Dennis DeYoung posted a video about this song maybe 2 years ago, where he explained where it came from. I always knew it had a deeper meaning, but the way he explained it was pretty brilliant. It was written in the mid 70s and was about being disillusioned with who we are and where we are as a country. "Red, white and blue ... gaze in your looking glass, 'cause you're not a child anymore," was his way of asking, "Hey, when we hold a mirror up to ourselves, as a country, does the reflection actually show what we like to think it does?" Are we living up to the idealistic way that we like to see ourselves? It's a potent message, but in the last line we see it doesn't have to be read as an indictment of who we are: "Lift up your heart, and make a new start ... and lead us away from here." No matter how hokey you think Styx is, it's a brilliant song.
The music arrangement and the lyrics of this song are "Brilliant" not to sound hokey either but this song alone should be in the Hall Of Fame. Thank You for the backstory. Love it!
Agree with most of that. This was Styx' "proggiest" song (maybe Castle Walls too), and their most political. This and Light Up really got me into Styx back in the mid 70s. Some other 70s tunes that I found covered these same themes : KANSAS>SONG FOR AMERICA >CHEYENNE ANTHEM REO SPEEDWAGON>GOLDEN COUNTRY CHICAGO>DIALOGUE (I and II), MOTHER, IT BETTER END SOON SUITE, LISTEN RENAISSANCE>MOTHER RUSSIA
My understanding is that the record label made them make the song lyrics a bit more obscure - it was not a good idea at the time to criticize America, so the labels were worried it would have a negative effect on sales. In the end, the less obvious lyrics make the song even better.
@@marks9140 Is there an original draft song lyrics somewhere on the net that you have seen that was vastly different? I knew what the song was about right off the bat when I got the album circa 1975 or 6 even as a teen, I thought they wrote it just about perfectly to get the point across.
My fav. This song is about America in the 70's. We'd just lost Nam, Nixon had just resigned, inflation was high, people were struggling economically and financially, there was alot of unrest and uncertainty and not alot of spectacular leadership. I was a kid then, we weren't sure for a time if the country was going to survive. SMB speaks to those times.
@@user-ii4zf5iq3t things are going pretty sour now also. Times are very similar with global unrest, economy collapsing around us inflation at an alarming levels.
History is cyclical. Going through it again. Afghanistan, inflation as bad as then if calculated the same, pandemic. And of course both democrats and republicans (rinos) leading the country down the toilet.
Styx is one of those bands that are criminally underrated, they should have been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame years ago. Check out more deep cuts like Queen of Spades, Snowblind, Man in the Wilderness and Half Penny Two Penny.🔥🤘🏻🎧
@@joelliebler5690 Where is Foreigner, Reo Speedwagon, Blue Oyster Cult, Grand Funk Railroad, Kansas, Iron Maiden? It wouldn,t surprise me if they induct Justin Bieber before these great bands. The Hall is a complete joke. They don,t like Rock And Roll. The list of artists and bands who deserve to be inducted is endless.
My favorite Styx song! Tommy Shaw was not with Styx yet at this point. This was recorded for the bicentennial celebration of America and released just before 1976.
True, it was John Curulewski on guitar but since they finally stopped calling them "The" Styx we'll let it slide. LOL!! Only die hard fans like me and you who were following them back then know this stuff anyway!!
@@magneto7930 ABSOLUTELY! Very few reviewers do this song at all and none of them include Prelude 12 which is a travesty! They were intended to be played back to back!
@@rogerdaly6326 it's a pretty standard chord progression really. There are probably a gazillion songs that have that arrangement. Quite a few artists recorded that song before Led Zeppelin ever did, although I've always loved Zep's version.
Styx was ahead of their time. This whole album is fantastic. While so many bands were making disco music in the 1970’s, Styx is out there making masterpieces like this.
This recording is vintage Styx - pre Tommy Shaw. John Curulewski left the band right after the Equinox album, before they started touring. So any live versions of this song will feature Tommy Shaw. If you want to hear a really killer live version of Suite Madame Blue, check out the one from the "Return to Paradise" album.
Yes just after the CD was made. The first Guy quit the band before they were to go out on tour to promote the Equinox album and Tommy Shaw joined soon after.
@@NightRanger-lz6tp - Tommy Shaw got the gig because Styx's road manager (Jim Vosecek) was from the Ides of March and when Ides broke up, the drummer from the Ides played in MS Funk with Tommy. They needed someone who could hit the high note harmonies in Lady and Jim knew Tommy could sing it. That was his entire audition. Sing the high note in Lady.
The guitar solo was done by James “JY” Young, one of the original members and the hardest rocking of the group. He also sang and played lead on “Snowblind”, one of their more unique later songs. Their styles all varied but they found a way to meld them and make it work.
I hope they get around to reacting to a song on which JY sings lead on. I vote for Half-Penny, Two-Penny/AD 1958 from the Paradise Theatre album. It’s a Rocker.
@@jeffmattson5766 Paradise Theater is perhaps my favorite album, but it’s tough to choose. Equinox and Crystal Ball along with Cornerstone were always my favorites before that… just a great band, bottom line
If you remember, The Beatles always made room for a track so Ringo could sing. Styx reminded me of this with James Young. I always looked forward to his 'song' when a new album released. Dude is an aerospace engineer . . . .
Hey guys this era of Styx is pre_Tommy Shaw. He joined the band for the crystal ball album and immediately added to the already fantastic chemistry. Killer song!
This is from the 5th studio album Equinox from 1975. Instead of gearing up for the bicentennial, they were writing about being exploited and how commercialism had taken over the US. Beautiful song and Dennis shines in this song. Great reaction. Buckets of Maple Syrup love from Canada ❤️❤️ 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
And then they made a very commercial album in Paradise Theater(which I did see at the L.A. Sports Arena). My first and favorite album of theirs that I was exposed to was Grand Illusion.
