This Day in Music History: Styx/Kilroy Was Here (02/22)

On this date in 1983, Styx basically destroyed their career with the release of Kilroy Was Here (covered in more detail here: Side One, Side Two) Yeah, you know THAT one. The one that brought us this:

Styx and Yes have always gone back and forth as being my favorite band. It was hard for me to recover from this album though, which had a tour that was a financial disaster. I mean they had reached their pinnacle to me just two years before with Paradise Theater. When I got this album (I still have it in my collection) I was just utterly confused. It just didn't sound like Styx and quite frankly it was embarrassing to me. Side Two is actually decent to me, but the band has never been the same ever since.

No, please. Let it end.

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Music Monday: Styx/Kilroy Was Here (Side One)

Directly caused by the accusations of backward Satanic messages on "Snowblind" from Paradise Theater, Dennis DeYoung conceived a concept album that was a rock opera telling the story of a future where rock music is outlawed by a fascist government and the "MMM" (the Majority for Musical Morality). The story's protagonist, Kilroy, is a former rock star who has been imprisoned by MMM leader Dr. Righteous. He escapes using a disguise when he becomes aware that a young musician, Jonathan Chance, is on a mission to bring rock music back. The album was called Kilroy Was Here.