Posted on 11/16/2024 11:31:00 AM PST by DallasBiff
It took the members of Styx 35 years to come to terms with a song that tore the 1970s rockers apart at the seams.
But last year, James “JY” Young, Tommy Shaw and the rest of the band started playing “Mr. Roboto” again in its entirety.
It came down to the fans.
Whenever they bought a T-shirt from the concert merchandise booth or passed the lighting console within earshot of the longtime lighting director, fans would bemoan the fact that the band skipped the song.
“The merch guy who’s worked with us for years selling t-shirts got five to 10 people a night asking for the song,” Young said during a phone call last week to talk about the band’s show Thursday, July 25, at Tucson Music Hall.
(Excerpt) Read more at tucson.com ...
Ugghh…that one and the awful Mariah Carey one. 😫
Steve Hackett solo is better than anything he ever did with others.
The music industry had seen listeners get upset before. Some fans of Bob Dylan threw a fit when he "went electric" at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Management had to send someone up to the microphone to placate the audience as though they were children. "Don't worry. It's okay. Bobby's getting his acoustic guitar."
https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/the-controversy-behind-bob-dylans-electric-set-at-newport-folk-festival/
Pink Floyd's "Wall" was built on stage between them and the audience. The band was appalled at how the audiences were escaping from reality. They commented among themselves that they would love to play on stage without having to witness it.
The Kinks also called it in 1978 with "A Rock and Roll Fantasy".
...
There's a guy on my block, he lives for rock
He plays records day and night
And when he feels down, he puts some rock 'n' roll on
And it makes him feel all right
And when he feels the world is closing in
He turns his stereo way up high
He just spends his life, living in a rock 'n' roll fantasy
He just spends his life, living on the edge of reality
He just spends his life, living in a rock 'n' roll fantasy
...
Dan is a fan and he lives for our music
It's the only thing that gets him by
He's watched us grow and he's seen all our shows
He's seen us low and he's seen us high
Oh, but you and me keep thinking
That the world's just passing us by
Don't want to spend my life, living in a rock 'n' rol fantasy
Don't want to spend my life, living on the edge of reality
Don't want to waste my life, hiding away anymore
Don't want to spend my life, living in a rock 'n' roll fantasy
Awesome!!
Dennis has kept busy but is on hiatus as of now. Here are 2 of his latest songs, a hard rocker blasting the media called “With all Due Respect”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFy4hB8EnVU
here returning to his Program Rock roots. “Isle of Misanthrope”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Lsbj3TpuM
I think that Slick did the song just so people would forget this solo effort from a year earlier;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c8hPex4IOc
I’ve always disliked that one. But, I’ve also never been much of a Styx fan, when anyone else was watching. There’s an episode of “That 70s Show” specifically about closet Styx fandom, and I laugh pretty hard every time. The album the Eric character touts is “Paradise Theater” — when that one came out, the record stores around here wound up using stacks of the LPs to stand in for missing table legs. :^)
Oh wait, no, the episode uses “Grand Illusion”.
Whoa, that was shocking, and a poor attempt to capture the vibe of Alice Cooper’s “Clones”….I think…I don’t know what I watched there, I am perplexed.
Tommy Shaw’s work with these kids was just great! I wonder if he still does any of it?
The construction and performance of Mr. Roboto is (was) just fine. As a standalone tune, the lyrics are kind of interesting. But, making the whole stage show about it was a big mistake.
Most of Paradise Theater is so-so, but, it DOES have “Snowblind” on it. That song alone is worth more than most entire albums.
Minus “Please Don’t Ask”, Duke is a fantastic album. Heathaze is one of my favorite Genesis songs.
—
Yes, I love Duke. “Duke’s Travels” is a masterpiece, demonstrating that Tony Banks is one of the best at the keyboards. Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson and Tony Banks.
Now, I’m a jet fuel genius - I can solve the world’s problems,
without even trying.
I got dozens of friends and the fun never ends,
that is, as long as I’m buying.
Is it any wonder I’m not the president.
Is it any wonder I’m null and void?
“Too Much Time On My Hands,” Styx, Paradise Theater.
“If ‘Flock of Seagulls’ or ‘Devo’ wrote and performed “Mr. Roboto”, Styx fans would have no issue with it.“
Right. it would have seemed in “character” for those groups. I was at a friends house, passing thru the TV room where his teenage daughter was watching MTV. She was excited and grabbed me and said “Look at this, isn’t this cool”? I couldn’t believe it was Styx. A true WTH moment for me.
Yeah, All I want for Christmas is You...
Who knew you could get so many syllables out of every. single. word?
Muskrat love
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