Regeneration is not the first Styx album without founding member Dennis DeYoung, but it is the first album where they make an attempt at covering songs written by and originally sung by the former frontman.
This may turn off some long-time fans, but the infusion of Lawrence Gowan and Ricky Phillips have revived the energy and mojo that caused Rolling Stone magazine readers to crown Styx "the Best Band in the World" in 1981.
Regeneration is a seven song EP containing six re-recorded STYX classics and one brand new track, "Difference In The World".
While it is a bit disappointing that there is only one new song, the re-recording of two Denis DeYoung originals with Gowan vocals ("Grand Illusion" and "Come Sail Away") are welcome (no disrespect to Dennis) for the different spin-we also get JY's take on Lorelei.
Not sure why we needed to get Tommy doing new versions of his songs, but they're not bad, although new material would have been better.
The Grand Illusion
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
Lorelei
Sing For The Day
Crystal Ball
Come Sail Away
Difference In The World
This is a return to what made the band work early on-their sound has evolved along with the personnel changes, but they remain true to the roots of the group. Full of excessively filigreed keyboard and guitar passages and the anthemic choruses that made the band a household name in the late seventies, Regeneration proves that Styx have more than enough musical vitality to transcend their peers on the casino and county fair circuit. It's a bit pricey at $15 for only seven songs, but a necessary addition to a completist's collection.
Available at shows and at http://www.styxwrld.com/
I'm not a completist and I'm not a hardcore Styx fan so this will be easy to bypass. Seems a bit lazy to rehash their old stuff.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out and the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2011
Hear ya, Lee-if it were more reasonably priced, I'd actually recommend it.
ReplyDeleteAs you'll see if you read my reposts of my older reviews, I think bands doing covers albums are lazy. But covering yourself? That's musical sloth!
Larry
Actually I often like cover material if I adds something. Even re-covering one's own material might work if it was truly something new--but a whole collection of re-covered material. Yes, sloth. You said it.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out and the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2011