Just listened to this song on my way picking up pizza for the family. You guys got many more songs to go, Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, Fooling Yourself, Blue Collar Man etc... enjoy your Journey
Now you are talking! Early Styx were a rockin, kind of progressive rock band. No fluff! Probably their first 5 albums were really good. This is probably my favorite album by them.
Amber, I am constantly impressed with how quickly you pick up on the meaning and relevance of song lyrics that you are hearing for the first time. Kudos!!
and make sure it’s the live version from Caught In The Act with the extra guitar solo, please!!! SMB is great on that album too!! Actually the whole album is pretty kick ass!! lol
First concert I ever went to -- Styx: The Grand Illusion. Was a major Styx fan. Then I heard Rush and that was it. So it's interesting you tied the two together. ;)
Yes! I concur! Hearing Lorelei live on the Mr. Roboto tour turned me from a Styx fan into a Styx FAN! They were my favorite group for several years back in the day once I explored their older catalog.
You have just heard the best Styx song in my opinion! Equinox is my favorite Styx album as well! Styx is in my top 5 favorite bands of all time because of songs like this! Another banger you should react to is Crystal Ball, Queen of Spades, and Man In The Wilderness! Your reaction to this gem is exactly how I reacted when it first came out! I couldn't believe what a masterpiece I just heard! Thank you so much for reacting to this amazing song from a truly amazing band!
Another great Styx song that has biting social commentary about life in America is, well, "Miss America." Killer riff and , as I indicated, edgy lyrics! Styx Rox!
With the strong songwriting skills and musicianship the "front men" had, the twins sometimes don't get their due. Chuck Panozzo on bass and John Panozzo on drums were one of the best rhythm sections of the hard rock era. I think John especially contributed a lot to the progressiveness of Styx's style.
Agreed. Ditto with "Borrowed Time" from the Cornerstone album. Dennis occasionally included astute political commentary in his songwriting that incredibly seems to carry forward from one generation to another.
Hey guys. So fun watching you dive deeper and deeper into the world of Styx…. They’ve been my fav rock band for 40 years now. :). Dennis DeYoung is my favorite singer of all time. You should absolutely check out his solo stuff. Last couple years, at age 73, he released TWO new albums. So many great tracks and still rockin & sounding amazing. 26 East Volumes 1 and 2.
Love this one so much! So glad you did this one and enjoyed it! The message about America still gives me goosebumps. It was so neat to see you both realize it! 😊 Dennis did lots of solo stuff after Styx and this is a common theme to many of his best songs. His recent “100 years from now” is an equally cautionary tale. Keep up the great work! Happy new year! Love you guys!!! ❤️
I'm born and raised in KC, but tonight I'm cheering for the Bengals! Styx is one of my favorite bands, I've seen them in concert a few times. Love the reactions!
The guitarist was not Tommy Shaw on this album- it was the last one with John Curulewski. As good as this is, the version from "Caught in the Act" when Dennis DeYoung holds that note, omg!!
I saw Styx live front row in 1996. This song live in-person is everything you hope it would be and more. I even got to shake all the band members hands after the show. Fyi. This is the demo version. Deyoung has said that they couldn't duplicate it for the album so the demo got put on Equinox. He said it was lightning in a bottle that they can never recreate to do it justice.
YESSSSS!!! **squeals in delight** . (Then is embarrassed for having squealed, but still.) Jordan, I can't say how thrilled I am that you now remember the band members' names and can drop "Dennis DeYoung " and "Tommy Shaw" without even having to strain to remember. Small problem, though…this ISN'T Tommy Shaw. This is the last album from before he joined; the acoustic guitar you're hearing is from John Curulewski, the guitarist he replaced. (The electric guitar is by James Young, aka the third writer/singer in the group, the one you haven't done yet.) You may remember that Styx put out four albums on a local label (Wooden Nickel Records) and had very little success…until DJ Jim Smith heard "Lady" at his pizza parlor, put it on WLS (which could be heard in most of the country) and made it a hit and Styx got a REAL contract from A&M Records and then everything was great, right? Yeah, well, there were still a few bumps in the road. This album, "Equinox", was their first for A&M…and it stiffed, too. At which point, John Curulewski, as the only parent in the group, was all "look, I love you guys, but this just isn't happening; I've got to focus on my kids", basically. So "JC" quit, and the group went and hired Tommy Shaw to replace him. (This is a story in itself.) To welcome Tommy into the group, they named their next album after a song Tommy was already playing with his previous band, Harvest. "Crystal Ball" is my favorite song by Tommy…but that album bombed, too. (But then they FINALLY found consistent success, starting with their 7th album, "The Grand Illusion".) And John Curulewski was left at home, probably wondering if he made a mistake. I'd like to think his kids appreciated it, though. (John died in 1988.) John also wrote and sang songs. (Styx always had three members creating, with the Panozzos to back them up.) "Mother Dear", from this "Equinox" album, is pretty cool, too.
Dennis DeYoung was writing very optimistic, and uplifting music in an time of economic challenge for the USA. You can always count on a Styx song to brighten your mood. BTW, Tommy Shaw hadn't joined the band for the recording of this song. They second guitar spot was filled by original member John Curulewski.
Released in 1975 the year Saigon fell. The song’s title was the band’s nickname for America. Talking about what the country was going through post Vietnam and post Watergate.
Dennis Deyoung wrote this for the 200th birthday of the United States and how he laments some of the sad parts of our nation but ultimately opines hope in the end.
Actually this is the last album before Tommy Shaw joined the group. Lead guitar by James Young. Suite Madam Blue is the Statue of Liberty. Dennis thought the statue's patina was more blue than green.
I was introduced to Styx and Rush at the same time by the same friend in high school. Still love them both today. Styx has so much more ahead for you to listen to. I would point you to "The Grand Illusion" from the album "The Grand Illusion" (but this whole album is great). Also "Rocking The Paradise" from "The Paradise Theater" (also a fantastic album)
this was actually the last album Styx released BEFORE Tommy Shaw joined the band....but this song was actually one of the early songs that became almost a blueprint for a lot of their most successful songs in the 70's. Songs that have 2 distinctive parts..a soft melodic beginning with a hard rocking finale.
