Classics (1987)
1.Babe
2.Blue Collar Man
3.Come Sail Away
4.Crystal Ball
5.Fooling Yourself
6.Light Up
7.Mr. Roboto
8.Renegade
9.The Best of Times
10.Don't Let It End
11.The Grand Illusion
12.Suite Madame Blue
13.Too Much Time On My Hands
14.Miss America
Like its predecessor, Caught In The
Act, this one has been made almost obsolete by latter improvements on a different release. I'm
not even sure if this one is still in print. In 1987, Styx was definitely in semi-retirement. At the
same time, their record label was celebrating its 25th anniversary. A&M records then issued several
greatest hits packages by its most celebrated acts and Styx was one of them. The compact disc revolution
was just starting into full swing at this time and this was a great way for fans (who might have been
too cost conscience to buy all their old albums on cd) to have a greatest hits package.
When Styx released their Greatest Hits album in 1995, it rendered this one almost
useless. The newer release was featured with basically the same package yet with small (but highly
significant) improvements. For starters, the Greatest Hits package was
digitally remastered (whatever that really means) and was able to feature Show Me The Way which
would become Styx's only major hit post 1983. A&M was also not able to secure the rights to Lady
that was released on their first record label, so that one was also painfully absent on this compilation. Then, if you want
to get picky, we have Light Up represented here, rather than the far superior Lorelei,
(both were from 1975's Equinox) which
many are convinced was a fluke. The live version of "Miss America" is here rather than the
studio version, which may or may not be an improvement, depending on your tastes. And for some reason, the
biggest Styx fan favorite Come Sail Away has about thirty seconds chopped of the end. Why?
Unless your a collector, this disc, like many of their cheesy compilations in the latter years should not
really even be bothered wtih. As stated earlier though, it was a great joy to have at the time, and like the
cheesy compilations years later, you don't have sufficient evidence to accuse anyone of exploitation.
Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review