Styx is Rocking Without Dennis
579904
Several years ago Dennis De Young took the band on a journey that led them from being the #1 band in America to near disaster. Sure Kilroy Was Here went platinum, but this was a direction that would eventually lead to the break-up of Styx.
Several attempts later and it finally seemed a true reunion was taking place; however, in 1999 Dennis thought he could run the show and the end result was that Styx hit the road without him. Even before this, a lackluster attempt by Mr. De Young on Brave New Would is heard.
400 shows later and a revitalized Styx fan base and CYCLORAMA is born. This record is vintage Styx and pure brilliance. From the catchy hooks of "Do Things My Way", to the powerful lyrics of "These Are The Times" written by James Young (JY) and Tommy Shaw, Styx brings us once again to the edge of our listening ears.
Tommy Shaw and Glen Burtnik give us a simple yet beautifully written masterpiece in "Yes I Can". I can see this song going over well with the AC stations. "One With Everything" caps off this terrific record. From the powerhouse percussion of Todd Sucherman, comes a song that has hit written all over it.
Lawrence Gowan and "Killing The One That You Love" shows us why he was the replacement for Dennis De Young. Another beautifully written tune that music fans of all types can appreciate.
What more can I say about this record that has not already been said. Yes, there will be the jerks like Rolling Stone Magazine who will put down anything this band does, but for the realistic music listeners, this is a must buy.
5 Stars for 5 gutsy performers.
Oh yeah, if you go to see these guys live, better make sure you don't have a weak heart.
[...]
3410635
I like the disc.  I like to listen to it, I like to sing to it.  I like "Heavy Waters" the best, and may be one of the only fans to enjoy "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" followed by "Everything is  cool." The tunes are catchy, and I want to make sure the guy in the  car next to me knows I am listening to Styx.  BUT...
The record was  recorded in seperate studios in Chicago and L.A. and sounds very  disconnected.  Seems to me if they had all been together recording it would  sound a little different.  I must tip my hat at the level of mixing and,  for lack of a better word, trickery, that mixed the leads and the  harmonies.  I must also complement the use of the technology in making it  happen. But I think the old ways may be better in this case. DeYoung's  keyboards were not evident in any of Shaw's leads, for example.
I felt a  bit cheated, in that DeYoung's ballad "While There's Still Time"  is directly from his "Hunchback of Notre Dame" musical. Don't get  me wrong.  I saw the show in Nashville and enjoyed it.  But I expected STYX  work here, and this confirms that this project was a compilation instead of  a team effort.  I have been a Styx fan for years, since I was 11 in 1982,  and Styx continues to be my #1 band.  But it could've been better had they  done it together. MJK
3796281
I'm a huge fan of Riot WITH their original lead vocalist-Guy Speranza.  Without him, Riot is only half as good.  Lead guitarist, Mark Reale, is great; but Guy's voice really made the band unique.  The songs on this CD are very weak compared to Rock City, Narita, and Fire Down Under.
4552130
If you don't have Styx's 1977 'The Grand Illusion' in your collection, than you are really missing out. While Styx were somewhat famous before, 'The Grand Illusion' was their breakthrough record. Songs like 'The Grand Illusion' and 'Come Sail Away' are played on classic rock radio stations all the time.

And it's not hard to see why. Styx rocked. They were a perfect blend of soft ballads (many were dedicated to Dennis DeYoung's wife, Suzanne) and hard rock tunes.

I know, so far, this isn't much of a review. But that's going to change right now.

So, here it is. The album by album, track by track review.

1. The Grand Illusion  And so begins Styx's masterpiece. This song is probably my favorite song they did. As a huge prog rock fan, I couldn't be more satisfied. Dennis' vocals are superb here, better than ever. Tommy and J.Y. do a great job backing him up. A MUST LISTEN!!

2. Fooling Yourself  One of Tommy's best songs. 'Why must you be such an angry young man?' is the opening lyric, and the rest is history. Another must listen. It sounds just as good as it did 31 years ago, in 1977 today!

3. Superstars  A classic, but very underrated tune. I never understood why. 'Superstars' is a great rock tune; Dennis' keyboards are at their best, and this is a classic Tommy Shaw vocal piece. A MUST LISTEN INDEED!