The guitarists in this song wwe reJohn Curulewski (accoustic) and James Young (electric). Tommy Shaw had not yet joined the band. The next album (Crystal Ball) was his first with the band.
Absolutely my favorite Styx tune! The only caveat is that you must play it LOUD! Thanks for a great reaction and I knew that you would also appreciate this song! ✌🇨🇦❤🎼🎵🎶
1st saw Styx on the Grand Illusion tour in the later 70's....pretty amazing....have seen the 3 or 4 times...last being about 10 yrs ago about a mile from my house...
This was one of my most favorite song. Very popular in my region. People forget Styx was the largest concert going bands for like 7-8 years. I saw them four times
My favorite Styx song. A Dennis DeYoung masterpiece. BTW, this is pre-Tommy Shaw. John Curulewski was the guitar player/background vocals. He quit the band just before they were to tour behind this album. Tommy Shaw was brought in for the tour.
Could you please fit in First Time? Back in my college days my roommates (and the whole floor) loved this song! I'm glad you like Styx! Even though I feel a little depressed over what was! Still love it!
I saw Dennis DeYoung in an interview discuss this song and how it was a commentary on the US in the 70s and it's funny how almost 50 years later, the song is still relevant. Great analysis and breakdown, guys.
Suite Madame Blue is America. Dennis DeYoung wrote and sung this for the Bi Centennial basically saying that in the USA's first 200 years our country has completely lost its innocence. Tommy Shaw was not on this album but he joined Styx on this tour replacing John Curulewski who left the band at the completion of the Equinox album. Tommy Shaw's first album with Styx was Crystal Ball. The Styx album Equinox will always be my favorite album of all time. Suite Madame Blue will always be my favorite Styx song. 3 songs in 1 you claim. If you want 4 songs in 1, the next time you listen to this or play this, tack on Prelude 12 which is the 2 minute Prelude leading perfectly into Suite Madame Blue on the Equinox album. Also there is a video from the Styx concert Caught In The Act where Styx plays this classic. The Caught In The Act version & the Return To Paradise Video version are the two greatest live videos of this song. Thank you so much for playing and commenting on this GREAT GREAT piece of music.
At 16 bought the album This song grabbed me then and hearing it tonight with you at 60 years old still grabs me. We could see America heading the wrong path...Styx nailed it just wish our Leaders could. You two do a fine service and enjoy your comments/music choices.
"Suite Madame Blue, gaze in your looking glass You're not a child anymore Suite Madame Blue, the future is all but past Dressed in your jewels, you made your own rules You conquered the world and more, heaven's door..."
I remember asking for the cassette tape of this album for Christmas the year it came out. I was lucky to have gotten it and preceded to wear it out for many years afterwards. 😁 Great band and thanks for bringing back the memories of that time. What a time musically to be a teenager.
I nearly blew my ears out so many times on that transition - when it spirals up and hits that super incredibly pure note, as a child I felt I finally understood what it was like to hear a guitar "sing", what people meant when they said that. Now that I'm older, I of course don't know if that is a guitar or an electric keyboard, which takes some of the magic out of it, but it's still SO beautiful.
Anyone who like me was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 70s were treated with so many great rock bands that are unmatched today. These songs bring back so many great memories and the music is still alive and relevant today. Tommy Shaw Styx songs are my favorites. Fooling Yourself, The Man in the Wilderness, Crystal Ball and anything Styx live is great. I found you guys about a year ago and I think you're awesome. Keep on rockin.
This song was written by Dennis DeYoung in honor of the USA's 1976 Bicentennial Celebration (I was 14 at the time and was a HUGE Styx fan even then). After the Bay of Pigs in the early 1960's, Vietnam in the 60's/70's, and Watergate in the 1970's, DDY was telling the USA at 200 years old to GROW THE HELL UP, "you're not a child anymore" (a phrase, I'm sure, to which Tommy Shaw and James Young took personal offense since they are perpetual "rocker" children). DDY had been married for several years at that point and had started a family, so he was more serious (as a rock-and-roll artist) about growing the hell up and acting mature (unlike his bandmates, a fact of which they resented for years and eventually resulted in their mutiny). Dennis is *still* married to this day to the same woman (Suzanne), now for 52 years and has two fine adult children (don't know about grandchildren, but I wouldn't be surprised). So the song is suprisingly bitter in that, in humanizing the United States of America in his song (Madame Blue), he presents his disappointment about the path she is following. This is a song (much like Yes's "Roundabout" and Kansas's "Carry on Wayward Son") that is a shining example of the prog-iest of prog rock.
This song was released in 1976, America's 200th birthday. DeYoung is talking about our place in the world and how we needed to realize we aren't a new country anymore and needed to grow up. We still do.
Jay: "That's like 3 songs in one". That's what the title means by Suite Madame Blue. A suite is multiple songs blended as in this case. For me, this is their best song. If you had to describe the music of Styx with one song this would be it. It just has everything that Styx could do.
Loved this band so much back in the day. Wore out my 8 track tape of this album driving in my 69 VW Beetle. Check out "Blue Collar Man" next. It's a banger!
Amber is correct about the song; it's one of those "Get Your Act Together, America" songs, which were in vogue in the era of Viet Nam and Watergate, especially as we neared the Bicentennial celebration of 1976, which was a REALLY big deal. (I'm honestly shocked that there's NOTHING in the wind about the 250th anniversary coming up in 2026. The country always used to do something for anniversaries; for example, the stadium in Philadelphia where they held Live Aid was built for the 150th anniversary ["Sesquicentennial"] in 1926.) You've heard "Teach Your Children" from Crosby Stills Nash & Young, you've heard Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and "Inner City Blues" (Marvin's whole album is like that), and this is another "call to action" song. (There's at least one more I want you to hit, but I don't want to spoil it; you'll know when we get there. Because I'll probably squeal again, lol.) In concert, the song is often played with "Prelude 12" an instrumental that John Curulewski wrote, which preceded it on the album. It's also one of the rare times bassist Chuck Panozzo contributes backing vocals; usually it was Dennis and the guitarists doing the singing while the Panozzo twins handled the rhythm section. If you like this album, other songs to consider are "Lorelai" (by Dennis, primarily), "Mother Dear" (by John Curulewski, as I mentioned in the other comment) and "Midnight Ride" (because you've got to do a James Young song *eventually* , right?). "Light Up", by Dennis, was a big favorite at concerts (often the encore), but there's no official "live" album for this era of Styx and I don't know if you want to hunt it up. (I can send you a link, if need be.) ETA: And I somehow left out "Born for Adventure", which was the opening song for a good part of the tour. Brain freeze, lol.
