Styx - Brave New World

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Music reviews of Brave New World

Music Review: Older and Wiser. (really a 3.5 star review.)
Rating: 3 Stars

For one thing, it doesn't really sound like Styx. In itself, that doesn't bother me. They've always been diverse and experimental, and I'd rather they tried something new than rehash old news. But I'm trying to get a consistent grasp on where they are trying to go and I just can't seem to get it. I think the fact is that they've been out evolving since 1983, with one brief contact in 1990. Now we get the total new picture in one big dose instead of having had the chance to listen along with the evolution. Certainly, they have not been idle, and we've heard plenty of Tommy in Damn Yankees and everyone's had solo projects. But each of these guys has an interesting side that they only put forward when playing together.... it doesn't come out when they write with non-stygians. We're seeing that for the first time in 9, 9, and 16 years respectively for DDY, JY, and Tommy. And it's just..... different.

As usual with a band that experiments a bit, there are some things on this disc that work REALLY well, and then there are some things that make me say, "PLEASE don't play this on the tour!". And I think that my greatest disappointment is that, out of Dennis De Young's 5 tracks, I only like 2 of them. "Goodbye Roseland" is very Broadway-ish, which is par for DDY, but this tune is just a little too sing-songy for me to get into. I can only assume that "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" was written on a dare, after losing a bet, while drunk. It is subtitled "hip-hop-cracy" (hipocracy). That should tell you where it goes musically. "Great Expectations" just doesn't seem to fit anywhere. It's sort of a jazz-reggae hybrid that never seems to resolve. Its lyrics are straddling the line between "clever" and "annoying". DDY's highlight on this disc is "Fallen Angel" which has some serious substance. A fairly rockin' blues shuffle with lots of piano and a nod to Broadway. This tune could have benefitted from a more liberal mix - the guitars really need to be a little tougher. "While We Still Have Time" (I think that's the title..) is classic DDY in his standard ballad form, and this is probably the only tune on the disc that sounds like, "Good Ol' Styx". Though it's not exactly "Lady", this tune definitely outclasses the schmaltz of "Babe" and other Cornerstone-era stuff.

On the other hand, Tommy Shaw and JY shine on this disc. Although the mix is somewhat conservative with the guitars, this CD sports some of the most aggressive playing ever heard from Styx. The opening track, "I Will Be Your Witness" might cause you to wonder if you accidentally picked up "The Back Street Boys"... It's a pretty good R&B tune, but it will knock you off balance the first time through. I'm actually impressed with how authentic the vocals sound on this. Once you get by that track, the rest of the disc is a pretty good rock 'n roll power play. Highlights include: The spooky-yet- anthemic title track, the big arena rock of "What Have They Done to You?", the classic rock power of "Everything is Cool", and the challenging groove of "Heavy Water". These tunes follow up the new, aggressive sound they began with "Little Susie", created on the Return to Paradise tour, and they don't disappoint. The jury's still out on "Number One", and "Best Face". These are a bit experimental, and while not disasters, move into territory that I don't think Styx was meant to explore. "Number One" in particular flirts with grunge, and that just ain't them! "Just Fell In" is the only serious disappointment from Shaw. This should be a B side to a 45' that didn't make the cut of the album! It's just plain silly..... like.... on par with "Love Potion #9". Unfortunately, it's a tune that I suspect they'll take on tour.

All in all, I must say that Styx definitely still "HAS IT!" although I'm not always sure WHAT they still have. Vocally, they are only improving with time. Tommy seems to have more range than ever. Dennis is getting a little rough around the edges, but it gives him a more mature feel. JY's voice is MUCH warmer than it used to be. This is probably the first Styx project on which I enjoy his leads. He also seems to have a greater portion of the lead vocals than he used to, which is appropriate at this stage of the game. Todd Sucherman is as powerful a drummer as John Panozzo was and (dare I say it!?) he probably has a tastier groove. And even though the bass has always been a backseat instrument in Styx, Chuck is grooving pretty tightly these days as well. If this disc is any indicator, they still have a few more strong albums in them. Now if they can just increase their output rate to slightly more than 1 every 9 years........ And if they can get their songwriting back up to a more consistent quality, we just might get another "Grand Illusion" out of these boys yet. Oh yeah- and turn the guitars up a couple notches next time!

Description of Brave New World

Classic Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Hard Rock & Metal
• Pop
• Rock