Styx were the headliner for the Texas Jam in '83. First concert I ever went to and it was an all day event in the Astrodome. By the time Styx came on stage I was exhausted. Uriah Heap, Sammy Hagar and Ted Nugent were the first acts and I didn't like any of them but my older brother did. I wish I had fonder memories of the show but I was a 14 year old girl and my enthusiasm was worn down by the 8 plus hours of metal music.
Such a classic. Their strengths were their musicianship, songwriting ability, and the variety of styles they wrote in. One of the best prog rock bands of the 1970s and ‘80s.
Top three for me are, in no particular order, Renegade, Blue Collar Man, and Angry Young Man from Grand Illusion. But there are so many other awesome Styx songs.
Tommy brought the Southern Rock to the group. Dennis DeYoung brought the ballads and Broadway, JY was the rocker. This song I prefer as the studio version.
Definitely. In fact, it's rare that the live version surpasses the studio version, IMO. The exceptions to this rule tend to stand out as all-time classics. Like Nugent's live Stranglehold; it far exceeds the studio take. Or ELP's triple live album, particularly the Tarkus suite. Or Allman Brothers, Live at Fillmore East. And others....
@jefff3886 Another example is Neil Diamond's songs from Hot August Nights. I prefer his Holly Holy live and Cherry Cherry but his studio Cracklin' Rosie, I Am I Said, and Suliemon.
Come Sail Away, Rockin the Paradise, Born for Adventure, suite madam blue, Castle Walls,Loreli borrowed time ect are all Dennis DeYoung written and Lead vocal songs and are all Rockers and no where near ballads. Tommy does a whole lot of Acoustic guitar songs and Rockers. My point don't pigeon hole any one in this great band. Diversity, Talent and one of the greatest bands of all-time because of emence talent. By the way Dennis is the reason RENEGADE IS A ROCKER. WHEN TOMMY BROGHT THAT SONG IN IT WAS WRITTEN ON PIANO AND TOMMY WANTED TO PLAY ON ACOUSTIC. DDY PUT THE MARSHALL AMPS ON IT AND TOLD TOMMY this song NEEDS TO BE A ROCKER. REST IS HISTORY.
My parents had a separate living room and family room. As a teenager, I lived in the living room where the stereo was. Listened to Styx, Earth, Wind, & Fire, & Toto. Was blessed to see Styx 3 times in the day. Saw Dennis DeYoung more recently.
And y'all got to remember back in the 80's there was no auto tune . And it was sheer talent, when a band could sound just as good live, as they did, on their album!! And STYX was and still is that band!! ❤❤
I'd say it's more important to do the studio version if there are delicate parts -- they often get rocked up on stage and you get a really different vibe.
Thanks for reacting to Styx. Love this song. It is relevant even today. Time to give JY some love with Miss America, Midnight Ride, Heavy Metal Poisoning, and Snowblind. 🎸
Me too + Yes, AC/DC, Rainbow, Rush, Asia, Whitesnake, Magnum, Deep Purple, Heart, Dio, Jethro Tull, Uriah Heap - list goes on and on. I remember having (probably) seriously damaged my ears at Castle Donnington in the UK. I had such a fun childhood and teenage years (in terms of music at least)! Oh yeah 🥰
And absolute must song to checkout would be "Miss America" it is one of the few songs where James Young does the lead vocals. I know a couple of people will call this their favorite Styx song because it's such a hard rocker
Love it! Foghat was my first concert also. Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Foghat, and Black Oak Arkansas. 1976, the first non-sporting event held at the newly opened Pontiac Silverdome, outside Detroit MI. Foghat had just come out with their Fool For The City album, so we got to hear that, and "Slow Ride," which sent everybody crazy. Aerosmith, unfortunately, was having an off night or something, they were just average, but Nugent and Foghat carried the night! Heck, I wasn't even 16 yet, my mom had to drive me and my friend there, and pick us up afterwards. How embarrassing! (I don't remember much of it, something was wrong with the air inside and it was really hazy... and cloudy... smelled funny too.... lol)
@@jefff3886 Awesome that you got see the different bands! I saw Aerosmith and also Ted Nugent, but didn't get to see Black Oak Arkansas. I was 15 years old at this 1st live concert, but thankfully the person that drove us to the concert was at least a few years older, but hey, however you got there was a plus!!! Parents driving you there or not. Lol.
