Styx made well-crafted, enjoyable '70s rock.
But, it wasn't prog. What's next? Boston, Chicago, and Blood, Sweat & Tears as prog bands? "Could It Be Magic" as prog, because Manilow based it on a Chopin prelude?
Styx made well-crafted, enjoyable '70s rock.
But, it wasn't prog. What's next? Boston, Chicago, and Blood, Sweat & Tears as prog bands? "Could It Be Magic" as prog, because Manilow based it on a Chopin prelude?
Seriously, people. Stop lumping Styx in with this bands. That's just shallow thinking. Pick up the Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings and Equinox. Then, tell me that Styx wasn't prog.Originally Posted by A. Scherze
Chicago as a prog band? Fuck yes.
I give you Styx prog.
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...be.wOgE5yDSzcw
Do you need more proof? Or, can I rest my case?
I need more proof. Could you please post at least 12 more songs to cement your opinion?
Thanks in advance!
Did you actually listen to the songs, Joe?
[QUOTE=JIF;131350Did you actually listen to the songs, Joe?[/QUOTE]
I don't need to listen to the songs. I've heard them.
I think Styx had a "prog" phase. Ceratinly of the US variety. Some of Equinox, most of GI & Po8.
Personally, I think most of the Wooden Nickle stuff has more in common with very eary REO. To me, it has more of that mid-western rock sound, with some prog flourishes and the occasional prog song.
I was just bustin' your chops, JIF. All in good fun.
ELP, KC, Yes, Renaissance, VDGG, Magma, PFM. Stop lumping Styx in with this bands. That's just shallow thinking. Styx wasn't prog.
Okay, Styx wasn't prog. Yes, they did some proggy numbers, but, on the whole, they were pop/hard rock. I put them in the same category as Triumph. A bit more sophisticated than pop, and very entertaining. But, while Triumph had proggy numbers like "The Blinding Light Show," they just don't fit the category, on the whole.
JIF can post as many clips as he likes, IMHO Styx are not full 'prog' by any stretch- I'd agree with the comparison to Boston's 'Foreplay'. That's not a slam on them because I suspect they had a different, more accessible sound in mind in the first place. But there's rarely anything to 'upset the apple cart' in their sound IMHO. That quality, often coming from avant-garde/jazz influences, is an integral part of 'true' progressive rock, I think. I wouldn't say it was that present in Kansas' work either...but their best work was more sophisticated and complex overall IMHO.
On several occasions they had leanings towards 'prog' influenced material (at least the more mystical, grandiose elements of the genre), for sure, nobody could argue with that, and that's the material of theirs I like best. 'Suite Madame Blue', 'Mother Dear', 'Castle Walls', 'Fooling Yourself', 'The Grand Illusion'...
Last edited by JJ88; 07-25-2013 at 11:36 AM.
I put them in the "not prog, but proggy" category. I really like the band overall; the major turn-off tending to be DeYoung's vocals. After he joined, I kind of wish they'd just let Shaw sing everything... (maybe give JY his token track per album) IMO DeYoung was a very underrated keyboard player though. The guy actually had chops and I liked his sounds, cheesy ARP Omni and all.
Why isn't Styx prog? You seem to be an expert on what's prog and not prog.To me, Boston and Styx sound nothing alike.
Tom Scholz obviously heard some prog in his life. Some of those organ instrumental interludes were pretty proggy. That didn't make them "prog" though (not even close, and that's fine). Why must we shoehorn every band into the prog cubbyhole? Don't answer that please.
Sorry, but I've never heard the phrase "upset the apple cart".
The Beatles also did prog and pretty much gave birth to it with "Strawberry Fields Forever. In fact, one might find that they did as much or even more true prog (No, let's not define it, PLEASE) than Styx, with songs like "Happiness is a Warm Gun," for example. But, I would never call them a prog band.
What a load of rubbish! The Beatles didn't do prog.
And, even so, the first instance of prog appeared in 1962 - "Nutrocker", which combined rock with classical.
How about Styx is prog rock because JY says they are prog rock.
Well, I'm not going to get into it with you and your oversized text. But, yes, they certainly DID do prog. And SFF and "Happiness is a Warm Gun" are two examples. As is "A Day in the Life."
Wait a second!! If The Beatles are prog, does that mean Queen is prog too?
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