finally the album wraps up with the Hallelujah Chorus with some great vocal harmonies by the band.

    Some of the lyrics were vague sexual references. The Grove Of Eglantine was about a woman’s v*****. The Serpent Is Rising is another sexual reference. Use your imagination.

    Dennis: “Lady was the first song I wrote. That wasn’t a bad start. If I had known that song was really something special for people you never would’ve heard songs like Grove Of Eglantine or Jonas Psalter. No one would’ve written songs like that. I think those songs are expressions of me looking for an identity beyond myself as a writer. When I wrote Lady it was about my wife. I sat down and wrote about things I know about. Every time I veer away from writing about things I know then it doesn’t work out. I mean, I wrote a song about a pirate but I never was one.


    Plexiglass Toilet was an obscure song and the band’s families came in to record vocals. It ended up being a top request on the Dr. Demento Show. It is said to be one of Weird Al’s favorite songs (go figure).


    The band was dissatisfied with the recordings. Dennis went on to say it was the worst album recorded by anyone, ever.

    JC had a lot invested in the album and also became discouraged about the lack of success.

    When Krakatoa was played live lots of effects were used including an explosion that would scare the audience.

    After Serpent Is Rising RCA lost interest and became disillusioned with the band.

    This was the first Styx album to reach the Billboard charts landing at 192 but according to Wikipedia as of 2007 the album has sold less than 100,000 copies.
     
  24. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    As usual, this was the version I had.... And I had a hard time finding it to the point I didn't believe it existed. No idea why this one was hard to find. I had all of the others before getting this one last:
    [​IMG]
    In 1980 RCA reissued it with the shortened title "Serpent". I never understood why they only put some of the lyrics on the back and didn't have lyrics for every song. But I love this album! Has more of a dark tone lyrically than the first 2 but their playing seems to get better with each album.
     
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  25. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    The opening track:
     
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