Equinox |
 |
Charted: December 20, 1975 Peak: 58 US Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: classic arena rock |
Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.
Total Running Time: 34:32 The Players:
|
Rating:  3.785 out of 5.00 (average of 19 ratings)
Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
|
About the Album: Equinox was “a pivotal album in Styx,s career.” UCR After four albums with Wooden Nickel, they were signed to the major label A&M after their 1973 single “Lady” was rediscovered and became a surprise top-10 hit. The album sold 350,000 copies upon release and eventually went gold. WK With “their synthesizer-led dramatics alongside Dennis De Young’s exaggerated vocal approach, the material on Equinox was a firm precursor of what was to come .” AMG It also showed a band “simultaneously inspired and disjointed“ UCR with “persistent progressive ambitions (‘Mother Dear,’ ‘Suite Madame Blue’)” UCR as well as “burgeoning mainstream aspirations (‘Light Up,’ ‘Lorelei’).” UCR It also marked the final appearance of founding guitarist John Curulewski. He left before the band went on tour, leaving them scrambling for a replacement. They found singer and guitarist Tommy Shaw, who would become a mainstay of the band through its classic years. The lead single, Light Up, extolled the virtues of smoking pot and having fun with friends. It didn’t make any traction on the charts, but gained an audience on album rock radio. It “is a brilliant display of keyboard bubbliness, with De Young's vocals in full bloom.” AMG The second single, Lorelei, proved much more successful, reaching #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Although it was the only song to chart from Equinox, the album itself is a benchmark in the band’s career since it includes an instrumental nature reminiscent of their early progressive years, yet hints toward a more commercial-sounding future in its lyrics.” AMG The “hard rock juggernaut Midnight Ride” UCR is the only song on the album written exclusively by James “JY” Young while Born for Adventure, written “about legends such as Robin Hood,” WK is written by him alongside DeYoung and John Curulewski. Curulewski sings the verses while DeYoung handles the chorus on prog-rocker Mother Dear. Lonely Child is “a melodic power ballad featuring 12-string guitars” WK That song and “Suite Madame Blue show tighter songwriting and a slight drift toward radio amicability.” AMG Despite never finding any chart success, “Blue” found a place on album rock radio and became “the most well-known song on the album.” WK The song was inspired by the then-upcoming U.S. Bicentennial celebration and the over-commercialization DeYoung saw attached to it. It became a staple in the band’s concert repertoire.
|
Resources and Related Links:
First posted 3/24/2008; last updated 5/18/2021. |
No comments:
Post a Comment