There is a version of this with Tommy Shaw and an all youth orchestra and choir that is just incredible! There is nothing like the sound of ROCK music, with a full orchestra!
You have GOT to watch the version with the youth orchestra that Brian mentions. It is so, so incredible. You will not believe it. You will fall out of your chair. It's just incredible. It actually brings tears to my eyes.
I'm 60, and I wore out a couple of vinyl's of this album. I can remember my daughter telling me when she was a teenager, that the Album Cover freaked her out as a kid. 😊
Synthesizers are capable of millions of sounds. They are often just referred to as keyboards these days. Often back in those days keyboard players had a variety of keyboards. Dennis played many different keyboards so synthesizers weren't always listed specifically.
This album was actually released in 1977. I first heard it on a senior high school flight back to the US from a 9 day tour of Europe. It still brings back the memories of that trip to this day. BTW the synth was more than likely an Oberheim synth at that time.
Now you need to hear their hit "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)". Very similar upbeat and inspirational message for when you're down and out and about to give up, just like this one.
This entire albumn is awesome. You should start with the self titled song next "The Grand Illusion". I've always felt the best way to listen to this album is all the way through in a single sitting. Maybe I'm biased.
I got this album as an 8 track back in 78. Come Sail Away was what got my attention on the radio back then. It was a favorite album amongst many classic releases that year. A particularly annoying tech issue with 8 tracks, in this case Come Sail Away, was just as the song would start to fade out, it would go to the next program, THEN the song would finish fading out. Ugh, lol....
Next up has to be Blue Collar Man to complete the trifecta of classic Styx hits written and featuring Tommy Shaw. Also, from the Paradise Theater album, Too Much Time on My Hands.
So glad you're enjoying Styx! I'd love to see you react to some Three Dog Night. Joy to the World is a great start - especially the first line. You'll love it.
Started as a hometown pride band, and ended in love! Such a backdrop of my youth, in fact I had first heartbreak in 5th grade to "Babe" at the roller rink! 😂 (ok I'll give it the single tear) 😥 it was quite dramatic at the time & the song about killed me for a year or so. Lol Please take your time reacting to that one, I'll get my head together for it hahaa I kid... Great reaction to a great song choice! 😉♥️✌
So now do you understand when people of my generation say "there's no real musicians or music anymore' you can see where we're coming from. There is some music I really like that has been produced in the last few decades but on the whole, nothing comes close to what we grew up with.
I don't know if you do full album reactions but if you do "Grand Illusion" is a prime candidate. "It's one of those "go on a journey" concept albums. Get a glass of wine or a bowl, put on the headphones, kick back and take off for an hour. Each song compliments the others and adds to the musical and lyrical narrative. Pure flow. Great LP.
"Keyboards" is a blanket term which can be anything from an electric piano like a Fender Rhodes piano or a synthesizer or a sampler. I used to own a Korg DSS-1 which stood for "Digital Sampling Synthesizer" which was one of the earlier sampling keyboards on the market. It could play sounds that were programmed in or loaded in through the floppy disk reader or you could create your own samples with it. Compared to today's keyboards, the memory was tiny so the samples had to be used somewhat sparingly but it was cool in its time.
Styx is one of those bands that just doesn't have bad songs....well, except for Mr. Roboto....but we'll let that one slide since there are a few who do 😊
This song IS the late 70's early 80's if you were young, just out on your own and trying to make a living. We all got slapped down time and time again and this song helped to deal with it. This and Blue collar man
Saw them way back in the day, then decades later are performing in my small hometown!! 👀 Missed them but... 🤯 Great band, adore the song, Tommy's birthday was the other day!! Great way to start my Saturday!! 😁👍🏽
Awesome reaction as always. I actually forgot about this song and am so stoked to add it to my playlist. TY for the fun and great memories of my youth!
They came to Milwaukee Wisconsin two summers ago and I was lucky enough to be able to see them live. They are still awesome and sound just as good as they did back in the day. ❤
My favorite use of Synthesizer love the voicings and technical prowess of DeYoung here! Check out "a.d. 1928/rockin' the paradise" by them, a real treat!
