Kilroy Was Here (album)
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| Kilroy Was Here | ||||
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| Studio album by Styx | ||||
| Released | February 28, 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 at Pumpkin Studios, Oak Lawn, Illinois | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, pop rock, rock | |||
| Length | 40:41 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Styx | |||
| Styx chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Rolling Stone | link |
 This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. |
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Kilroy Was Here is the eleventh album, a rock opera/concept album by the rock band Styx, released on February 28, 1983. The title comes from a famous World War II graffiti "Kilroy was here".
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[edit] Background
"Kilroy Was Here" was conceived by lead singer Dennis DeYoung as an album and accompanying stage show, which opened with a short film of the same name. While the supporting tour was a financial disaster, the album sold over 2 million copies and peaked at #3 in the US.
The album's somewhat rock-operatic story tells of a future where rock music is outlawed by a fascist government and the "MMM (the Majority for Musical Morality)". The story's protagonist, Kilroy, is a former rock star who has been imprisoned by MMM leader Dr. Righteous. He escapes using a disguise (according to the album's famous song "Mr. Roboto") when he becomes aware that a young musician, Jonathan Chance, is on a mission to bring rock music back.
The album spawned two hit singles, "Mr. Roboto" and "Don't Let It End".
[edit] Music video
Three of the four videos for the album - "Mr. Roboto", "Don't Let It End", and "Heavy Metal Poisoning" - were filmed at the same time and used footage from the minifilm. A fourth video, "Haven't We Been Here Before", was filmed a few months after the album was released; it did not interact with the album's story.
[edit] Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mr. Roboto" | DeYoung | 5:28 |
| 2. | "Cold War" | Shaw | 4:27 |
| 3. | "Don't Let It End" | DeYoung | 4:56 |
| 4. | "High Time" | DeYoung | 4:33 |
| 5. | "Heavy Metal Poisoning" | Young | 4:57 |
| 6. | "Just Get Through This Night" | Shaw | 6:06 |
| 7. | "Double Life" | Young | 3:46 |
| 8. | "Haven't We Been Here Before" | Shaw | 4:06 |
| 9. | "Don't Let It End (Reprise)" | DeYoung | 2:22 |
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Total length:
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40:41 | ||
[edit] Personnel
- Styx
- Dennis DeYoung - keyboards, vocals as Kilroy
- Chuck Panozzo - bass, vocals as Lt. Vanish
- John Panozzo - drums, vocals as Colonel Hyde
- Tommy Shaw - guitar, vocals as Jonathan Chance
- James Young - guitar, vocals as Dr. Righteous
- Additional personnel
- Dan Barber - horn
- Steve Eisen - saxophone
- Mike Halpin - horn
- Michael Mossman - horn
- Mark Ohlson - horn
- Production
- Arranged & Produced By Styx
- Engineers: Gary Loizzo, Will Rascati, Rob Kingsland
- Apprentice engineer: Jim Popko
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Pop Albums | 3 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Don't Let It End" | Adult Contemporary | 13 |
| 1983 | "Don't Let It End" | Pop Singles | 6 |
| 1983 | "High Time" | Pop Singles | 48 |
| 1983 | "Mr. Roboto" | Pop Singles | 3 |
| 1983 | "Mr. Roboto" | Mainstream Rock | 3 |
