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 Styx Story Jun 10, 2008
As a fan since 1972 i thought I knew it all about Styx. The personal interviews with the managers and roadies and such enlightened me with alot more of the story.
I enjoyed learning so much about my Favorite band. I still favor the A&M years of Styx but all of the catalog is quite enjoyable.
My Thanks to the Author for all his hard work and efforts he put forth for OUR enjoyment.
I can't wait for the next book he puts forth.
A GREAT Read for the Styx Fans we all are !!!!
Fascinating Apr 14, 2008
I read this book in a matter of hours, and it's not a short book, but it was so interesting I could not put it down. It was very in-depth and straightforward, and answered a lot of questions I had about the band. Certain interviewees had their biases, but overall I thought it was very fair. Loved it.
The Best Rock Bio I've Ever Read!!! Mar 02, 2008
Sterling is one talented writer. I've read A LOT of Rock Bio's over the years covering evryone from The Beatles to Queen to Zeppelin to Bowie to the Monkees and this one tops them all. I COULD NOT put this book down. Sterling tells the back story to everything we ever expected with the Band STYX, and the book goes thru the Highs and Lows to the end of the show....The Joy, the Sorrow, the Tragic,...yet ALWAYS COMPELLING. It's sad that Styx just didn't understand how to enjoy their success when they had it, and Heart Breaking to know that the Talented Classic Lineup will never create another classic album simply because of unyielding Egos, Closed Minds & Stubborness. Perhaps their heads are in too far a different space to create another classic, But it would've been awesome to see them try. They've all had various degrees of success on their own and with the "NEW STYX", But it's obvious that the sum of the parts, or the chemistry, is much greater than the individual, no matter WHO wrote most of the hits. And Lastly, somebody PLEASE tell the wives that they aren't actually IN THE BAND!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
If you want the story this is the book Jan 18, 2008
First I have to say I appreciated Sterling autographing the book for me. I've been a Styx fan since the mid-70's and have seen them perform 8 times and DeYoung on his own once. This book really gives you the background information about what was going on behind the scenes. Interviews with band members, management, and employees of the band all combine to provide a 3D view of what it was like during the rise and fall of Styx and in many cases what the rise and fall of any band can be like. I've also read Chuck Panozzo's book and while it provides a few Styx insights, this is the book to read if you want to focus on the band and not Chuck's personal life (I also enjoyed Chuck's book, but it serves a different purpose). If you are a fan of Styx you need to read this to gain some insight into the inner workings of Styx. The only glaring omission is the lack of perspective from DeYoung himself although this isn't the fault of the author but rather DeYoung's inaccessibility.
Though Styx is still touring today it effectively ceased to exist after the last tour with DeYoung in the mid-90's. One of the great arena rock bands in our history - this book is a must read.
7 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Don't bother Jan 03, 2008
No need to buy this one. I'll sum it up for you right here. Dennis DeYoung and his wife were ego-centric control freaks; Tommy Shaw was too busy with groupies or getting high to really care; James (JY) Young considers himself a genius, but no one really ever cared what he thought; The Panozzo brothers had absolutely no say in the group at all and were just along for the ride and the paycheck. Everyone put up with DeYoung's shenanigans because he was making them all millions. After the Kilroy Was Here debacle that well appeared to be drying up pretty quick (it is very difficult to recover from Mr. Roboto) so Shaw and JY told DeYoung to get lost. Other than Shaw's marginal success with Damn Yankees, they have all been miserable failures since. The Panozzo brothers have known the most tragedy as John (the drummer) drank himself to death and Chuck (the bass player) now has AIDS.
Shaw and JY actually tour with a band they call Styx even though three fifths of the most successful lineup is not involved. You may well see them performing at a Six Flags near you this summer. They'll be the guys who are trying to look young, but who actually look really, really old. If you go on to Dennis DeYoung's website you can find out if he is available to play your birthday party or perhaps your kid's bar mitzvah.
The book was actually written by a guy who maintains a Styx website if you can believe that. The whole thing is actually very depressing. So unless you're willing to up your dose of Paxil, or Prozac, or Wellbutrin, or whatever you're taking these days, stay away from this one. Dummo origato indeed!!
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