I was 10yrs old when this album came out, my older sister bought it but I listened to it so much it wore the grooves off. To this day it's one of my top 10 albums.
STYX is my favorite Arena rock band. They are so good! It is a crying shame they are not in the shithole Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are so deserving! They were monsters in the mid to late 70’s to the mid 80’s
Styx Kansas and Foreigner have been in my Rock and Roll Hall of Fame system minute I heard them in the late 70s critics may not have like them but true music fans love them
The best song from them by far for many reasons. Probably even more prophetic now. It was made for the bicentennial!!! We are so far away from what our 4 fathers intended. It’s very scary and very sad..I didn’t hear this song until I was around 17 or so 1983-84. Styx was one of the first rock bands I got into starting in 77 when the grand illusion came out. This song was And is rarely played on the radio. One of my top 50 greatest songs!!
The founding fathers founded a country on ethnic cleansing of the land, a slave economy, and the franchise restricted to landowning men. Thank god we got away from that. No, what DDY is saying is that America doesn't live up to the ideals she pretends to hold dear.
Didn't even have to watch this reaction to like it.... one of my favorite STYX songs ever, haunting beautiful and the progression as the song goes on is mesmerizing, they don't get the credit for being such amazing songwriters !!
I remember when this song came out. I was a STYX fan already but I didn’t appreciate this song until much later in life. It was too “theatrical “ for me as a young teen. It’s an incredible song to me now as an adult and the meaning of it. Great reaction! ✌🏼
Dennis wrote this as America was coming up on its bicentennial and you touched on many of the things that were going through his mind at the time. Great tune. Always loved it.
Styx, 1981, Paradise Theater Tour, top 3 concerts I’ve ever been to….and I’m still going to concerts. Side note…I’ve seen Damn Yankees too…they killed it.
What a voice, it's so pure and clear. I've never heard this live version and it literally gave me goosebumps. The composition and transitions are very similar to Come Sail Away minus the piano. Somehow Come Sail Away was more popular than this one but I think they're both equal classics.
Check out "Rocking the Paradise" off their Paradise Theater album (use studio cut, not live) and also "Boat on the River"---both great songs, the first sung by Dennis DeYoung (the same person as who sang Suite Madame Blue) and the second sung (mainly) by Tommy Shaw. Styx was my first favorite band, mainly because they were from Chicago.
Amazing song. One of my favorites. If you haven't yet. CRYSTAL BALL is similar, but is more guitar driven since guitarist Tommy Shaw sings it instead of keyboardist Dennis DeYoung.
Growing up, listening to these albums as they came out, I often felt that Queen was operatic, Pink Floyd symphonic, and Procol Harum theatrical. But I also remember also thinking that Styx could often be beautifully cinematic. This is a good example of that opening-credits soundtrack-type of sound they were so good at.
One of my favorites along with Queen of Spades, Castle Walls, The Grand Illusion, Fooling Yourself, Renegade, Lorelie. are some other good ones. Madame Blue was kind of a mash up two separate songs. that had two meanings. The nation has just been hit with the Watergate scandal on top of the conflict in Vietnam and it really shook up the belief in the in the government as a truthful and honest entity.
It was that, yes, but on the eve of the bicentennial was the inspiration behind the uplifting part of 'ya we fkd up - but no one can survive that and move on better than America - so lets do this!"
GREAT song! I've been a Styx fan since their first album and have seen them live 9 or 10 times over the years. Also caught your reaction to Queen of Spades tonight and noticed your comment about liking the uptempo songs. You should check out Lorelei along with Crystal Ball, Blue Collar Man and Light Up.
1975 - post Vietnam, post Watergate, lots of unrest in the country at that time. This song, to me, at 15-16 years old, was a wake up call to remember what America was, what the dream was, and to move on from our differences, become one nation, with equality for all. A naive sentiment, but not unexpected from teenagers. Politics and 'Big Money' have screwed that up though.
Yes, this is exactly why us old timers were shaking our heads at you (and our canes - LOL) when you talked about how great Mr Roboto was. This is my first time hearing this live version - great stuff!
I absolutely love Styx….with Dennis DeYoung in the band! Dennis voice is unique and amazing! This live version really shows how great of a singer he is for sure. He definitely stands out as one of the best singers in rock and roll. Check out more that he sings on like… Castle Walls, First Time, Come Sail Away, Best of Times, Don’t Let It End, Why Me, Lady, Lorelei, and so many more. Another band to check out is Toto! There catalog is amazing as well.
Back to the 70s again. Nice request! One of those wait for it Songs. Try the studio version. This was the ending of the Nam war, draft numbers were still being issued. In a year was the debacle of the Vietnam pull out. BTW, thanks to all nam vets.
