I was 17. So hard to believe so much time has passed. So much harder to believe that this kind of music is no longer made. We thought it would never end. 😞
Styx was a fave high-school band.. Every track on "Crystal Ball" and "Grand Ellusion" are top notch. Faves "Crystal Ball".. "Clair De Lune / Ballerina".. "Castle Walls"
Our host beat me to making the point about Kansas being the musical inspiration for this song. Styx, of course, always had prog chops(although Dennis De Young often uses the " theatrical" label). The surprise was Tommy Shaw expanding his songwriting to include prog. As per usual with Styx, the vocal harmonies are off the charts, and fantastic guitar work by Tommy Shaw and James Young. Dennis DeYoung on synths is excellent, along with the Panozzo brothers' rhythm section being just right.
One of the best Styx songs --- awesome vocals and guitar. Actually the vocals here sound very much like Steve Walsh of Kansas --- Styx and Kansas, the 2 best American progressive bands of that era.
@@Hernal03 And yet neither one is in the Hall of Fame. These legends are dying off year after year, but they insist on voting all these younger mfkrs in on their first year of eligibility. They can't wait another 10 years or so like everybody else?
Grand illusion were my first album from Styx, great interplay between them, beautiful Synth sounds and guitar solos, harmonies and melodies. One of their best offering (my favorites were that intro of "Miss America" , "Castle Walls" and "Come sail away" ) cheers!
This, Castle Walls and Mother Dear are a few of my favorite Styx songs and you don’t hear them mainstream. Progressive American band. Not many had done better Styx
The Grand Illusion was my first Styx tour seeing them live. This has always been up there among my favorite albums of theirs. MITW is a great song….Tommy really shines! My first Styx album was Styx II from 1973….many great songs. This album boosted Styx’s popularity after a Chicago radio station WLS, kept playing their song “Lady”. I know I still keep mentioning “Little Fugue in “G””/“Father O.S.A.”, which are on there. I know you’ll hear them eventually. Styx II also has two tracks “A Day” and “You Better Ask” which were both written and sung by James Curulewski (Tommy Shaw’s predecessor). “A Day” especially is one I know you’d love.
This song is very meaningful to Tommy as kind of a follow-on to "Crystal Ball" where he was wondering where his life was going and whether he'd ever have a career in music. This one is more of his search for meaning in life as he stolled through the crowd watching Kansas perform and no one recognized him when he just played an opening set ... Ten Thousand people look my way But they can't see the way that I feel Nobody even cares to try I spend my life and sell my soul on the road And I'm still in the dark 'Cause I can't seem to find the light alone Like a lot of Styx songs, this one sets a mood right from the beginning, including the first sound you hear is the lighting of a match as you would to see in the dark or light a lamp or candle in the wilderness. The match is a small amount of light that is fleeting and could either go out in just a few seconds("still in the dark 'Cause I can't seem to find the light alone"), or light a lamp or fire/blaze to begin your journey to warmth and happiness("I'm Alive"). To continue on your Styx journey, I'll suggest experiencing some James "JY" Young with "Young Man" or his combo with Tommy "Snowblind". For more Tommy Shaw check out "Fooling Yourself", which is the song that got me into Styx way back when. The studio version is great, but the message of this one is for the youth so check out the performances with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra (of Cleveland). Styx did a performance( ruclips.net/video/brDDzKOcvPA/видео.html ) and Tommy did both a live performance( ruclips.net/video/xpYHgbjOIq0/видео.html ) and a virtual collaboration during covid lockdown( ruclips.net/video/nECouHrb6aQ/видео.html ).
I used to listen to this constantly. I have a lot of favorite songs from them but this one is a touch above, great message, vocals, beat, drums and of course guitars. Styx was one of my favorite bands even saw them twice. To this day I still listen to them on a regular basis. Right now I'm on The Warning kick!😀
i was a sophomore in high school when this came out, and i was kind of an outcast. a loner with just a couple of friends,so i identified with "man in the wilderness" a lot,reading my own meaning into the lyrics. i played "the grand illusion" album constantly. then in 2003 i got to attend a listening party for the new styx album "cyclorama" at radio station KLOS in los angeles with tommy shaw and james young,hosted by dj jim ladd (RIP). it was held in the station's small meeting room with about 50 other contest winners. everyone got a copy of the new cd,and after the listening party tommy and james sat at a table and signed them. when it was my turn i said to tommy," 'man in the wilderness' helped me get through high school", and he replied,"it still rings true". in two weeks i'm seeing styx and foreigner in concert. tommy's bound to do "man in the wilderness",and i'm bound to get teary eyed when he does.
Hey Danny! What an awesome story, thanks for sharing. Kind of a full circle moment yeah? Oh, so cool, I hope you have a wonderful time.... I KNOW you will! Those are 2 epic bands right there. I hope they play "Waiting for a Girl Like You" in my honor LOL...Take care bud...