4. Come Sail Away  Probably the centerpiece of the entire Styx catalog. Definitely their biggest hit. The heaviest song Dennis sang on, no doubt; it starts off as a dreamy, sort of fantasy-in-music type of song, and than it gets really heavy. If you haven't heard this, than you probably aren't a classic rock listener. 'Come Sail Away' is, again, a must listen!

5. Miss America  James Young takes the vocals for this song. 'Miss America' is another rocker; for those of you that think Styx plays nothing but fluffy pop rock, your wrong! And 'Miss America' proves it. Heavy vocals, great guitar lines and bass lines throughout, this is a must listen for any Styx fan and classic heavy metal fan!

6. Man In The Wilderness  Don't let the title fool you. This is a rock tune indeed. Tommy's vocals are superb, and the guitar riffs are incredible! A great rock and roll tune from Styx! Another must listen!

7. Castle Walls  Probably the weakest track on the album, but still great! Dennis whispers, but proves he can sing perfectly--even while whispering! A very dreamy tune, but great keyboard lines throughout. Don't take what I said the wrong way, about this being weak. It's not! It's just it's weak compared to the other songs here.

8. The Grand Finale  And what a way to close out the record! This is only 2 minutes, but it's quite a way to end a masterpiece. This is very underrated, but it's superb, as is the rest of the record. A great way to close out a masterpiece!

Styx's 'The Grand Illusion' is a must have for any serious record collector. 1977 was a great year for music, and 'The Grand Illusion' is definitely one of the best records of '77. You must listen to this.

Overall, this is highly recommended for any Styx or classic rock fan. A prog rock masterpiece. A must listen indeed.

Highly recommended. A masterpiece, plain and simple.

ENJOY!!!
757677
I have this album on LP. Being a child of the 80's, my introduction to  Styx was Mr. Roboto. Now that I'm older, I know how much more there is to  Styx, but to say that this album is terrible just because it's not of the  "70's Supergroup" era  isn't very fair. I agree with a previous  reviewer; Just Get Through This Night and Haven't We Been Here Before are  absolutely beautiful. OK, so maybe the story is hokey, but it was the 80's  - almost everything was hokey. At least this had some thought behind it.  JY, as always, seems to be having fun, and DeYoung and Shaw do a wonderful  job vocally. Don't shaft this album; it's worth a listen.
3929953
I'd really like that Dennis Deyoung were still in the band. It's a shame, but in spite of all, the live album is good and interesting: It has a good sound and the backup members like Todd Sucherman, Lawrence Gowan and Glen Burtnik reach to fill the empty musical spaces left by John Panozzo (RIP), Chuck Panozzo and Dennis Deyoung. This live album is full of surprizes:

