Monday 10/17/22 8pm ET: Feature LP: Styx – Pieces of Eight (1978)

Pieces of Eight is the eighth studio album by American progressive rock band Styx, released on September 1, 1978.

Like the band’s previous album, The Grand Illusion (1977), it managed to achieve triple platinum certification, thanks to the hit singles “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” and “Renegade”.

The band members produced and recorded the album (like their previous three efforts) at Paragon Studios in Chicago with recording engineer Barry Mraz and mixing engineer Rob Kingsland. “I’m O.K.” was recorded at Paragon and St. James Cathedral. This would be the last album to be produced at Paragon Studios.

The album’s cover was done by Hipgnosis. Dennis DeYoung stated in the 1991 interview with Redbeard on the “In the Studio” episode that he initially hated the cover but grew to like it as he got older.

1. “Great White Hope” 4:22
2. “I’m O.K.” 5:41
3. “Sing for the Day” 4:57
4. “The Message” 1:08
5. “Lords of the Ring” 4:33
6. “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” 4:05
7. “Queen of Spades” 5:38
8. “Renegade” 4:16
9. “Pieces of Eight” 4:44
10. “Aku-Aku” 2:57

Dennis DeYoung – vocals, keyboards
James “JY” Young – vocals, electric guitars
Tommy Shaw – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, autoharp
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar
John Panozzo – drums, percussion

Tuesday 9/20/22 10am ET: Feature Artist / Feature LP: Styx – Greatest Hits (1995)

Greatest Hits is a compilation album and primary Greatest Hits album by the American rock band Styx. It was released by A&M Records on August 22, 1995. It contains 16 tracks, 8 of which were Billboard Top 10 Pop Singles, another 4 that were Billboard Top 40 Pop Singles, and 4 that received heavy airplay on FM album oriented rock stations.

This album essentially replaced Styx’s previous greatest hits album, Styx – Classics, Volume 15, which was released by A&M in 1987. That previous album had excluded the hit song “Lady” because the song was originally recorded for and released through Wooden Nickel Records (which also had a distribution arrangement with RCA Records). Because A&M/PolyGram had been unable to secure distribution rights to the song, most of the classic lineup of Styx (Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo and James “J.Y.” Young) reunited to re-record the track at Dennis’ home studio, The White Room. They were joined by uncredited session drummer Todd Sucherman, who filled in for John Panozzo due to Panozzo’s failing health; Sucherman joined the band permanently in 1996, during the Return to Paradise tour. The track, which is very similar to the original, was titled “Lady ’95”.

With the exception of “Lady ’95”, Styx – Greatest Hits features the original album versions of all the other songs included in the compilation. “Come Sail Away” is presented here in its full 6:05 version and “Miss America” is here in its original studio version (despite the CD’s packaging showing incorrect time listings for both tracks).

1. “Lady ’95” 3:05
2. “The Best of Times” 4:18
3. “Lorelei” 3:22
4. “Too Much Time on My Hands” 4:33
5. “Babe” 4:24
6. “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” 5:28
7. “Show Me the Way” 4:36
8. “Renegade” 4:14
9. “Come Sail Away” 6:05
10. “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” 4:06
11. “The Grand Illusion” 4:35
12. “Crystal Ball” 4:32
13. “Suite Madame Blue” 6:33
14. “Miss America” 5:02
15. “Mr. Roboto” 5:30
16. “Don’t Let It End” 4:54

Dennis DeYoung – vocals, keyboards
Tommy Shaw – guitar, vocals (except for “Lorelei,” “Suite Madame Blue,” and “Show Me the Way”)
James Young – guitar, vocals
Chuck Panozzo – bass, vocals
John Panozzo – drums
John Curulewski – guitar and backing vocals on “Lorelei” and “Suite Madame Blue”
Glen Burtnik – guitar and backing vocals on “Show Me the Way”
Todd Sucherman – drums on “Lady ’95” (uncredited)

Monday 6/13/22 12:15am ET: Feature LP: Styx – The Grand Illusion (1977)

The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by American rock band Styx. Recorded at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago, the album was released on July 7, 1977, by A&M Records. The release was a smash worldwide, selling three million copies in the US (Triple Platinum) alone. Some estimates have the album at over 6 million copies sold. The album launched the band to stardom and spawned the hit singles “Come Sail Away” and “Fooling Yourself.” The title track also received substantial FM airplay, but was never released as an official single.