I really enjoy watching you react to this for the first time....I still love it even having heard it countless times since 1977. I saw Styx during their Kilroy Was Here tour when they still had their original lineup and they sounded identical to the album. Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung had different writing styles but both super talented. And lets not forget James Young....I recommend Miss America from this album also! Pieces Of Eight and Cornerstone had some bangers on it as well.
This specific song is quite reminiscent also of the sound of Supertramp which was a super group from the 70s and they could have done this song as well and it would have fit right into their album. These were the groups everybody was listening to in the late seventies along with ELO Queen and so many others like foreigner bad company blah blah blah the best time for music ever ever and it was still basically analog
This came out when I was 10 and I had the 8-track. Used to put my headphones on and fall asleep most nights listening to it or Pink Floyd's Animals album. Would wake up 8 hours later and the 8-track would still be going and the tape would be blisteringly hot. Carefully would pull it out and set it flat to cool off for the next night of play. I know this album so well after listening and sleeping to it for years on end. It's like an old friend.
Try a song off the first Styx album called A Day I never knew they were that Proggy back in the day . If you like old Prog and Styx check it out Trippy tune
There is a true story behind this song. It was written by Tommy Shaw about one of the other band members who was going through a particularly difficult time, "You've got it all in the palm of your hand, but your hand's wet with sweat and your head needs a rest". Check it out.
HAHA! Presets didn't exist on synths back in 1979. The laser effect you're hearing is the portamento or "glide" function which is when one note's pitch "slides" to the next note's pitch. When you increase the glide the rate of slide slows. Adding just a pinch of portamento creates that spacy laser effect. Pretty sure this is a Mini Moog Synth.
This song always makes me think of my now late brother. This was great to heat back in the day. I will go to my grave with this album as their best. Even better than "Paradise Theater".
This song was soooo popular. My brother had this album and i would take it and liaten to over and over . Even took it to music class, teacher was made at me. She was an ashole....lol
I have over 3,000 vinyl albums in my collection mostly between 1968 and 1990 95 but mostly in the 70s and '80s... I don't need no stinking radio or TH-cam ... LOL
Pretty spot-on, your comparing it to a 70's video arcade game music, lol! And yet, yes...it ROCKS! I just checked: Glad to see you have heard "Come Sail Away" ! ---"Grand Illusion," "Miss America," and "Too Much Time on My Hands" still await you! And...if you REALLY want a mind-blowing intro of synthesizer overload, you really should consider Head East's one-hit wonder: "Never Been Any Reason." After said fire synth intro, all it does is...get better. Including the synth solo. You can thank me later.
Would like you to check out a band no one else is reacting to. They are Shooting Star. Late 70s early 80s rock band from Kansas City Missouri. They were way underplayed on the radio but 5 of their songs got airplay from the 'Hang On For Your Life' album. Check out the songs ' Hollywood', 'Breakout', 'Flesh and Blood', 'Are You on my Side ' to start with. Every song on this album is good! Check it out.
And the only band I’ve seen that comes close to Nightwish as a live band. They were a great live band and put on a great show! “Last Chance” was an experience live!
I graduated High School in '78 and it was a great time to graduate. Yes it was. The music was the best.
There is a version of this with Tommy Shaw and an all youth orchestra and choir that is just incredible! There is nothing like the sound of ROCK music, with a full orchestra!
Omg yes! So so good!!
You must check out the video of Tommy with the youth orchestra doing this song. It’s amazing! m.th-cam.com/video/xpYHgbjOIq0/w-d-xo.html
I agree - that whole show is fantastic, but this song really stands out in that show!
You have GOT to watch the version with the youth orchestra that Brian mentions. It is so, so incredible. You will not believe it. You will fall out of your chair. It's just incredible. It actually brings tears to my eyes.
Yep
I love watching a younger generation discovering the music that was my teen/young adult years! Makes me smile
Tommy Shaw does a great version of this with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra that is crazy good. Those kids rock this song!
First album I ever bought at age 14. Still love it today. Great music never dies!
Still, Have my Album!!✌
My first Styx album at the same age! 😂
@@tinapatterson5022Me too!!! Will never give it up!
@@lesabentley3059 Nice!!!
Me either!!!
I'm 60, and I wore out a couple of vinyl's of this album. I can remember my daughter telling me when she was a teenager, that the Album Cover freaked her out as a kid. 😊
I don’t think you’ve done “Lorelei”, “The Grand Illusion” or “Blue Collar Man” yet by Styx. All great tunes
This ENTIRE album is pure gold!