@@retroreactions.... yeah i've been a styx fan since 1975, so it's close to a 50 year full circle (damn i'm old lol). even though dennis deyoung isn't with them anymore,and lou gramm isn't with foreigner anymore "the songs remain the same". tommy and james have some great songs of their own with styx,so it's not a total loss. opening the show will be john waite from the babys,so at least i'll get to see one original lead singer!
Nice...Is that John Waite of Missing You fame? I thought he passed, guess I'm mixing him with someone else... Boat on the River is a great Tommy song...
@@retroreactions.... yeah that john waite. he had some great solo songs as well as fronting the babys. he/they would be a good addition to your 70s reactions.
Great song and album - if you ever get the chance to see it, there’s a live show where they played the Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight” albums start to finish. While it did not include Dennis DeYoung, his replacement did a very good job. Might be one for Patreon?
Most everything has been said on which songs to do next I've seen them three times. Twice with the original lineup. (including John 😇) They were better with Dennis DeYoung though They're still playing and are still killer good "I'm a lonely sailor lost at sea. Drifting with the tide. Never quite knowing why" "Sometimes it makes no sense at all" You could compare them to REO SPEEDWAGON before REO changed. their sound.
Great song and album - if you ever get the chance to see it, there’s a live show where they played the Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight” albums start to finish. While it did not include Dennis DeYoung, his replacement did a very good job. Might be one for Patreon?
Another strong introspective Styx journey, led by Tommy's punchy and soaring electric guitar! Thanks for watching! 🥰
I was 17. So hard to believe so much time has passed. So much harder to believe that this kind of music is no longer made. We thought it would never end. 😞
I have the original LP from 1977. One of my favorite. Styx and Kansas rules on 1977.
That song plays in my head from time to time.
Ditto. A lot of the time as I'm going to bed
Sweet, excellent song from my favorite Styx album! (other favorite cuts are "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" and especially "Castle Walls")
EPIC EPIC EPIC song. I'm 60 years old and when I grow up I still want to be Tommy Shaw. Thanks for playing and reviewing this.
Styx was a fave high-school band.. Every track on "Crystal Ball" and "Grand Ellusion" are top notch. Faves "Crystal Ball".. "Clair De Lune / Ballerina".. "Castle Walls"
Hey Brandon! STYX!! Awesome song from a masterpiece album! Enjoy my friend. 👍😎
Our host beat me to making the point about Kansas being the musical inspiration for this song. Styx, of course, always had prog chops(although Dennis De Young often uses the " theatrical" label). The surprise was Tommy Shaw expanding his songwriting to include prog.
As per usual with Styx, the vocal harmonies are off the charts, and fantastic guitar work by Tommy Shaw and James Young. Dennis DeYoung on synths is excellent, along with the Panozzo brothers' rhythm section being just right.
I love Kansas. I love Styx. I love this song. 💙🎵🎶🎶 I also LOVE Tommy Shaw. He's awesome.
One of the best Styx songs --- awesome vocals and guitar. Actually the vocals here sound very much like Steve Walsh of Kansas --- Styx and Kansas, the 2 best American progressive bands of that era.
Progressive rock is my jam.
@@Hernal03 And yet neither one is in the Hall of Fame. These legends are dying off year after year, but they insist on voting all these younger mfkrs in on their first year of eligibility. They can't wait another 10 years or so like everybody else?
Grand illusion were my first album from Styx, great interplay between them, beautiful Synth sounds and guitar solos, harmonies and melodies. One of their best offering (my favorites were that intro of "Miss America" , "Castle Walls" and "Come sail away" ) cheers!
This, Castle Walls and Mother Dear are a few of my favorite Styx songs and you don’t hear them mainstream. Progressive American band. Not many had done better Styx
The Grand Illusion concert was still one of the top concerts I ever been too. I think I saw them at Merriwether Post Pavilion. Incredible show
The Grand Illusion was my first Styx tour seeing them live. This has always been up there among my favorite albums of theirs. MITW is a great song….Tommy really shines! My first Styx album was Styx II from 1973….many great songs. This album boosted Styx’s popularity after a Chicago radio station WLS, kept playing their song “Lady”. I know I still keep mentioning “Little Fugue in “G””/“Father O.S.A.”, which are on there. I know you’ll hear them eventually. Styx II also has two tracks “A Day” and “You Better Ask” which were both written and sung by James Curulewski (Tommy Shaw’s predecessor). “A Day” especially is one I know you’d love.
This song is very meaningful to Tommy as kind of a follow-on to "Crystal Ball" where he was wondering where his life was going and whether he'd ever have a career in music. This one is more of his search for meaning in life as he stolled through the crowd watching Kansas perform and no one recognized him when he just played an opening set ...
