Brave New World

Styx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 1999)
• Original Release Date: June 29, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B00000JG4W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (248 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,635 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

While not exactly a return to form, the first studio record since 1983 by the classic Styx trio of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, and James Young will undoubtedly please hard-core fans. There's nothing here on the level of "Come Sail Away," "Miss America," or "Lady," but that trademark combination of thrilling, arty hard-rock sounds and gently swooping, full-blown ballads continues. Dennis DeYoung's crazily high-pitched voice still hovers admirably in the castrato range for the most part, though time has introduced a few rough edges. In grand art-rock tradition, the record's supposedly got something to do with futurist British scribe Aldous Huxley (one of classic rockers' favorites), but if anything will bother the listener, that's not it. Songs such as "Number One" reveal an attempt by the band to update their sound with newer variations on hard rock; the result is less than satisfying. When they stick to the old formula, as with "I Will Be Your Witness" and "While There's Still Time," it's like grunge never happened, which is what this nearly-30-year-old act are supposed to sound like. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not what I expected, but an excellent CD, October 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Brave New World (Audio CD)

I've waited 16 years for a new studio album from Styx that included Tommy. I must admit I was a little disappointed the first time I listened to the CD. The 2nd time I liked it 3x as much and it just kept getting better.

This is definitely a CD that grows on you. This is a result of expecting to hear "OLD" Styx right where they left off. This isn't realistic for a band that is trying to play music for the children of their biggest fans. After listening to the Album several times I found a nice blend of vintage Styx combined with new sound and technology.

I was a little disappointed that Dennis didn't have any heavier sounding songs i.e. (Queen of Spades) but this has been his trend. Tommy and J.Y. have produced some great rockers.

I figured the best way to give this album a fair rating was to play it for other people who weren't Styx fans. Most of them were the same as me. They liked it better the more they heard it.

It's sad that this album receives virtually no air time on the radio. I'm confident that songs such as Everything's Cool and Brave New World would be enjoyed by listeners and requested if given a chance. It seems most radio stations are too busy playing their same songs every 2 and 1/2 hours that the record companies are promoting them to.

I saw the band in Detroit and they still know how to rock even without Dennis. He is still missed though and I hope to see his return. After all, what's Styx without Dennis Deyoung? I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of people at the concert that indicated they were seeing the band for the first time. There was a wide range of ages that included a lot more young ones than I expected.

Overall, I think this CD is obviously a must for Styx fans, but will be enjoyed by anyone who likes rock and roll and gives it a fair chance. I suspect most of the negative reviews came from people who listened to the CD just once or twice and put it away after they didn't immediately hear something that sounded like Grand Illusion.

Here's to hoping we are able to hear another 20 years of Styx.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2 Years Later, And I Still Dig This CD, September 18, 2001

By 

redSG "a yank overseas" (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brave New World (Audio CD)

I was a bit surprised to see a lot of the mediocre to downright awful reviews of this album. I've had "Brave New World" since it first came out, and I still listen to it often. It's just a great Styx album, although a little bittersweet being DDY's last gig with the band. Whether you'll like this album comes down to what type of Styx fan you are. If you're a big Dennis fan, you may be a bit disappointed. His participation seems limited to the ballads (personal fave: "Fallen Angel"), by his own doing or not, I don't know. I think the people who will enjoy this album are the ones who swing more towards the Tommy Shaw/JY side of things. There's lots of guitar driven songs ("Heavy Water," "Everything Is Cool"), lots of Tommy singing, and a couple of songs co-written by Jack Blades (which is great IMO). I think the whole thing comes together beautifully.
A lot of people have said there is no way this disc can stand up to the classic Styx records. I disagree. I have absolutely no difficulty listening to this record ride beside "Pieces Of Eight" of "The Grand Illusion."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing new, but a refreshing break from the pop scene, July 19, 2006

By 

Don Watzel "Volcano" (Winner, SD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brave New World (Audio CD)

Styx was one of those bands that I "cut my teeth" on, if you will. When I was 5 or 6 years old, I remember listening to "Kilroy Was Here" all the time with my brother and sister, along with other albums including "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot.

Anyway, I was surprised to hear that they released a new record in 1999. Ironically enough, I bought an autographed copy of this CD at a concert of theirs at the South Dakota State Fair back in 2000. Regardless of what people say about them, Styx puts on one heck of a show. The only song they performed off this disc was "Everything Is Cool", which was their opener. The rest of their songs were their all-time classics that you can hear on their "Greatest Hits" package from 1995. Sadly, Dennis DeYoung was not part of the tour; he was kicked out before they went on the road. In fact, the only two "original" members were James Young and Tommy Shaw. That was slightly disappointing in the beginning. However, it quickly dissolved the more they played. Great sound!

Overall, this CD is pretty good for all intensive purposes. No groundbreaking tracks, and certainly nothing new. Then again, long-time Styx fans would expect nothing else. They mostly keep their traditional sound and song style, with some small experimentation in modernizing their stuff. My top tracks are "Brave New World", "Everything Is Cool", "Number One", and "Best New Face". It's not a CD to start with if your new to Styx, but it will be a nice addition to your collection if you've followed them over the years. It's too bad their 2003 follow up, "Cyclorama", was not near as good.