You know…. Because I don’t know Styx that well, I always thought this song was by YES! Damn, the resemblance is extraordinary!
Styx is one of the only bands that can fit an entire Broadway musical into one song :-)
You will find nothing but great songs on “The Grand Illusion.”
"I'm probably going to enjoy this quite a bit " - the understatement of the year ! I love it
I received an 8-track of this album along with 9 other band albums back in 1978 (age16) on a Get 10 for $1.00 with RCA subscription :P
Do the whole album, start to finish, and then you will know how good Styx was. This album was right in the middle of their hot album streak.
Synthesizers are capable of millions of sounds. They are often just referred to as keyboards these days. Often back in those days keyboard players had a variety of keyboards. Dennis played many different keyboards so synthesizers weren't always listed specifically.
Dennis on the piano/keyboards...heaven.
Styx deserve to be in the hall of fame
With Dennis.
@@jodij6280 there is no styx without Dennis
@@thomasedward1319 Exactly my point. 👍
@@jodij6280 we got to get the word out about styx,maybe send a message to the hall of fame
@@jodij6280 I'm seeing them in concert in October, I can't wait
Styx is phenomenal. They have so many songs…like…Light Up, Miss America, and so many more
This album was actually released in 1977. I first heard it on a senior high school flight back to the US from a 9 day tour of Europe. It still brings back the memories of that trip to this day.
BTW the synth was more than likely an Oberheim synth at that time.
It's their 7th album and it came out on 7-7-77.
Now you need to hear their hit "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)". Very similar upbeat and inspirational message for when you're down and out and about to give up, just like this one.
This entire albumn is awesome. You should start with the self titled song next "The Grand Illusion". I've always felt the best way to listen to this album is all the way through in a single sitting. Maybe I'm biased.
Love that song
Ditto!!
I got this album as an 8 track back in 78. Come Sail Away was what got my attention on the radio back then. It was a favorite album amongst many classic releases that year.
A particularly annoying tech issue with 8 tracks, in this case Come Sail Away, was just as the song would start to fade out, it would go to the next program, THEN the song would finish fading out. Ugh, lol....
Damn that brings me back.✌️
Definitely some Emerson Lake & Palmer influence on this one. The combo of the synths and acoustic guitar is very pleasing to the ear!
Great album, Got it in 1978 for 1/13th of a penny. Some will get it.
NOICE!
The question is, did you fulfill your end of the contract?
Millionth & ONE and still a great listen!!!!!
This album is , to me, their best. Not a bad song on it. And they didn’t hate each other back then🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
It's not about not looking in the right spot (to find music like this) -- it's all about looking in the right era!
Castle Walls and Man in the Wilderness, Epic tunes. Very underrated album
Yes,Vic,Castle Walls!
Yes Styx was also late 70s, great years
Next up has to be Blue Collar Man to complete the trifecta of classic Styx hits written and featuring Tommy Shaw. Also, from the Paradise Theater album, Too Much Time on My Hands.
Great reaction. I was fortunate enough to see Styx twice in the late 70's and once in the late 80's. Great musicians and great show.
I still remember all the lyrics to this entire album…wore it out playing it so much! Thank you for the memories ❤
So glad you're enjoying Styx! I'd love to see you react to some Three Dog Night. Joy to the World is a great start - especially the first line. You'll love it.
Snowblind and Crystal Ball are two of my favorites by Styx.
The first ever song I heard from styx was babe and lady however my favourite song amongst many others is borrowed time
Got to check them out live though. The 1996 Return to Paradise is a must to see . Crystal ball, Sweet Madam blue, the best of times, etc... 👍
Saw them on this tour in 1978 and Kilroy Was Here tour in 1983. Both great shows.
My favorite part is the synth solo portion because it switches to 7/4 time. 🤘🏽🔥
Started as a hometown pride band, and ended in love! Such a backdrop of my youth, in fact I had first heartbreak in 5th grade to "Babe" at the roller rink! 😂 (ok I'll give it the single tear) 😥 it was quite dramatic at the time & the song about killed me for a year or so. Lol
Please take your time reacting to that one, I'll get my head together for it hahaa I kid...
