Styx - Pieces of Eight
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Artist: StyxBrand: STYX
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1990-10-25
Music Label: A&M
Soundtracks:
- Great White Hope
- I'm Okay
- Sing For The Day
- The Message
- Lord Of The Rings
- Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
- Queen Of Spades
- Renegede
- Pieces Of Eight
- Aku-Aku
Free Music Notes for Pieces of Eight
Free Music Review: A fine followup to The Grand Illusion
Hit: 5 Stars
Styx was at a peak around the time of the release of superb album The Grand Illusion (1977) and Pieces of Eight (1978) presents more of the same good musicianship. Like The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight demonstrates the band's ability to write tight compositions that fused the progressive rock and hard rock influences seamlessly and it also went triple platinum. For a lot of fans, Pieces of Eight marked the end of their "classic" period.
The lineup on Pieces of Eight includes Dennis DeYoung (synthesizers, pipe organ, keyboards, vocals), Tommy Shaw (electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, autoharp, vocals), James Young (electric guitar, vocals), Chuck Panozzo (electric bass, vocals) and John Panozzo (drums, vocals). The musicianship on Pieces of Eight is good - soaring three and four part vocal harmonies; ripping Hammond organ work; agile synthesizer solos; dynamic acoustic/hard rock contrasts; and to top it all off, wonderful harmonic and melodic development.
The ten tracks on the album range in length from the synthesizer showcase The Messenger (1:08) to I'm Okay (5:41). The pipe organ on I'm Okay is great and reminds me somewhat of Rick Wakeman's use of a pipe organ in a rock context on Going for the One (Yes, 1977). My favorite tracks include the two instrumentals The Messenger and Aku Aku, although the whole album is very enjoyable. Overall, Pieces of Eight presents a nice mixture of the harder edged "stadium rock" tracks and tracks that give a slight nod in the direction of English progressive rock.
Overall, this is a fine album of progressive hard rock released at a time when the English prog giants had either disbanded or were on their way out. Along with groups like Kansas and Rush, Styx made great music with high production values and most importantly - was very entertaining. Recommended along with Equinoxe (1975) and The Grand Illusion.
Pieces of Eight Poster
\NIn some ways, Styx was America's answer to Queen. The Chicago quintet never ascended to the ranks of rock-and-roll royalty, as did their English counterparts, nor are they held in as high a regard today. Nevertheless, Styx fulfilled a Midwestern American hunger for high-flown fantasy typified on Pieces of Eight with songs like Dennis DeYoung and James Young's "I'm Okay" and "Lords of the Rings," with their elaborate arrangements, soaring vocal harmonies, and lyrical pretensions. In quite another direction, guitarist Tommy Shaw writes about basic human needs and working-class values in "Blue Collar Man," while his song "Sing for the Day" is a pleasant air, and "Renegade" a hard-charging rocker. Styx may have seemed somewhat schizophrenic on Pieces of Eight but their legions of fans diminished not a whit, making the album the band's second multiplatinum effort in a row, following The Grand Illusion. --Daniel Durchholz
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