Customer Reviews

Kilroy Was Here

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

First, understand that I wasn't around in the beginning, so I don't know Styx from their Wooden Nickel days. I was still in diapers, so sue me. I came in when Styx was reaching the height of poularity with Pieces of Eight, Paradise Theatre, Grand Illusion, Crystal Ball, et al. So when someone mentions the band Styx to me, that's what jumps to mind.

Now, I'm guessing the detractors of this album were around from the beginning, because I really don't see how Kilroy was that big a departure for Styx. Yes, it was experimental, but lighter? As if to say "Just Get Through This Night" is lighter than "Man in the Wilderness?" Or "Haven't We Been Here Before" is lighter than "Suite Madame Blue?" Please. This *is* Styx!

And while I like Styx' racier stuff (I'm the only one I know that loves "Half-Penny Two-Penny") most of the tracks on Kilroy are very well arranged and performed. I say most, because "Heavy Metal Poisoning" does suffer far too much from the "goofiness factor" another reviewer mentions. It reminds me too much of a cross between hard rock and showtunes, which is *not* a good thing. They definitely would have been better off keeping that track serious. And frankly, I think Styx' live version of "Don't Let It End" is far superior than the album version. As for the rest:

<li>Mr. Roboto: Synth heavy, not unpleasant, thought provoking lyrics
<li>Cold War: Catchy rhythym; almost rap-like
<li>High Time: Best adrenaline song on the album
<li>Just Get Through...: Quite possibly the best song on the album; very mellow and heartfelt. Tommy pours his soul out on this one.
<li>Double Life: My personal fave from this album; nothing complex about it, but best harmonies on the album. "Masquerade...you know we all live a masquerade..."
<li>Haven't We Been...: Starts slow and soft but builds quickly into a powerful ballad purely on the strength of Tommy. If you are a Tommy Shaw fan, do not miss this one.
<li> Don't Let It End (reprise): A reprise with homage paid to the bands that came before. A nice salute but nothing earth-shattering.

I agree with the other reviewers that new listeners to Styx should not start with this album; start with Grand Illusion and Paradise Theatre at the minimum, then make your way to Kilroy. Different, oft times eclectic, but whole-heartedly Styx.

-DDH

I had been listening to Styx for 6 years and had all of their releases when Kilroy came crashing through with Mr Roboto. I'm not putting anybody down for liking that song, but it and the majority of the rest had such a negative impact on the longtime fans. Mr Roboto in retrospect isn't *horrible*, it just isn't Styx if you know what I mean. Cold War is absolutely the worst Styx song of all time. I can't believe Tommy would write or allow such garbage. Don't Let It End is respectable. High Time is more garbage. Heavy Metal Poisoning and Double Life are the best 2 songs (written by JY of course). Just Get Through the Night is actually pretty decent. Haven't We Been Here Before might be acceptable if there weren't so many light songs already here. The real shame is they had the talent, proven guitar work and awesome drumming by John to avoid such a quick fall from grace.

I was really happy to find this on CD. I had the album and enjoyed it regardless of what the "Critics" said.

Now if only the short film that was made could be released on Itunes or DVD.

Well, I bought this CD because I love Mr. Roboto and thought the story was interesting. The problem is the record doesn't stand on its own, unlike other great Rock Operas. The songs aren't that great and don't grab the listeners attention. The role playing by the different members of STYX isn't that intriguing. And it needs to be longer. The story begins after the interesting stuff has happened: Music is persecuted, Moral Majority takes over, people become reliant on machines. The bulk of the plot is listed as back story. How great would it have been to have a number by Kilroy while he's in prison? It just needed more. This would have been a great idea for a movie had the songs been greater in quantity and quality. I was hoping this record would rank up with the Rock Opera great such as the Wall and Quadrophenia, but it ended coming up quite short.