Bowie, Rush, Styx and so many other bands from the 70's were able to make Rock music into an art form..every song's like a adventure because of thier creativity.
1994-when I joined a large choir I didn't know how to read sheet music. The choir director told me I could only continue with the choir if I took voice lessons from him. Fast forward six months. Right in the middle of the lesson he began playing this song on the piano and I sang along. When the song went up tempo, he quit playing and he said "Why didn't you tell me that you sing on the same key as Dennis DeYoung?" I just kind of shrugged my shoulders. Continuing, he asked, "Maybe you can tell me why Freebird is important." I said, "You're kidding, right?" He replied "The only reason I know this song is because a kid in the youth choir asked to perform this a couple of years ago. I never studied rock n roll." I explained why Freebird is important.
Styx Personnel on this album - Dennis DeYoung - Keyboards & Vocals - James JY Young - Guitars & Vocals - John Curulewski - Guitars & Synthesizers - Chuck Panozzo - bass and John Panozzo Drums
![Hunxho - Ball Forever [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nki9ZTF9Uls/mqdefault.jpg)
Dennis DeYoung posted a video about this song maybe 2 years ago, where he explained where it came from. I always knew it had a deeper meaning, but the way he explained it was pretty brilliant. It was written in the mid 70s and was about being disillusioned with who we are and where we are as a country. "Red, white and blue ... gaze in your looking glass, 'cause you're not a child anymore," was his way of asking, "Hey, when we hold a mirror up to ourselves, as a country, does the reflection actually show what we like to think it does?" Are we living up to the idealistic way that we like to see ourselves? It's a potent message, but in the last line we see it doesn't have to be read as an indictment of who we are: "Lift up your heart, and make a new start ... and lead us away from here." No matter how hokey you think Styx is, it's a brilliant song.
The music arrangement and the lyrics of this song are "Brilliant" not to sound hokey either but this song alone should be in the Hall Of Fame. Thank You for the backstory. Love it!
Agree with most of that. This was Styx' "proggiest" song (maybe Castle Walls too), and their most political. This and Light Up really got me into Styx back in the mid 70s. Some other 70s tunes that I found covered these same themes :
KANSAS>SONG FOR AMERICA
>CHEYENNE ANTHEM
REO SPEEDWAGON>GOLDEN COUNTRY
CHICAGO>DIALOGUE (I and II), MOTHER, IT BETTER END SOON SUITE, LISTEN
RENAISSANCE>MOTHER RUSSIA
My understanding is that the record label made them make the song lyrics a bit more obscure - it was not a good idea at the time to criticize America, so the labels were worried it would have a negative effect on sales. In the end, the less obvious lyrics make the song even better.
@@marks9140 Thanks for the information. That an interesting fact I wouldn't have though.
@@marks9140
Is there an original draft song lyrics somewhere on the net that you have seen that was vastly different? I knew what the song was about right off the bat when I got the album circa 1975 or 6 even as a teen, I thought they wrote it just about perfectly to get the point across.
My fav. This song is about America in the 70's. We'd just lost Nam, Nixon had just resigned, inflation was high, people were struggling economically and financially, there was alot of unrest and uncertainty and not alot of spectacular leadership. I was a kid then, we weren't sure for a time if the country was going to survive. SMB speaks to those times.
Good info, I wasn't aware of this! Makes sense!👍🏻
We were realy worried. Things were just going south.
Perfectly stated.
@@user-ii4zf5iq3t things are going pretty sour now also. Times are very similar with global unrest, economy collapsing around us inflation at an alarming levels.
History is cyclical. Going through it again. Afghanistan, inflation as bad as then if calculated the same, pandemic. And of course both democrats and republicans (rinos) leading the country down the toilet.
Clicked instantly as soon as I saw Styx! One of their greats!! It’s actually relevant today, lyrically.
Styx is one of those bands that are criminally underrated, they should have been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame years ago. Check out more deep cuts like Queen of Spades, Snowblind, Man in the Wilderness and Half Penny Two Penny.🔥🤘🏻🎧
You mean the Hall of Shame! They do not have Jethro Tull in it or Traffic or so many more rock artists.
All of those plus Boat On A River and Grand Illusion, and ABOVE all Pieces of Eight.
@@joelliebler5690 Where is Foreigner, Reo Speedwagon, Blue Oyster Cult, Grand Funk Railroad, Kansas, Iron Maiden? It wouldn,t surprise me if they induct Justin Bieber before these great bands. The Hall is a complete joke. They don,t like Rock And Roll. The list of artists and bands who deserve to be inducted is endless.
@@ssRocker-nn3tp You can add all of those to my list even though I never thought that The Maiden was all that Iron on my list of great bands!
@@ssRocker-nn3tp REO and Grand Funk are overrated. The other ones deserve to get in though.
My favorite Styx song! Tommy Shaw was not with Styx yet at this point. This was recorded for the bicentennial celebration of America and released just before 1976.
True, it was John Curulewski on guitar but since they finally stopped calling them
"The" Styx we'll let it slide. LOL!! Only die hard fans like me and you who were following them back then know this stuff anyway!!
@@carlaharrington5120 along with Curulewski's Prelude 12 it's an incredible piece of music. Ah.. memories...
@@magneto7930 ABSOLUTELY! Very few reviewers do this song at all and none of them include Prelude 12 which is a travesty! They were intended to be played back to back!