1. “The Grand Illusion” 4:36
2. “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” 5:28
3. “Superstars” 4:00
4. “Come Sail Away” 6:07
5. “Miss America” 5:02
6. “Man in the Wilderness” 5:50
7. “Castle Walls” 6:00
8. “The Grand Finale” 1:57

Dennis DeYoung – vocals, keyboards
James “JY” Young – vocals, electric guitars, synthesizer on “Come Sail Away”
Tommy Shaw – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar
John Panozzo – drums, percussion

Wednesday 11/17/21 1am ET: Feature LP: Styx – Crystal Ball (1976)

Crystal Ball is the sixth album by Styx, released in October 1976. This album marked the recording debut of new guitarist Tommy Shaw. The track “Mademoiselle” was Tommy Shaw’s vocal debut and the album’s Top-40 hit. The album’s title track would become a concert staple for the band, as it was performed on every subsequent Styx tour with which Shaw was involved.

Claude Debussy’s classical piece “Clair de Lune” served as the intro to the album’s closing track, “Ballerina”. The version of “Clair de Lune” on Crystal Ball features only DeYoung on piano, with the key changed from D flat to C, as the next track (“Ballerina”) begins in C minor.

1. “Put Me On” 4:56
2. “Mademoiselle” 3:57
3. “Jennifer” 4:16
4. “Crystal Ball” 4:32
5. “Shooz” 4:44
6. “This Old Man” 5:11
7. “Clair de Lune / Ballerina” 7:09

Dennis DeYoung – vocals, keyboards
James “JY” Young – vocals, electric guitars
Tommy Shaw – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar
John Panozzo – drums, percussion

Friday 8/20/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Styx – Crash of The Crown (2021)

Crash of the Crown is the seventeenth studio album by American rock band Styx. The album was released on June 18, 2021, by Universal Music Enterprises. The album charted for one week on the US Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at #114 on July 3, 2021.

1. “The Fight of Our Lives” 1:54
2. “A Monster” 3:27
3. “Reveries” 3:03
4. “Hold Back the Darkness” 3:58
5. “Save Us from Ourselves” 3:02
6. “Crash of the Crown” 3:46
7. “Our Wonderful Lives” 3:06
8. “Common Ground” 4:00
9. “Sound the Alarm” 3:25
10. “Long Live the King” 2:33
11. “Lost at Sea” 0:38
12. “Coming Out the Other Side” 3:48
13. “To Those” 3:01
14. “Another Farewell” 0:26
15. “Stream” 2:56

Tommy Shaw – Acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, banjo, vocals
Lawrence Gowan – Piano, B3 organ, synthesizers, Mellotron, vocals
James Young – Electric guitars, vocals
Todd Sucherman – Drums and percussion
Ricky Phillips – Bass guitar
Chuck Panozzo – Bass guitar on “Our Wonderful Lives” and “Lost at Sea”
Will Evankovich – Acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, synthesizers, soundscapes, percussion, backing vocals
Michael Bahan – Tablas on “Coming Out the Other Side”
Steve Patrick – Piccolo trumpet on “Our Wonderful Lives”

Wednesday 5/12/21 12pm ET: Artist Countdown: Styx Top 30 Hits

American rock band Styx over the years have released 16 studio albums, 9 live albums, 16 compilation albums, 31 singles, and 3 extended plays. 16 singles have hit the top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and 8 have hit the top 10. Styx formed in 1972 and is best known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established itself with a progressive rock sound in the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.

1	Babe
2	The Best of Times
3	Mr. Roboto
4	Show Me the Way
5	Don’t Let It End
6	Lady
7	Too Much Time on My Hands
8	Love at First Sight
9	Sing for the Day
10	Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
11	Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
12	Come Sail Away
13	Love Is the Ritual
14	Renegade
15	Lorelei
16	Why Me
17	Boat on the River
18	Mademoiselle
19	Nothing Ever Goes as Planned
20	Rockin’ the Paradise
21	Borrowed Time
22	Snowblind
23	Gone Gone Gone
24	Lights
25	Crystal Ball
26	Music Time
27	High Time
28	Best Thing
29	On My Way
30	You Need Love

Tuesday 5/4/21 2pm ET: Sounds of The 80’s

Featuring tunes from this week’s Spot Light Artist – Hall and Oates, AC/DC, Warren Zevon, Joe Cocker, Michael Jackson, Kiss, Survivor, Alice Cooper, Styx and more . . .

