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Brave New World

Styx - Brave New World Audio CD

A fair review of the Styx "Brave New World" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Styx reviews here, or go back to the Styx tabs.

Band: Styx
Title: Brave New World
Rating:

Release Date: 1999-06-29
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: I Will Be Your Witness 2: Brave New World 3: While There's Still Time 4: Number One 5: Best New Face 6: What Have They Done To You 7: Fallen Angel 8: Everything Is Cool 9: Great Expectations 10: Heavy Water 11: High Crimes & Misdemeanors (Hip Hop-Cracy) 12: Just Fell In 13: Goodbye Roseland 14: Brave New World (Reprise)

last New CD of the Famous Styx line-up before they booted Dennis DeYoung

The CD is a bit weak, but still a good listenable CD. This was the looooooong awaited return of STYX in the studio with Dennis, Tommy and JY. . . . . . not like the crap they released since then and after firing Dennis DeYoung, the co-founder and major hit writer. . . . oh well. . . . . . egos you know.

Return to Paradise
I was in that camp. Hey I like the album (Brave New World) and gave it 5 - but compared to what?

I liked Lady - the first few times I heard it - but with Lorelei I laughed Styx off and never went back for more.
Then they got Shaw. Blue Collar Man blew me away and for the first time I became a fan. Just happens that is when they became a supergroup instead of a cult band for Lorelei types. I even liked Roboto.

And they defragmented, go figure.
For my money Return to Paradise is their best album for obvious reasons.

Get two Styx fans together and it becomes a DeYoung/Shaw-Young match.

Just as it is a truism that nobody wanted Styx as a warm up act because they made them look like warm ice cream, the hardest act for Styx to follow is Styx.

So if Dennis John Tommy are listening;
Stop trying to reinvent the wheel.
Drop the ego race, make the wives stay at home, stop trying to interest kids in our old fogey music (you remind me of the ones who wanted me to listen to Lawrence Welk instead of that trashy guitar stuff back when for cripes sakes).

Hey we learn to live with wrinkles and without Grecian Formula (Dennis) so quit fooling around, reform the band that most of us liked, and do another Return to Paradise before the voices are gone.
Without Dennis on organ, Tommy's passion, and JY roaring like a Randy Lion it AIN'T Styx.

We'll show up even if no young people do - to hear the sound of the Time of Our Lives - not someone elses.
Those were the Best of Times indeed.

Brave New World Review

I've got Styx's Greatest Hits 1 & 2 and I like 1 alot more then 2. I'm not exactly sure where I stand with this cd. And Brave New World, I thought if I was going to start with picking up and collecting Styx music, why not start with something new of theirs? Such was the thought I had back in 1999 when this came out.

I like it. But the cd didn't inspire me to continue with picking up more Styx.

And if you want something that sounds like they're going for political commentary on the turn of the century, this is alright.

A Brave New Era for STYX and TRUE FANS of the band.

To start this review, this was NOT a collaborative effort. Some folks are dismissing this cd apparrently because it is not a lot like "The Grand Illusion" and "The Paradise Theater", or one of the band's most blatant thematic album efforts. Dennis could not leave Chicago and this cd was the best contributions of Shaw, Young and De Young. Still overall this is one of the best Styx cds out there. I can say this because I keep listening to it. I recognize the weaknesses of the lack of collaboration and how the cd is not a carbon copy of the classic idea of what STYX is suppossed to be. Some folks dismiss this cd because Dennis was not in charge, or because he didn't take charge, or because the band, AGAIN, could not work together. But regardless of the shortcomings of Shaw, De Young and Young and the band, this is still a very interesting cd, and for what it may be worth it seems that Tommy Shaw carried the project.

Now, what is weak on this cd. "Brave New World Reprise" has to be one of the worst songs that STYX ever put together. It is on the level of "Music Time". The song tries to tie the album together but mostly the songs sounds like a very poor demo. Clearly the song should have been left off of the cd. Also, I don't care for "While There's Still Time. " Ok, Dennis is a good singer, we all know that, but c'mon, this song is pure De Young cheese. I don't want to hear another song about how Dennis does not want to leave his wife. Don't be a pussy Dennis. You CAN love your wife and still tour and work with your band mates. Dennis could not LOVE STYX more than his wife and his other professional affections and as a result the band moved on without him. This is of course just my interpretation of the situation. Ok, I also think the LIVE versions of Everything is Cool and Heavy Water are better than the studio versions, but this is a pretty normal sort of thing. STYX is a great live band so don't be surprised if the studio versions are a little bombastic. STILL, I LOVE both songs and they are two of the BEST songs that STYX has ever put together. Also, What is the deal with "Just Fell In"? Now the song is not so bad but why is it so much like the theme song for the tv show "Blossom"? Ok, maybe Tommy has seen Blossom. I'm just recognizing the point that someone else made. Really, it's no big deal and I like the song.

