Styk
Posted by Laila Hanson on 04-Jun-08 @ 02:02 PM|
YEARS OF EXISTENCE: 1970-1984, and whenever sporadic touring offers of rib cook-offs and state fairs turn up. YEARS OF DECENT EXISTENCE: Don't make me laugh. BEST RECORDS (relatively speaking): The Grand Illusion (1977), Pieces Of Eight (1978), Paradise Theatre (1981) WORST RECORDS: The Serpent Is Rising (1974), Equinox (1975), Crystal Ball (1976), Kilroy Was Here (1983) GO DOWNLOAD: "Lady," "Babe," "Come Sail Away," "The Grand Illusion," "Too Much Time On My Hands," "Mr. Roboto" FILE UNDER: Midwest Mediocrity Never Dies, It Multiplies SIMILAR-SOUNDING DINOSAURS: Queen, Journey, Boston, Touch and anyone else who rode to infamy on a bed of multi-tracked vocal harmonies and common synth presets. THE MUSIC: In 1970, Styx were another bar band with delusions of grandeur slogging in the Midwest. Things started to happen when their song "Lady"--penned by keyboardist/singer/public-school music teacher Dennis DeYoung--became a local Chicago hit that went national, warming its way into high school prom consciousness. A few forgettable records and lineup changes later, the band's braintrust of DeYoung and the brotherly rhythm section of John and Chuck Panozzo found chemistry in guitarists James "JY" Young and Tommy Shaw, just in time for 1976's Crystal Ball. The next eight years were filled with multi-platinum discs, sold-out tours and the kind of bloated aural cholesterol that defined American culture back then. They (mostly) called it a day in the early '80s, and have spent the last 20-plus years on boring solo projects and half-assed incarnations, none of which have featured original member DeYoung. WHAT THEY SAY: "Never a band for subtlety, their ballads featured sweeping, over-arranged guitars and keyboards, while their rockers were long and detailed." -AllMusic WHAT I SAY: In addition to exemplifying the wussification of American arena-rock, Styx also epitomize classic rock 'n' roll back-stabbing: James Young essentially called DeYoung out on VH1's Behind The Music when he said he felt uncool having hits with DD's schmaltzy ballads ("Babe") and Broadway-styled singles. Of course, that didn't stop JY from cashing those big-ass royalty checks. In 2001, DeYoung contracted a virus that made him hyper-sensitive to light, which made touring impossible for him. So they fired him. Scum sail away, for sure... WHY YOUR (GRAND)PARENTS LIKE THEM: Since these guys were everywhere in the '70s, it was too much effort to loathe them. Repeat after me: Baaa, baaa, baaa... CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: John Panozzo died in 1996; his brother Chuck retired from the rock lifestyle in 1998 and has become an AIDS avocate. Shaw teamed back up with vanilla-rockin' comrade Jack Blades, for a new band called Shaw Blades (Geddit? It sounded cool after the ninth bong hit). DeYoung frequently tours with an orchestra and has recently signed with Rounder Records. Rumors that Young was the dude who mysteriously drops off the Yellow Pages phone directory were unconfirmed at presstime. You could ask him yourself when Styx roll into your town alongside REO Speedwagon and Def Leppard this month. Instead, why not stay home and watch Jurassic Park, where you can control the volume? -Jason Pettigrew |
