Gold [Original recording remastered]

Styx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B0001ZMXDG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,308 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #89 in Music > Rock > Progressive > Progressive Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Styx may have had their musical roots in the UK's burgeoning late-'60s/early-'70s prog-rock bombast, but they were true pioneers in at least one sense: The Chicago-bred quintet virtually defined the hugely successful "corp rock" boom that followed a decade after prog's original fortunes tarnished. And if that label suggests a certain sense of the formulaic, in Styx it actually denoted a band with sharp ears and a shrewder sense of rock history, attested to immediately here by the Yes-inspired harmonies of "You Need Love" and the staccato rhythms of the Beatles' "Getting Better" on "Winner Take All." This 35-track double-disc anthology charts a course from sudden fame to its sometimes stormy aftermath, spanning the band's 1972 debut and its resilient 2003 comeback contender, Cyclorama. But after working their way up from the Grand Funk-worthy, meat 'n' instant potatoes of "Rock and Roll Feeling" and bald-faced melodramatics of "Lady" and "Come Sail Away" to the gutsier edge of "Blue Collar Man" and "Too Much Time on My Hands," rising tides of punk and new wave began to erode their younger demographic. And by the time "Babe" gave way to the faux techno of '83's "Mr. Roboto," even those sympathetic to the band's hook-rich, prog-lite sensibility seemed restless. Still, their Tommy Shaw-dominate output in the '90s and beyond showcased a band that had subtly matured from their arena-rock cliché salad days. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Styx: Tommy Shaw (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin, keyboards, synthesizer); John Curulewski (vocals, guitar, synthesizer); Glen Burtnick (vocals, guitar, bass); James Young (vocals, guitar); Dennis DeYoung (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer); Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards); Chuck Panozzo (vocals, bass); Todd Sucherman, John Panozzo (vocals, drums, percussion).Includes liner notes by Martin Huxley.There have been several Styx anthologies over the years, and the surplus of hits in the band's catalogue certainly warrants such treatment. COME SAIL AWAY, however, provides the most in-depth sonic Styx scrapbook one could want. Though the arrival of Tommy Shaw in 1976 helped push the band toward superstardom, this two-disc collection doesn't shy away from the oft-neglected pre-Shaw days, including not merely the archetypal power ballad "Lady," but also such obscurities as the thumping riff-rocker "Best Thing" and the joyous, harmony-laden "You Need Love."From there, we chart Styx's ascension to AOR glory on the wings of prog-rock-tinged epics such as "Come Sail Away" and "Pieces of Eight." Along the way, little-known gems are unearthed, like the moody, acoustic ballad "Boat on the River," before we launch into the synth-bedecked swan song of the original lineup, "Mr. Roboto" from the '83 concept album KILROY WAS HERE. Latter-day versions of the band are represented towards the end, but this collection makes it clear that the Styx equation depended upon Dennis DeYoung's dewy-eyed balladry, James Young's rock & roll ferocity, and Tommy Shaw's pop-rock craftsmanship in equal measure.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet...sweet sounds are everywhere...., April 4, 2005

By 

Joe (Lynchburg, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gold (Audio CD)

This wonderful two CD set..."Come Sail Away: The STYX Anthology" is a generous collection of their more well known material...the price is right...and even better for CDNOW Club members ! Aside from owning EVERY album...it's the PERFECT CD NOW "buy together" combo with "The Wooden Nickel Recordings" to give we STYX fans all we need for our listening pleasure ! Both pretty much make any other STYX "hits" collection obsolete ! Oh yes....for the diehard STYX fan...there are songs we'd love to have included that are missing....but that's what the individual albums are for...right ?

There's no need to comment on the set list...it's all very obvious. What else DO I want to comment on ? The sound quality....PRISTINE ! I have a pretty decent sound system in my SUV...and when I turned it up and played it loud...I got chills ! The remastering job on this collection is EXTRAORDINARY....and it makes me plead with A&M and STYX to PLEASE remaster the origional albums...this set sounds beautiful !

"Come Sail Away : The STYX Anthology " was released a year ago this May...and I don't understand why it took me so long to buy it ! If you love STYX music....do the "buy together" deal with "The Wooden Nickel Recordings" right now...and "come sail away" to the world of STYX....ENJOY !

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's like discovering a buried treasure., November 7, 2005

By 

Fernando Perez (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gold (Audio CD)

Recently I have been trading music material with one of my uncles, who is 15 years older than me, he showed me an album (On vinyl) called Paradise Theater, of a band I wasn't familiar with, called STYX (I only recognized Mr. Tommy Shaw, I'm a big fan of the Damn Yankees), with songs almost as old as me, What I encountered here was so much diversity of EXCELLENT music, Dennis DeYoung, balladist extraordinaire has my uncle's respect, but I favor the powerful riffs of Tommy Shaw, he made me forget his excellent tenure on Damn Yankees, with even better songs, needless to say I got hooked on Styx and purchased this Antology album, only to discover even more gems, over 30 years of history with this band.
I honestly don't know why it took me so long to discover STYX, now among with my all time favorite bands, so, If you have a relative who has a pile of well taken care of vinyls, take a look, you might discover a treasure.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Styx FINALLY REMASTERED!!!, May 6, 2004

By 

Eric Morris (San Antonio, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gold (Audio CD)

OK. I'm a completist who owns every single Styx album ever made. That said, this collection was worth every nickel because of the remastering. Clean, clear, fresh and "in the room" sound on every carefully chosen track. This is by far the best ever Styx compilation. Every single album is represented (except 1999's "Brave New World" -- hence only 4 stars). I could bitch about what's not here but I won't, because what's here is so good! They included all the big hits plus some excellent album tracks (i.e. Pieces of Eight, Borrowed Time, Shooz). The only "bonus" is the previously unreleased long version of the sublime "Man In The Wilderness" (which alone is worth the price of admission). "One With Everything" from 2003's "Cyclorama" is a freaking masterpiece of vintage Stygian proportions and was an excellent choice to include here. Best of all, there are no dorky "remixes," obnoxious "alternate versions," or surprise (uncredited on the outside case) live versions. ALL ORIGINAL STUDIO TRACKS ALL REMASTERED! BUY THIS NOW! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!?