Cyclorama

Styx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 18, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B0000894OL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (191 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,906 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Cyclorama is an unexpectedly appealing comeback. Sure, there’s still no shortage of excessively filigreed keyboard and guitar passages, anthemic choruses that make Queen sound laid back, and at least one song (the nearly seven-minute "These Are the Times") that threatens to summon the spirit of Stonehenge-era Spinal Tap. Yet, somehow, all that is forgiven once Styx sneaks up on you with the killer hooks of the Tenacious D-assisted "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye," a power-pop gem with the verve of classic Cheap Trick. It’s these and other small pleasures--Brian Wilson’s sumptuous vocal arrangement on a reprise of "Fooling Yourself (Palm of Your Hands)," Billy Bob Thornton’s guttural yowling on "Bourgeois Pig," and of course an appearance by John Waite (without whom no classic-rock party is complete)--that weaken your resistance to even the maudlin sentiments of "Yes I Can" (which, sorry to say, has nothing to do with the Sammy Davis Jr. autobiography whose title it shares). Will Cyclorama inspire a revisionist respect for the band at its commercial peak? Probably not. But it does prove that Styx have more than enough musical vitality to transcend their peers on the casino and county fair circuit. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a ride on the Cyclorama, March 6, 2003

By 

"wildy_h" (Cohoes, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cyclorama (Audio CD)

Bands that have been around for 30 years just don't break new ground. It doesn't happen. If a band has had the mixture of talent and luck to still be making music 30 years after their first release, there is rarely much interest in breaking new ground, as their hits and fan favorites will easily fill a two hour concert.

Nobody told Styx.

Oh, they know. They just don't care.

Cyclorama is perhaps the best Styx album in the history of the band. At the very least it is the best recording proffered by Styx since The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight. For the first time in 25 years this is a Styx album through and through, from the opening rumble of Do Things My Way to the last strains of "Life of a Stranger" (a much too short hidden track at the end of the disc.

This is the first Styx album without founding member Dennis DeYoung. This may turn off some long-time fans, but the infusion of Lawrence Gowan and the re-infusion of Glen Burtnick have revived the energy and mojo that caused Rolling Stone magazine readers to crown Styx "the Best Band in the World" in 1981.

The album opens with "Do Things My Way", a rousing Tommy Shaw rocker that evokes classic Styx sounds while sounding cool enough to play on any Modern Rock station you could name. "Waiting For Our Time" (the first single, again sung by Shaw) follows and brings Styx clearly into the twenty-first century, but will please Styx fans old and new. "Fields of the Brave" is the first offering on the album from new member Larry Gowan, and evokes the magic that Dennis brought to the early days of Styx. This may well be the most poignant and beautiful song Gowan has written in his long career, and is destined to be a classic.

Cyclorama takes an interesting turn with track four, "Bourgeois Pig", which is something of a soliloquy with Billy Bob Thornton on lead vocals, and leads into "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye". Glen Burtnick sings his way into Modern Rock/College Radio heaven, while still retaining Styx signatures all over it. Next is James Young on vocals for "These Are The Times", an amazing song written about JY's brother. Styx then slows it down a little with a love song, "Yes I Can". Tommy Shaw and Glen Burtnick duet on a beautiful love song that will make those missing DeYoung melt. Next is "More Love For the Money", the second of two offerings from Lawrence Gowan, evoking thoughts of classic Styx and Queen all at once.

One more near-ballad, "Together" picks up the pace a bit with Tommy at the microphone, leading into an amazing arrangement of the Styx classic "Fooling Yourself", with background vocals by none other than the legendary Brian Wilson. This beautifully eerie trip back in time results into a slingshot into today with Captain America, where James Young proves that he is woefully under-represented in the vocal department. This song could be a classic in today's international environment, and could easily be a song of inspiration for US troops overseas. The song reprises some of the musical base of "Miss America" and takes the deep cynicism of that earlier offering and turns into a message of hope for the future.

Moving into the final phase of the album, Styx continues to wow you with "Killing the Thing That You Love". This Glen Burtnick vocal may well be the most controversial song on the album for long time Styx fans. Some have pointed to lyrical coincidences that make it sound as if it is directed at former member Dennis DeYoung, but the song was written in 1994 by Burtnick, who was not even a member of the band at the time. Regardless of who or what it was written about, it's an amazing song, worthy of the Styx name. Next up is a new Prog classic, "One With Everything". This is the song that old time Styx fans have been waiting for since The Grand Illusion. It rocks hard, and in between it slips into dreamy musical landscapes that are far beyond the ability and reach of the mere-mortal bands regularly "scene" on MTV, VH-1, and MuchMusic. The last listed track, Genki Desu Ka, plays over a drum loop developed by Styx drummer Todd Sucherman. The title means "how do you feel" in Japanese. It's a feel good meditation in much the same vein as the closing of Pieces of Eight, "Aku-Aku".

