Styx: The Serpent is Rising

[Hunnibee]

Not their best, but not their worst. There's a lot I like on this album, and I agree that Curulewski was the true Prog star, not Dennis and his "poshness". If J.C. had stayed with the band, they might have continued sounding proggy, but with both James Young AND Tommy Shaw, there was no way they were NOT going to be an Arena Rock band. As proggers, they might not have gone as far as they did. The first five albums will always be my favorite, with Equinox being my favorite album of all time. I agree that the Complete Wooden Nickel set is the best way to hear the first four.

[JIF]

My favorite two Styx releases from the Wooden Nickel era are the first two. Despite what someone else said on this thread, Styx 1 is an American prog rock classic. Wish there were more U.S prog albums like it. Also, I dig that toilet song; sounds like a demented children's song.

[Rand Kelly]

I own the Wooden Nickle set and except for Fanfare and Lady,I can't remember another song from these 4 albums. WOW! I always found these WN recordings a forced listen too. I started with Equinox when it came out and by the time Mother Dear hit my ears,I thought Yes had written a song for Styx. I still need to buy Crystal Ball on cd,yet I always forget to do that.

[ItalProgRules]

I spun this (Serpent) last night and it's not bad. If you skip "22 Years" and the hidden track "Plexiglass Toilet" which isn't really meant to be part of the album.

"Witch Wolf" "Grove of Eglantine" and "Young Man" make up a nice 1-2-3 opening punch of hard rock and Prog-lite. "As Bad as This" is a nice changeup to a slow, almost bluesiness. "Winner Takes All" is tuneful and is the one that really points the way forward - it could have come off of any of the later Shaw albums. I like "Jonas Psalter" and the title track is great in its own cheezy way. Curulewski's oddball "Krakatoa" is pretty cool. Lot better than the sound-collage thingy on the debut.

And you kind of have to give them credit for the gumption, not to mention the talent, to pull off the "Hallelujah Chorus." Nice job on it, actually.

Really not that bad of an album at all. Pretty enjoyable with a couple of carefully-placed skip-its.

[cupwonder]

It wasn't made to be taken seriously, and from that perspective, it's not a bad album. Jonas Psaltar is really good.

[JIF]

Wow! Color me ignorant... I admit I am not well versed in the Styx discography... but I thought I was familiar with all of their stuff, and I swear that I *never* have heard or seen this album! I own the vinyls of Styx 2, Equinox, Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, Pieces of 8, Cornerstore and Paradise Theatre, and I believe I also have the Mr Roboto live double LP somewhere, but that "Serpent Rising" album must have been really really obscure, I took a listen to that song featured above and never recall hearing it. I wasn't aware of this "false start" era of the band...

Is there a box set featuring these early "gems" ?

Robert

Mr. Roboto double live album? Don't you mean Caught In The Act?

[Bigpicturekeys]

An irony for me to see this thread. This was my 1st Styx album. Years later I met JC as he was our guitarist's and bassist guitar teacher (Big Picture). He did dig prog.

[JIF]

An irony for me to see this thread. This was my 1st Styx album. Years later I met JC as he was our guitarist's and bassist guitar teacher (Big Picture). He did dig prog.

Did he ever regret his decision to leave Styx?

[Koreabruce]

I always had a soft spot for "The Serpent Is Rising," cheesy though it is in places, but one of the best tunes on "The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings" box set is the non-album track "Unfinished Song," which dates back to "Styx II." Great melody, and tastefully deployed Mellotron, which is something Styx only used on the TSIR album if I'm not mistaken. It's heard on The Grove of Eglantine (you know, the song that's about a woman's vagina), Young Man, As Bad As This, and near the ending of Jonas Psalter. Fun stuff! Oh, and I totally agree that "Equinox" is a kick-ass album from start to finish.

[Bigpicturekeys]

No, I don't think he ever expressed an angst over that. To tell the truth, Styx rarely came up in any discussions. At the time we were a Genesis cover band and he would help us with our
sound at clubs from time to time. I was one of those personality types that tried not to intrude on encounters with someone I thought was famous!