Ten Thousand people look my way
But they can't see the way that I feel
Nobody even cares to try
I spend my life and sell my soul on the road
And I'm still in the dark
'Cause I can't seem to find the light alone
Like a lot of Styx songs, this one sets a mood right from the beginning, including the first sound you hear is the lighting of a match as you would to see in the dark or light a lamp or candle in the wilderness. The match is a small amount of light that is fleeting and could either go out in just a few seconds("still in the dark 'Cause I can't seem to find the light alone"), or light a lamp or fire/blaze to begin your journey to warmth and happiness("I'm Alive").
To continue on your Styx journey, I'll suggest experiencing some James "JY" Young with "Young Man" or his combo with Tommy "Snowblind".
For more Tommy Shaw check out "Fooling Yourself", which is the song that got me into Styx way back when. The studio version is great, but the message of this one is for the youth so check out the performances with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra (of Cleveland). Styx did a performance( ruclips.net/video/brDDzKOcvPA/видео.html ) and Tommy did both a live performance( ruclips.net/video/xpYHgbjOIq0/видео.html ) and a virtual collaboration during covid lockdown( ruclips.net/video/nECouHrb6aQ/видео.html ).
My first "real" album!
I was 14 when this came out, stunning then, stunning now
All the shows I saw in the 70’s, and this is one of the bands I wish I would have made a point to see.
I used to listen to this constantly. I have a lot of favorite songs from them but this one is a touch above, great message, vocals, beat, drums and of course guitars. Styx was one of my favorite bands even saw them twice. To this day I still listen to them on a regular basis. Right now I'm on The Warning kick!😀
If you like The Warning, check out another up and coming female group from New York - Plush.
Not sure if you will see this, but Castle Walls is a great one. Man In The Wilderness is my favorite.
Hi Sharon...Good news, I already reacted to Castle Walls! It's up on my channel!! 😊
Thanks for watching!
i was a sophomore in high school when this came out, and i was kind of an outcast. a loner with just a couple of friends,so i identified with "man in the wilderness" a lot,reading my own meaning into the lyrics. i played "the grand illusion" album constantly. then in 2003 i got to attend a listening party for the new styx album "cyclorama" at radio station KLOS in los angeles with tommy shaw and james young,hosted by dj jim ladd (RIP). it was held in the station's small meeting room with about 50 other contest winners. everyone got a copy of the new cd,and after the listening party tommy and james sat at a table and signed them. when it was my turn i said to tommy," 'man in the wilderness' helped me get through high school", and he replied,"it still rings true". in two weeks i'm seeing styx and foreigner in concert. tommy's bound to do "man in the wilderness",and i'm bound to get teary eyed when he does.
Hey Danny! What an awesome story, thanks for sharing. Kind of a full circle moment yeah? Oh, so cool, I hope you have a wonderful time.... I KNOW you will! Those are 2 epic bands right there. I hope they play "Waiting for a Girl Like You" in my honor LOL...Take care bud...
@@retroreactions.... yeah i've been a styx fan since 1975, so it's close to a 50 year full circle (damn i'm old lol). even though dennis deyoung isn't with them anymore,and lou gramm isn't with foreigner anymore "the songs remain the same". tommy and james have some great songs of their own with styx,so it's not a total loss. opening the show will be john waite from the babys,so at least i'll get to see one original lead singer!
Nice...Is that John Waite of Missing You fame? I thought he passed, guess I'm mixing him with someone else... Boat on the River is a great Tommy song...
@@retroreactions.... yeah that john waite. he had some great solo songs as well as fronting the babys. he/they would be a good addition to your 70s reactions.
Equinox, The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight are albums I can listen to all the way through... thanks to great tracks like this.
Love this song! I’m glad people are discovering this type of music!🤘👍❤️
My favorite Styx song!
Same
Great song and album - if you ever get the chance to see it, there’s a live show where they played the Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight” albums start to finish. While it did not include Dennis DeYoung, his replacement did a very good job. Might be one for Patreon?
Excelente
You can definitely hear the Kansas influence in this song!
a band that you still not reacted to is Prefab Sprout and they have so many good songs... first that come to my mind is Appetite
Most everything has been said on which songs to do next
I've seen them three times. Twice with the original lineup. (including John 😇)
They were better with Dennis DeYoung though
They're still playing and are still killer good
"I'm a lonely sailor lost at sea. Drifting with the tide. Never quite knowing why"
"Sometimes it makes no sense at all"
You could compare them to REO SPEEDWAGON before REO changed. their sound.
Tears for fears sowing the seeds of love Please
Hi there. Just so you know…my DM shut down after I received the Yes lineup. 🤬
Yea, I don't know what's going on with Messenger lately!
Great song and album - if you ever get the chance to see it, there’s a live show where they played the Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight” albums start to finish. While it did not include Dennis DeYoung, his replacement did a very good job. Might be one for Patreon?