ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 68 STYX - PIECES OF EIGHT (1978)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Styx

Album: Pieces Of Eight

Producer: Styx

Band Members: Dennis DeYoung/James "JY" Young/Tommy Shaw/Chuck Panozzo/John Panozzo

Singles: Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)/Sing For The Day/Renegade

Favorite Single: Renegade

Favorite Album Cut: Queen Of Spades

Most Likely To Skip: I'm Okay/The Message

Album Cover: 7/10

 

This week's album of the week is by Styx.  It is the eighth studio album for the band, appropriately titled Pieces Of Eight, and it was released in 1978.  It managed a respectable Billboard chart position of 6 and went on to Triple Platinum status in the U.S.  The highest charting hit was Renegade coming in at 16 on the Pop Singles chart.

 

Side one of the album is really just okay in my book.  While I do like Great White Hope and Tommy's portion of Sing For The Day, the rest of side one is kind of just there.  I don't care for the instrumental The Message at all.

 

For me, this album is really about side two.  The 1-2-3 punch of Blue Collar Man (Long Nights), Queen Of Spades and Renegade will rock your socks off.   Styx has always been about great vocals (an easy top 10 all-time vocal group for me), and it just doesn't get any better than these 3 songs.  As a matter of fact, my cousin had this vinyl and we always listened to just Blue Collar Man and Renegade.  What I didn't realize then was how great a song Queen Of Spades was.  That is one of those old songs that you discover and wish you would have known way back then.  The title track is also a very decent song, and the closing instrumental is at least better than the other instrumental mentioned earlier. 

 

And the cover art is pretty cool.  It was created by Hipgnosis, a British art design group that specialized in creating album covers for rock bands like Pink Floyd, Bad Company and ELO, just to name a few.

 

The album is easily available on Amazon for about 7 and a half bucks brand new.

 

Did You Know: The theme of the album, as Dennis DeYoung explained on In The Studio With Redbeard which devoted an entire episode to Pieces of Eight, was about "not giving up your dreams just for the pursuit of money and material possessions".

 

Next Week: We'll get black on another companion piece.

 

 

 

1. Great White Hope

2. I'm O.K.

3. Sing For The Day

4. The Message

5. Lords Of The Ring

6. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)

7. Queen Of Spades

8. Renegade

9. Pieces Of Eight

10. Aku-Aku

[Jon]

"Queen Of Spades" is awesome! First and only song request I made and the DJ actually played it for me.

[Scott]

I love both sides even if The Message is filler.  Queen of Spades is the perfect balance of JY and Dennis' peak writing abilities!  Probably one of the top 5 Styx tracks ever recorded.

 

Hidden Treasure:  Im OK (which just got knocked out of an upcoming SHT but may come back much later)

 

Ive already told you the best track...

 

Nice way to sync up forums!  I really enjoyed the Wooden Nickel and A&M listening party!

[Jon]

If only we would do it again....

[Scott]

oh, Im sure you can...