Big Bang Theory

Styx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 10, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New Door Records
• ASIN: B0007XBN1U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (124 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,155 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Import version features a slip case. 'Big Band Theory', released May 10,2005, is the first studio album from Styx, 2003's Cyclorama. Among the highlights on the 14-track 'Big Bang Theory', produced by Styx and Gary Loizzo, is 'Blue Collar Man 2004', a new studio version of the band's 1978 Top 40 hit. Guessing on the track are blues great Koko Taylor and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame piano player Johnnie Johnson, renowned for his work with Chuck Berry. Also featured in the album 'I Am The Walrus' recorded in September 2004. Other songs on the album are 'Find The Cost Of Freedom', originally from Crosby, Still & Nash, 'It Don't Make Sense' (You Can't Make Peace) from Willie Dixon and 'Takin' About The Good Times' from Pretty Things. Frontiers. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great when you consider what it is....., May 10, 2005

By 

K. Bortz "fins up!" (Delmont, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Bang Theory (Audio CD)

Which is a quick, thrown-together album the record company wanted when they didn't have enough new material ready. As "I Am the Walrus" was hitting airwaves in the midwest, they decided to put this package together to ride the momentum. And consider that portions of this album sale go to charity (WD's Blue Heaven Foundation) you can understand why the guys wanted to have a little fun.

So how does a Styx cover album work? For one thing, it's full of riff-laden big arena-rock guitar hooks last heard on "The Grand Illusion". It's like listening to a closet classics show on the radio. Sure, there are some misses (Summer in the City rocks hard, but Tommy sings it and his vocals are just too pretty for it, and Manic Depression never quite cuts it for me), but the hits are great:
- I Am the Walrus is a great rendition, I Can See For Miles almost thrashes, Can't Find My Way Home features great acoustic guitar work over a passable Tommy Shaw vocal, I Don't Need No Doctor gets the heads banging, One Way Out channels the Allmans in this take of Willie Dixon (with great slide guitar work) and A Salty Dog is a great rendition with stunning Lawrence Gowan vocals. The best cover, though? An almost-acoustic, stripped-down, slowed-down version of Blue Collar Man. A great reinterpretation.

So it's a pleasant listen biding the time between the great Cyclorama and whatever comes next. Oh, by the way, I liked Dennis DeYoung too, up through Kilroy, and felt the conflict between him and the band as far as styles led to some great work. But on Brave New World his work was definitely the low point, and I think Mr. Gowan has creatively fired up these guys. Just my $0.02.

60 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These guys had a great time doing this and it shows!, May 11, 2005

By 

T. LeBaron "Todd LeBaron" (NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Bang Theory (Audio CD)

Okay...first things first. All the WHINING about Dennis being gone from the band is probably coming from the people who JUST heard Steve Perry isn't in Journey any longer. Wake up folks...
Steve said on Behind the Music he didn't feel like part of the band (and after I broke my jaw on the ground after that statement I went and saw Journey with the guy that's singing for them now and it was FANTASTIC)...Dennis felt he was in charge of Styx and couldn't handle it when they decided to carry on without him. They aren't doing stuff like Babe anymore, and I couldn't be happier. I like Dennis and a lot of his songs are excellent...but Styx is what they always wanted to be now...a ROCK band (or as JY said onstage the last time I saw them "a CLASSIC rock band")...and this album is classic rock done Styx style...and I could tell right away, they had a BLAST doing this. I am the Walrus is no easy song to carry off...they do it. And the rest of the covers here are done remarkably well, as one other reviewer put it very nicely, they make the songs sound like they could've been written last week and not last millenium!
There isn't a dud here...and the reworking of Blue Collar Man is tastefully done and shows they can reinvent themselves without any problem. I have no problem with a band like this doing a covers album...they didn't miss a thing here, and for those of you complaining that these guys must have run out of creative juices to not do anything new for this album, haven't you got something more important to complain about? These guys are out on the road this summer with 38 Special...and their new CD is incredible too. This promises to be a great summer tour! For the whiners that think Styx isn't Styx or Journey isn't Journey without the people who deserted the bands close to a decade ago...remember the words of Don Henley: get over it!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Momentum Builder???, May 20, 2005

By 

Dan G (Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Bang Theory (Audio CD)

First off, as a long time Styx fan, I want to say how much I enjoyed Cyclorama. I couldn't wait until the next CD came out with new material. Cyclorama had quite a few good songs I enjoyed on it. One problem I had then was trying to get Rock/ Classic Rock radio stations to play their new music. A couple of station program directors told me, while they play older Styx music, they liked Styx's new music but the corporate bosses didn't want the new stuff played. It was frustrating but the band has been out of the mainstream for awhile.

With that being said, I can almost understand why this CD of cover songs came out. The band had messed around with playing the Beatles tune "I am the Walrus" live. A program director asked the band to record the cover. Styx's version of "I am the Walrus" was a hit and getting decent airplay on classic rock radio. If they won't play your new music, create a CD full of cover songs that could get some airplay, get your name back out there, and help build momentum for your next new CD. It makes good sense if that was their intention.

While I feel doing a whole CD full of covers is going overboard, the strategy seems to being paying off. Last week, 10 of the 14 songs on this CD debuted on Mediabase's Top 75 Classic Rock Airplay Chart with "I Don't Need No Doctor" debuting at #4. Meanwhile, the "Big Bang Theory" CD debuts this week at #46 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. I'm not a big fan of cover songs but I can't argue with that. With some success, I hope this CD can help to re-establish Styx as a true rock band and that it inspires some great new music in the near future.

When I heard Styx was doing a CD full of cover songs I wasn't exactly thrilled. Especially since I liked the direction the band was headed with Cyclorama. I waited a week to buy "Big Bang Theory" and gave it a good listen before I made any judgments about it. I'm finding that I like this CD. The songs are done very well and some songs have that distinct Styx harmonies flavor. Having seen them in concert many times, I would expect no less from this band. There is a nice collection of older classic rock songs for a new generation to hear. I had never heard "A Salty Dog" before myself but it is one of my favorites on this CD. What a great song! My other favorite song from this CD is "Can't Find My Way Home". The original Blind Faith version is awesome and I wasn't sure if Styx was going to be able to pull it off. Tommy Shaw does a great job with the vocals on this one. Nice acoustical guitar work too. The other songs I consider good listening are "I am the Walrus", "I Can See for Miles", "I Don't Need No Doctor", "One Way Out", "Manic Depression", "Talkin' About the Good Times", "Locomotive Breath", & "Wishing Well". The slower bluesy "Blue Collar Man @2120" is ok but it will never replace the original for this long-time Styx fan.

I'm glad I waited to listen to the CD a few times before I made a judgment. In haste, I would have given this album 1 star for being full of cover songs. After listening to "Big Bang Theory" I've learned to enjoy it for what it is and give it 3 ½ stars.