STYX "Paradise Theater:" Pop Poop Or Solid Gem?

[RUSHHEAD666]

Been in a hardcore STYX mode thanks to that concert last week!

 

I'm blasting "Paradise Theater" and I still love this album as much as I did when I was a little kid.

 

"Paradise Theater" was one of the first albums I learned to play on the drums back in 1980 something.

 

I remember putting the black vinyl lp on my record player and cranking it out loud so I could jam to it on my little Pearl kit.

 

Do you old timers remember when you bought "Paradise Theater" on vinyl the Styx logo and album titled were laser etched into the record?

If you held the vinyl just right in the sunlight you could see it!

 

I know this is a commercial album to many but I love it!

 

"Snowblind" is just awesome! "Half Penny Two Penny" is one of the most underrated Styx songs on the planet!

 

Hell James Young is the most underrated Styx member of them all!

 

This band still rules and like Rush, whenever they come to town I'm going!

 

They still pack venues like Rush!

 

Let's get Rush, Styx and Porcupine Tree together for Progfest 2012!!!!!!!!!

 

 

I guess Steven Wilson won't fit in on that bill. How about Kansas instead.

 

Camel???????

 

 

[ColdFireYYZ]

I like it a lot, but I can't stand Lonely People and Nothing Ever Goes As Planned. The Best of Times is one of Deyoung's best ballads. I love the rest though. Half Penny Two Penny and Snowblind are 2 of my favorite JY tracks and Tommy's songs were excellent like always. All in all it's a very good album. Edited August 9, 2011 by ColdFireYYZ

[treeduck]

No STYNX suck!

 

I can't listen to DeYoung's voice, he should have been singing Copacabana and Mandy for the blue hair crowd all along...

 

[greg2112]

Corporate crap. Im not a big Styx fan, but if I had to pick I'd say Pieces of Eight is their best album.

[Presto-digitation]

Fine album

[metaldad]

I love it and the tour was great. Kilroy was here ,was the end for me

[softfilter]

QUOTE (metaldad @ Aug 9 2011, 11:58 AM)

I love it and the tour was great. Kilroy was here ,was the end for me

I was a bit disappointed when Paradise came out, buddy had a limited edition laser etched LP of this, that was a fad in the early 80's.

Wanted to see them this tour but standing in line at Ticket tron inside Sears was told over PA concert at Richfield Coliseum was sold out... in 10 minutes!!!

[Rushman14]

QUOTE (softfilter @ Aug 9 2011, 10:42 AM)

QUOTE (metaldad @ Aug 9 2011, 11:58 AM) I love it and the tour was great. Kilroy was here ,was the end for me I was a bit disappointed when Paradise came out, buddy had a limited edition laser etched LP of this, that was a fad in the early 80's. Wanted to see them this tour but standing in line at Ticket tron inside Sears was told over PA concert at Richfield Coliseum was sold out... in 10 minutes!!! I saw this tour too. It was good but the album felt like the beginning of the end.

[nobodys hero]

QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 9 2011, 12:12 AM)

No STYNX suck! I can't listen to DeYoung's voice, he should have been singing Copacabana and Mandy for the blue hair crowd all along...

I agree with Ducky!

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 9 2011, 12:12 AM)

No STYNX suck! I can't listen to DeYoung's voice, he should have been singing Copacabana and Mandy for the blue hair crowd all along...

HAHAHA!!!!

 

"STYNX!" That is classic Pat! I've never heard that one before!

 

I can understand you not digging the Eighties Styx, but even a open minded rocker like you doesn't like "Equinox?" "Crystal Ball?" "The Grand Illusion?" Even "Pieces Of Eight" is great no?

 

I'm not a big fan of Dennis either. I'm glad they went down Tommy Shaw Ave. instead.

[nappy2112]

I know one thing for sure Styx doesn't pack in the crowd here like Rush does, worst crowd I have seen at Noblesville.

 

By the way Steve Howe was great here , only weak moment for the band was Benoit in Owner.