I have seen them in concert 11 or 13 times I've been to so many concerts I forget about how many xs, but they are awesome live. Thank you for reacting to them Tommy Shaw is so great and nice, but because of that I never could ask him for his autograph it just seem weird lol now I wish I would have. Much love to you and your family 💕Brandi Modrak 💕❤
It had been a while since I listened to this. I really enjoyed reliving it with you. I was pretty young when I got into Styx. I didn’t really understand the lyrical content or the deeper meaning behind it.I just loved the sound. Styx you can just crank up and get lost in the sound. Love it. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Still sound just as good as ever. Unfortunately I never got to see them live.
It's not too late to see them - they still touring (though without Dennis DeYoung - their replacement is really good. I've seen them live 8 times. Three times with the replacement lead singer).
Joel Hammond, sorry to hear that you have never been able to see one of their concerts. I was fortunate to see them during their 1983 "Kilroy" your, (it was during that tour that they recorded "Caught In The Act"). That tour was very theatrical, combining both a video package (that began the concert) and the stage show. I have been a fan since the mid-'70s. At one point I owned all of the LPs that were released prior to 1993. IMO they were underrated by a lot of people.
@@willhorting5317 I did have that live Caught in the Act cassette and listened to it a lot. Not quite as good as being there, but still very enjoyable and gave me a good idea of what their live show was like. I have also watched YT videos of live performances both with Dennis DeYoung and with Glen Burtnick.
Thank you, T!!! Great reaction. Even better received than I anticipated. I knew you would love this one!! As for the inspiration of the song - it was written as a tribute to America as they approached the bicentennial anniversary of the 1776 Revolutionary War victory. That was Dennis DeYoung on vocals (same as Mr. Roboto). You already know Tommy Shaw is another singer. And James Young is their third. One of factors of why their music was never stagnant - so many ways to make their songs diverse and unique. This one is in my top 3 favorites. The other two in my top 3 are Shaw's tracks: Man in the Wilderness, and Crystal Ball. I wonder if you've reacted to either of those two....? Happy New Year, brother! I hope you had a great Christmas. Love to you and Tasha. :-)
You and I are very similar. My 2 favorite Styx songs are man in the wilderness and crystal ball. It’s really hard for me to rank songs though past this because they’re my favorite rock band and it’s like ranking your children. I know that sounds odd but at least for me, it’s true.
You need to check out the album Equinox. Including this song and Born for Adventure, Light up! . The whole thing is great! I still rock it loud! In 1975 the War was over and we kids were disappointed things hadn’t really changed. I think this song gave us some hope it still could.
"The NOTE" is still held 20-30 seconds when Dennis DeYoung preforms SMB live, in the same key, and he will be 75 years old next month. Hopefully once the world calms down, he will be touring again.
You nailed it 100%. Greatest Styx song ever. Dennis DeYoung ( Styx singer) wrote this song with the Bicentennial approaching in 1976. The song was basically saying that the USA was no longer in its infancy, and with all the events transpiring in our country and in our past we have completely lost our childhood innocence. Just a tremendous song and a great choice by you to play. The album Suite Madame Blue comes from Equinox will always be my favorite album of all time. Side 2 of the Equinox album is PERFECT. Prelude 12 leads into this song. It's music perfection.
Great song. Great analysis. For a song with a similar theme ( but a lot more scathing accounting of our nations situation) I would recommend "Monster "by Steppenwolf.
Suite Madam Blue is referring to the Statue Of Liberty and was release just before the 1976 Bicentennial on the Equinox album, a masterpiece cover.to cover.
Underrated band. Labeled corporate, Prog, Cheesy….I loved ‘em since the early days “Equinox” + “Pieces of Eight”….this song is an Ode to Americas greatness and how the Bi-Centenial had gone astray to cheapen the nations strength!! “….Once, long ago, one words from your lips and the world turned around!!” True power, Dennis….caught Dennis on tour at 72, the dude still sounds crisp as can be…a true pro, great songwriter….one of the great ‘70’s bands!
One of the very few bands that sounds as good or better live than they do in the studio. VERY underrated band. Incredible amount of unforgettable music.
I can give you a list of 25 of their songs that are great to outstanding. They are similar to Fleetwood Mac in that they have 3 different lead singers. Listen to James Young sing Miss America. This is Dennis DeYoung. Listen to Renegade sung by Tommy Shaw!
With a song like this, you REALLY need to listen to the album version first. Live they're good, but there's a lot of subtle things you miss in the live version.
