MAN OF MIRACLES

The last Wooden Nickel album, 1974's rather ordinary 'Man Of Miracles' finds Styx still stuck in pop-prog limbo, unable to replicate the eclectic creativity that made 'Styx II' so impressive. Featuring a slightly streamlined variation on the theatrical rock 'n' roll style that would eventually become their trademark, this fourth Styx release offers up a group running out of ideas. Still featuring the (almost) original five-man line-up of Dennis DeYoung(vocals, keyboards), John Curulewski(guitar), Chuck Panozzo(bass), James Panozzo(drums) and James Young(guitar, vocals), 'Man Of Miracles' does at least set the stage for the group's most successful era, the album made up entirely of shorter, sharper pieces that eschew the big prog elements that defined their earlier work. However, despite the expected instrumental verve, there is a serious lack of memorable hooks or catchy melodies, with only the final title-track showing glimpses of what was to come on smash hit releases 'The Grand Illusion' and 'Pieces Of Eight'. By no means dreadful then, yet once again Styx really do flatter to deceive.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012