This is an emotional song for us early Gen X'rs who grew up in the 70s. Inflation, unemployment, and the shifting of manufacturing jobs overseas were going crazy. Guys (and girls) who had good jobs at the auto manufacturers or the steel mills and thought they'd be set for life we're getting laid off and were standing around in unemployment lines. It was brutal. This song completely captured that feeling. " All I want is a job. I'm not a charity case. My mother, my father, my wife and my friends, I see 'em laugh in my face. Interestingly, Dennis DeYoung, after parting ways with Styx, did a song called "Harry's Hands" on a solo album. It's the same theme. In this case, a welder who has it made, finding his job going away and the struggle to maintain his own pride and dignity when nobody will give him a job. I find music that completely captures the nation's mindset at a specific point in time, fascinating and awesome. The late 70s and early 80s made Gen-X into who we are.
Good song. Dennis DeYoung & Tommy Shaw are not he only singers in the band James Young also sings on a few songs! Listen to "Snowblind" or "Miss America" sometime. There are bangers.
When Dennis DeYoung was interviewed about this song he said he was staying near the water/ocean and he heard a boats motor going Ta da tada over and over and it inspires the keyboard riff when he wrote this song. Other styx songs, Crystal Ball, loreli, half penny two penny, live is the ritual, miss America, grand illusion (about how we are all deceived about life on TV and magazines), and for their Drummer (RIP John Panazzo) Show me The Way and Letter To John
Styx is one of my favorite rock bands ever…. Tommy is amazing FYI Tommy Shaw teamed up with CYO contemporary youth orchestra to perform with a group of teenagers….. absolutely incredible
The two of you - your expanded knowledge in rock music is evident in your conversations - How easily you both can drop names & reference other bands (DEVO?) Good job guys!!
I loved the theatre aspect and the rock combo. It's what made their sound so unique and yet musically diverse. The Grand Illusion album is full of theatrics and it's their best album.
There needed to be more _balance_ between the rock and the operetta/Broadway musical tendencies. By Kilroy Was Here, the entire album was an entire tightly-scripted rock opera, with named characters, costume changes, and the songs collectively telling one big story, with no room to just let loose and rock out. After DeYoung left, they couldn't reproduce that spark of storytelling that made Grand Illusion such a masterpiece.
You should hear the song "Snowblind" you'll get to hear the amazing voice of James Young from Styx. Great keyboard, drums, bass, and well...just EVERYTHING about it is GREAT!!
Y'all have done Styx a few times and when you did "Renegade" was my first RSR reaction and I was hooked watching Amber jam with that big hair!! Loved it. For some that you have not reacted to: More Tommy is ""Fooling Yourself", Crystal Ball", "Man in the Wilderness". More Dennis with some great vocal harmonies, "I'm OK", "Queen of Spades", "Borrowed Time".
You do need to do more DEVO, Gates of Steel, Freedom of Choice, Working in a Coal Mine, I Can't Get No Satisfaction and my personal favorite Girl You Want and so many more. Watch a live version just to see what a tight band they were. I saw them a few times and they are working hard up there on the stage. Probably the quirkiest band ever but very enjoyable..
Girl you want is my fav too, but there are so many good ones, Jerking Back and Forth, Jocko Homo, Uncontrollable Urge, Mongoloid, Beautiful World, and others. If you are not familiar with Mark mothersbaugh, you might know his work from the Rugrats tv show
Great song,all the way until 12 seconds were left & my serenity was invaded by TUCKER CARLSONS leering face & insane cackling voice!. Loved the live version,reminds me of all the times I saw them open for bands like Kansas & REO Speedwagon & blow them off the stage.
Rob and Amber, I SWEAR you two must have raided my playlist today! First Nu Shooz "I Can't Wait" now Styx "Blue Collar Man" , two of my favorite all time songs! Ya'll are ON FIRE today!!!!
If I had been calling the shots you would have heard this one a long time ago. When you say "STYX" this is one of three songs that come to my mind. Glad you got around to it.
I saw Styx in 2007 (with Forgeigner and Def Leppard !!!)). I was having a similar conversation in my head that you two had. I was blown away like "Oh yeah, I forgot about this song." "Wow, they did this song too, yep." "They did so many awesome songs that I forgot about!"
My favorite song is Castle Walls on their Grand Illusion album. It's an absolute gem and it's a pity it wasn't that big of a hit for them. It can only be found on that album unfortunately. But highly, highly recommend.
Sends me back to 1977-78, the Wapentake pub in Sheffield on Thursday nights and the DJ regularly playing this track, Great White Hope and Renegade. My introduction to Styx.