The LIVE version? Why? It's pretty good, but if you're going for a live version, the recent Dennis DeYoung versions are better (especially the vocals on the "America" bit). Still, the gold standard is the studio version... The vocals sound too "dry" on this, I miss the reverb! Actually the studio version does have a mistake: the lead-up to "America" has a flub on the rhythmic guitar part, but it was 'the magical take', warts and all. Instead of overdubbing the mistake out, they left it in... Studio perfection, but with human frailty and emotion!
@@JasonSmith-jr7jh Dennis always comes off as being a bit too "Broadway" for me, he's just not the true rock-n-roll type. Not that I don't like his original music with Styx, live he just seems to go over the top. Great singer and keyboardist, but over the top.
@@ffjsb True. Mr. Showbiz. The Mr. Roboto 'concept' was over the top...and the tour was a flop. And though many people loved it, (as a teen in the early 80s) hearing the intro to BABE come on the radio use to give me the bends!
LOL, It's all good, T, cos Mr Roboto was my first Styx song too, and it'swhat set me on the path (or is it river, lol) of Styx. I was obsessed with that song before I discovered more of their tunes.
Very astute reaction, that was exactly what he was writing about, we were as a nation getting ready to celebrate our Bicentennial and there were such high expectations for the future at that time. It was coming off the Vietnam war, and having to make peace with all that went on during that time. I cant really put it all into words here, but yes you were correct that it was written with that in mind. One of my all time favorite Styx songs, from one of my favorite albums. It was their last great live performance before they split off from Dennis DeYoung, and IMHO the band has never been the same since then. I played the caught in the act album and cassette so much that I wore out both of them and had to buy another copy....such an amazing performance. You gotta do "Miss America" if you haven't already.
YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT VOICE OF DENNIS T, SO SO SHARP, POWERFUL, HIGH, SOLID AND CMONNNN T, IT'S 74, 75, 76 , WHEN MUSIC WAS OUTRAGEOUSLYYYYY GREAT! :) AND AGAIN THE 2 SONGS THAT LAUNCHED THEM WERE : BABE AND LADY
I was 10 years old when this came out, but it was on the radio for many more years. Its meaning; America claimed moral leadership of the world, but too often failed to live up to the standard. This band and many others were calling on its government & society as a whole to be better.
I grew up with this band my all time favorite group, got stoned to their songs so relaxing and would send me into another time and space always makes me happy.
MAN I HAD GOOSEBUMPS ALL THROUGH THIS, N STILL SOOOOO BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEM SEVEN TIMES. THE EQUINOX ALBUM IS A MASTERPIECE, 1975. YOU HAVE TO DO THE FIRST SONG. LIGHT UP… GREAT REACTIONS, ROCK ON 👊🖖
16 years old and just got my first electric guitar and amplifier out of layaway. Up to that point I had been learning on an acoustic guitar. It was fun to play this song on acoustic but it was orgasmic on my new electric. I don’t think my neighbors agreed though. Lol
This song came out in 1975 but it was written about the US bicentennial celebrations and more than anything about how commercialized and used as promotions for everything it was becoming.
Explore Supertramp. They are talented, crisp mixes, theatrical, and have great buildups and transitions. Of course, Pink Floyd & Yes are primos in this respect too. This song is even more relevant now than it was then.
Hi There, This is my second reaction video of your's that I've watched. The first was when you reacted to Aerosmith's - Seasons Of Whither & Lord Of The Thighs In which I was impressed, Being not many even react to those 2 song's & Your reaction/vibe was great! I subscribed right after watching that. Both of those song's are probably my 2 fav's. Thank you for taking a chance on checking out Great Classic Rock! Music Is Truly The Only Real Peace Of Mind! (It Can Take You There or It Can Take You away) As far as Styx goes, They're a great band & in my thoughts some what underrated as well. Personally my fav album by Styx is The Grand Illusion - Not a bad song on the entire album. (Man In The Wilderness) (Fooling Yourself) (Miss America) To name a few song's from that album worth checking out. Cheers from Western Canada! Wishing You A Happy New Year! Keep Safe, Keep Rockin!
I have watch a handful of your videos before I did not subscribe... I subscribed to wait too many channels at this point... Styx - Suite Madame Blue is one of my favorite songs by Styx... Matter of fact it is in my CD player right now in my truck... Since you did this song I am a new subscriber... I have one request that you play a song by Styx called ( A Day ) from the 1973 album Styx 2... It's eight minutes song and I know you'll love it and I think your subscribers will love it two... I will be looking forward to hearing your reaction of this great song...
The statue of liberty was tarnished bronse looking blue.. also an emotion of blue... the song had many parts to it so suite it was as in bitter-suite... and in need of restoration and Styx likened it to the state of America thus... Madame Blue
