The Grand Illusion
 | By Styx A&M, 1990, Audio CD Customer Rating: 75 reviews Recommend |
|---|
More than two decades before it became Eric Cartman's favorite song on South Park, "Come Sail Away" was the choice of music fans with one foot in the art-rock camp and the other in Top 40 pop. The Grand Illusion straddled the seemingly divergent directions as only Styx could, laying on the pomp with layers of keyboards and high-flown lyrical conceits, yet keeping the proceedings light with hook-filled choruses and breezy melodies. Tommy Shaw's engaging "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" is the set's highlight, offering a bit of armchair psychology even as it acted as a subtle dig at the snarling punk rockers to whom Styx was anathema. James Young's "Miss America" rocks out, while Dennis DeYoung's title track reminds us that life is fleeting and illusory. Not exactly Nietzsche, but you can dance to it, sort of. — Daniel Durchholz
- The Grand Illusion
- Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) - Styx, Shaw, Tommy
- Superstars - Styx, Young, James [Styx]
- Come Sail Away
- Miss America - Styx, Young, James [Styx]
- Man in the Wilderness - Styx, Shaw, Tommy
- Castle Walls
- The Grand Finale
Title: The Grand Illusion
Sales Rank: 3869 in Music
Artist: Styx
Label: A&M, 1990-10-25, Audio CD, 1 Disc
Package Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.7 x 0.5 inches, 0.25 pounds
- A must have for your collection!
- If you don't have Styx's 1977 'The Grand Illusion' in your collection, than you are really missing out. While Styx were somewhat famous before, 'The Grand Illusion' was their breakthrough record. Songs like 'The Grand Illusion' and 'Come Sail Away' are played on classic rock radio stations all the time.
And it's… More reviews
- Good but over rated
- I bought this album when it first came out due to "Come sail Away" and I played the first side over and over and became a Styx fan. Then I subsequently purchased their other albums throughout the years and later on their CDs. I now have every album/CD of their's since the Grand Illusion. I know many Styx fans and… More reviews
- This a "must have" in your collection
- The bottom line here is this: For the non-hardcore Styx fan, all you need from Styx is the Grand Illusion and their greatest hits. That way you have their definitive work, along with "all those other songs you like". Why? Because this was Styx's near flawless album. The songwriting is very strong throughout… More reviews
- Classic and Timeless!
- As a teen, I loved this record. I went to their concerts, bought t-shirts, and wrote their names all over my folders in High School. I have always considered them one of my all-time favorite groups.
Then, with kids, the CD's we played in the car for many years revolved around music more geared to their ages. However, I am pleased to say that I now… More reviews
- The number SEVEN turns to work in Styx's favor
- Chicago based rockers Styx's seventh album entitled The Grand Illusion was released on July 7, 1977 to an unsuspecting audience in the States.
The number seven would prove to be Styx's magic number.
I first bought this album after hearing the live versions of guiatrist/singer Tommy Shaw's "Fooling Yourself" (a Top 30 hit), guitarist James "JY" Young's "Miss… More reviews