For those who don't know the opening guitar is the same chord progression as Led Zep's Babe I'm Gonna Leave.
@@rogerdaly6326 it's a pretty standard chord progression really. There are probably a gazillion songs that have that arrangement. Quite a few artists recorded that song before Led Zeppelin ever did, although I've always loved Zep's version.
Styx was ahead of their time. This whole album is fantastic. While so many bands were making disco music in the 1970’s, Styx is out there making masterpieces like this.
Probably their best song. Amber said it right: a masterpiece.
Try a few more hard rocking songs by them, such as "Miss America" and "Lorelei".
Very good songs that you just mentioned I think this was one of their best albums no doubt
Miss America, yes ! Finally time to give the third lead singer, James "JY" Young his due.
YES!!!!! Miss America! I LOVE JY’s vocals.
Crystal 🔮 Ball
This recording is vintage Styx - pre Tommy Shaw. John Curulewski left the band right after the Equinox album, before they started touring. So any live versions of this song will feature Tommy Shaw. If you want to hear a really killer live version of Suite Madame Blue, check out the one from the "Return to Paradise" album.
This song was recorded before Tommy Shaw joined the band. No offense to Tommy, but it ain't Styx without Dennis DeYoung.
That version was good, but I prefer the earlier one from "Caught in the Act".
The lead singer of this song is Dennis DeYoung. I believe this was before Timmy Shaw joined the band.
I thought so too, but I wasn't sure.
It's John Curulewski on Guitar and backing vocals. He also wrote the intro song Prelude 12 that leads right into SMB on the Equinox album.
Yes just after the CD was made. The first Guy quit the band before they were to go out on tour to promote the Equinox album and Tommy Shaw joined soon after.
@@NightRanger-lz6tp - Tommy Shaw got the gig because Styx's road manager (Jim Vosecek) was from the Ides of March and when Ides broke up, the drummer from the Ides played in MS Funk with Tommy. They needed someone who could hit the high note harmonies in Lady and Jim knew Tommy could sing it. That was his entire audition. Sing the high note in Lady.
@@NightRanger-lz6tp there were no CDs when this first came out.
The guitar solo was done by James “JY” Young, one of the original members and the hardest rocking of the group. He also sang and played lead on “Snowblind”, one of their more unique later songs. Their styles all varied but they found a way to meld them and make it work.
I hope they get around to reacting to a song on which JY sings lead on. I vote for Half-Penny, Two-Penny/AD 1958 from the Paradise Theatre album. It’s a Rocker.
@@jeffmattson5766 Paradise Theater is perhaps my favorite album, but it’s tough to choose. Equinox and Crystal Ball along with Cornerstone were always my favorites before that… just a great band, bottom line
If you remember, The Beatles always made room for a track so Ringo could sing. Styx reminded me of this with James Young. I always looked forward to his 'song' when a new album released. Dude is an aerospace engineer . . . .
Hey guys this era of Styx is pre_Tommy Shaw. He joined the band for the crystal ball album and immediately added to the already fantastic chemistry. Killer song!
This is from the 5th studio album Equinox from 1975. Instead of gearing up for the bicentennial, they were writing about being exploited and how commercialism had taken over the US.
Beautiful song and Dennis shines in this song. Great reaction. Buckets of Maple Syrup love from Canada ❤️❤️ 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
And then they made a very commercial album in Paradise Theater(which I did see at the L.A. Sports Arena). My first and favorite album of theirs that I was exposed to was Grand Illusion.
My favorite album by them
@@RedBud315 Under my Icon you can see the full Concert of Styx - Return To Paradise Theater.
Hey you 2 Tommy shaw is not in the band yet.
The live version of this is pure 🔥. When he sings "you conquer the world and more" he holds the last note for 38 seconds.
Yassssssss!!!!!!!!!! From “Caught in the Act” live.❤️ My fav Styx song hands down😍
Just listened to this song on my way picking up pizza for the family. You guys got many more songs to go, Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, Fooling Yourself, Blue Collar Man etc... enjoy your Journey
So many great tunes and one of my favorite bands!
Don't forget Queen of Spades and Miss America.
Don't forget "Snowblind"!
Crystal Ball, Lorelei and Light Up are also great!
Now you are talking! Early Styx were a rockin, kind of progressive rock band. No fluff! Probably their first 5 albums were really good. This is probably my favorite album by them.
Amber, I am constantly impressed with how quickly you pick up on the meaning and relevance of song lyrics that you are hearing for the first time. Kudos!!
Great choice. One of my Styx favorites. Do Crystal Ball next.
YES CRYSTAL BALL!!
and make sure it’s the live version from Caught In The Act with the extra guitar solo, please!!! SMB is great on that album too!! Actually the whole album is pretty kick ass!! lol
Arena Rock is what I call this type of music. Should be played to large audiences. ❤️
I’ve seen STYX live twice one time on their MR. Roboto tour in their prime and once just recently at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island, NY
I call them America's Queen...very dramatic.
First concert I ever went to -- Styx: The Grand Illusion. Was a major Styx fan. Then I heard Rush and that was it. So it's interesting you tied the two together. ;)
I saw them in 1978 in Pgh. They were outstanding!!!!
This was the album that made me fall in love with Styx! By the time I got to see them in person, Tommy Shaw had joined them. He was not on this album.
Now think about being in a hall with 20,000 fans and having STYX in the house. Truly magical times. The Best of Times, in fact.
Awesome! So glad y’all checked this one out! One of my all-time Styx favorites! For some rocking Styx, check out “Lorelei”! Absolute banger!
Love "Lorelei"....!
Omg, Lorelei is always the one I want to suggest whenever we're talking Styx!
Yes! I concur! Hearing Lorelei live on the Mr. Roboto tour turned me from a Styx fan into a Styx FAN! They were my favorite group for several years back in the day once I explored their older catalog.
@@alantidwell7889 Paradise Theater was my first concert, with my parents... they were cool...lol
I also really like "I'm OK" , "Why Me" and "Lights"
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love Lorelei
Born For Adventure from this album is a MUST listen song. Midnight Ride is a close runner up. They are one of those bands that is just magical.
