Customer Reviews

Serpent Is Rising

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is Styx third album and probably their most forgotten one. If you find a review of this album it will probably be a bad one, but I think this is the best Styx from the Wooden Nickels years. Witch Wolf is pure hard rock, and The Grove of Eglatine is Dennis DeYoung at his best (James Young sings on most of the tracks). Young man is probably the best song on the album and As bad as this is very moody. Side two is a little weaker but the title track is worth mentioning because it's the heaviest Styx song ever. This is not pop, many of the songs I would even call Heavy Metal. Maybe that is why most Styx fans don't like it. I have friends who like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple who used to tease me for liking Styx until they heard this album. Maybe it's not classic Styx, but it's classic hard rock!

I am a collecter of undiscovered rare music gems, and this ranks up there as a good one. This album was obviously very heavily influenced by JY and John Curulewski. Both guys bring a dark presence to the music which seemed to be an early Styx trademark, and worked well but was underappreciated. Serpent Is Rising has a lot of different things on it; rocking songs by JY (Witch Wolf and Young Man), a slow accoustic song by Curulewski (As Bad As This), a hilarious campy tune (Plexiglass Toilet), a pirate song (Jonas Psalter), a JY/DeYoung singing duet (22 years), and somewhat of a mini concept (The Serpent is Rising/Krakatoa/Halleluhjah Chorus). Serpent is Rising is a very dark song with dual lead guitar harmonies and sung by John Curulewski followed by the sinister recital of Krakatoa. At first listen the song Serpent is Rising really blew me away as I was surprised at how evil sounding it was.
Too bad this album was discontinued in the U.S., but it's worth the price. In my opinion The Serpent is Rising has strong enough material to stand the test of time (unlike Kilroy Was Here). The sound is raw, unpolished, and has a lot of fire behind it. The vocal harmonies are top notch in true Styx fashion. I suppose the church song Hallelujah Chorus is on the album to ensure that fans don't take the dark album too seriously.

This is my first review in all my amazon buyer history but I decided to write about this album because I think first things should be, if not the best well, may be as good as possible. First, I agree with some reviewers, this is by far the best Styx album ever, not a single track is bad and are also arranged in perfect position... one thing that amazes me is that even for Styx and some fans of the band this is not their best album and also catalogize it as bad, not here in amazon but in other places, some people even do not know about this album... that is very sad, mostly for them because they miss a hell of an amazing piece of art, progressive rock at it's best, even entering into heavy metal sounds (the serpent is rising). I started to purchase Lp records again and this was one of the first Lp's that I got... amazing. So, to cut the bla, bla, bla, if you want a piece of real rock history get this album and hope you have the enough sesibility and brains to understand it... if you do, enjoy it, if you don't, don't act like an ignorant brute giving bad coments about something that you don't understand... no offense.

This album is so underrated it makes me wonder: where did America's taste in music go? DON'T MISS IT! Witch Wolf, Jonas Psalter, and the title track are all masterpieces, containing classic riffs. The Grove of Eglatine, 22 Years, and Winner Take All aren't far behind. And the "Plexiglass Toilet" bonus track WILL crack you up, guaranteed. They do rip off Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a little, but they do it in their own, unique, pre-power-metal-band-out-of-Chicago way. Classic album. I've never heard the CD version, but the actual record is great, so buy it anyway.

Before discovering this record I thought that Styx could get no better than The Grand Illusion or Paradise Theater, but I was proven wrong. Here, Styx had still not fine tuned the sound that would ultimately define them, but because their music is like a diamond in the rough, and because they were still very experimental and progressive, it works, and might I say, works well!

The album is a concept album, and a simple one at that, but the music very powerfully carries the message. The overall theme here is of life, death, love, and lust. Simple, no? As I said, Styx carries this concept well.

-Everything begins with "Witch Wolf", a great rocker that will undoubtedly stay with you, and have you learning the lyrics quick so you can sing along. It is written and sung by JY, better than most of his efforts on later albums. The lyrics seem to point toward the Witch Wolf being a prostitute, or at least someone of dark influence who keeps messing up the life of the singer.