But they're not done. Oh, no.

I forgot to mention the background vocalists on "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye". They would be none other than Tenacious D. They also contribute a short skit in which they talk their way into getting onto the album, involving Tommy Shaw. It's good for a chuckle, and is somewhat reminiscent of old Cheech and Chong. And finally, "The Chosen One" (sic) is an untitled, unlisted track at the end that might serve as a dedication to the heroes of 9-11. This entirely vocal snippet is much too short, and is a beautiful elegy to leave on the palates of Styx fans, as it suggests that Cyclorama is not a one-time spike, but perhaps the beginning of an entirely exciting and musically fulfilling in the life of Styx.

Whether you've loved Styx from days of old, or hated them with a passion, or never heard of them at all, this is an album that is worth your careful attention. In this day and age of corporate radio and mass-production rock music, Cyclorama is an amazingly organic aural experience.

Sit back and relax. Styx is about to blow you away.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to hate this recording...., February 19, 2003

By 

J. Estadt "PEBKAC analyst" (East McKeesport, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cyclorama (Audio CD)

I am a fan of the lineup of Styx that most of us are familiar with from the early 70's through the mid 80's. I couldnt wait for "Brave New World" a few years back and was admittedly a bit disappointed in it. It was obvious everyone was doing their own thing musically at that time. It wasnt a 'group' album as much as it was three solo albums in one. It wasnt long after that I heard of the problems going on and Dennis DeYoung wasnt going to be touring with them first...and later that he was replaced altogether in the band. Because of ongoing health concerns with Chuck Panozzo he would no longer be a full time member of the group as well. That left only Tommy Shaw and James Young of the linuep that I enjoyed so much. Because of those reasons I wasnt looking forward to any future releases from Styx at all.

I was wrong. CYCLORAMA is filled with the elements of what first drew me to Styx. Great vocal harmonies, very catching choruses, first rate musicianship and for the first time in a long time the feeling of a truly 'group' album. They take some potshots at Dennis DeYoung in two songs on the album it seems, "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye" and especially in "Killing The Thing That You Love". The tunes are all catchy in their own right. After listening to this cd what its missing is much of the 'signature' DDY tunes and this is a good thing indeed. Gone are many of the ballads and odd tempo tunes more suited to a broadway show. In their place are numbers more in line with the grandiose anthems from the Crystal Ball or Grand Illusion time period.

There is no doubt that their sound has evolved along with the personel changes, but they remain true to the roots of the group, which to me has always been strong songwriting, powerful choruses that you just have to sing along with and small musical touches that bring a smile to my face. Granted, not every song on it is a winner and two of them are more like intros into the next song rather then songs in their own right. There are a few tunes though that carry the album for me, "One With Everything", "These Are The Times" and "Together". I also have to say that Lawrence Gowan's "Fields Of The Brave" makes me want to say Dennis who?

This is really a return to what made the band work early on. Overall a very solid outing by a new and improved Styx. I am finding myself looking forward to their next studio release based on this one. Give it a chance and you might be pleasantly surprised.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad effort, February 18, 2003

By 

Derek H. Blume "doc_blume" (Windsor, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cyclorama (Audio CD)

This was a much better effort then the horrid "Brave New World" album. I would still say this album has little to resemble classic Styx. Numerous guests can be heard on the album...something that is typical of a Tommy Shaw solo effort, but not Styx.

Musically, quite a bit more creative then anything Styx has written in the last 20 years (but that isn't saying much). Three songs stand out on this album with JY's epic "These are the Times" leaping to the top. I consider it the best song JY has ever done. The other two songs that stand out, but not as far, are Glen's "Kiss Your A** Goodbye" and Tommy's "Together".

Newest member, Lawrence Gowan, (replacing ejected founder Dennis DeYoung) has very little vocal impact on the album, in my opinion, but his keyboards and piano add tremendously to the album. It is obvious the band does indeed have new life since the ousting of DeYoung whose recent showtunish and love ballad style (not to mention the Kilroy stuff) really alienated many of the harder rock fans the band had.

Again, I feel drummer Todd Sucherman is under used on the album, as he was on Brave New World. He is a tremendous talent who first blew Styx fans away with his studio performance on the song "Little Susie" from the GHII album. Seeing this guy drum live is quite a treat.

I have felt that one thing that has held the current lineup back was the fact they had now released a new studio album since their formation 4 years ago. It is now here, and while it lacks in some areas it is a good effort that indeed legitimizes this group as being Styx. Hardcore fans of the current lineup will obviously think this is the best Styx album ever, fans of Dennis will obviously hate it or consider this not a real Styx album.

Now I think I'll sit back and listen to "These are the Times" again...just a wonderful song; one of Styx's finest.