The irony of the song "Don't let it end" is the key here. The Styx empire of classic rock ended with this album. I will state my status as a Styx fan prior to "Kilroy Was Here" and after. Prior to KWH I had the "Paradise Theater" album and I did enjoy it as a kid back then. It may not have been the best Styx album of all time but it was their most popular and pretty consistent as an album. Before "Paradise Theater", I only knew of Styx from the singles of that era. Back in the 45 rpm era, those were what really sold in that time. I have the 45s of "Babe" and "Lights" and I think I have "Why me" also. Anyway, I was a limited Styx fan at the point of time when "Paradise Theater" came out.

As for the "Kilroy Was Here" days of Styx, I was just getting into being a Rush fan so honestly KWH was not on my musical radar at the time. With me the controversial side of the release of the album doesn't even have a say in my musical history so no story from me here about that. I really only know of the controversy from seeing the VH1 special in the 90s.

On to the review, I think a two-star rating is fair enough. After just now listening to the album in it's entirety for the first time in a year or so, the weak songs are still weak to me. I do happen to love "Mr. Roboto", I do like "Don't let it end" very much and "Heavy Metal Poisoning" is a pretty good rocker, but the rest of the songs are just not good, IMHO. I know some people on here list other tracks and they have stated their opinions of them and I respect that, but honestly the rest of the tracks are weak in comparison to the three mentioned above.

Get this cd only for completist purposes only. Start with "The Grand Illusion" "Pieces of Eight" "Cornerstone and "Paradise Theater" and then go to the ones prior to those in the repretoire of Styx.

For those wanting a return to greatness of this once great band quickly order "Return to Paradise", a great live CD and DVD. A truly magical experience and a heluva good show.

In conclusion, I would not call "Kilroy Was Here" a total travesty but given that the band was for all intensive purposes kaput after this particular episode, this should tell the tale. But in all honestly, like in sports, can't win em all.

Well, I guess it's about time I throw my two cents in on a review of the STYX classic form 1983 "Kilroy was Here."

This was the FIRST album I ever bought. I became a Styx fan through this album and now I am the proud owner of all of their albums from the self-titled "Styx" to the latest "One with Everything." People, don't believe some of the other reviewers who tell you not to become a fan throught this particular album.

I won't go through all of the songs, history hasn't treated this band too well, however I will say each and every song is a pleasure to listen to.
"Mr. Roboto", the moniker which I have taken on many a review in othre web pages, is my favorite song. Nuff said.
"Haven't we been here before" is the best DeYoung/Shaw song on record.
"Double Life" was my favorite JY song up until "These are the Days" from "Cyclorama."
"High Time" is prophetic to the moral majority groups which tried to ban or censor music (Tipper Gore's group came out the year after this album and 2 Live Crew was one of the first targets).

I say give it a listen. Give Styx a little Domo for this gem. No songs are played in concert by the new lineup, but DeYoung still shares his love of it to his audience.

"Kilroy" was Dennis Deyoung's attempt to write a grand concept album to be performed as a stage play complete with dialogue and each band member playing different characters. An ambitious project to be sure and in retrospect it ended up possibly too over the top. Deyoung had dabbled with the concept album with the bands previous release "Paradise Theater", which was both an artistic and commercial success. With Kilroy Deyoung tried to take his formula further to very mixed results. The album was a response to censorship groups like Jerry Fallwell's Moral Majority and Tipper Gore's PMRC. Both groups wanted to ban music that they saw unfit for the ears of young people in the early 80's. In Kilroy Deyoung created a future society in which rock and roll was banned by the dictator like Dr. Righteous, and society was served by pre-programmed "Robotos" that catered to man's every need. So what about the music? The album produced two big singles the novelty track "Mr. Roboto" and another Deyoung ballad "Don't Let It End". Tommy Shaw has a few good ones with "Just Get Through This Night" and the really cool vocal duet with Deyoung "Haven't We Been Here Before". "Double Life" is another decent song, and James Young's "Heavy Metal Poisoning" is Styx at it's most over the top. Ultimately "Kilroy" would prove to be a rather average Styx release and not at the same level as their best material. As a concept album it really could not compare to other biggies of the era such as Pink Floyd's "The Wall" even though I suspect that is what Deyoung was aiming at. If you are looking to explore Styx this is not an album I would start out with.

