1on1Soul Episode 16: Styx - "Castle Walls" Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- Original Video: • Castle Walls
We're getting Medieval this week! Tyler is taking us back to Styx's legendary "The Grand Illusion" album to check out the often overlooked track "Castle Walls" as Jack dives into the storytelling and theatrics of it for the first time. Thanks for watching and as always leave any recommendations in the comments!
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I've ALWAYS played this song to test new speakers. Went through a lot of speakers because of this.
I was 15 when this song came out. We were so spoiled with good music back then. Great reaction guys!
You’ve mentioned the theatrical aspect of the song a couple of times. That is EXACTLY how I describe their concerts! Dennis DeYoung, their lead singer just grabs the audience with his charisma and never lets go. It is THE most theatrical performance I have ever witnessed!
I've loved this song since "The Grand Illusion" album was released (check out my handle), and it is a fan favorite.
Styx has been my favorite band since, and I've seen them in concert many times (and met them a few times). I just went to Las Vegas last month and saw the 5 concerts they did at the Venetian.
"Castle Walls" is great musically, but also so deep meaning to Dennis DeYoung. Here's some of my previous analysis of this song.
Dennis DeYoung did not like the life on the road away from his wife and later children, and this song is his analogy to his feelings of safe at home in his castle, but the minstrel in him knows he'll soon be back wandering on tour where the "battle raged like hell". Battling for success in the music industry can be very tough and unpleasant. Battling with yourself, management, bandmates, critics, and jealous already successful competition. This struggle can also apply to life, career, insecurity, so-called friends, and fleeting time/opportunity. This real-world struggle is wrapped in a mystical realm in this song.
The beginning is just the simple bass "ticking of the clock" as time goes by in your isolation from the world, calm and quiet enough to hear your own breathing. The harpsichord sound from the synthesizer takes you back in time to kings and castles; to a mystical realm of moonlit waterfalls and fog. Dennis never liked touring a lot and being away from his family back home for long stretches, and this song is his exploration of those feelings. He is hidden away behind his castle walls isolated from the battles of the music business and society in general. However, the minstrel's song kept calling him (the minsrel within himself) and he knew he'd "soon be wandering far beyond these castle walls" back out into the fray on tour. That fray is indicated by the harsh "Halloween" synthesizer, drums, sustained low bass note before the synth kicks in and held during it, guitar feedback and power chords. The drums are like eruptions of thunder, the feedback like lightning, synths like choas, and power chords like clashes of medieval forces. And then it's back to the calm solitute of the castle with just the bass ticking. That is followed by another journey represented by the harmony guitars; and then the battle rages again with the guitar instrumental leading into the final verse. Eventually, you cannot always hide in your castle, "and every man must meet his destiny". I put the jazz-like guitar and rising bass notes as contemplation, and the final cresendo warbling as the passage of time into one's future.
This song would never be a "hit" in the times of the 70's, and you can see that the "hits" for the music company are on Side A, while what the band wanted to delve into are on Side B.
"Man In the Wilderness" is another deep-cut excellent song with great meaning for Tommy Shaw at the time he wrote it. It's like a follow on to his "Crystal Ball" that he wrote before joining Styx while back in Alabama after leaving a Chicago band wondering what he's going to do in his life and whether he can make a career out of music. He brought it to the band when he joined and they re-worked it from an acoustic song to a Styx rock song. "Man In the Wilderness" was written when Tommy was on tour with Styx opening for Kansas just before Styx hit it big with "The Grand Illusion" album and "Come Sail Away". After there set as "10000 people look my way but they can't see the way I feel", Tommy went into the audience to watch Kansas and no one recognized him. He felt alone in a crowd, and lost in his life's direction. Be sure to check out the Expanded version: ruclips.net/video/biKrDFBp0ns/видео.html . Listen carefully to the beginning as the first sound of the song is the lighting of a single match to set the mood; a small flame barely lighting the darkness that can also ignite an inferno. Tommy performs this song around every other concert, but only first performed this deep-cut in concert in the early 2000s.