And as for the rest of Dennis' contributions, "Fallen Angel" is great. "Great Expectaions" is again, GREAT. And "High Crimes and Misdemeanors/Hip Hop-Cracy" has once again left STYX fans a little embarrassed. It's Kilroy all over again. And I'm laughing, but not at STYX but at how the band can be so comical and silly.

Anyway, if Dennis really gave a DAMN this could have been a BRAVE NEW WORLD for STYX. Now, I'm really sorry if Dennis was ill, but it also SEEMS that Dennis' heart was really with his wife and with his other
professional aspirations. So Tommy and James and the band moved on. The band wanted to PLAY and to be STYX. As for Lawrence Gowan, he is no Dennis De Young, but the guy is a GREAT team player, and he does BIG things for STYX. I LIKE the guy even if he is not a great singer. And "A CRIMINAL MIND" is a GREAT SONG.

So, in conclusion, I have to tell the world that this is one of STYX's BEST cds, by accident or just by DESTINY.

Dennis, you are missing out on so damned much.

But I think things worked out for the best.

Dennis, keep on loving your wife and family and we still love you TOO!!!

.

4.5 stars for Styx's swan song with Dennis DeYoung

Styx before recording Brave New World were coming off the heels of two successful reuinion tours, a successful live album, the death of drummer John Panozzo and singer/keyboard player/songwriter Dennis DeYoung, singer/songwriter/guitarist Tommy Shaw, guitarist James "JY" Young and original bass player Chuck Panozzo and drummer Todd Suchermann were set to record a new Styx album (the first with Tommy back in the band since 1983's Kilroy Was Here). Styx's farewell album with founding member Dennis DeYoung entitled Brave New World was released in June of 1999. Problems occured. First, Dennis' father and his best friend since childhood and his wife's sister all passed away. Then Dennis came down with the flu and was left with a chronic fatigue ailment that left him light sensitive. Then co-founder Chuck Panozzo retired from the band due to the deaths of his brother/bandmate/co-founder John and he now had AIDS. Then tensions between Dennis and Tommy and JY started to come back in and the album turned into a mish-mash but enjoyable effort. Just before the album was done, Tommy JY kicked Dennis out as Dennis was fighting a mysterious chronic-fatigue syndrome illness and left him out in the cold.
What irks me these days is that Tommy and JY have the nerve to call themselves Styx without him, it's a joke IMHO and seems like either Journey without Steve Perry and Steve Smith (which isn't great also), Genesis without either Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel (Genesis luckily corrected that wrong and got Phil Collins back for the 2007 reunion/farewell tour) and/or Led Zeppelin without John Bonham, Pink Floyd without Rick Wright (you get the picture).
Dennis DeYoung was the true leader of Styx and when he got canned, Styx was dead in my eyes and in the eyes of many other longtime fans!
All five of Dennis' songs on Brave New World were great as usual (my personal faves being the bluesy "Fallen Angel" and the tribute to his deceased father "Goodbye Roseland" which was written in memory of his father and secretly the last true Styx tune), Tommy's were iffy ("I Will Be Your Witness", the title track and "Everything is Cool" are all great while the other three songs of his were terrible ("Just Fell In" for instance sounds like "Go Greased Lightning")) and JY had two so-so tracks("Heavy Water" being the best of the two) and the reprise to BNW was good too.
Despite the fact there are three bad songs by Shaw and one by JY, this is a great album and the last Styx album IMHO.
I hope Tommy and JY stop acting like The Brothers Van Halen did in 1996 to first Sammy Hagar then David Lee Roth and eventually Michael Anthony and reinstate DeYoung effective immediately though JY wants nothing to do with him.

You can see a complete list of all Styx discography, or go back to the Styx tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.