Styx - Greatest Hits

Styx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 1995)
• Original Release Date: August 22, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002G3Y
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (254 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Rock > Progressive > Progressive Rock
  • #10 in Music > Classic Rock > Arena Rock
  • #25 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If it's your belief that one of the reasons today's rock is so bereft of personality is that all sense of show business has been drained from the music, then a look back at the career of Styx offers proof positive that it wasn't always thus. Greatest Hits offers a comprehensive overview of the band, from its art-rock days--which produced a top 10 hit in "Lady," a new version of which is included in this package--to its years as a perennial album-rock favorite--with offerings ranging from flights of fancy ("Come Sail Away," "Renegade") to proto-power ballads ("Babe," "Crystal Ball") to songs reflecting the working-class roots of its audience ("Too Much Time on My Hands," "Blue Collar Man"). The band eventually succumbed to a shift in musical tides and just plain silliness ("Mr. Roboto"), but for a time, this disc suggests, a satin-suited pomp-rocker was something to be. --Daniel Durchholz

Product Description

The first-ever compilation pulled from this Chicago progressive-bubblegum band's A&M catalog, featuring such album-Rock radio fixtures as Come Sail Away; Lorelei; Babe; Blue Collar Man (Long Nights); The Best of Times; Too Much Time on My Hands; Renegade; Mr. Roboto; Don't Let It End , and more, plus a 1995 re-recording of Lady !

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 93 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Sampling of Styx June 12, 2002

By Lonnie E. Holder HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Styx is one of those groups that many people seem to hate, and yet has always done well on tour. One likely explanation is that Styx has sung songs that are often almost "gimicky" or too cute for some fans. An example might be "Mr. Roboto." Furthermore, their commercial success may turn some critics away from Styx because there often seems to be an opinion that commercial success means little artistry. Regardless of why the opinions are what they are, Styx has had a long successful career, and though they are generally classified as a rock group with numerous pop hits, they have had songs that were very artistic and edged into progressive rock.

At the height of their popularity, Styx tried to experiment with their music, which is always dangerous for a long-established group since their existing fans may feel betrayed and the genre they are trying to break into either reviles their music or doesn't recognize what they are trying to do. "Kilroy Was Here", from which "Mr. Roboto" was taken, was such an experiment. "Kilroy Was Here" was a concept album that told a story. I think that had Styx been a new group, the album may have worked. However, many longtime Styx fans felt betrayed by an album that appeared to diverge from Styx's traditional music. This album marked the end or the beginning of the end for a monster group that had churned out so many good songs.

This album includes the best of Styx through their 1990 album, "Edge of the Century," which is represented by one top 40 song, "Show Me the Way." This CD also has a re-recorded version of "Lady" from 1995. Styx has continued to record, releasing three additional albums after 1990 and achieving a couple of additional hits on the Adult Contemporary and U.S. Main charts, but you will have to look elsewhere for anything from those albums.

This CD captures many of Styx' better moments. I'm not sure that all of the songs on the CD are "greatest hits," but certainly they are representative of Styx from the beginning of their career to the end of the period of their greatest success. I would suggest that if you like this CD and Styx that you should augment this CD with "Paradise Theater" and "The Grand Illusion," both of which represent Styx at their pop peak. Furthermore, "Kilroy Was Here" is a good album, but you must like that album for itself and not as another Styx album in the tradition of "Grand Illusion" or "Paradise Theater", because it is not either. I've seen some recommendations that "Pieces of Eight" is also an essential Styx CD, and it is rated 5 stars on Amazon.com.

Some call the songs on this CD glam-rock. I guess I do not know the definition of glam-rock. I consider many of these songs to still have an edge to them. As an example, "Miss America" is a rocking song. "Crystal Ball" and "Renegade" are a couple more rockers on this CD. There are other fast-paced songs, but they are more pop, such as "Fooling Yourself" and "Lorelei".

I would ignore the criticism of Styx if you are a fan of Styx. They created their own style of music, which added, not subtracted, from rock music. They didn't try to be like anyone else. I think most groups, including Styx, would rather be thought of as creating their own genre rather than fitting into an existing genre. I think in many ways they did exactly that. In the process they created detractors. Oh well. There will always be someone out there who wants to denigrate success. If you like what you've heard of Styx's music, and are looking for a good sample of their career, this is the CD. Enjoy!

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly strong, massive sound. December 11, 2000

By Eric V. Moye

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Styx had an incredibly distinctive sound now some twenty years ago. This album, was aptly titled and has all their hits. Included is "Lady" (more on that though, in a moment), "Too Much Time", "Babe" and my two favorites, their two signature songs (to me, that is) being "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" and "Come Sail Away" . They are all well reproduced, and inside a set of headphones will fill up your head with great music.

My only complaint? Their first hit "Lady" is included as not as the original, but as a re-recorded version. The differences are subtle, but throw it off for me just a tad. That is not enough of a reason to dog this album out, though. Ought to be an Amazon Essential!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What can I say? 5 Stars just isn't enough... January 2, 2001

By Jeff Edwards VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Despite all of the problems that Dennis DeYoung had with the other members of Styx (he was formally kicked out last year) there is NO DOUBT that these guys have produced some of the best songs of the past 25 years. From their Grammy winning 'Babe' to what has GOT to be one of their greatest efforts, 'Come Sail Away' Styx just could do NO WRONG during the latter part of the 70's and early 80's. They were selling out everywhere they went and aside from the abysmal 'Mr Roboto' tour (imagine rock music inter-connected with a terrible Shakespear-type acting play and you get the idea of what the concert was like--simply aweful) you could just count on hearing one of their tunes on the radio quite regularly. This CD has just about everything that made Styx so dog-gone great: Ballads, Rock tunes and a few in-between numbers.

Dennis' voice is one of the best in the past two decades to hit radio, and Tommy Shaw ain't half bad either--and together they have written some of the most catchy songs you will ever hear. The themed album 'Paradise Theatre' has GOT to be a MUST HAVE for any die-hard Styx fan, and despite the truly horrific 'Mr Roboto' Tour, the album on the other hand was really pretty good. But you don't NEED to grab all of their albums in order to hear the cream of the crop...if you manage to purchase THIS CD you will own the absolute BEST OF THE BEST songs these guys produced, and that is saying a LOT, trust me. Catchy guitar riffs and likeable lyrics have propelled these guys a long way, and I have my doubts as to how well they will be received without Dennis (I wouldn't want to see Styx with him, would YOU?) there is NO doubt that this particular collection of hits is quite honestly VERY MUCH WORTH the price. Buy it. Unwrap it. Enjoy. Listen and Repeat.