Tuesday 2/16/21 12am ET: Feature LP: Styx – Equinox (1976)

Equinox is the fifth album by Styx, released in December 1975.

The album was the band’s first release for A&M Records (with whom they had signed earlier in 1975, after the late unexpected success of the 1973 single “Lady”).

The album also marked the final appearance of original Styx guitarist John Curulewski who left the band to spend time with his family, abruptly following the release of Equinox. The band went into a frantic search to find a replacement for their upcoming tour to support Equinox. Shortly thereafter, Tommy Shaw was approached and joined the band.

Although Equinox stalled at #58, it went Gold in 1977 shortly before the release of The Grand Illusion (1977) and it sold 350,000 copies when it was first released.

1. “Light Up” 4:17
2. “Lorelei” 3:19
3. “Mother Dear” 5:25
4. “Lonely Child” 3:47

1. “Midnight Ride” 4:17
2. “Born for Adventure” 5:12
3. “Prelude 12” 1:21
4. “Suite Madame Blue” 6:30

Dennis DeYoung – vocals, keyboards
James “JY” Young – vocals, electric guitars
John Curulewski – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar, backing vocals on “Suite Madame Blue”
John Panozzo – drums, percussion

Friday 12am ET: Feature LP: Styx – The Mission (2017)

The Mission is the sixteenth studio album by the band Styx, released on June 16, 2017 through UMe. It is the band’s first studio album since 2005’s Big Bang Theory and their first release of original material since 2003’s Cyclorama. The album reached #45 on the Billboard 200, propelled by pre-sales prior to its official release date, but fell off the chart after 2 weeks. Reaching the Top 100 in four other countries, the concept album tells the story of a mission to the planet Mars in the year 2033. The album’s story was written by Tommy Shaw and Will Evankovich. Evankovich played a significant role, serving as producer and co-writing all but 1 of the full length tracks.

The album was conceived in 2015 when Tommy Shaw composed the guitar riff that became the record’s closing track, “Mission to Mars.” The first lines Shaw wrote were “Now we can say it / This is the day / We’ll be on our way / On our mission to Mars.” The story was then formed around this idea.

Styx announced the album in conjunction with the release of the lead single “Gone Gone Gone,” while “Radio Silence” and “Hundred Million Miles from Home” were later made available prior to the album’s release. The LP was expanded in 2018 and re-released in 5.1 surround sound (both DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD) on a blu-ray disc with visualizations for each song as well as a various music videos from the album and a “Making of the Mission” documentary.

1. “Overture” 1:23
2. “Gone Gone Gone” 2:07
3. “Hundred Million Miles from Home” 3:39
4. “Trouble at the Big Show” 2:30
5. “Locomotive” 5:03
6. “Radio Silence” 4:17
7. “The Greater Good” 4:10
8. “Time May Bend” 2:30
9. “Ten Thousand Ways” 1:22
10. “Red Storm” 6:04
11. “All Systems Stable” 0:17
12. “Khedive” 2:04
13. “The Outpost” 3:51
14. “Mission to Mars” 2:43

Friday 12am ET: Feature LP: Styx – Come Sail Away / The Styx Anthology (2004)

Come Sail Away – The Styx Anthology is a musical album by Styx, released on May 4, 2004. It is a compilation consisting of two compact discs and contains a thorough history of the band. The album encompasses many of the band’s most popular and significant songs, ranging from the band’s first single from their self-titled album, “Best Thing”, through the song “One with Everything”, a track included on Styx’s most recent album at the time of release, Cyclorama.

The most notable omission from the compilation is “Don’t Let It End”, Dennis DeYoung’s top-10 single from their 1983 album, Kilroy Was Here. Another omission includes the top-30 hit “Love at First Sight” from 1990’s Edge of the Century. Additionally, no material from their 1999 album, Brave New World, is included.

This is the only Styx compilation album to date to combine the original versions of songs from the band’s early Wooden Nickel albums with their later material. Their Wooden Nickel breakout hit “Lady” was included on the 1995 Greatest Hits collection, but as a note-for-note re-recording, labelled “Lady ’95”. As such, this is the first truly career-spanning collection for the band ever compiled.

In 2006, the album was re-released and repackaged as part of the Gold series.