Great reaction to a great song choice! 😉♥️✌
Was it oak lawn roller rink?
@@whiteshoes828 it was the Axile actually 😎
So now do you understand when people of my generation say "there's no real musicians or music anymore' you can see where we're coming from. There is some music I really like that has been produced in the last few decades but on the whole, nothing comes close to what we grew up with.
I just saw them in concert at the Minnesota state fair.
Oh man that’s awesome! How was the show?
The Grand Illusion is an epic song. Beautiful but rocks too!
This album was a masterpiece from start to finish. I still have it in my collection. My brother turned me onto this band & I will be forever grateful.
We just saw Styx in concert and they killed it on this song! It’s so good!
Me too. In Syracuse
I see them October 20th this year. I am SO excited.
"Let's Do Prog/Pop! Come on! ... ummm are you sure? OK check out these keyboard arpeggios! Too much? Definitely, but do it!"
Lol, nobody sounds like Styx, love this song 🎵
Did you do "The grand illusion and Blue Collar Man" yet? The opening sounds a lot like Emerson Lake and Palmer. thats another group you might like.
When they toured with this album where I grew up, I think half our junior high was there. Miss America is another great one. This one was huge.
I don't know if you do full album reactions but if you do "Grand Illusion" is a prime candidate. "It's one of those "go on a journey" concept albums. Get a glass of wine or a bowl, put on the headphones, kick back and take off for an hour. Each song compliments the others and adds to the musical and lyrical narrative. Pure flow. Great LP.
"Keyboards" is a blanket term which can be anything from an electric piano like a Fender Rhodes piano or a synthesizer or a sampler. I used to own a Korg DSS-1 which stood for "Digital Sampling Synthesizer" which was one of the earlier sampling keyboards on the market. It could play sounds that were programmed in or loaded in through the floppy disk reader or you could create your own samples with it. Compared to today's keyboards, the memory was tiny so the samples had to be used somewhat sparingly but it was cool in its time.
Tommy Shaw has an awesome voice. His songs are my favorite Styx songs. 😍
Anything from Styx I love
You'll find that most 70s rock and popular music was very positive, optimistic and upbeat!
Yes sir! My 1978 mind melted.....by this and a lot of the music of the day.
Great choice Sal! I have not heard this in years....this was a huge hit. This band had one hit LP after another....
I love watching you discover our music!
Sing For The Day and Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
We saw them in early 2022 and they were on point, hit after hit after hit!
Styx is one of those bands that just doesn't have bad songs....well, except for Mr. Roboto....but we'll let that one slide since there are a few who do 😊
??? that is literally their most popular song.
This album reminds me of high school in the late 70s and early '80s, played this album all the time back then.
This song IS the late 70's early 80's if you were young, just out on your own and trying to make a living. We all got slapped down time and time again and this song helped to deal with it. This and Blue collar man
I saw Styx in 2018. Tommy Shaw is a f'in rockstar! Great show and the band looked like they were having a blast!
The Grand Illusion was the very first album I ever bought. I was 8. It’s still my favorite Styx album.
Saw them way back in the day, then decades later are performing in my small hometown!! 👀
Missed them but... 🤯
Great band, adore the song, Tommy's birthday was the other day!! Great way to start my Saturday!! 😁👍🏽
Awesome reaction as always. I actually forgot about this song and am so stoked to add it to my playlist. TY for the fun and great memories of my youth!
They came to Milwaukee Wisconsin two summers ago and I was lucky enough to be able to see them live. They are still awesome and sound just as good as they did back in the day. ❤
I still have my 8-track and cassettes. Love Styx ❤
Try the title track from this album "Grand Illusion " :)
Completely unique sound.
Great reactions!
Just saw Styx and Foreigner last Tuesday and the show was sooooo good. They both still got it put on a better show than any new band I have seen
I saw them in Denver '77 opening for ACDC..What an awesome concert that was!!❤
i was in high school at this time, we never thought it would end
NOW I subscribe! Great reaction, thanks!!!!!
My favorite use of Synthesizer love the voicings and technical prowess of DeYoung here! Check out "a.d. 1928/rockin' the paradise" by them, a real treat!
my favorite styx song.