[DaleGtr]

No, I don't think he ever expressed an angst over that. To tell the truth, Styx rarely came up in any discussions. At the time we were a Genesis cover band and he would help us with our
sound at clubs from time to time. I was one of those personality types that tried not to intrude on encounters with someone I thought was famous!

Interesting. JC was a sound man for at least a while. He ran sound for a friend's band on a few occasions. Of course, naturally, I brought up the whole Styx thing to my friend. He said he was way too polite to bring that up as he sensed it was a sore spot with JC and that he wasn't fond of his split from the band.

[Rand Kelly]

[QUOTE=roddenberry;22005]Wow! Color me ignorant... I admit I am not well versed in the Styx discography... but I thought I was familiar with all of their stuff, and I swear that I *never* have heard or seen this album! I own the vinyls of Styx 2, Equinox, Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, Pieces of 8, Cornerstore and Paradise Theatre, and I believe I also have the Mr Roboto live double LP somewhere, but that "Serpent Rising" album must have been really really obscure, I took a listen to that song featured above and never recall hearing it. I wasn't aware of this "false start" era of the band...

Is there a box set featuring these early "gems" ?

Cornerstore? I'm guessing you meant Cornerstone.(never a fave,but has it's moments.)

[Hunnibee]

Is there a box set featuring these early "gems" ?

The first four Styx albums in one set...

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Woode.../dp/B0007LLPM4

[JIF]

The first four Styx albums in one set...

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Woode.../dp/B0007LLPM4

That has already been mentioned several times in this thread.

[Hunnibee]

That has already been mentioned several times in this thread.

I'm merely answering a question.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Had to dig up this thread cause it made me put my LP of Styx II on CDR

Not a great album... only Fugue/Father and A Day are great. With Lady and You Need Love being decent tunes
so, only 4 tunes worth listening to really

Equinox is a different story... great one that!

[JIF]

Had to dig up this thread cause it made me put my LP of Styx II on CDR

Not a great album... only Fugue/Father and A Day are great. With Lady and You Need Love being decent tunes
so, only 4 tunes worth listening to really

Equinox is a different story... great one that!

I've always liked this song.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

JIF; good music but the vocals completely render it unlistenable for me

but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that section in A Day where they switch to 21/8 time for 4 bars

[BravadoNJ]

John Curulewski quit the band on the eve of the Equinox tour. he just didn't like touring. Tommy Shaw actually joined the band for that tour.

[JIF]

John Curulewski quit the band on the eve of the Equinox tour. he just didn't like touring. Tommy Shaw actually joined the band for that tour.

That is well known. Actually, on Behind The Music, JY said that John clashed with Dennis, and that's why he left. He didn't like Dennis's dominance over the band.

[Werbinox]

I enjoy all 4 Wooden Nickel releases. The weakest of the bunch, to me, is Man of Miracles.

[Sunhillow]

Wow! Color me ignorant... I admit I am not well versed in the Styx discography... but I thought I was familiar with all of their stuff, and I swear that I *never* have heard or seen this album! I own the vinyls of Styx 2, Equinox, Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, Pieces of 8, Cornerstore and Paradise Theatre, and I believe I also have the Mr Roboto live double LP somewhere, but that "Serpent Rising" album must have been really really obscure, I took a listen to that song featured above and never recall hearing it. I wasn't aware of this "false start" era of the band...

Is there a box set featuring these early "gems" ?

Robert

I call you ignorant

Here's a couple of site that might help you in the future, building a libary:

www.progarchives.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.google.com

[JIF]

JIF; good music but the vocals completely render it unlistenable for me

but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that section in A Day where they switch to 21/8 time for 4 bars

What is your beef with the vocals?

[Adrian]

Always liked "As Bad As This." "Plexiglas Toilet" is hilarious. "Krakatoa" and the "Halleljuah Chorus" thing can be pretty spine-tingling when I'm in the right mood. The rest of it I can take or leave.

[sotdude]

I also quite like those first 4 albums. Yeah, they had their share of clunkers on them, but some really good hard rock & prog to be found on them as well. Listening to Styx I as we speak and rocking out to the crunchy riffs & nasty organ of "Quick is the Beat of My Heart"