So as I was finishing up the last few albums in the Yes discography, I began planning ahead for what I would do next. That answer was simple: Styx. In a way I know these albums far better than the Yes catalog because I was a fan of Styx first.
I will go into much more detail on it later, but in the early 80's when I got my first big boy stereo (and headphones) the first album I wanted on my turntable was Paradise Theater. I was massively hooked. That's when I began collecting the back catalog, but there were some albums I just couldn't figure out. Some of them had weird album covers and contained songs I had never heard of before. I later found out that these were re-issued albums from their original record company Wooden Nickel Records.
But first, some background on the band:
Twin brothers Chuck (guitar) and John Panozzo (drums) first got together with their neighbor Dennis DeYoung (vocals and keyboards) in 1961 in the Roseland section of the south side of Chicago, eventually taking the band name "The Tradewinds". Chuck Panozzo left to attend seminary school for a year but returned to the group by 1964. Tom Nardini had been brought in to replace Chuck on guitar and Chuck decided to play bass guitar when he returned to the band. John Panozzo was the drummer, while Dennis DeYoung had switched from accordion to organ and piano. In 1965, the name "Tradewinds" was changed to TW4 after another band called The Trade Winds broke through nationally. By 1966, the Panozzo brothers had joined DeYoung at Chicago State College and kept the group together doing gigs at high schools and frat parties while studying to be teachers. In 1969 they added a college buddy, John Curulewski, on guitar after Tom Nardini departed. Guitarist James "J.Y." Young came aboard in 1970 making TW4 a quintet.
In 1972 the band members decided to choose a new name when they signed to Wooden Nickel Records. Several suggestions were made, and according to DeYoung, the name Styx (the river in Greek mythology between Earth and the Underworld) was chosen because it was "the only one that none of us hated".
Their debut album was simply called Styx, or in some cases Styx I.
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Side One
1) Movement for the Common Man - This is a multi-piece song that checks in at over 13+ minutes. Some have described them as "progressive" in their early years, but I think the term "art rock" applied to them better. This whole suite is based off of Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man".
a) Children of the Land - Starts off the suite and is sung by JY. Y? I dunno. It lasts up until the 3:22 mark when an instrumental piece which sounds like Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem takes over.
Children of the land don't wear a frown upon your face
Come on and join your hands Were all a part of the human race
The music is here to let you leave your fears behind
Come on along dont do me wrong, lets see what you might find
Children of the land - Children of the land
Dont misunderstand, Were all children of the land
Dont trust anyone else to run your life and set your goals
Youve gotta be able to live with yourself when you are getting old
Others are getting blamed for messing your life around
Its your own fault if you complain, for letting it get you down
Children of the land - Children of the land
Dont misunderstand, we're all children of the land
b) Street Collage - At around the 5:15 mark it switches over into this part, which is basically some street interviews with sounds of passing buses and subway trains.
c) Fanfare for the Common Man - This is where the Copland music kicks in, played by the band. It starts fading in around the 7:05 mark. JY sings this part as well.
d) Mother Nature's Matinee - Things slow down a bit once the song hits the 10:08 mark, and we finally get to hear DDY do some singing. And man can that guy sing! I give him a lot of crap but he has always had a fantastic voice.
Another new day takes up on you
A fanfare wakes the land
The naked lives just a shining down
At the dawn of the common man
Outside in the madding crowd
He laughs along the way
Traffic city, what a pity
It doesn't have a word to say
Troubled people, billions of people
They can't seem to understand
The ringing ears are unable to hear
The sounds of the natural plan
d) Mother Nature's Matinee - Things slow down a bit once the song hits the 10:08 mark, and we finally get to hear DDY do some singing. And man can that guy sing! I give him a lot of crap but he has always had a fantastic voice.
Morning sunshine - on carpets of green
Cascades of water are flowing endlessly
Here in the morning light we spent a holiday
Here in the morning at mother nature's matinee
Here in the morning at mother nature's matinee
Here in the morning at mother nature's matinee
At the 12:00 mark it reprises some earlier instrumental moments in a big ending flourish. I have always enjoyed the keyboards on this whole piece.
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2) Right Away - And now they sound like a Southern rock band. JY sings yet again on this bluesy number. It's okay, but a bit repetitive.
I have seen you walk in my dreams
casted high against the sky
let me meet you, let me greet you inside
take your place right next to mine
yes I say
right away, right away
right away, right away
right away, right away
right away, right away
leaves have fallen since I saw you last
slowly die from green to brown
in which way we choose to live our lives again
I'm gonna lay some seeds
I'm gonna leave them laying right on the ground
right away, right away
right away, right away
right away, right away
right away, right away
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So, because of the extended first song, that's all there is to side one. It's a good start I suppose. I liked how they at least seemed ambitious with the first song. Things get a little more interesting on side two. Look for that coming soon!
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