Styx - The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live (Blu-ray)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 10:51PM 
Following in the latest trend of bands performing their greatest albums in their entirety, the boys of Styx have made a fine concert flick.Over the last few years many classic bands have gone on tour playing their classic albums in their entirety. Priest did it with British Steel a few years back and Def Leppard did it with High and Dry, but neither band has done two classic albums back to back until Styx. In 2010 Styx went on tour playing 2 of their biggest albums, The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight, in their entirety and it is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. It is bold for a band to go out and play a classic album, but to do 2 back to back, is unheard of. The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight tour is a rare moment that may not be repeated again, thank goodness it was released on this memorable DVD.
This is a solid show showing Styx at the top of their game. Usually, an undertaking like this, would be career suicide, unless the original members are still in tact. Yeah the faces have changed, but the band still sounds awesome. Gowan does a nice job sitting in for the long departed Dennis Deyoung. The only two original members left in the band are James Young and Tommy Shaw, but for this live show, the guys brought back original bassist Chuck Panozzo, which was a treat. Too bad they are still at odds with Deyoung, because that would had made for an awesome performance. That being said, the current band kicks ass and the original guys weren't missed, unless you are looking for nostalgia. The show is shot as a film and not as a video. The picture is crisp and the sound is dead on. A solid watch from start to finish. Nice to see the band can still kick it this good live.
Bottom Line: Styx pushing the envelope by playing two classic albums back to back. The band execute them with ease and put on a hell of a show. Let's all be thankful there was not Mr. Roboto.
-Ragman is thinking he might check out Styx, the next time they come through town.
DVD Reviews
Reader Comments (1)
Technically Tommy Shaw is not an original member he replaced original guitarist/vocalist guitarist John Curulewski on the Crysta Ball album. If you ever buy the Wooden Nickel collection those are the 4 albums prior to Tommys entrance. Very much more Prog rock. Sadly I am sick of Gowan now and yearn for DDY return. I watched a Retro Rewind interview with DDY and he really bashed the VH1 show. He said there was problems but that show really added fuel. In fact the interviewer points out they went to STYX and got there story then to Dennis and back to Styx. You can tell because Tommy had a beard in the first and clean shaven in the second.