Styx
The Grand Illusion

THE REVIEW

In the second half of the '70s, Styx, after a faltering start to their career with consistently unconvincing works, carved out their slice of glory by producing a handful of qualitatively valid albums. This is one of them; and, according to some, it might be the best, if nothing else for the sales figures it achieved.

Let's be clear right away that this is not one of those albums that will make you shout for a miracle: it's not revolutionary, it's not epoch-making, and, most importantly, it's not a masterpiece; it is simply an excellent pomp rock album that follows the path already traced by other bands of that era (Kansas above all). Especially for lovers of the genre, I consider it an album worth spending money on. I'll cut to the chase and avoid bringing up the usual argument of how this was an underrated band and all that: the truth is that in Italy there has never been a real and healthy rock culture; therefore, like others, they are not and will never be appreciated. That's all.

Getting to the point, the work in question is inspired by themes of ambiguity, false myths: illusions, indeed. The opening title track is a rich appetizer for what will be served to us later: majestic with its almost military march, it is the right introduction to review songs that are never boring and predictable, perhaps related by similarity, but never repetitive; calibrated just enough, without frills and unnecessary individualism, they sometimes seem almost tailor-made for two voices, similar in timbre, that always interpret the changing atmospheres at their best (Dennis DeYoung, keyboards and Tommy Shaw, guitars). If the subsequent "Fooling Yourself" and "Superstars" are melodies unraveled over a guitar and keyboard sound carpet where the chorus reaches the right effectiveness in the context, almost evoking the great rock/musical works born in those years, "Come Sail Away" becomes the band's emblematic piece, the battle horse of live shows. After the initial voice and piano phrasing, the speed increases and the rest of the group joins until they reach the right level with the usual chorus that sticks in your mind and, whether you want it or not, you find yourself humming when you least expect it.

The mocking and harsh voice of the other guitarist, James Young, is entrusted with "Miss America", a piece of true hard rock where, once again, guitar and keyboard intertwine, chase but do not hinder each other. It is precisely the arrangements of this album that make the difference and allow for a qualitative leap. "Man in the Wilderness" is a power ballad with a bittersweet taste, pervaded by a melancholic and twilight choral interpretation; just like "Castle Walls", the piece that I consider best, where the instrumental part prevails over the vocal one, which is rightly brief and relegated to the initial and final part of a performance where the rhythm changes, though never overwhelming, add that extra touch, in my opinion, compared to the other tracks. The pace has slowed down. But there's no time for handkerchiefs: the conclusion (The Grand Finale, rightly) is the natural continuation of the initial The Grand Illusion, to end the "story" by bringing us, with bass drum hits, back to where it all began.