As far as another Dennis song, check out "Prelude 12/Suite: Madame Blue"( ruclips.net/video/KOlJPA2tUrw/видео.html ). This is off the "Equinox" album which is the one recorded with John Curulewski before Tommy Shaw joined the band to tour supporting the album.
BTW, John Curulewski's "A Day" off the "Styx II" album is a deep-cut style outlier that has some great imagery and Jazz-rock fusion progressiveness.
Thank you for the in-depth thoughts, I really enjoyed your analysis! We definitely didn't pick up on that specific meaning but listening back with that context it fits the music even better. I know I interpreted the pulsing bass as a walking, which created more of an association with a literal journey to and from the castle, but your idea of it representing time passing is excellent, I can really relate to that tension between wanting peaceful times whilst also feeling like you should be using the time better. And the whole idea of conveying concepts through the frame of a myth or fantastic story is something I know we as a band love, its an excellent storytelling device. And yes Man in the Wilderness is excellent! I'll make sure to give the extended a listen, thank you for the recommendations.
Hell yeah! Every song on this album is a banger. "Man in the Wilderness" is my favorite along with "Miss America"
Great song for sure. Man in the Wilderness is my favorite song all time
Most Styx fans from the 70s know and love this song. Dennis DeYoung is very theatrical and always brought that to their shows. It led to the bands breakup, too. Dennis did play the role of Pontius Pilate in the Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar. I did see him when the touring musical came through our city. He was really good in it.
I'm would like to suggest a newer performer for you to watch. Taj Farrant is a guitar player/singer/songwriter. His album comes out in August and he has released 6 originals songs from it. Crossroads, Cruz, Bad Trip, House Always Wins, 2x2 and I Give Up have all gone to #1 on the iTunes blues charts. Taj recently was the guest performer at the 40th anniversary celebration for Prince's Purple Rain release in Minneapolis. He performed at the street festival, opened for Morris Day and Prince's band NPG. He joined NPG on stage and played Purple Rain. ruclips.net/video/8nxXml7_8c0/видео.htmlsi=rn4bPf70FMPOEUQy
He also played the next day at Paisley Park. He was asked to perform a song that of Prince's that isn't well known The Ride. ruclips.net/video/M1QLNn2udng/видео.htmlsi=hDiHlmk3WqFUxvTt
Taj did a great job singing and performing it. He was given a tour of Prince's home and got to listen to some of Prince's unreleased music in his vault. He also was able to record in Prince's recording studio.
Taj is touring the US and selling out shows. He's playing at some big festivals and is opening a few shows for Buddy Guy. He's going to also be a performer on Joe Bonamassa's blues cruise.
Taj's favorite guitar player is Gary Moore. He performs Gary's Parisienne Walkways at his shows and it's always incredible. It's his favorite song to play. ruclips.net/video/yafWzYfRtj0/видео.htmlsi=YRyzZi2fiQIDdlF3
He also does a fantastic job performing The Sky is Crying ruclips.net/video/YhLBq9eBI40/видео.htmlsi=GQ3LzDoe0R8jom2k
He has performed onstage with Carlos Santana, Orianthi, Rob Thomas, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Eric Gales and Kiss.
Taj has done all this and he just turned 15. The producer of his album Ken Lewis has said that Taj can stand toe to toe with anyone in the industry. Ken Lewis has worked with some major artists and has had many Grammy nominations. He won last year for his work on Taylor Swift's album.
Taj is a deep rabbit hole. He's been playing for 8 years now lol.
I don't remember this song growing up. It is a banger song, I really like it.
The middle synth breakdown was inspired by the film The Exorcist. Later on, guitarist Tommy Shaw dated Linda Blair.
I think side two of Grand Illusion is the better of the two. Miss America, Castle Wall and Man In The Wilderness are such bangers.
Most everything has been said on what other songs to do
I've seen them three times. Twice with the original lineup. Including Jon 😇
They were better with Dennis DeYoung though
"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.
QUIET
Tyler talks WAAAAY too much. Let Jack experience it for himself without skewing his reaction and ruining the experience for him and for us. It became so unbearable I could not watch the entire video.