Music Monday (Styx/The Grand Illusion, Side One)

This one is so huge I don't even know how to start...

On July 7th, 1977 (7/7/77), Styx released their seventh album called The Grand Illusion.  The album's theme was the struggle to overcome self-deluding superficiality in order to affirm one's genuine value. And it launched the band to stardom.

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1) The Grand Illusion - Title song obviously and a great song which basically spells out DDY's feelings about fortune and fame. Don't judge yourself by other people's standards. This song received radio airplay, but never charted as far as I can determine.

In a 1978 radio interview, Dennis DeYoung explained how he told a friend that he wanted to title a song "The Grand Illusion." Some time later, DeYoung was talking to this friend on the phone and the friend said, "Hey, whatever happened to that song idea you had about a grand illusion?" DeYoung said, "Man, I forgot all about that." He hung up the phone and went to work. He already had the music, so he started playing the tune and the words to "The Grand Illusion" came out.

Welcome to the Grand illusion

Come on in and see what's happening

Pay the price, get your tickets for the show

The stage is set, the band starts playing

Suddenly your heart is pounding

Wishing secretly you were a star.

But don't be fooled by the radio

The TV or the magazines

They show you photographs of how your life should be

But they're just someone else's fantasy

So if you think your life is complete confusion

Because you never win the game

Just remember that it's a Grand illusion

And deep inside we're all the same.

We're all the same...

So if you think your life is complete confusion

Because your neighbors got it made

Just remember that it's a Grand illusion

And deep inside we're all the same.

We're all the same...

America spells competition, join us in our blind ambition

Get yourself a brand new motor car

Someday soon we'll stop to ponder what on Earth's this spell we're under

We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are

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2) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) - I may be alone in this but I think this is the best song Styx has ever done. It captivates me. It elevates me every time I hear it. It makes me not give up when things get difficult. The keyboards are just magnificent, and Tommy's songwriting abilities have passed DDY in my opinion.

"Fooling Yourself" was the second single released from the album and peaked at #29. The song was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw, and was originally based on his initial perception of Styx keyboardist Dennis DeYoung — an "angry young man" who viewed the group's successes with a wary eye and grew angry or depressed with every setback.

You see the world through your cynical eyes

You're a troubled young man I can tell

You've got it all in the palm of your hand

But your hand's wet with sweat and your head needs a rest

And you're fooling yourself if you don't believe it

You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it

How can you be such an angry young man

When your future looks quite bright to me

How can there be such a sinister plan

That could hide such a lamb, such a caring young man

You're fooling yourself if you don't believe it

You're kidding yourself if you don't believe it

Get up, get back on your feet

You're the one they can't beat and you know it

Come on, let's see what you've got

Just take your best shot and don't blow it

You're fooling yourself if you don't believe it

You're killing yourself if you don't believe it

Get up, get back on your feet

You're the one they can't beat and you know it

Come on, let's see what you've got

Just take your best shot and don't blow it.

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3) Superstars - Another great Tommy Shaw song. Momentary immortality...

You've read about me in the papers

You've seen me on the movie screen

You know everything about me

I'm your late night fantasy

But don't think I can't hear you calling

From the shadow of the 14th row

Cause I've had the same dreams you've had

A few short years ago and that's why I know

You and I

We will climb so high

Superstars

Whoa whoa you and I

And we'll just close our eyes

And we'll become our fantasy

(Soliloquy by DDY)

Superstars yes, yes, superstars

Step right this way. Everyone's welcome,

We want your dreams.

The offer's simple, momentary immortality

Cause I've seen them all you know

I've seen them climb and I've seen them fall

I've seen them come and I've seen them go

And through it all there's only one thing that matters

Love - And that's simply

You and I

Yes, You and I

For we are superstars

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4) Come Sail Away - Yeah, the one you've been waiting for. The first single from the album which rose to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped The Grand Illusion achieve multi-platinum sales in 1978. It is one of the biggest hits of Styx's career. 

DDY revealed that he was depressed when he wrote the track after Styx's first two A&M offerings, Equinox and Crystal Ball, sold fewer units than expected after the success of the single "Lady". Other people's expectations indeed. Both of those albums would receive a huge bump in sales from the success of this song and album, with Equinox achieving Gold status, while Crystal Ball went Platinum.

Musically, "Come Sail Away" combines a plaintive, ballad-like opening section (including piano and synthesizer interludes) with a bombastic, guitar-heavy second half. In the middle of the second half of the album version is a minute-long synthesizer instrumental break (the arp odyssey).

I'm sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea

I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me

On board, I'm the captain, so climb aboard

We'll search for tomorrow on every shore

And I'll try, oh Lord, I'll try to carry on

I look to the sea, reflections in the waves spark my memory

Some happy, some sad

I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had

We live happily forever, so the story goes

But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold

But we'll try best that we can to carry on

A gathering of angels appeared above my head

They sang to me this song of hope, and this is what they said

They said come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

Come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

(Arp Odyssey)

I thought that they were angels, but to my surprise

They climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies

Singing come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

Come sail away, come sail away

Come sail away with me

As a side note, other than just being a fantastic song, I think there were cultural elements that made this song even bigger and it has to do with that last verse. Angels climbing aboard their starship? Erik von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods was extremely popular in the 70's. And guess what movie also opened in 1977? Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Yeah.

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Bonus: you know you were thinking it!