On the performance, James Young sang the track "Lorelei". The band played, since the release of the PICES OF EIGHT album, the never before played on tour song "Sing For The Day" (a must for the STYX fan). "Half Penny Two Penny" is another great track that didn't appear in the official released live discography of the band, as well as "Boat On The River", an acoustic song that was played only with Dennis DeYoung in the DVD RETURN TO PARADISE, or "Love Is The Ritual", a song by Glen Burtnik. Finally, the band played a little acoustic version of the Damn Yankees' song, "High Enough" (I wish they had played complete the song). So to resume, it's a great live album that makes the price worthwhile to pay and will let you asking for more... Goog Luck!
1507390
True - Dennis DeYoung is not part of the band anymore, but STYX probably rocks harder now because of it.  Lawrence Gowan's vocals are not as strong as DeYoung's, but he is a very capable singer, awesome keyboardist and great performer.  Tommy Shaw and James Young do stellar renditions of their hits, and Ricky Phillips and Todd Sucherman fill in nicely for the Panozzo brothers.  Highly recommended!!
705458
Styx should have broken up BEFORE they made this creaky clunker of a "concept" album, not after. I mean, they already had enough money in their pockets to last for eternity. I was "styxteen" years old  back when Kilroy Was Here came out, and even then I hated it, which was  unusual because I loved most of their earlier albums. Ambitious? Gimme a  break! Their songwriting was undoubtedly faltering big time when they made  this one. The song, Mr. Roboto, made me wince whenever I heard it on the  radio and most of the album's other tracks aren't any better. Another Grand  Illusion, or Pieces of Eight? Forget it.
4664048
I expected more of Styx on here, and the Bruce Springsteen song. I loved this movie for all the great music in it, but sadly they left out some winners!
4005938
It's rare that a supergroup produces an entire CD of well-chosen covers, with a notable exception being Feedback by Rush.  No, The Smithereens are not a supergroup, neither is The Church, nor is Philip Grant-Lee Philips, nor...  But this recording tops the Rush's Feedback because of song selection.  On this Styx recording, there are a few cuts that I don't particularly care for, but the first six cuts are exceptional, as is Locomotive Breath.  The guitar work and being true to the melody and tempo is what makes them stand out over other covers of these songs.  The driving rhythm and inventive guitar leads make I Don't Need No Doctor & Locomotive Breath particularly appealing and no other group has done better.  A little sound sampling on digital download sites will convince connoisseurs of these rock masterpieces that this is true.  The guitar work on Locomotive Breath is so fantastic that you'll never miss the piano intro or Anderson's flute.  I Can See For Miles has dazzling guitar work but lacks Keith Moon's frenetic drumming that makes The Who's classic unassailable.  Summer In The City takes the Lovin' Spoonful classic to new heights with jaw-dropping guitar playing that Sebastian could never touch but the vocals are too high and not gutsy enough to make it better overall.  The live version of I Am The Walrus ranks among the best ever recorded though the Spooky Tooth and Oasis versions benefit by stretching the psychedelic flow out for almost another two minutes.

In some cases, I prefer the Styx covers over the original.  I Can't Find My Way Home is an improvement on Blind Faith's original for those who never liked Stevie Winwood's whiney voice, and, I lean towards Tommy Shaw's vocals over Greg Allman's on One Way Out. I like the slowed-down, semi-acoustic, live studio rendition of Blue Collar Man over Styx's original if only because the lyrics are worthy of being presented in a setting uncluttered by excessive sonics.  Manic Depression challenges the Hendrix original, and again Shaw delivers smoother vocals than Jimi was capable of.  It Don't Make Sense, Styx updates the Willie Dixon original and proves that they can get down and deliver real blues.

Finally, this CD should be regarded as an homage to the great music that came before Styx's time and the music that must have inspired them along the way.  Perhaps because the liner notes don't acknowledge their influences as Rush did on their covers album, some reviewers have tended to mark this great album lower than it deserves.
607955
I have to say, i wanted to hate Plant's new stuff because jimmy page isn't involved. But it's his best solo album since "principle of moments". Good live bonus track not on the album, but i still miss jimmy.......
4508945
In 1990 when the album came out, I used to play it over and over! Of course being a fan of the previous album before this 'Kilroy Was Here' I expected some of the 'Roboto' Style songs... But no, the best part of this Album is that it's a different style for Styx for a different decade. The song 'Show Me The Way' is a modern Classic hit for Styx, and it rings true 12 years after the release of the album. 'Not Dead Yet' and 'Love is the Ritual' are rockers through and through, very 90's sounding but very hip. And 'Love at First Sight', "Carrie Ann' and 'Back To Chicago' are two of my favorites.. 'Love' and 'Carrie Ann' are a beautiful love songs, filled with Dennis' voice and emotion. 'Back to Chicago' is a neat tune, a pop style with a little blues and jazz mixed!
This album has some of the best Styx's songs since 'Babe' , 'Lady' and 'Mr. Roboto' It's a shame that radio stations don't play more songs from this album!
2741587
I haven't really followed the band much since it was announced that Dennis DeYoung was actually kicked out of the band, but I bought this CD anyway just because I was excited to hear some of the less popular songs live...such as Half Penny Two Penny, and Glen Burtnik's Love is the Ritual.  I really didn't care for this album at all.  For some reason, the album didn't feel very "live"...it sounded like they recorded all these songs while playing down at the local pub or something.
The one highlight of the CD is Gowan's "A Criminal Mind".  While not very Styxish, the song sounded great.  The truth is, though, Gowan's voice does not come over nearly as well live as Dennis DeYoung's did...and that really hurts this live album.  I have seen Gowan live on stage, and he really is great on stage...but that doesn't come through on the CD.
Tommy and JY still sound ok.  Tommy I think has been influenced by Kevin Cronin (REO) a little too much...they say the same things...sound the same. (Arch Allies)
In my opinion, if this new line up is to be accepted, they really need to release a new studio album.  Let's see what these guys can come up with, now that all this new talent is with band.
2651012
At first I laughed when I read that Slash had his 1st solo cd coming out.  I had always considered the 2 Snakepit records to be his solo albums, but I guess he didn't.  Then I read that "Slash" would feature different lead singers on each track and I knew I wouldn't like it.  After seeing the list of guest vocalists, many of whom I'd heard of but never actually heard (like Andrew Stockdale and Adam Levine), I knew the album would be awful.