You have just heard the best Styx song in my opinion! Equinox is my favorite Styx album as well! Styx is in my top 5 favorite bands of all time because of songs like this! Another banger you should react to is Crystal Ball, Queen of Spades, and Man In The Wilderness! Your reaction to this gem is exactly how I reacted when it first came out! I couldn't believe what a masterpiece I just heard! Thank you so much for reacting to this amazing song from a truly amazing band!
Yes! Crystal Ball and Man in the Wilderness are my two favorites!
J/A, there is no doubt both of you will like Blue Collar Man by Styx. Love to see you react to that banger next and the lyrics are great!
Yes!
Another great Styx song that has biting social commentary about life in America is, well, "Miss America." Killer riff and , as I indicated, edgy lyrics! Styx Rox!
With the strong songwriting skills and musicianship the "front men" had, the twins sometimes don't get their due. Chuck Panozzo on bass and John Panozzo on drums were one of the best rhythm sections of the hard rock era. I think John especially contributed a lot to the progressiveness of Styx's style.
Show Me the Way. It’s a song that gets me through blue times when it looks like the world is just a mess.
“Grand illusion “ , “ Pieces of eight” , etc several more to listen to!
I vote for pieces of eight
This one was James "JY" Young on guitar. Tommy Shaw joined the band later after this was recorded.
Styx has so many great songs but this is my favorite....yes, "a masterpiece".
Even more powerful/dramatic live, ALWAYS brings down the house
Sadly, the lyrics are even more relevant today
Agreed. Ditto with "Borrowed Time" from the Cornerstone album. Dennis occasionally included astute political commentary in his songwriting that incredibly seems to carry forward from one generation to another.
@@allanb.2925 yes, the lyrics from Borrowed Time are wise, and, perhaps, eternal
Hey guys. So fun watching you dive deeper and deeper into the world of Styx…. They’ve been my fav rock band for 40 years now. :). Dennis DeYoung is my favorite singer of all time. You should absolutely check out his solo stuff. Last couple years, at age 73, he released TWO new albums. So many great tracks and still rockin & sounding amazing.
26 East Volumes 1 and 2.
Love this one so much! So glad you did this one and enjoyed it! The message about America still gives me goosebumps. It was so neat to see you both realize it! 😊 Dennis did lots of solo stuff after Styx and this is a common theme to many of his best songs. His recent “100 years from now” is an equally cautionary tale. Keep up the great work! Happy new year! Love you guys!!! ❤️
Agreeing with this writer, Lorelei is a very happy rocker!
Also, from a year or so ago, "Isle of Misanthrope". ;)
Dennis's best lyrics are in Blue Collar Man. Yes, I'm sarcastic.
Pretty sure Blue Collar Man was one Tommy Shaw wrote. I might be wrong though. ;)
I'm born and raised in KC, but tonight I'm cheering for the Bengals! Styx is one of my favorite bands, I've seen them in concert a few times. Love the reactions!
Me too! The Kingdom all says who Dey today!
Born in St. Joseph, raised in K.C.MO. here. Right on.
Go Oilers!
Did you see any of the game. We're all in shock here
Whether you're a Bills or Bengals fan tonight, prayers for Damar Hamlin👃
In the "Caught in the Act" live album Dennis holds the last "Moooooooore" 47 seconds.😲
This Chiefs fan gives the Bengals permission to win tonight
This is actually pre Tommy Shaw. The guitarist is John Curulewski. He was the guitarist for many of the Styx hits. Like Lady.
The guitarist was not Tommy Shaw on this album- it was the last one with John Curulewski. As good as this is, the version from "Caught in the Act" when Dennis DeYoung holds that note, omg!!
I saw Styx live front row in 1996. This song live in-person is everything you hope it would be and more. I even got to shake all the band members hands after the show.
Fyi. This is the demo version. Deyoung has said that they couldn't duplicate it for the album so the demo got put on Equinox. He said it was lightning in a bottle that they can never recreate to do it justice.
This was actually pre Tommy Shaw, but was Styx major label debut. John Curulewski was an original guitarist and did the high harmonies back then.
I think this one of their best ever...love it!!! Good pick!!!
In fact I was out at local pub and someone played it on the jukebox today...reminded me of how much I love this song
YESSSSS!!! **squeals in delight** . (Then is embarrassed for having squealed, but still.)
Jordan, I can't say how thrilled I am that you now remember the band members' names and can drop "Dennis DeYoung " and "Tommy Shaw" without even having to strain to remember.
Small problem, though…this ISN'T Tommy Shaw. This is the last album from before he joined; the acoustic guitar you're hearing is from John Curulewski, the guitarist he replaced.
(The electric guitar is by James Young, aka the third writer/singer in the group, the one you haven't done yet.)
You may remember that Styx put out four albums on a local label (Wooden Nickel Records) and had very little success…until DJ Jim Smith heard "Lady" at his pizza parlor, put it on WLS (which could be heard in most of the country) and made it a hit and Styx got a REAL contract from A&M Records and then everything was great, right?
Yeah, well, there were still a few bumps in the road. This album, "Equinox", was their first for A&M…and it stiffed, too. At which point, John Curulewski, as the only parent in the group, was all "look, I love you guys, but this just isn't happening; I've got to focus on my kids", basically. So "JC" quit, and the group went and hired Tommy Shaw to replace him. (This is a story in itself.)
To welcome Tommy into the group, they named their next album after a song Tommy was already playing with his previous band, Harvest. "Crystal Ball" is my favorite song by Tommy…but that album bombed, too. (But then they FINALLY found consistent success, starting with their 7th album, "The Grand Illusion".)
And John Curulewski was left at home, probably wondering if he made a mistake. I'd like to think his kids appreciated it, though. (John died in 1988.)
John also wrote and sang songs. (Styx always had three members creating, with the Panozzos to back them up.) "Mother Dear", from this "Equinox" album, is pretty cool, too.