1983's 'Kilroy Was Here' is not as weak as 1990's 'Edge of the Century,' but it's pretty bad. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE Styx fan, but I just never really got into 'Kilroy.'

Since it is Styx, three stars is fair. But it is kind of a joke. The band members play characters living in some kind of robot civilization that hates rock and roll. I get really annoyed when people compare it to records like 'Tommy' and 'The Wall.' Let's be honest, it's decent, but it's nowhere near as good as those are.

Since I've been so negative, I'll state some positives here. I am not a pop lover, for those who have read my reviews know, but I did enjoy the highly bizarre 'Mr. Roboto' and the Tommy Shaw ballad 'Haven't We Been Here Before.' And 'Don't Let It End' is solid, as is 'Heavy Metal Poisoning,' but the rest can be skipped.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this unless you are a Styx die-hard or collector. If you want Styx at their progressive best, pick up either 'The Serpent Is Rising,' 'Equinox' or 'The Grand Illusion' or if you want them at their pop rock best, pick up 'Cornerstone' and the great concept album 'Paradise Theater.'

But skip this one. It's good as far as these things go, but it's below average in Styx standards.

Recommended for the Styx die-hard or collector, but casual fans should just skip this one.

I know a lot of Styx fans (and other music listeners) often slam this album. I never really understood why. Maybe it's the whole "concept" of the album that turns them off. Personally, I never had a problem with the album's story. It may not be the "deepest" story of all time, but I think Dennis DeYoung did a good job with it.

Besides the concept, this album features a lot of great songs. Mr. Roboto might be a little silly-sounding to some people, but I've always liked it. Also, JY's Heavy Metal Poisoning really rocks! It's one of my favorite JY songs ever.

There's also some really great ballads on here. Don't Let It End is a classic. Haven't We Been Here Before is also a classic. I still don't understand how this song wasn't a huge hit for Styx. Tommy Shaw's voice is incredible on it! Plus,his vocals blend perfectly with Dennis's harmony vocals.

If you're a Styx fan and have never given this album a chance, you should definitely give it a listen.

Long live good rock like this. While this album was probably not their "best", it still told its own story. "Mr. Roboto" was an absolute classic. The song really teaches us all that we should indeed thank the robots and machines that do most of the work we humans once did. It makes SOME of us think.

This and "Caught In The Act", a very proper followup, for anyone that was THERE and KNEW what was going on, spoke directly to me, because I was discovering that rock music can and did serve to liberate me from the shackles of the religious bondage I was in at the time. That era was rife with religious NUTBUCKETS who tried in vain to quash rock music, the very antithesis of their ego-based power trips. I was there and heard many of those dictators...I mean preachers. Kilroy was the ultimate heretic, and a hero to many, because he questioned established authority when it came to their forbidding rock music.

Still...the band played on, and the fans rocked, uniting musically in their hearts, souls, and spirits.

SHAME on the reviewers who lowballed this album, because no matter the fact that this album seemed to only have the one big hit, IT'S STILL STYX, BUD! I'll take this over most of the new wannabee musical sewage that's seeping out of radios these days and smelling worse than real sewage.

SHAME on the reviewer who called them untalented, cheesy, etc. I wonder whether or not you're really Dr. Righteous hiding behind another name. Go back to your prison barge, get your mandatory hair clipping, eat more greasy fried chicken, and listen to some church music or something. Only an absolute imbecile would downplay a good group like STYX. They have more talent than you'll ever have in ten lifetimes.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are gonna ROCK THE PARADISE.

Kilroy IS STILL HERE !

Paul the Producerguy