Influence Review by Michael Bader Influence is the second and latest release from Damn Yankees members, guitarist Tommy Shaw and bassist Jack Blades. Consider the hard hitting musical history of these musicians as key members of bands like Night Ranger and Styx.
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Tommy Shaw (along with featured guitarist and sometime vocalist Will Evankovich) is joined by a full orchestra. They make their way through a killer set of songs in this configuration, lending a new and quite proggy flavor.
The video is shot very well. It is obvious that the crew and director were well-versed in the new arrangements as they know just when to cut to which instrument. The sound is also impeccable.
While the bulk of the set is made up of Styx music, there are also songs from other parts of Shaw’s career. For a lot of the set Shaw plays acoustic guitar (and even mandolin), but there are electric moments, too. The guitar solo on “Crystal Ball” shines tall as one of those. One of the highlights of the show for me is “Man in the Wilderness” because I really love that song and this version is such a cool variant on it. It is another that features electric guitar, Shaw going from acoustic to electric mid-track.
The only bonus material here is some audio-only songs. My one complaint about this is that there are bits of interview interspersed amongst the music. I wish there was a way to play just the concert and skip those, but I don't see an option for doing that. Still, this is a great experience either way.
Styx - And The Contemporary Youth Orchestra-One With Everything CD Review by Gary Hill Recording an album with an orchestra has become almost a clichéd idea these days. Many discs done this way are pretty pathetic or at least trivialized and gimmicky. This album is one of the exceptions to that.
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Various Artists - Back Against the Wall Review by Gary Hill There are few people who haven't at least heard of Pink Floyd's The Wall. I would hazard to say that those who have never heard the album are in the minority as well.
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Styx - Big Bang Theory Review by Gary Hill There are those who don't give a second glance to albums of covers. Well, in this case that would be a big mistake.
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I have to say that, while this CD set is entertaining, after seeing the current lineup of Styx live, and comparing it to this, I think they, ultimately are a stronger band without Dennis DeYoung than they would have been had he continued in the group.
Styx - Cornerstone Review by Greg Olma When Styx released Cornerstone, they seemed to switch directions after the relatively harder Pieces Of Eight. Here, the band gave Dennis DeYoung a little bit more space to explore his musical leanings.
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The last album from Styx, The Mission, was my pick for best album of the year when it came out. I would argue that the disc might be the best disc the band ever did.
Styx - Crystal Ball Review by Gary Hill Crystal Ball was the first Styx album to feature Tommy Shaw and his sound and influence can be heard here – at least at times. In many ways, though, this album feels a lot like its predecessor Equinox.
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Styx - Live in Albany, Oregon, August 2012 Review by Larry Toering Getting out to see Styx did not come easy, as this concert at the Oregon Amphitheater was during the Arts and Air Festival, and it was free, so it was actually packed beyond capacity. More...
Enuff Z'nuff - Paraphenalia Review by Gary Hill Showcasing potent pop/rock sensibilities and Beatles influences throughout, this is a very strong showing from this band. Its catchy melodies and intriguing arrangements should please most rock music fans.
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Styx - Styxworld Live Review by Gary Hill This live disc from the latest lineup of Styx should please long-time fans, but it really does have a few flaws. The first flaw is the lack of Dennis DeYoung.
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I know that Styx fans have fallen into two camps, the DeYoung people who claim that this version of Styx isn't really Styx and thosewho support this lineup.