My friends and I saw the 1983 Kilroy Was Here Tour in at MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN. As we were leaving the basketball arena we noticed that there was no security keeping someone from heading around the outer loop where you would access the stands normally. We headed around and saw the roadies bringing equipment off stage so we grabbed a couple of empty carts and pushed them up onto the stage. We ended up standing around talking to Dennis DeYoung for a while until security showed up and asked us to get off the stage. he was really nice and talkative. Great Show, loved it when Tommy Shaw headed into the audience to play during one song (forgot which one).
Shaw is THE reason there isn't a reunion with DeYoung. Dennis has agreed to reunite with them, even if it's only for one show. He feels the fans are owed that reunion. While Dennis said yes and was all for it, Tommy said no last year to it. It's an absolute shame. They NEED to get together at least one more time with Dennis before it's too late.
@@sourisvoleur4854 Like Ray and Dave Davies, or Liam and Noel Gallagher. (Being in a band together is real good way to wreck your relationship with your brother, apparently. At least Tom Fogerty died, so people don't have to ask him about getting back with John.)
Stix members left the band later, and were replaced, but they did return together (without drummer John Panozzo who died) to record one final album together in 1999. It was ignored which was tragedy. The album "Brave New World" was very good.
Styx was set to have another hit after the success of the comeback tour but by the time "Brave New World" came out Dennis was gone so the tour to promote it fell through.
For a little more toned down Tommy Shaw Styx sing, try Foolin’ Yourself. He originally thought he was writing it about Dennis DeYoung but later said that he realized that it was about himself. Great song - another one of their hits.
Thanks for this version. The album one is pretty slick and we'll produced... I like the raw energy of this live performance. If you like Tommy Shaw, check out Girls With guns. One of his Solo songs ... It's so much fun .. plus the video was shot as a single shot with no edits.
It is always a pleasure to watch you two react to Styx!! Also, please don't forget to add Jewel doing "Foolish Games" to your list of artists/songs you have reacted to, and "Hello" by Walk Off The Earth featuring Myles and Isaac. Great songs, great bands and if you want you can actually save them for a future Female Friday!!
This is the group that I regret not seeing in concert when they did our small county fair back in 1978. When I heard this song a few months later, I knew I screwed up. And when I grabbed the previous album later, I really knew I missed my first big show! Then I heard even earlier stuff (Lady, Suite Madame Blue, Light Up, Crystal Ball) and knew I really blew it. I'm not even sure the tickets were $10...
Mr. Roboto era pretty much killed Styx and it was the beginning of the end for Dennis DeYoung. The studio version of Blue Collar Man absolutly smokes! You should do "Lorelie" from the Equinox album (Dennis DeYoung) or or "Miss America" from the Grand Illusion album (guitarist James Young sings). And don't ever forget the title track "Crystal Ball" (Tommy Shaw) which is a timeless classic!
Yes, you got back to Styx, my all time favorite band. I hope you will get to a couple of their big hitters next. Ones that you hear a lot on FM rock stations. The Grand Illusion, Foolin' Yourself, Crystal Ball, and one of my favorites, Man in the Wilderness. All of the other songs mentioned in the comments are great too but these are probably among the most played on the radio to this day along with several of the ones you have already reacted to.
Tommy Shaw's live acoustic version in Ohio with a school ensemble backing him is an incredible act. The slower pace of the song gives it an almost sad homage to the working man. Still a good looking guy at 60 something!
YES!! The entire concert with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra is AMAZING!! Watching the expressions of the students while they were playing with someone like him makes me cry! As a former band geek myself, it really resonates! ❤😢😊
I'm happy to say that this coming September my friend and I are going to see Styx at the Puyallup fair in Washington State , they are playing with Heart ! So i get to see two of my favorite bands together in one show for the first time. Tickets were a little spendy $120 bucks each. But that includes a pre-concert party beer garden. Two of my favorite bands and free beer ??? Ummm yes please. Shout out to my buddy Mike for getting us tickets.
I was unemployed too. The Carter recession was on, plus I was about 12, so between those two things jobs were hard to come by. 🙂 Seriously, though I was actually working with my Dad various odd jobs to help support the family, like a lot of kids back then.
Styx has the perfect song for the Blue Collar Man, in which that is what I am today, and when this song came out. :) I used to work 3 jobs, and now I work only 2 jobs. A housekeeper at the local Veterans Administration hospital and a Uber driver. I also used to be a Amazon Flex driver as well.
From the same album Pieces of Eight, "Queen of Spades" is fantastic, as well as "Renegade" - believe you may have already done that one. The entire Equinox album (pre- Tommy Shaw) is great. "Lorelei", "Light Up", "Suite Madame Blue", and the song that made Tommy Shaw want to join this band "Midnight Ride". You should do that Styx tune next, highly recommend it.
