Styx Album: “Icon”

As far as Band for the Buck is concerned, this 2 CD set of Styx songs from the A&M years is worth its price. It loads you up with 24 songs and gives it to you at a superb, budget price. It even brings back the original, top ten version of "Lady" from 1974, replacing the Tommy Shaw "Lady 95" from the greatest hits collection. It covers mainly the superstar years from "Equinox" to the Dennis DeYoung centric "End of The Century," with nothing after that album.

However, the packaging is minimal. The sole photo of the band is the back cover, from what looks like an alternate shot from "The Grand Illusion." The inner-sleeve is a listing of the songs and writing credits, production credits, but with no listing of dates or albums. I must add the the remastering sounds terrific and makes me wish for some deluxe versions of the original albums! If you don't already have "Styx: Gold" (2 discs and 35 songs) or the 1995 single disc Greatest Hits, this will suit you well. But this is likely best for the casual Styx fan.

Here we go again. More re-hash from Shaw Young. Because they're incapable of writing a decent song or producing a decent album without Dennis Deyoung (the leader of the band that they forced out). Since then, countless live albums, repackages, cover songs, even re-recordings of the same old songs. You know the line-up- Blue collar man, Renegade, Come Sail away, yada yada yada. I'll admit, it's a good collection, but so was Greatest Hits, Greatest Hits 2, Classics, The Best of Times, the Singles Collection, Gold, 20th Century Masters, etc. Not including the disgusting Yesterday & Today and Rockers. Including Live albums, songs like Come Sail Away and Renegade must be on at least a dozen different Styx albums by now. Get the picture? In the 14 (!) years since they booted Dennis they have released ONE album of orginal new songs (that stynx by the way).

Sadly, this is all they're capable of producing these days, but I already have these songs several times over.

i love this CD. this has songs like come sail away, Mr. roboto, babe and lady are some of the songs. i think that the sound is wonderful. and the songs are great.

There are a good number of tracks on this compilation. There are some strange choices though. For instance, why put some of their weakest songs like Sing for the Day, One with Everything on the cds? Also, the tracks chosen from their Wooden Nickel years are a bit odd, where is Witch Wolf (a radio favorite) or Southern Woman, 22 Years, Unfinished Song, Young Man, Quick is the Beat of My Heart etc?

Well, regardless, for the A & M years, i suggest the Best of tracklisting from my iPod as follows:

1. AD 1928 / Rockin' the Paradise 2. Snowblind 3. Nothing Ever Goes As Planned

4. Too Much Time On My Hands 5. Half-Penny, Two-Penny 6. Come Sail Away

7. All in a Day's Work 8. Eddie 9. The Best of Times 10. Renegade 11. Mr. Roboto 12. Boat on the River 13. Midnight Ride 14. Suite Madame Blue 15. Lights 16. Miss America 17. Babe 18. Crystal Ball 19. Love is the Ritual 20. AD 1958 21. Blue Collar Man 22. Music Time

And while I was at it, I also put together a further compilation built around the Kilroy Was Here story with the following tracks which works really well:

1. Mr. Roboto 2. Cold War 3. Double Life 4. High Time 5. Love in the Midnight

6. Into the Fire 7. Why Me 8. Just Get Through This Night 9. Show Me the Way

10. City of Holy Faith 11. Haven't We Been Here Before 12. Not Dead Yet

13. Still Feel Your Love 14. Girls with Guns 15. Don't Let It End

16. Man in the Wilderness 17. Heavy Metal Poisoning 18. Castle Walls

19. Little Girl World 20. Don't Let It End - reprise 21. Back to Chicago