Styx II - STYX***

You Need Love/Lady/A Day/You Better Ask/Little Fugue In G/Father OSA/Earl Of Roseland/I'm Gonna Make You Feel It

Follow up album from the American rock band Styx who would become enormously popular towards the end of the decade. Featuring a mishmash of styles it includes the US No. 6 hit single Lady. (US:20)

“The unoriginally titled Styx II features the band’s breakthrough hit Lady but other than this hit single, the style and quality of the album is nearly identical with their previous Wooden Nickel label albums. Hard rock still provides the template for most of their tracks which, with one exception, are all original material.”

“At this point in their career it sounds like Styx still had aspirations of being a prog rock band as evidenced by the two longer cuts on the album, both of which are more movement based than straightforward hard rock. The end result is another album that fails to separate them from their peer group or indicate that they would be capable of anything more than being just another rock band.”

“This one, like its predecessor, is commercial prog-rock, with a hard edge to it, and featuring their annoying use of synthesizer and falsetto vocal harmony.”

“Styx II is definitely an improvement over the previous album, and in my opinion, the best of their Wooden Nickel releases. The musicianship has grown significantly, as has the songwriting. That said, it's still a bit patchy, but then again, that's something the band never quite seemed to get over.”

“Styx II is precisely what you would expect from a band that has yet to find its signature style - a hectic mishmash of styles executed to varying degrees of success. There are a number of good tracks here, easily the most famous of which is the arena rock staple Lady.”

“Casting aside modesty and embracing bombast, Styx's manifesto is in full effect, best realized in over the top pomp-rockers like Earl Of Roseland, all racing keyboard flourishes, heavy guitars, and assertive vocals. Of course, you can't forget the pervasive Lady, overplayed for certain, but nevertheless one of the grander statements working well in the context of an album full of them.”

“This is the best of Styx's pre-stardom albums. It contains Lady, a lovely ballad that would become a delayed hit and launch the band's success.”