Man of Miracles

Styx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 27, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000008L8B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,756 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered using K2 Mastering technology, this isa Japanese reissue of the hit Chicago-based rock group's fourth album, originally released in 1974 on the Wooden Nickel label. 10 tracks, including 'Man Of Miracles' and 'Evil Eyes'. Also features --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best STYX albums, June 18, 2005

By 

Lee J. Davito - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man of Miracles (Audio CD)

a correction for the fact that James Young isn't the only original member left in the band.....Chuck Panozzo is still on bass....Chuck has been diagnosed with AIDS/HIV POS...and only tours as his health permits....

Tommy Shaw has been on board since the CRYSTAL BALL album...

Much like REO SPEEDWAGON....who only has one original member left in the keys player-Neil Doughty......but Kevin Cronin has been a long time member and bassist Bruce Hall has also been on board since 1978.

Two fantastic bands that share a common ground of losing most original lineup......both these bands did their most significant works in the early stage of their careers....the first 7 or 8 albums....before selling out and getting cheesy.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Serious split personality, April 30, 2006

By 

BENJAMIN MILER (Veneta, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man of Miracles (Audio CD)

Man of Miracles, Styx's final album with Wooden Nickel simply proves how this band simply needed a better label and a stronger musical identity. Here the band was having a hard time deciding whether to be a prog rock band or a straightforward hard rock band. James Young is perhaps the most predictable, as he tended to prefer hard rock. Dennis DeYoung went for both ballad and prog rock epics. John Curulewski was perhaps the most schizophrenic because one song he would write would be a prog rock epic, the next a straightforward boogie rocker (maybe that's the reason so many Styx fans welcomed Tommy Shaw, after all he was more consistent). But there are several good songs make this album worth getting (but Styx newcomers are obviously advised to start with their first four major label outings, Equinox, The Crystal Ball, The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight). The first two cuts, "Rock and Roll Feeling" and "Having a Ball", even from just looking at the titles, are straight-ahead rockers. Next is a Dennis DeYoung ballad, "Golden Lark", not done in the style of "Lady" or "Babe", but in prog rock fashion. DeYoung also gets to show off his new machine, an ARP String Ensemble, an keyboard that certainly served the band well during their major label days (including the synth solo on "Come Sail Away"). "A Song For Suzanne" is also from DeYoung, another prog rocker, but not in ballad form. James Young gives us "A Man Like Me", which, unsurprisingly, given the guy's hard rock background, is a straightforward hard rocker. They also give us a cover of the Knickerbockers' "Lies" (a song, in which the original had many fooled it was a new Beatles song back in the mid '60s). "Southern Woman" is by far the most effective of the rockers, almost reminds me of Kansas, but without the violin. The title track, which ends the album, is a great prog rocker, with some nice synth work. I have always felt the second half of the album was better than the first. By the way, the cover can't be beat!

In 1980 RCA, I'm pretty certain, was jealous that Styx was so much more successful with A&M than they ever were on Wooden Nickel reissued all four of their albums, replaced with some truly horrible covers (I can only imaging the reaction of horror a Styx fan might have when seeing one of these reissues), and two of their titles renamed (Styx II became Lady, Man of Miracles was shortened to just Miracles). On the reissue, Miracles replaced "Lies" with Dennis DeYoung's own "Unfinished Song" (I guess legal reasons, the band probably didn't get proper permission to do a cover of "Lies"). "Unfinished Song" first appeared on the flip side to the single of "Young Man" ("Young Man" also appeared on The Serpent is Rising, while "Unfinished Song" was previously a non-LP single cut). Like The Serpent is Rising, "Unfinished Song" is that rare occasion where Styx was using the Mellotron, and Dennis DeYoung happily plastered this ballad with it (either the Mellotron belonged to someone else, or DeYoung ran into one of the instrument's mechanical problems that made him quickly get rid of it in favor of the much more reliable ARP String Ensemble).

Luckily by this time, things were starting to look up for Styx. Not too long after this album came out, "Lady" from Styx II (1973) started showing some nationwide chart action that got them signed to a major label with even better albums to come.

As already mentioned, Man of Miracles might not be the best place for a newcomer, it's still worth having for the established fan.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best styx album next to equinox, January 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Man of Miracles (Audio CD)

styx when they were still styx. May they rest in peace. Only James Young remains from this lineup and lets face it he never was the lead guy was he. A little hint on styx's first four albums wooden nickle screwed up the EQ. So if you drop the high and low ends it sounds better.