Yes, I'd really like them to react to "A Day" off Styx II as I think Amber at least might really dig all of it, and maybe Jaye too.
I love all eras of Styx. Equinox almost fits in with the second. Their music had really matured… and then came Tommy.
@@ScottKornfeld Yet another side to Styx. Also from II, the "Little Fugue in G" intro into "Father O.S.A." is reaction worthy.
Dennis DeYoung was writing very optimistic, and uplifting music in an time of economic challenge for the USA. You can always count on a Styx song to brighten your mood. BTW, Tommy Shaw hadn't joined the band for the recording of this song. They second guitar spot was filled by original member John Curulewski.
Released in 1975 the year Saigon fell. The song’s title was the band’s nickname for America. Talking about what the country was going through post Vietnam and post Watergate.
Dennis Deyoung wrote this for the 200th birthday of the United States and how he laments some of the sad parts of our nation but ultimately opines hope in the end.
Actually this is the last album before Tommy Shaw joined the group. Lead guitar by James Young. Suite Madam Blue is the Statue of Liberty. Dennis thought the statue's patina was more blue than green.
I was introduced to Styx and Rush at the same time by the same friend in high school. Still love them both today. Styx has so much more ahead for you to listen to. I would point you to "The Grand Illusion" from the album "The Grand Illusion" (but this whole album is great). Also "Rocking The Paradise" from "The Paradise Theater" (also a fantastic album)
this was actually the last album Styx released BEFORE Tommy Shaw joined the band....but this song was actually one of the early songs that became almost a blueprint for a lot of their most successful songs in the 70's. Songs that have 2 distinctive parts..a soft melodic beginning with a hard rocking finale.
Can't go wrong with anything from Styx 70's era. My favorite band growing up. Saw them in concert in 1983. Awesome reaction.
I was in high school in the late 1970's and Styx was one of my favorites. This song was my all time favorite. Also very Patriotic. Good stuff you two!
My take on the song is that Madame Blue is the statue of liberty. "You're not a child anymore." Hence, the America chant.
It's about America as a whole.
The guitarists in this song wwe reJohn Curulewski (accoustic) and James Young (electric). Tommy Shaw had not yet joined the band. The next album (Crystal Ball) was his first with the band.
Absolutely my favorite Styx tune! The only caveat is that you must play it LOUD! Thanks for a great reaction and I knew that you would also appreciate this song! ✌🇨🇦❤🎼🎵🎶
Just FYI, this album was before Tommy Shaw joined the band...one of my favorite Styx songs
One of the best bands of the 80s! I saw them live in Omaha Nebraska around 81 or so....awesome show with special effects
They were THE best of the 70s as well. And I saw them all...
It was written for the bicentennial in 1976. It’s about who we were as a country, who we are now, and where we go from here. It’s indeed brilliant
This song carries me to a different head space, I love when songs can carry you away💕
1st saw Styx on the Grand Illusion tour in the later 70's....pretty amazing....have seen the 3 or 4 times...last being about 10 yrs ago about a mile from my house...
Definitely one of their best albums! The one they released after this is Crystal Ball, and it’s worth a listen.
Like many of their songs, this one starts out soft and gentle, then all hell breaks loose.
Prelude belongs with this song, and the two should always go together.
Saw them live 2 months ago……..still rockin the paradise. 👍👍👍
This was one of my most favorite song. Very popular in my region. People forget Styx was the largest concert going bands for like 7-8 years. I saw them four times
My favorite Styx song. A Dennis DeYoung masterpiece. BTW, this is pre-Tommy Shaw. John Curulewski was the guitar player/background vocals. He quit the band just before they were to tour behind this album. Tommy Shaw was brought in for the tour.
6:20 - Everyone has the same reaction. Never knew a single human being who doesn't kick up when the riff hits
This is a song you really need to hear and see on their live album. Dennis is incredible on this song!
Getting to see Styx live in St. Louis, Super Jam, Busch Stadium, late 70's, was an amazing experience!
Could you please fit in First Time? Back in my college days my roommates (and the whole floor) loved this song! I'm glad you like Styx! Even though I feel a little depressed over what was! Still love it!
I saw Dennis DeYoung in an interview discuss this song and how it was a commentary on the US in the 70s and it's funny how almost 50 years later, the song is still relevant. Great analysis and breakdown, guys.
Tommy wasn't in the band yet. John Curulewski along with JY Young were the guitarist on this track.
Suite Madame Blue is America. Dennis DeYoung wrote and sung this for the Bi Centennial basically saying that in the USA's first 200 years our country has completely lost its innocence. Tommy Shaw was not on this album but he joined Styx on this tour replacing John Curulewski who left the band at the completion of the Equinox album. Tommy Shaw's first album with Styx was Crystal Ball. The Styx album Equinox will always be my favorite album of all time. Suite Madame Blue will always be my favorite Styx song. 3 songs in 1 you claim. If you want 4 songs in 1, the next time you listen to this or play this, tack on Prelude 12 which is the 2 minute Prelude leading perfectly into Suite Madame Blue on the Equinox album. Also there is a video from the Styx concert Caught In The Act where Styx plays this classic. The Caught In The Act version & the Return To Paradise Video version are the two greatest live videos of this song. Thank you so much for playing and commenting on this GREAT GREAT piece of music.
At 16 bought the album This song grabbed me then and hearing it tonight with you at 60 years old still grabs me. We could see America heading the wrong path...Styx nailed it just wish our Leaders could. You two do a fine service and enjoy your comments/music choices.
"Suite Madame Blue, gaze in your looking glass
You're not a child anymore
Suite Madame Blue, the future is all but past
Dressed in your jewels, you made your own rules
You conquered the world and more, heaven's door..."
I remember asking for the cassette tape of this album for Christmas the year it came out. I was lucky to have gotten it and preceded to wear it out for many years afterwards. 😁 Great band and thanks for bringing back the memories of that time. What a time musically to be a teenager.
Such a great song! Thanks again guys!