1. “Best Thing” 3:15
2. “You Need Love” 3:44
3. “Lady” 2:58
4. “Winner Take All” 3:05
5. “Rock and Roll Feeling” 3:02
6. “Light Up” 4:21
7. “Lorelei” 3:23
8. “Prelude 12” 1:20
9. “Suite Madame Blue” 6:33
10. “Shooz” 4:47
11. “Mademoiselle” 4:00
12. “Crystal Ball” 4:34
13. “The Grand Illusion” 4:37
14. “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” 5:31
15. “Come Sail Away” 6:05
16. “Miss America” 4:58
17. “Man in the Wilderness” (Extended version previously unissued) 6:57

1. “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” 4:06
2. “Sing for the Day” 4:57
3. “Renegade” 4:13
4. “Pieces of Eight” 4:45
5. “Lights” 4:38
6. “Babe” 4:27
7. “Borrowed Time” 4:59
8. “Boat on the River” 3:13
9. “A.D. 1928” 1:07
10. “Rockin’ the Paradise” 3:35
11. “Too Much Time on My Hands” 4:33
12. “The Best of Times” 4:19
13. “Snowblind” 4:59
14. “Mr. Roboto” 5:28
15. “Love Is the Ritual” 3:49
16. “Show Me the Way” 4:37
17. “Dear John” 3:04
18. “One with Everything” 5:56

Wednesday 8pm ET: Feature Artist – Styx

Styx is an American rock band from Chicago that formed in 1972 and became famous for its albums released in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established itself with a progressive rock sound in the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.

Styx is best known for the following hit songs that hit the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100: “Lady”, “Come Sail Away”, “Babe”, “The Best of Times”, “Too Much Time on My Hands”, “Mr. Roboto”, “Don’t Let It End”, and “Show Me the Way”. Other notable songs include “Renegade”, “The Grand Illusion”, “Blue Collar Man”, “Crystal Ball”, “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)”, “Rockin’ the Paradise”, “Boat on the River”, and “Suite Madame Blue”. Styx has had four consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the RIAA, as well as 16 top-40 singles in the US, eight of which hit the top 10. Of their eight Top 10 singles, seven were written and sung by founding member and former lead singer Dennis DeYoung, including their #1 chart topper, “Babe”. DeYoung has not been part of the band since 1999, after being ousted by guitarists James “J.Y.” Young and Tommy Shaw in an acrimonious split.

Tuesday 4pm ET: Sounds of The 80s

This week on the Sounds of The 80s we feature music from:  Tom Petty, Steely Dan, Toto, Huey Lewis and The News, Steve Perry, Styx, Billy Idol, Stars On 45, Traveling Wilburys, Michael Jackson, George Harrison and many more . . .

Tuesday 11pm: Top 100 Albums of The 70’s – #83 – Styx – The Grand Illusion (1977)

The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by Styx, it was released on July 7, 1977.

It launched the band to stardom, spawned the hit singles “Come Sail Away” and “Fooling Yourself”, and sold over three million copies in the US (Triple Platinum). Along with Pieces of Eight, it is their best-selling album to date.

The album was recorded at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago.

The album cover art, created by Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse, is an homage to a painting by René Magritte entitled “Le Blanc-Seing”.

1. “The Grand Illusion” 4:36
2. “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” 5:29
3. “Superstars” 3:59
4. “Come Sail Away” 6:07
5. “Miss America” 5:02
6. “Man in the Wilderness” 5:51
7. “Castle Walls” 5:59
8. “The Grand Finale” 1:57

Thursday 2pm: Sounds of The Seventies

Another installment of Sounds of The 70s.   This week: Styx, Bee Gees, Tycoon, California, Helen Reddy, Brothers Johnson and many many more. . .   2 – 6pm.

Saturday 12pm / Sunday 6am: Brit Rock with Dominic Forbes

This week on Brit Rock – Michael Schenker Group, Scorpions, Focus, Concrete Kingdoms, Meme Detroit, Survival Code, Green Day, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, Styx, Procol Harem, Marillion, Dio, Motorhead, Don Henley, Foreigner, Chicago, Queen, Deep Purple, Genesis, Night Ranger, Allman Bros Band, Fleetwood Mac, REM, Joe Cocker, Rolling Stones, Who, Ozzy Osbourne, Mountain, Rembrandts, C.C.S., Rod Stewart, Aerosmith.  Join Dominic Forbes 12pm or the encore Sunday 6am on RadioMaxMusic.