-"Grove of Eglantine" follows, written and sung by Dennis DeYoung, though if you were expecting Lady or Babe, then you'll be surprised to hear this far more "sexy" song about a man who lusting after a girl with a "virgin smile" kinda takes advantage of her...kinda. The chorus has a real cool mythic feel to it, but that's just the progressive rock at work. I'll leave you to find out what the Grove of Eglantine is, but I'll warn you, it ain't pretty.

"Young Man", JY does great work as he again produces an awesome rocker with maybe the best message he's ever put into song. It is probably also his best lyrically which makes it that much more powerful. A few progressive vibes are thrown in again just to keep you in awe and in interest.

"As Bad As This", John Curelewski's first footprint on the album, and wow! he's off to a great start. This song IS a sad and regretful song, but it evokes so many emotions in you at once, it's almost liberating to listen [and sing]to. Following it is the hidden track "Plexiglas Toilet". Now, a lot of people say it's the worst song Styx ever wrote, and some are just confused, but it makes a lot of sense. You listen to As Bad As This first when your down and depressed and you let out all of those sad emotions, then you listen to Plexiglas Toilet and it's like an instant pick-me-up.

-"Winner Take All", another song by DeYoung. Is a lot of fun to listen to and kind of "bouncy". Very simple lyrics, and the best part of the song is it's chorus. JY does the singing here, and his voice certainly fits, and does the music justice.

-"22 Years", Written by John Curelewski [though a duet of sorts between Dennis+JY], is a pretty generic rocker. Honestly, there are a lot bands that could have done this song and it would have fit. Regardless, just as with "Winner" the chorus is fun and catchy.

-"Jonas Psalter", Dennis's last contribution and...it's a mixed bag. I really love the music, and song structure but my big gripe is with the lyrics, they just suck. This [and his other songs on the album] are the result of "Lady" not being a success at first, and so he tried being like other bands with his writing. The result is a lyrically poor song about a pirate!

-"The Serpent is Rising", JC is back with a very progressive, and almost metal song about DNA, and evolution. VERY dark, but VERY awesome!

-"Krakatoa", JC keeps up with the darkness in this "epic poem" of sorts. It doesn't have a solid structure which irks me, but may not affect others, and ends with a single note that rises, and rises until you hear the familiar "THX" sound. And btw, this album preceded the company THX by over a decade! So this is where Lucas got the sound from.

-"Halleluja Chorus", a cover by all means of a classical composition, though it is certainly the best conclusion to a very solid album.

The album is a very solid work, though the best of it is in the first few tracks. The album is better enjoyed when listened to as a whole, instead of just individual songs. If you love progressive rock, and even more so if you love Styx, then you will without a doubt enjoy this album. I highly recommend it to anyone!

'The Serpent Is Rising' featured the last of the Wooden Nickel years. A year later, in 1975, Styx would sign to A&M Records, leaving their old label Wooden Nickel behind. It was then when Wooden Nickel shut down their record company, after Styx signed.

1974's 'The Serpent Is Rising' features several great tunes, most notably one of my all-time favorites 'Witch Wolf.' It is a classic song. Another classic is definitely 'The Grove of Eglantine.' Dennis' voice is superb here, as is the guitar playing of John Curulewski and James Young.

Of course, there is the two-disc 'The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings' that is out. My advice would be to pick that set up instead, because the album is featured there, digitally remastered and everything.

But for those who truly love Styx and want more than their A&M recordings, 'The Serpent Is Rising' is definitely worth a listen. My advice would be to buy this along with 'Equinox,' Styx's first record with A&M Records. They sound great together.

Overall, this is a great record that should definitely be given a listen. Sure, Styx's A&M years got far more attention, but their Wooden Nickel years are just as good.

Highly recommended for any Styx fan. Probably Styx's best record under the Wooden Nickel label.

ENJOY!!!

I bought this LP when Styx was still playing high school gyms back in the mid 70's. The pop Styx doesn't do it for me, but these guys really went all out to put this record together. Musically, they stole a lot from a lot of people, but put it together in a very original and solid way. After 35 years, this is the only Styx album that still interests me.

