Near the end of their career, Styx tried to experiment with their music, which is always dangerous for a long-established group, since their existing fans may feel betrayed and the genre they are trying to break into either reviles their music or doesn't recognize what they are trying to do. "Kilroy Was Here", from which "Mr. Roboto" was taken, was such an experiment. "Kilroy Was Here" was a concept album that told a story. I think that had Styx been a new group, the album may have worked. However, many longtime Styx fans felt betrayed by an album that appeared to diverge from Styx' traditional music. This album marked the end or the beginning of the end for a monster group that had churned out so many good songs.

Styx had one more album release in 1990, "Edge of the Century", which yielded one top 40 song, "Show Me the Way." This CD also has a re-recorded version of "Lady" done in 1995.

This CD captures many of Styx' better moments. I'm not sure that all of the songs on the CD are "greatest hits," but certainly they are representative of Styx from the beginning of their career to the end. I would suggest that if you like this CD and Styx that you should augment this CD with "Paradise Theater" and "The Grand Illusion," both of which represent Styx at their pop peak. Furthermore, "Kilroy Was Here" is a good album, but you must like that album for itself and not as another Styx album in the tradition of "Grand Illusion" or "Paradise Theater", because it is not either. I've seen some recommendations that "Pieces of Eight" is also an essential Styx CD, and it is rated 5 stars on Amazon.com.

Some call the songs on this CD glam-rock. I guess I don't know the definition of glam-rock. I consider many of these songs to still have an edge to them. As an example, "Miss America" is a rocking song. "Crystal Ball" and "Renegade" are a couple more rockers on this CD. There are other fast-paced songs, but they are more pop, such as "Fooling Yourself" and "Lorelei".

I would ignore the criticism of Styx if you are a fan of Styx. They created their own style of music, which added, not subtracted, from rock music. They didn't try to be like anyone else. I think most groups, including Styx, would rather be thought of as creating their own genre rather than fitting into an existing genre. I think in many ways they did exactly that. In the process they created detractors. Oh well. There will always be someone out there who wants to denigrate someone successful. If you like what you've heard of Styx' music, and are looking for a good sample of their career, this is the CD. Enjoy!


Incredibly strong, massive sound.   December 12, 2000
Eric V. Moye (New York, by way of Dallas)
34 out of 36 found this review helpful

Styx had an incredibly distinctive sound now some twenty years ago. This album, was aptly titled and has all their hits. Included is "Lady" (more on that though, in a moment), "Too Much Time", "Babe" and my two favorites, their two signature songs (to me, that is) being "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" and "Come Sail Away" . They are all well reproduced, and inside a set of headphones will fill up your head with great music.

My only complaint? Their first hit "Lady" is included as not as the original, but as a re-recorded version. The differences are subtle, but throw it off for me just a tad. That is not enough of a reason to dog this album out, though. Ought to be an Amazon Essential!


GREAT CD GREAT MOST UNDERATED BAND   November 19, 1999
jim goldman (Uvalde, Texas United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Excellent music from one of the greatest and by far the most underated bands of all time. Great song by a great band. All of their A&M and CMC albums are classics. The only album that I have heard that is better than the Grand Illusion, Paradise Theatre, or Pieces of Eight is Seven Deadly Zens (Import). Tommy Shaw has written & sung a classic for all times. CMC should have broke the bank to promote this. It truly would have put them on the map. Its not too late CMC, remember the song Lady? People who dont even like Styx, will still love this CD. Thanks for the great music Styx! Thank you even more Tommy!


What can I say? 5 Stars just isn't enough...   January 3, 2001
Jeff Edwards (Twin Falls, Idaho)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Despite all of the problems that Dennis DeYoung had with the other members of Styx (he was formally kicked out last year) there is NO DOUBT that these guys have produced some of the best songs of the past 25 years. From their Grammy winning 'Babe' to what has GOT to be one of their greatest efforts, 'Come Sail Away' Styx just could do NO WRONG during the latter part of the 70's and early 80's. They were selling out everywhere they went and aside from the abysmal 'Mr Roboto' tour (imagine rock music inter-connected with a terrible Shakespear-type acting play and you get the idea of what the concert was like--simply aweful) you could just count on hearing one of their tunes on the radio quite regularly. This CD has just about everything that made Styx so dog-gone great: Ballads, Rock tunes and a few in-between numbers.

Dennis' voice is one of the best in the past two decades to hit radio, and Tommy Shaw ain't half bad either--and together they have written some of the most catchy songs you will ever hear. The themed album 'Paradise Theatre' has GOT to be a MUST HAVE for any die-hard Styx fan, and despite the truly horrific 'Mr Roboto' Tour, the album on the other hand was really pretty good. But you don't NEED to grab all of their albums in order to hear the cream of the crop...if you manage to purchase THIS CD you will own the absolute BEST OF THE BEST songs these guys produced, and that is saying a LOT, trust me. Catchy guitar riffs and likeable lyrics have propelled these guys a long way, and I have my doubts as to how well they will be received without Dennis (I wouldn't want to see Styx with him, would YOU?) there is NO doubt that this particular collection of hits is quite honestly VERY MUCH WORTH the price. Buy it. Unwrap it. Enjoy. Listen and Repeat.


Styx--Rock's most underrated and undervalued band--Rules   June 9, 1999
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I am so very sorry that a band that writes songs of a positive nature that are filled with hope and inspiration offends so many people. But whether you like it or not, that hope gave them 4 consecutive triple platinum albums. As vocalists, the singers in Styx are unmatched. With three lead vocalists with totally different styles, Styx sung some of the greatest harmonies of the era. And as far as musicianship goes, let me ask you, how many keyboard players out there can play the solo at the end of Fooling Yourself played by Dennis DeYoung?? I thought so:) Blue Collar Man and Renegade only begin to show the guitar shredding capabilities of James Young and Tommy Shaw. For those who call their lyrics tripe, listen to songs like "The Grand Illusion", "Rockin' The Paradise", "Queen Of Spades". For those who hate ballads, you should check out albums like, Equinox, Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, Pieces Of Eight. Though many of their hits were ballads, most of their songs were rock oriented with art-rock, progressive flavoring. But as for the comment about "Babe". It was a song Dennis wrote to his wife about missing her when he is on the road. Oh God, an honest song, by a man that is devoted to his wife. How awful and threatening.