I nearly blew my ears out so many times on that transition - when it spirals up and hits that super incredibly pure note, as a child I felt I finally understood what it was like to hear a guitar "sing", what people meant when they said that. Now that I'm older, I of course don't know if that is a guitar or an electric keyboard, which takes some of the magic out of it, but it's still SO beautiful.
Thanks for all y'alls hard work. God bless
"Why Me" and "I'm OK" are lessor known Great tunes... with deep lyrical meaning.!
Anyone who like me was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 70s were treated with so many great rock bands that are unmatched today. These songs bring back so many great memories and the music is still alive and relevant today. Tommy Shaw Styx songs are my favorites. Fooling Yourself, The Man in the Wilderness, Crystal Ball and anything Styx live is great. I found you guys about a year ago and I think you're awesome. Keep on rockin.
"Lorelei", "Castle Walls", are a couple more among many you guys would enjoy.
This song was written by Dennis DeYoung in honor of the USA's 1976 Bicentennial Celebration (I was 14 at the time and was a HUGE Styx fan even then). After the Bay of Pigs in the early 1960's, Vietnam in the 60's/70's, and Watergate in the 1970's, DDY was telling the USA at 200 years old to GROW THE HELL UP, "you're not a child anymore" (a phrase, I'm sure, to which Tommy Shaw and James Young took personal offense since they are perpetual "rocker" children). DDY had been married for several years at that point and had started a family, so he was more serious (as a rock-and-roll artist) about growing the hell up and acting mature (unlike his bandmates, a fact of which they resented for years and eventually resulted in their mutiny). Dennis is *still* married to this day to the same woman (Suzanne), now for 52 years and has two fine adult children (don't know about grandchildren, but I wouldn't be surprised). So the song is suprisingly bitter in that, in humanizing the United States of America in his song (Madame Blue), he presents his disappointment about the path she is following.
This is a song (much like Yes's "Roundabout" and Kansas's "Carry on Wayward Son") that is a shining example of the prog-iest of prog rock.
YEAH!! They have so much amazing music, this is one of my absolute favorites. Love you guys! {{{hugs}}}
This song was released in 1976, America's 200th birthday. DeYoung is talking about our place in the world and how we needed to realize we aren't a new country anymore and needed to grow up. We still do.
Boat on the river by Styx is a must
I saw Styx in '78, '79' 2009 &2011. They were so good every time! What a show!
Dennis wrote this as a celebration of the bicentennial. 1976.
Jay: "That's like 3 songs in one".
That's what the title means by Suite Madame Blue. A suite is multiple songs blended as in this case. For me, this is their best song.
If you had to describe the music of Styx with one song this would be it. It just has everything that Styx could do.
Loved this band so much back in the day. Wore out my 8 track tape of this album driving in my 69 VW Beetle.
Check out "Blue Collar Man" next. It's a banger!
Amber is correct about the song; it's one of those "Get Your Act Together, America" songs, which were in vogue in the era of Viet Nam and Watergate, especially as we neared the Bicentennial celebration of 1976, which was a REALLY big deal.
(I'm honestly shocked that there's NOTHING in the wind about the 250th anniversary coming up in 2026. The country always used to do something for anniversaries; for example, the stadium in Philadelphia where they held Live Aid was built for the 150th anniversary ["Sesquicentennial"] in 1926.)
You've heard "Teach Your Children" from Crosby Stills Nash & Young, you've heard Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and "Inner City Blues" (Marvin's whole album is like that), and this is another "call to action" song. (There's at least one more I want you to hit, but I don't want to spoil it; you'll know when we get there. Because I'll probably squeal again, lol.)
In concert, the song is often played with "Prelude 12" an instrumental that John Curulewski wrote, which preceded it on the album. It's also one of the rare times bassist Chuck Panozzo contributes backing vocals; usually it was Dennis and the guitarists doing the singing while the Panozzo twins handled the rhythm section.
If you like this album, other songs to consider are "Lorelai" (by Dennis, primarily), "Mother Dear" (by John Curulewski, as I mentioned in the other comment) and "Midnight Ride" (because you've got to do a James Young song *eventually* , right?). "Light Up", by Dennis, was a big favorite at concerts (often the encore), but there's no official "live" album for this era of Styx and I don't know if you want to hunt it up. (I can send you a link, if need be.)
ETA: And I somehow left out "Born for Adventure", which was the opening song for a good part of the tour. Brain freeze, lol.
Awesome reaction! Masterpiece I agree Amber! You guys are the best!
I've seen these guys in concert several times. They continue to put on a great show.
"We gotta talk" love that reaction from Amber!
Bowie, Rush, Styx and so many other bands from the 70's were able to make Rock music into an art form..every song's like a adventure because of thier creativity.
Its time to listen Queensryche again. "Take hold of the Flame" such a banger. And geoff tate voice? Amazing
80s Queensryche is the best. Lots of Great songs.
Tommy joined Styx after this album was recorded, he did the tour for it. The other original guitarist quit before the tour.
Definitely one of their best early works.
1994-when I joined a large choir I didn't know how to read sheet music. The choir director told me I could only continue with the choir if I took voice lessons from him. Fast forward six months. Right in the middle of the lesson he began playing this song on the piano and I sang along. When the song went up tempo, he quit playing and he said "Why didn't you tell me that you sing on the same key as Dennis DeYoung?" I just kind of shrugged my shoulders. Continuing, he asked, "Maybe you can tell me why Freebird is important." I said, "You're kidding, right?" He replied "The only reason I know this song is because a kid in the youth choir asked to perform this a couple of years ago. I never studied rock n roll." I explained why Freebird is important.
Oh this is a Styx classic!
Styx Personnel on this album - Dennis DeYoung - Keyboards & Vocals - James JY Young - Guitars & Vocals - John Curulewski - Guitars & Synthesizers - Chuck Panozzo - bass and John Panozzo Drums
John Curlewski on guitar. Shaw came on the next album Chrystal Ball.
@@robertpulte9664 Curulewski
This is an incredible song. So intricate.
Paradise theater by Styx is one of the great albums from my childhood