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poltr128 years ago today, on 7/7/77, the Chicago-based rock group Styx released their 7th album: The Grand Illusion.
I had already been somewhat familiar with Styx. My favorite top-40 radio station at the time -- WKBW, or KB for short -- played "Lady" in the late winter/early spring on '75. And album rock station WPHD played "Mademoiselle" in '76.
The first single I remember hearing from the album was "Come Sail Away". I was at a cabin in a Boy Scout camp (Harter Cabin in Camp Schoellkopf) one weekend in November '77 and one of the guys brought a radio. The tune came on, and one of the guys tried to shush everyone since he loved the tune as well. I loved it too, especially the cosmic French horn solo in the middle of the tune.
I didn't hear the entire album until the following spring, when a friend from my English class loaned it to me. I'm fuzzy on the details as to when, but I remember reading The Fellowship of the Ring in my basement and hearing "Castle Walls" one Saturday afternoon. It might have been the spring of '78, or possibly the fall of '77.
And I discovered that the solo wasn't a French horn at all; it was something called an "ARP Odyssey". Which led to my growing interest in synthesizers. One schoolmate of mine at the time dismissed synths, saying "They aren't that great". (Compared to the ones available now, yes, that's correct, but they didn't have digital technology and inexpensive polyphonic keyboards in the late '70s.)
Grand Illusion was one of the first albums I ever bought. I remember staring at the Hipgnosis cover, trying to figure out the optical illusion of the horse walking through the trees, and the eyes ni the background staring at me. And reading the liner notes, and finding the 24" x 24" poster of the band, folded up inside the album. (With CDs, there's less space to use for lyrics and artwork.)
I remember hearing some Styx interviews on the radio, including one that covered the history of the band. I wanted to hear more of their music, so I borrowed Equinox and Crystal Ball next. And I got hooked on the band. Soon thereafter, I got "the message" -- the social commentary they were making with their music, that there are so many things out there that are really facades -- a neighbor who has it made, being a rock star, being Miss America.
The band stayed together until around 1984, when they broke up. They reformed in 1990, and have since replaced a couple of members.
Even after all this time, it's been one of my all-time favorite albums. "Fooling Yourself" has become one of my favorite pick-me-up songs. (Plus it has an excellent synth solo in the middle! I often play air synth to it.)
I had already been somewhat familiar with Styx. My favorite top-40 radio station at the time -- WKBW, or KB for short -- played "Lady" in the late winter/early spring on '75. And album rock station WPHD played "Mademoiselle" in '76.
The first single I remember hearing from the album was "Come Sail Away". I was at a cabin in a Boy Scout camp (Harter Cabin in Camp Schoellkopf) one weekend in November '77 and one of the guys brought a radio. The tune came on, and one of the guys tried to shush everyone since he loved the tune as well. I loved it too, especially the cosmic French horn solo in the middle of the tune.
I didn't hear the entire album until the following spring, when a friend from my English class loaned it to me. I'm fuzzy on the details as to when, but I remember reading The Fellowship of the Ring in my basement and hearing "Castle Walls" one Saturday afternoon. It might have been the spring of '78, or possibly the fall of '77.
And I discovered that the solo wasn't a French horn at all; it was something called an "ARP Odyssey". Which led to my growing interest in synthesizers. One schoolmate of mine at the time dismissed synths, saying "They aren't that great". (Compared to the ones available now, yes, that's correct, but they didn't have digital technology and inexpensive polyphonic keyboards in the late '70s.)
Grand Illusion was one of the first albums I ever bought. I remember staring at the Hipgnosis cover, trying to figure out the optical illusion of the horse walking through the trees, and the eyes ni the background staring at me. And reading the liner notes, and finding the 24" x 24" poster of the band, folded up inside the album. (With CDs, there's less space to use for lyrics and artwork.)
I remember hearing some Styx interviews on the radio, including one that covered the history of the band. I wanted to hear more of their music, so I borrowed Equinox and Crystal Ball next. And I got hooked on the band. Soon thereafter, I got "the message" -- the social commentary they were making with their music, that there are so many things out there that are really facades -- a neighbor who has it made, being a rock star, being Miss America.
The band stayed together until around 1984, when they broke up. They reformed in 1990, and have since replaced a couple of members.
Even after all this time, it's been one of my all-time favorite albums. "Fooling Yourself" has become one of my favorite pick-me-up songs. (Plus it has an excellent synth solo in the middle! I often play air synth to it.)
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Date: 2005-07-08 03:01 am (UTC)My ex, who I met in 1984, absolutely hated Styx, and I stopped listening. I still have the vinyl, and could concievably get my old stereo up and running to play it.