A Tale of Two Sides
4
By Grvc4
If half stars were allowed then Pieces of Eight would receive 3-1/2. However, I will reluctantly round up to four. The second half is so unbelievably epic, not just for Styx, but for the history of classic/prog rock. The first half is so dull and forgettable. I’ve tried over and over to get into it, but it fails to grab me.
The second half really doesn’t need much to be said for it. It speaks for itself.
Even though Renegade is perhaps a bit burnt out at this point, it is one of, if not the greatest, hard rock songs ever written. Taken purely from a musician’s standpoint, it is songwriting perfection. Unequaled in pure energy. Blue Collar Man and Queen of Spades are great songs as well. Aku-Aku is a beautiful instrumental outro.
This is the last very good Styx album. Dennis decided he wanted to be Barry Mannilow or a showtunes performer going forward beyond Pieces of Eight.
