Customer Reviews

Tribute to Styx

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As a long time Styx fan, I was thrilled to see that there is a tribute album to this GREAT band. The covers are of the most air-played singles by some lesser-known players, with a few exceptions. But, they sound like they worked hard to make this a decent album to own. Particularly interesting is the 'club' mix of Too Much Time on My Hands... certainly an 'eye-opener'. Mr. Roboto sounds pretty good, although the production value of the CD seems a bit 'muted'. Maybe just me. Fooling Yourself and Grand Illusion are both worthy of your attention. Lady and Babe are a bit 'scratchy' by their performers.
Is it worth it? Well, if you want to hear how others interpret Styx, then buy it! If you are looking for studio-like cuts from the group, then you might be disappointed.
As a long-timer, it really means a lot to see your favorite band with an album of their material re-recorded by others. I say "dig in"!

When you take a high caliber band like Styx, you expect any tribute to fall short of the originals. After seeing some of the names involved with this tribute, I was prepared for the worst, but the CD turns out to be pretty decent.
First, the music. The instrumental tracks are done by the same people throughout, and range from mediocre to pretty good. A consistency throughout was the lack of punctuation in the playing. Case in point, "Grand Illusion." The playing is fine note wise, but the music lacks the sharp, crisp feel that is evident in the original. Overall, though, the music's lack of "umph" doesn't create an intolerable listen.

The vocals, on the other hands aren't as consistent:
High Points:
"Renegade"--Marq Torien does a surprisingly good job on this classic. He comes closest to nailing the feel that Tommy Shaw inserted in the original.
"Too Much Time" (Jizzy Pearl version)--Pearl's voice is a bit raspier than Shaw's ever has been, but it gives a unique sound to the song, without destroying it. The music is good on this track as well, with the bouncing bassline still intact.
"Grand Illusion"--Though the music is lacking on this track, Kelly Hansen's lead vocals are very good, saving the song as a whole.

Low Points:
"Blue Collar Man"--Whoever thought Alex Mitchell singing this song was a good idea ought to be forced to listened to it repeatedly for at least 24 hours straight. The vocals are extremely monotone and completely off-key. Unlike the aforementioned Jizzy Pearl's singing, which is just different enough to make his track interesting, Mitchell's voice is so unfit for the song, it destroys any possible pleasure.
"Lady"--Like the above, this is another case of a singer who shouldn't be allowed to sing this song. Spike has a Rod Stewart-ish type voice that just doesn't mesh with the smooth balladry expected in "Lady."
"Foolin' Yourself"--Overall, this song goes well, until the backing vocals kick in. Yikes!! Terribly off-key--it would've been better just letting Hansen sing the lines solo.
"Too Much Time (Remix)"--This track was just entirely unnecessary. I don't think many Styx fans want to hear techno versions of favorite songs.

Everything else just kind of falls in between. This is probably the blandest tribute I own (although it may be tied with "Leppardmania"). It's not the worst I've heard though, if you count industrial bands doing AC/DC and death bands doing Rush! I'd recommend this to Styx fans who are looking for a little novelty, without expecting perfection.

Wow, Kelly Hansen's vocals are terrific..he sounds just as good as Tommy Shaw! I agree with the other reviewers that the instrumentals, though technically correct, lack the "umph" of the original recordings - I have found this to be true with the other tributes put out by this same cast of characters (e.g., Bon Jovi, GNR, Def Leppard, Journey, etc.). I actually like the scratchy version of Lady done by Spike, but I can see how many Styx fans would hate it. The remix is pretty lame, but at least it's not sung by Kevin Dubrow for a change. I bet Phil Lewis never thought he'd have to cover Mr. Roboto in order to pay his rent. Overall, I like this CD much more than other tributes and recommend it to Styx fans.