Pieces of Eight
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| Pieces of Eight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Styx | ||||
| Released | September 1, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 at Paragon Recording Studios, St. James Cathedral Chicago | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 42:18 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Styx | |||
| Styx chronology | ||||
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Pieces of Eight is the eighth studio album and second concept album by Styx, released September 1, 1978.
The album was the band's follow-up to their Triple Platinum selling The Grand Illusion album.
The band members produced the album and recorded it (like their previous three efforts) at Paragon Studios in Chicago with recording engineer Barry Mraz and mixing engineer Rob Kingsland. "I'm O.K" was recorded at Paragon and St. James Cathedral. This would be the last album to be produced at Paragon Studios.
The theme of the album, as Dennis DeYoung explained on In the Studio with Redbeard which devoted an entire episode to Pieces of Eight, was about "not giving up your dreams just for the pursuit of money and material possessions".
Eight of the album's ten tracks have vocals, and it features two instrumentals, the DeYoung synthesizer showcase "The Message" and Tommy Shaw's closing "Aku-Aku" (although for the latter, there was one lyric spoken, the title of the song). "The Message" serves as a prelude for "Lords of the Ring", and "Aku-Aku" is a postlude for "Pieces of Eight".
The album's cover was done by Hipgnosis. DeYoung stated in the same 1991 interview with Redbeard on the "In the Studio" episode that he initially hated the cover but grew to like it as he got older.
Contents |
[edit] Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C−[2] |
Mike DeGagne of Allmusic praised the album, saying that the songs on the album "rekindle some of Styx's early progressive rock sound, only cleaner."[1] Rolling Stone reviewer Lester Bangs was more critical of the album, however, saying that "What's really interesting is not that such narcissistic slop should get recorded, but what must be going on in the minds of the people who support it in such amazing numbers. Gall, nerve and ego have never been far from great rock & roll. Yet there's a thin but crucial line between those qualities and what it takes to fill arenas today: sheer self-aggrandizement on the most puerile level. If these are the champions, gimme the cripples."[3]
The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard album chart, and like its predecessor would go Triple Platinum.[citation needed]
[edit] Track listing
- "Great White Hope" (Young) – 4:22
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: James Young
- "I'm O.K." (DeYoung, Young) – 5:41
- Lead vocals, synthesizer solo and pipe organ: Dennis DeYoung
- Lead Guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Sing for the Day" (Shaw) – 4:57
- Lead vocals, mandolin, all guitars: Tommy Shaw
- "The Message" (DeYoung) – 1:08
- All synthesizers: Dennis DeYoung
- "Lords of the Ring" (DeYoung) – 4:33
- Lead vocals and middle guitar solo: JY
- Ending guitar solo: Tommy Shaw
- Synthesizer solos: Dennis DeYoung
- "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" (Shaw) – 4:05
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Queen of Spades" (DeYoung, Young) – 5:38
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
- Lead guitar: James Young
- "Renegade" (Shaw) – 4:13
- Lead vocals: Tommy Shaw
- Lead guitar: James Young
- "Pieces of Eight" (DeYoung) – 4:44
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
- Lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Aku-Aku" (instrumental) (Shaw) – 2:57
- Lead guitar and whisper chant: Tommy Shaw
[edit] Personnel
- Styx
- Dennis DeYoung – Keyboards, Synthesizers, Pipe organ, Vocals
- Chuck Panozzo – Bass, Vocals
- John Panozzo – Drums, Vocals
- Tommy Shaw – Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
- James Young – Guitar, Vocals
- Production
- Producer: Styx
- Engineers: Rob Kingsland, Barry Mraz
- Assistant Engineer: Harry Andronis
- Cover by Hipgnosis
[edit] Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Pop Albums | 6 |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" | Pop Singles | 21 |
| 1979 | "Sing for the Day" | Pop Singles | 41 |
| 1979 | "Renegade" | Pop Singles | 16 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b DeGagne, Mike. Pieces of Eight at Allmusic. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Styx". http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=styx. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Bangs, Lester (December 28, 1978). "Styx, Pieces of Eight". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5zdxfjBcE. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
