Best of Styx (1975)
1.You Need Love
2.Lady
3.I'm Gonna Make You Feel It
4.What Has Come Between Us
5.Southern Woman
6.Rock and Roll Feeling
7.Winner Take All
8.Best Thing
9.Witch Wolf
10.The Grove of Eglantine
11.Man of Miracles
Not to be confused with Greatest Hits, which Styx released in 1995, Best of Styx is instead a rehash of material from the band’s first, and far inferior, label: Wooden Nickel. Its release had little to do with musical intent and everything to do with cashing in on the band’s subsequent mainstream success. The strategy worked. Confused parents and well-meaning relatives picked this up thinking they were doing a real solid for the Styx fan in the family.
Of course, the only true hit here is Lady—and even that success came in spite of Wooden Nickel, not because of it. If we’re being generous, Best Thing and You Need Love barely nudged their way into the Top 100, which hardly counts as chart domination. The rest of the compilation is a fair, if unremarkable, cross-section of their Wooden Nickel years, offering a mixture of ballads and rockers that show a band still trying to find itself.
Thankfully, there are no John Curulewski lead vocals to suffer through. Instead, it’s Dennis DeYoung and James “JY” Young sharing vocal duties—something that would eventually come to define the band’s personality. And there is at least a bit of stylistic breadth on display. Witch Wolf and Southern Woman showcase the band’s harder edge, while more melodic cuts like What Has Come Between Us and The Grove of Eglantine offer a glimpse at the softer, more theatrical approach DeYoung would refine in years to come.
If you already own the first four albums, there’s nothing here that warrants a separate purchase. Conversely, if you happen to own this compilation, you can safely skip those early albums altogether. Either way, Best of Styx is a passable summary of a band still learning to walk, with their breakout years just around the corner.
Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review