Paradise Theater

Styx

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: January 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002GBW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,718 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
One album before Styx cut loose with an honest-to-goodness concept album, Kilroy Was Here, they flirted with the idea on Paradise Theater. The concept here has something to do with the decline of America in the '70s, based on the condemnation and destruction of the Paradise Theater, a famous showplace in the band's hometown of Chicago. Truth be told, the concept hasn't held together that well, though the individual songs have, led by the optimistic ballad "The Best of Times," and the rockers "Too Much Time on My Hands" and "Snowblind." Dennis DeYoung gives some of his most theatrical performances throughout, presaging his overly ambitious Kilroy concept, but also his successful run performing in the legitimate theater, as Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar. Paradise, meanwhile, was about as good as it got for Styx. --Daniel Durchholz

Product Description
Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) paper sleeve pressing of this album. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Universal. 2009. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A DENNIS DEYOUNG MASTERPIECE, January 20, 2002

By	Eric J. Weik "ejwtfw" (Dyersburg, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Paradise Theater is a work of art, a labor of love, from vocalist, keyboardist, Dennis Deyoung. From the opening piano note, of A.D. 1928, to the closing note of A.D. 1958, Pardise will hold you in awe. Not since the Grand Illusion, has STYX made an album this good.
It all starts with A.D. 1928, witch goes into Rockin the Paradise, and that is what this cd does, ROCKS. It's not the heavy metal, of Grand Illusion, or the hard rock of Peices of Eight, but it comes over strong, even on the slow songs. With the fist pumping anthems of Rockin the Paradise, a song about America needing to stand up and be counted, to Half Penny; Two Penny, which deals with the decay of the American dream. The Best of Times, which starts out like A.D. 1928, and the disco-rock flavored Too Much Time on my Hands, have sing-a-long chourses, that has you humming along them all day. Snowblind, a rock radio classic, written by Dennis and JY, and sung by JY and Tommy, is a good song about drug abuse, and JY's singing on the beginning of it, is very haunting. The lesser known songs on this disk, Nothing Ever Goes as Planned, and She Cares, are both very good, and deserve repeated listenings, as does this whole cd.
This is the last "true" Styx classic, with the line up of Dennis, Tommy, JY, John, and Chuck. There would be other STYX cds with this line-up, and different line-ups, but no other cd this great, has come out since. GRADE A

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite Styx album, November 3, 2004

By	Tnahpellee "Brendan" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This is a brilliant album, in my view. It is so diverse and yet flows well, and the band seem to blend a few styles together in each song. For example, Snowbling is a scorching song that fuses hard-rock, doo wop, big singing ballads like something Frank Sinatra would do, electronica and choir music. There's also s [keyboard] string in there to give a hint of classical music. It's interesting to note that most of the singing is done by James Young and, dare I say it, he's probably even better than Dennis. Well, I thought his voice was 'crisper' but perhaps not as bellowing. I love that song. The other songs have a pop-catchiness, but seem to fuse vaudeville and hard rock, with some electronica thrown in for good measure. I also love the lyrics, they're down to Earth and interesting. Actually, they produced some real gems here. The title track has a similar melody them to the Beatles' 'You can't do that' while 'She cares' whcih is my favourite of the Tommy Shaw songs, sounds like a Billy Joel song, but has excellent chord changes. But then James Young throws a pounding piece of rock called Half-penny Two-penny at you and you know these guys rock like the best of them. I think this album is a masterpiece.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still rocks!, March 31, 2004

By	M. Casarino (Wilmington, DE United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

You never do get over your first favorite album. "Paradise Theater" was mine. I was, oh, 11 or so when it came out, and I thought Styx, bangs and jumpsuits and all, were the coolest band ever. I'm pretty sure I bought the album with my own money - a first for me! And oh, did I wear the needle out on this one. Loved every track.

And you know what? Now that I've developed GOOD taste, now that I'm into the 'Mats and Tom Waits and the Lips and god knows what else, now that artsy progressive concept albums aren't even retro-cool anymore...I STILL love "Paradise Theater!" Sure it's pompous, but not nearly as bombastic as other Styx offerings. Most importantly, it ROCKS. Dennis DeYoung finds a new lyrical depth on "Rockin' the Paradise" and "Nothing Ever Goes as Planned," and offers their best ACL ballad, "The Best of Times." Tommy Shaw gives us some fun lyrics over great hooks with "Too Much Time," and JY even has his best moment with "Snowblind." Sure, it's a concept album, but who cares about that when the individual tunes rock this hard, and stand up on their own?

Even the production sounds good. The trendy new-wave production techniques really helped streamline the often blaring vocal triads, and the use of horns on "Lonely People" and "Nothing Ever Goes" is welcome. Dennis and Tommy have never sounded better. Most importantly, everyone sounds like they're having FUN, which is something Styx always struggled with. Despite some notable moments ("Renegade," "Shooz," "Angry Young Man" - all Shaw songs, now that I think about it), Styx always felt more like they were more interested in making art than music. But "Paradise Theater" is infused with the joy of pure rock and roll - despite the heavy-handed concept.

Styx remains one of my guilty pleasures. But I have no guilt over loving "Paradise Theater" - Styx can rock me any day!