Styx was no overnight sensation. Neither was Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, or Genesis. Before hitting big by first signing to A&M and then acquiring Tommy Shaw (following John Curulewski's abrupt deptarture from the band at the end of 1975), they were basically a struggling band recording for an RCA subsidiary, Wooden Nickel. The best known song from this era was "Lady" from the Styx II (1973) album, but of course, it wasn't an immediate hit, not until 1975. The Wooden Nickel albums obviously showed each of the band member's personalities and you can see this split personality through (when they signed to a major label, their influences were more cohesive). Dennis DeYoung seemed to be rather eclectic, from ballads to rockers to prog rock epics (and he seemed most consistent), while James Young was most content doing straightforward hard rock. John Curulewski seemed more schizophrenic, doing full-blown prog rock on one song, and another being a boogie rocker.

The Serpent is Rising seems to be their most consistent of their early Wooden Nickel recordings, despite the presence of "Plexiglass Toilet". Perhaps the most unusual thing is the presence of Mellotron, not an instrument you associate Styx with. I even seriously doubt Dennis DeYoung ever owned one, so I suspect he borrowed one for this album (since starting with Man of Miracles he quickly went to the ARP Sting Ensemble string synth). You will notice unmistakable tron flute and strings on songs like "Grove of Eglantine", "Jonas Psalter", "Young Man", "As Bad as This" and "Krakatoa".

Soft rock balladry like "Lady" seems absent here, even Dennis DeYoung rocks on songs like "Grove of Eglantine". There's a stronger hard rock presences with great songs like "White Wolf" and "Young Man". The latter, written by James Young has some nice acoustic passages, as well as some tron flute. I really like those high notes being hit in the more heavy passages. John Curulewski's "As Bad as This" is a rather nice, acoustic piece, but then out of nowhere another song, this time uncredited, his attempt at calypso with "Plexiglass Toilet". I seriously doubt the band even wanted "Plexiglass Toilet" included, that's why no mention on the album, and it was treated as the second half of "As Bad as This". But Wooden Nickel was apparently not the most reputable of labels. The only Styx song to ever get played on the Doctor Demento Show, humor is obviously an element alien to Styx, so they tried their stab at it. Curulewski also gave us "22 Years" and the title track. The former is more or less a boogie number stating it took him 22 years (he was around 22 years old when he recorded this album) to find his true love. The other is more of a prog rock number where he has this strange raspy voice. I really like "Jonas Psalter", a sea shanty done by James Young. And of course, this isn't "Sailor's Hornpipe", this is Styx. It's a song where the sea and sailing is its theme, just like later songs, like Dennis DeYoung's "Come Sail Away" (The Grand Illusion) and Tommy Shaw's "Boat on the River" (Cornerstone). And like this latter piece, there's some nice use of concertina, but unlike that 1979 song, it also features some nice Mellotron flute to go with it. "Krakatoa" is a weird number with strange electronic effects and narration from Curulewski himself. Then comes this big pipe organ. It obviously inspired Deep Note, the sound you hear that introduces the THX logo when you watch a movie that uses it. Then it ends with their take on Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus". Big pipe organ played by Dennis DeYoung, but I doubt it was the band singing the choral part, I believe it was simply lifted from a church choir recording. The band often had access to a pipe organ, as you hear it one some of their other albums, like Pieces of Eight ("I'm Okay").

While I always felt their first four major label efforts (Equinox, Crystal Ball, The Grand Illusion, and Piece of Eight) are better places for people who didn't run at the thought of Styx to start with, this is a nice album to have for fans.

This is just another music masterpiece done by Styx. Seriously Styx has done the music world a favor by becoming a band. The best songs on here have to be "Jonas Psalter", "Winner Take All", "Witch Wolf", "The Grove Eglantine", and "The Serpent Is Rising". This CD though is not for beginning Styx fans that is what the later multi-platinum and greatest hits albums are for to get you started into Styx. This is for the hard-core Styx fans to buy. So if you are a hard-core Styx fan buy this album today.

This another music masterpiece done by Styx. Seriously Styx has done the music world a favor by becoming a band. The best songs on here have to be "Jonas Psalter", "Winner Take All", "Witch Wolf", "The Grove Eglantine", and "The Serpent Is Rising". This CD though is not for beginning Styx fans that is what the later multi-platinum and greatest hits albums are for to get you started into Styx. This is for the hard-core Styx fans to buy. So if you are a hard-core Styx fan buy this album today.