Boy was I wrong.  From the opening riff of "Ghost," a track sung by Ian Astbury of the Cult (with rhythm guitars by Izzy), I realized this disc had some potential.  After hearing it in its' entirety, I'm waaay impressed.  This cd is the equivalent of putting your iPod on shuffle and hearing 14 really good and really different tunes.

Highlights include the aforementioned "Ghost," "Beautiful Dangerous" featuring Fergie, "By the Sword" (Adam Stockdale), "Gotten" (Adam Levine) and "Back to Cali"(Myles Kennedy.  The only track that does nothing for me is "Saint is a Sinner Too" by Rocco de Luca.  That one seems to go nowhere, but that's OK.  It's surrounded by 13 other great rock songs that cover so much ground musically while still being full-on rock.
68009
I watched the live concert on HDNet, and had really high hopes for the CD.  Working with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra could have been a great addition to an already great band.  The problem is, the band got in the way.  If you're expecting this CD to be similiar to the Dennis DeYoung CD or the Kansas CD where they played with an orchestra, you're going to be out of luck.

Instead of Styx putting their instruments down (or even turning them down a little bit) and letting the Orchestra give old Styx songs a new, more powerful feel, the band drowns them out every time.  With the exception of a few songs, you won't even notice that the Contemporary Youth Orchestra is there.  Gowan's keyboards and synthesizers still do what could have been done much better by the orchestra, Sucherman's drums overpower the string instruments, and even Boat on the River, which would have been amazing in an orchestral version, is still basically the same exact sound it's always been.

I'm not sure if it was the band's egos (of which they are all famous for) that prevented them from utilizing the CYO to it's full extent, or just the constraints of a live performance.  Two new songs are performed, but one isn't even the live version, but a studio recording.  Sadly what we have is just one more live Styx CD with mostly old songs.  All in all a missed opportunity.
2699758
I have been listening to this album constantly since it became available as an FM radio quality audio stream at AOL a couple of weeks ago.  This is one of those rare albums with NO tracks that I want to skip over; they're all good.  There's a lot of the classic Styx sound here, but the influence of the new members is very present in a positive way.
My personal favorite tunes are These Are The Times, Together, One With Everything, and Kiss Your Ass Goodbye.  But they're ALL good.
But don't just take my word for it.  Listen to this album.  You won't be disappointed.  ...
831199
hey what does it matter if dennis is not with styx anymore? styx is still the best band that there will ever be. i have seen them 3 times live and the show keeps getting better.when i bought arch allies(also an outstanding album)i noticed there were several other songs that did not go on the album.thats why styxworld is so great, it fills in all of the holes of arch allies.the best songs on the album are:high enough, lorelie(with james young on vocals),snowblind, crystal ball, miss america, a criminal mind, love is the ritual, sometimes love just ain't enough.if u r a huge fan or not i have great faith that you will love this album as much as i do.and who ever that [person] was who said this album was a big yawn and that return to paradise(the worst styx live album) was the best live album definately needs mental help.caught in the act and styxworld are tied for number 1. keep in mind everything i just said was not opinion, it is absolute fact.buy styxworld today.