PARADISE THEATRE

By this point of time, Styx were at their creative peak of song writing and this is very obvious in this concept album... I see all those one or two stars ratings and I really freak out with this willing blindness of harsh and unfair criticism about Styx and their music... Styx as I've said in the past were not the progressive Rock band as Genesis were - and they never had any purpose or any goal to be like Genesis or Yes. Still, they were emerged from the same pot all the other bands of the 70's did and they had the same influences - more or less - as young musicians, like all the others, which influences filtered through different channels compared to Genesis or Yes or Camel... So, they should be judged by what they meant to be and not in terms of genesisology or Yesology..... As for what they meant to be they were a really fine band that sometimes produced some really excellent music which until a point of time was leaning to progressive rock territory but never got inside. Paradise Theater is one well constructed album, all songs are equally balanced in terms of quality, it has an excellent production and an unquestionable high level of musicianship. Personally, i like most, Too Much Time on My hands, The Best of Times, Snowblind and Half-Penny, Two-Penny, A.D. 1958, State Street Sadie mini suite, which closes beautifully the concept. And as a reaction to really unfair criticism I will rate this album with five stars...