ALBUM OF THE WEEK #169 STYX - CYCLORAMA (2003)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Styx

Genre: Rock

Country Of Origin: United States

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Cyclorama

Released: February 18, 2003

Producer: Tommy Shaw/James "JY" Young/Gary Loizzo

Best Single: Waiting On Our Time (the only single released)

Best Album Cut: These Are The Times

Hidden Gems: Do Things My Way/Waiting On Our Time/Kiss Your Ass Goodbye/These Are The Times/Together/More Love For The Money/Together/Killing The Thing That You Love

Filler: Fields Of The Brave/Fooling Yourself (Palm Of Your Hand)/Genki Desu Ka

What a treat I have for you this week.  It's the current Styx.  As Jon says to Scott quite often, the one and only, true incarnation of Styx.  Yes, this week we are forcing you to listen to Cyclorama, the much maligned album who's brilliance only seems to be acknowledged by Jon and myself.  

So first, I should tell you who was in Styx for the making of this album.  Of course, you have the only remaining original member, James "JY" Young.  You also have long time member Tommy Shaw.  The remaining members are Lawrence Gowan (a.k.a. the new and improved Dennis DeYoung) on keyboards and vocals, Glen Burtnik (no longer in the band today) on bass and vocals and Todd Sucherman on drums.

Look, you just need to give this a listen.  Except for the songs that I listed as filler, I think it makes a really good Styx album.  I'm not saying it's better than their classic stuff, but it's better than the rap it gets.  Here are a few tidbits to fill this out a bit.

• The album charted a very disrespectful 127 on the Billboard Albums chart, while the lone single only reached 37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
• Chuck Panozzo played bass on Bourgeois Pig and contributed backing vocals on Kiss Your Ass Goodbye.
• That's Billy Bob Thornton's voice you hear on Bourgeois Pig.  I wish they would have made a complete song of this, I was liking where it was going.
• The last song has a hidden track featuring a skit with Tenacious D and the song The Chosen One if you wait it out.  
• Kiss Your Ass Goodbye is a very contemporary sounding track.  It features Glen Burtnik on vocals and I like it.
• The album has too many songs.  Clip Fields Of The Brave, Fooling Yourself (Palm Of Your Hand) and Genki Desu Ka and this would be a superb album.

Track List

1. Do Things My Way

2. Waiting On Our Time *

3. Fields Of The Brave

4. Bourgeois Pig 

5. Kiss Your Ass Goodbye

6. These Are The Times

7. Yes I Can

8. More Love For The Money

9. Together

10. Fooling Yourself (Palm Of Your Hands)

11. Captain America

12. Killing The Thing That You Love

13. One With Everything

14. Genki Desu Ka

[Jon]

The GREATEST Styx album EVER from the GREATEST Styx lineup EVER!

[Scott]

Uh... This is not funny! I must mount a counter offensive to combat this attack on my musical soul!

[RJhog (Admin)]

You can mount a counter attack, but you have to listen to the albums.  You have to.

[Jon]

[Scott]

How fitting that the cover dangles the proverbial carrot in front of the consumer.  Hey look! A new Styx album, but no its not really Styx ...

Opener is not engaging at all.  Dennis DeYoung once commented that Shaw is best on the acoustic geetar, and we hear the results of his songwriting when that's true, Crystal Ball, Fooling Yourself, Sing For The Day etc.... So the second track has that acoustic feel, but its flat and emotionless, that's not a trademark of a Styx song.  

Fields of the Brave, is awful.  Really stupid in fact, and since when did Billy Bob Thornton become a member of the group?  This is spinning into a mess.  These are the Times may be the best track on here, Yes I Can belongs n Shaw Blades "Hallucination" release and not on any Styx album. More Love For The Money is a lyrical assault on a first grader, its so poorly written.  The Fooling Yourself reprieve is needed to remind the listener that there are members of Styx playing this.  Captain America?  A play on Miss America?  One With Everything has some promise, but it goes unrealized.  And this Genki Des Ka thing?  Just weird and even weirder with the conversation and singing that follows...

Maybe they really went for a clear separation from their identity and tried to create something new for themselves that they could try to carry forward.  I think the fans responded in kind...

Styx's new lineup released several live albums and released the studio album Cyclorama in February 2003, which reached No. 127 on the Billboard 200 album charts failing to make much of an impact. Although a single "Waiting for Our Time" reached No. 37 on the Billboard mainstream rock chart, it charted for 1 week and failed to make much, if any, impact. Styx toured extensively during this period and released additional live albums. Styx also was part of the Super Bowl pre game entertainment in San Diego prior to the Oakland Raiders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they played a short set in the parking lot.

Live album after live album and a new studio release results in gigs in a parking lot.  Nice work guys!  You tied to create a new reality for yourselves and its not working, your a nostalgia act now, making a living off a legacy written for you by Dennis DeYoung.  Why not fix this and put your legacy back on track...

Cyclorama isn't even the proverbial carrot because its not Styx, there's nothing to gain by chasing it.  It doesn't sound like Styx, it doesn't resemble Styx, and it certainly isn't as well written as a Styx album would have been.

Yuck is the only word I'm left with!

[Jon]

I don't know if anyone knows this, but I really like this album. Sure, "Genki Desu Ka" is a bit of filler, but the rest of the album is very strong in my opinion which is never, ever wrong. Best Styx harmonies ever throughout this album. And, if you have issues with "Killing The One That You Love" and "One With Everything", you're dead in my book. Dead, I say! D-E-A-D!

As a bonus, the cd booklet is really glossy. Mine's ruined due to a water leak which pisses me off. And you might think me weird, but the booklet smelled kinda cool. Now, I didn't purposely smell the booklet, but when I first opened the CD, there was a pleasant smell all because of the booklet. 

This is BY FAR, the best AOTW of the year! It even ranks about The Smithereens and that's hard to do!

[Scott]

[Jon]

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