Styx: Greatest Hits

iTunes Review

At their best, Styx combined a sweeping sense of melodrama with a grasp of meat-and-potatoes Midwestern rock. This Chicago combo connected with a huge audience in the late ‘70s, whipping up shimmering prog-rock confections that appealed to AM radio listeners and album-oriented fans alike. With Dennis DeYoung’s piercing falsetto and stirring keyboards upfront, the quintet combined the theatrical flourishes of Queen with the rich sonic layering of the Electric Light Orchestra. “Lady,” “Come Sail Away,” “Lorelei,” and the chart-topping “Babe” are lofty expressions of love built upon glimmering towers of sound. As their career progressed, Styx made forays into social commentary with “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” and incorporated techno-pop elements into their music with “Too Much Time on My Hands.” Augmented by Tommy Shaw’s bracing lead guitar, DeYoung brought an operatic urgency to showpieces like “Mr. Roboto” and Renegade.” After an initial break-up, the band returned to score hits in the ‘90s, most notably the yearning “Show Me the Way.” Ambitious, bombastic and romantic to their core, Styx offer their best moments in these tracks.