 

Styx were good but when you've just heard Yours is No Disgrace , Heart of the Sunrise and Roundabout , you better bring something stronger than Blue Collar Man.

 

 

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (nappy2112 @ Aug 9 2011, 02:04 PM)

I know one thing for sure Styx doesn't pack in the crowd here like Rush does, worst crowd I have seen at Noblesville. By the way Steve Howe was great here , only weak moment for the band was Benoit in Owner. Styx were good but when you've just heard Yours is No Disgrace , Heart of the Sunrise and Roundabout , you better bring something stronger than Blue Collar Man.

Haha! I hear ya nappy!

 

I will say though that the Shoreline show I saw was packed like a Rush concert.

Not bad for a Wednesday night. There were acutally a lot of people there for Kansas, but I swear once Yes went on stage the place was packed!

 

Yeah Beniot sucked singing "Owner" hell the song was played to slow as well.

 

I got to tell you, I've said this before on here, I wanted to leave after YES, but my woman loves Tommy Shaw so we stayed, and I was very surprised with STYNX. I enjoyed the show. There was no filler, no new crappy songs and no lame ass "I Am The Walrus" cover.

 

They stuck to mostly all of their Seventies stuff. I love "Crystal Ball." Shaw wrote that tune when he was like 16 years old.

 

Say what you want but Shaw is a talented midget.

 

Now Gowan is a guy I can't stand. Him and his lame ass spinning keyboard.

 

Ugh!

 

Oh and James Young is excellent too. So is Todd on the drum kit.

[treeduck]

QUOTE (RUSHHEAD666 @ Aug 9 2011, 03:44 PM)

QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 9 2011, 12:12 AM) No STYNX suck! I can't listen to DeYoung's voice, he should have been singing Copacabana and Mandy for the blue hair crowd all along... HAHAHA!!!!   "STYNX!" That is classic Pat! I've never heard that one before!   I can understand you not digging the Eighties Styx, but even a open minded rocker like you doesn't like "Equinox?" "Crystal Ball?" "The Grand Illusion?" Even "Pieces Of Eight" is great no?   I'm not a big fan of Dennis either. I'm glad they went down Tommy Shaw Ave. instead. No Earl, even those 70s albums sound bad to me and it's mainly DeYoung's voice. They sound like a parody of a rock band. Even the one song I can almost stand, Renegade, doesn't sound right.   I think I've said this before in a thread I made about them:   ELP + The Eagles + Barry Manilow + REO Speedwagon = Styx

[treeduck]

QUOTE (nobodys hero @ Aug 9 2011, 03:38 PM)

QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 9 2011, 12:12 AM) No STYNX suck! I can't listen to DeYoung's voice, he should have been singing Copacabana and Mandy for the blue hair crowd all along... I agree with Ducky!

[nappy2112]

QUOTE (RUSHHEAD666 @ Aug 9 2011, 04:12 PM)

QUOTE (nappy2112 @ Aug 9 2011, 02:04 PM) I know one thing for sure Styx doesn't pack in the crowd here like Rush does, worst crowd I have seen at Noblesville. By the way Steve Howe was great here , only weak moment for the band was Benoit in Owner. Styx were good but when you've just heard Yours is No Disgrace , Heart of the Sunrise and Roundabout , you better bring something stronger than Blue Collar Man.  Haha! I hear ya nappy!   I will say though that the Shoreline show I saw was packed like a Rush concert. Not bad for a Wednesday night. There were acutally a lot of people there for Kansas, but I swear once Yes went on stage the place was packed!   Yeah Beniot sucked singing "Owner" hell the song was played to slow as well.   I got to tell you, I've said this before on here, I wanted to leave after YES, but my woman loves Tommy Shaw so we stayed, and I was very surprised with STYNX. I enjoyed the show. There was no filler, no new crappy songs and no lame ass "I Am The Walrus" cover.   They stuck to mostly all of their Seventies stuff. I love "Crystal Ball." Shaw wrote that tune when he was like 16 years old.   Say what you want but Shaw is a talented midget.   Now Gowan is a guy I can't stand. Him and his lame ass spinning keyboard.   Ugh!   Oh and James Young is excellent too. So is Todd on the drum kit. I agree Earl , Tommy is shorter than Eric Singer I think I also think they (Styx) had a great drummer.

