Review Summary: A magnum opus from the best classic rock band you forgot about.
Styx seem to have gotten lost in time. During their 70s-80s heyday, they were never as technically inclined as Kansas. They never wrote a single as huge as the ones that Journey churned out on the regular. Their trio of vocalists, no matter how individually talented, couldn’t combined imbue as much passion and energy as Queen’s Freddie Mercury. Nevertheless, Styx were kings of the chorus, and their hybrid brand of progressive arena rock dominated the mid-to-late 70s for good reason. Not only is it some of the catchiest music you will hear in your entire life, but it’s also fundamentally sound and experimental rock music. At the pinnacle of their career stands
The Grand Illusion – by all means a magnum opus – and likely one of the few albums (if not the only) that most people will name-check when you mention Styx.
If you’ve listened to the band’s entire discography, you’ll notice that by the mid-80s, their extravagance and affinity for grandiose concepts eventually became their undoing.
The Grand Illusion is widely considered Styx’s best record because it is the optimal point of intersection between their grandiosity and artistic integrity – it came out after their meandering progressive roots, yet before they imploded into disjointed, theatrical pop. What we end up with is something that sounds magnificent and retains Styx’s trademark flair-for-the-dramatic, but is also capable of detouring into mysterious and unpredictable territories.
The Grand Illusion is not so much a “concept album” as it is one that possesses a central motif. Themes of eschewing material wealth and coming to peace with who you are permeate the record: paired with the similarly themed follow-up
Pieces of Eight, 1977-1978 marked Styx’s existential crisis period. The band was at peak popularity, and they questioned everything from their fame (“we made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are”) to their place in the world (“I spend my life and sell my soul on the road, and I'm still in the dark”). It makes for an uplifting experience as Styx condemn affluence and celebrity status in favor of trying to relate to their listeners on a human level. It’s as Dennis DeYoung sings on the stately, eponymous opener, “deep inside we’re all the same.”
There are few songs worth singling out on
The Grand Illusion because the entire album is a highlight reel. Of its eight tracks, four appear on Styx’s
Greatest Hits compilation and most of the remainder is still fairly well-known. The songs here worth highlighting are the ones that
haven’t earned much share of the spotlight – such as the eerie, foggy, ‘Castle Walls’ – a song that thrives on an ominous beat before delving into a three minute synth solo/breakdown. It’s especially memorable because it begins like a typical Styx track might (verse, verse, chorus), but then proves to be the antithesis of standardization by falling off a cliff into mesmerizing instrumental prog, which dominates the remainder of the song until the final refrain circles back at the end. ‘Superstars’ is another oft-overlooked moment, a synth bound pop-rock tune that is best characterized by Dennis DeYoung’s spoken verses condemning “the fast life” and feelings of immortality that are common among high-profile rock bands: “I've seen them climb and I've seen them fall / I've seen them come and I've seen them go / And through it all there's only one thing that matters, love / And that's simply you and I…for
we are superstars.”
Elsewhere, it’s a star-studded event: ‘The Grand Illusion’ with its celebratory drums and earworm chorus, ‘Fooling Yourself’ with its lush acoustics/pianos and the best vocal performance of Tommy Shaw’s career, ‘Come Sail Away’ with its splendid progression and radio-staple chorus, ‘Miss America’ serving as the token James Young track (every Styx album has at least one – he’s the most grating of the vocalists but also the band’s most important member due to his guitar and songwriting skills), and ‘Man in the Wilderness’ offering an introspective glance into the emotional/mental health struggles that accompany fame and fortune.
The Grand Illusion is a veritable who’s who of highly successful Styx songs, which makes it an excellent introductory album for anyone interested in diving into the band’s intimidatingly long discography.
Styx somewhat unfairly garners a reputation as a cheesy glam-rock band. There is certainly some truth to it as they espouse some of these traits, but their music was always built upon a foundation of progressive-leaning rock with interesting guitar solos, varied song structures, and mysterious atmospheres. These styles are easier to differentiate from the pomp and frills on earlier works, but
The Grand Illusion is by far the best combination of styles – resulting in a breakthrough that would lead to Styx’s golden era (1977’s
The Grand Illusion, 1978’s
Pieces of Eight, 1979’s
Cornerstone, and 1981’s
Paradise Theater). In that sense, this record might be viewed as not only the group’s masterwork, but also the catalyst that led to one of the most fruitful five year periods in the history of rock 'n' roll.
The Grand Illusion is an important album – so if you haven't already, go listen to it.
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