Saturday, April 28, 2012: Styx - The Best of Times

I have a love/hate relationship with Styx.

When I was in high school, I loved them. I loved the musicianship, the harmonies, and all their album art. I learned to draw the Styx logo from memory. I drew it on my Pee-Chee folder big and bold, and got flack from some stoner in chemistry class who loved Motley Crue and shouted "STYX? STYX ARE FAGS!" to the whole class.

I didn't care.

As I grew older I started to look beyond the musicianship and the harmonies to the endless schmaltz, the cliched lyrics, the overcooked showmanship, and I disavowed any love for the group. I had matured in my musical tasted. I moved on to better things.

Now, in the mid-point of my life, I'm reevaluating Styx once more. I'm beginning to appreciate the whole picture, the big and the small with this group. Yes, most of their songs are overdramatic, but there is a sincerity there that many miss. Yes, Dennis DeYoung's vocals often try way too hard and get bogged down in their own fight to fly. But, again, when all the voices come together, they sing chords I can only dream of. 

And besides, schmaltz isn't always bad. Lady is a great example. Or this song. 

Are these the best of times? Who knows. Many lament the fading of the past, many are glad to see it go. Today we have war, poverty, starvation and emptiness, but our world has had all those things before. Forever before in fact.

Whatever we have, and whatever happens, I believe we'll always have Styx around. And maybe that's not a bad thing.