[Tony R]

I have the laser-etched vinyl version of Paradise Theater too. The album's not too bad but, of course, De Young's schmaltzy style ruins it.

 

[go2wrk@95974]

I dug Styx from about 73-78 or so...

Couldn't take their sound after that,

Especially this lp...WAY TOO MUCH theater B.S...

Nowhere near enough ROCKIN'..that's for sure.

 

It was too bad too, because they had big-time potential...

but they went after the big bucks , and commericalism..

and they were toast after that, imo.

[skalamander2112]

LOVE this album. probably my favorite Styx album. hard to say though, im a big Styx fan. its just such a well put together album. Half Penny Two Penny is fakking awesome. (of course, JY is the man)

[Bastille Dave]

I voted "none of the above".

 

I like PT alot, it's not nowhere near as bad as everyone says it is, I think it's just because of the radio overplaying alot of it. It has some greats songs and each song stands on it's own.

 

That all being said, it was the beginning of what was to come, with DDY's ego taking over the band and the whole theatrical element squeezing out the music. But that happened to alot of killer 70's bands when they came into the 80's i.e Journey, REO, Foreigner and so many more.

[MCM]

I'm so very serious about my Styx, so where to begin..

 

PT is a great album, I don't listen to it much but when I do, then I remember what a good album it is. What came after is what was so horrible, Kilroy was so bad, I don't even own it.

 

Dennis was such an important part of the sound of Styx, but yet I think he's the one who ultimately caused the downfall of it, (see Kilroy)

 

Cornerstone and it's cheezy Babe were the beginning of the end for Styx.

 

Some say Grand Illusion is their best work, I think it's Po8.

 

Lawrence Gowan is a good replacement for Dennis, he can still sing the songs, but he doesn't really sound like Dennis. The spinning keyboards annoyed me for a long time until I saw the GI/Po8 tour last year.. after I saw him do Queen of Spades he won me over and I was a fan. Now the spinning keyboard don't seem as distracting.

 

That's all I got, love Styx and love PT.

 

 

 

[1 of the 7]

QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 9 2011, 04:36 PM)

I think I've said this before in a thread I made about them: ELP + The Eagles + Barry Manilow + REO Speedwagon = Styx

Hehe, no wonder I like Styx, I like those other bands/people too

[Tommy Sawyer]

Where's the option:

 

"Who cares because Pieces of Eight is about a billion times better! "

 

or

 

"Cornerstone sucks- why isn't this thread about that album?"

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ Aug 9 2011, 06:43 PM)

QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 9 2011, 04:36 PM) I think I've said this before in a thread I made about them: ELP + The Eagles + Barry Manilow + REO Speedwagon = Styx Hehe, no wonder I like Styx, I like those other bands/people too I agree! I love AOR PROG!

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Aug 9 2011, 07:34 PM)

Where's the option: "Who cares because Pieces of Eight is about a billion times better! " or "Cornerstone sucks- why isn't this thread about that album?"

Yeah "Cornerstone" was the beginning of the end.

 

I actually like "Paradise Theater" better than "Cornerstone."

 

Although I do love "Boat On The River."

 

Even then Tommy was writing the better songs.

 

Glad they showed Dennis DuhYoung's EGO the door.

 

"Edge Of The Century" is pure shite.

 

 

[treeduck]

QUOTE (1 of the 7 @ Aug 9 2011, 08:43 PM)

QUOTE (treeduck @ Aug 9 2011, 04:36 PM) I think I've said this before in a thread I made about them: ELP + The Eagles + Barry Manilow + REO Speedwagon = Styx Hehe, no wonder I like Styx, I like those other bands/people too