I really enjoy watching you react to this for the first time....I still love it even having heard it countless times since 1977. I saw Styx during their Kilroy Was Here tour when they still had their original lineup and they sounded identical to the album. Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung had different writing styles but both super talented. And lets not forget James Young....I recommend Miss America from this album also! Pieces Of Eight and Cornerstone had some bangers on it as well.
This specific song is quite reminiscent also of the sound of Supertramp which was a super group from the 70s and they could have done this song as well and it would have fit right into their album. These were the groups everybody was listening to in the late seventies along with ELO Queen and so many others like foreigner bad company blah blah blah the best time for music ever ever and it was still basically analog
It does not look like you've reacted to the Grand Illusion yet. Making my way through your other Styx reactions. Great band.
This came out when I was 10 and I had the 8-track. Used to put my headphones on and fall asleep most nights listening to it or Pink Floyd's Animals album. Would wake up 8 hours later and the 8-track would still be going and the tape would be blisteringly hot. Carefully would pull it out and set it flat to cool off for the next night of play. I know this album so well after listening and sleeping to it for years on end. It's like an old friend.
I was 13 when this came out. It spoke to personally. Even today it grabs me.
Soooooooooo great! Tommy Shaw singing that one
I loved Styx back in the day. Mostly because of what Dennis DeYoung could do with a keyboard. Also, imo, he had the best voice.
Try a song off the first Styx album called A Day I never knew they were that Proggy back in the day . If you like old Prog and Styx check it out Trippy tune
A Day may actually be my favorite Styx song.
There is a true story behind this song. It was written by Tommy Shaw about one of the other band members who was going through a particularly difficult time, "You've got it all in the palm of your hand, but your hand's wet with sweat and your head needs a rest". Check it out.
Your face at about 3 seconds: of course it’s something amazing. I give. 😂
Uplifting. I need this.
They played my HS back in the early 70s.
HAHA! Presets didn't exist on synths back in 1979. The laser effect you're hearing is the portamento or "glide" function which is when one note's pitch "slides" to the next note's pitch. When you increase the glide the rate of slide slows. Adding just a pinch of portamento creates that spacy laser effect. Pretty sure this is a Mini Moog Synth.
This song always makes me think of my now late brother. This was great to heat back in the day.
I will go to my grave with this album as their best. Even better than "Paradise Theater".
👍
76 😊 SAME AS MANYYYYY GREAT ROCK ALBUMS SALVO 😊 RUSH ( 2112 ), KANSAS ( LEFTOVERTURE ), JUST TWO OF SEVERAL THAT YEAR
HOWARD SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT DUDE WITH GREAT MUSICAL TASTE
If you like the synth sounds Dennis was using on this song, you might like Soundfarm. I call it melodic electronica with a hint of prog rock.
I love your reviews. 👍 I don't remember my reaction, it was 45 years ago.
This song was soooo popular. My brother had this album and i would take it and liaten to over and over . Even took it to music class, teacher was made at me. She was an ashole....lol
Crystal Ball and Fooling Yourself are tied for my top favorite songs by Styx!
I have over 3,000 vinyl albums in my collection mostly between 1968 and 1990 95 but mostly in the 70s and '80s... I don't need no stinking radio or TH-cam ... LOL
Pretty spot-on, your comparing it to a 70's video arcade game music, lol! And yet, yes...it ROCKS! I just checked: Glad to see you have heard "Come Sail Away" ! ---"Grand Illusion," "Miss America," and "Too Much Time on My Hands" still await you! And...if you REALLY want a mind-blowing intro of synthesizer overload, you really should consider Head East's one-hit wonder: "Never Been Any Reason." After said fire synth intro, all it does is...get better. Including the synth solo. You can thank me later.
Would like you to check out a band no one else is reacting to. They are Shooting Star. Late 70s early 80s rock band from Kansas City Missouri. They were way underplayed on the radio but 5 of their songs got airplay from the 'Hang On For Your Life' album. Check out the songs ' Hollywood', 'Breakout', 'Flesh and Blood', 'Are You on my Side ' to start with. Every song on this album is good! Check it out.
And the only band I’ve seen that comes close to Nightwish as a live band. They were a great live band and put on a great show!
“Last Chance” was an experience live!
I wore this album out in other grade! Not a bad song on it! Check out Castle Walls!🎶🏰
Such musicianship for the 1970's. Simply incredible. BYW, they are not in the Rock HOF...........