Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Styx
Label: A&M Records / Interscope
Release: 1976
Runtime: 34:45
Rating: 5/5
»Crystal Ball« was the sixth studio album from the Chicago masters of arena-rock pomp. When it came out, Styx were smack in the middle of their first major lineup shake-up: John Curulewski, who had suddenly decided to become a family man, was replaced by young guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw. With his excellent, one-of-a-kind vocal approach, Shaw brought even more sonic dynamics and steered the band toward new, uncharted artistic territory. His voice sat right in the middle between keyboardist/singer Dennis DeYoung and second guitarist/singer James Young. At the same time, he also gave the band’s visual image a serious boost, which had always been hugely important to Americans obsessed with slick media marketing. As the sound shifted into more melodic rock spheres, love ballads included, they unexpectedly pulled a noticeable share of women down to the front of the stage too.
Even though Styx were getting more and more commercial in style and production during the »Crystal Ball« era, it did no damage to their sound. Quite the opposite: they were going through a real rebirth and kicked their creativity up another gear when it came to hitting high artistic standards. The sonic sophistication, packed with mighty multi-part harmonies and epic melodies, held on to their original prog-rock artistry, while the production turned unusually crystal clear for the time, something only a handful of similar bands could boast. Alongside acts like Queen, ELO, Supertramp, Boston and Kansas, Styx formed the elite of the so-called arena-rock scene at the turn of the seventies.
The opening arena-rock standard »Put Me On« is already a superb showcase for the reborn Styx, a perfect blend of symphonic rock sophistication and hard-rocking pomp. DeYoung’s symphonic textures keep the whole thing punchy and cohesive, while a feisty guitar riff and James Young’s fired-up vocal performance are the key to the dramatic atmosphere. Tommy Shaw casually shows off in the meantime with a short but juicy guitar solo. And thanks to the hypnotic harmonies, this hard-hitting album opener has no shortage of atmospheric mystique either. On the classic »Mademoiselle«, which gave Styx the third hit of their career, Shaw gets his first chance to prove himself a major vocal addition. His voice sounded like it was made for the radio waves, while the backing harmonies, with their ‘Queen-like’ charm, chip in their share.
Even a song with a girl’s name like »Jennifer«, whose flirty love-song lyrics, delivered by the incurable romantic DeYoung, sound a bit clichéd, becomes in Styx’s hands an incarnation of stunning epic scope and multi-harmonic pomp, made ‘with balls’. The eruptive guitar riff is slickly backed by mighty vocal harmonies, while subtle synth textures add to the great atmosphere. The epic title track is by far the best-known and most beloved classic on the album, and Styx have played it on every single tour since it was written. That’s hardly a surprise, since, mostly thanks to Shaw’s phenomenal vocal performance, it’s yet another epic evergreen with a huge, multi-voiced chorus of majestic, atmospheric proportions. Mystique, drama and pomp merge once more into perfect cohesion. The pomp-rock intensity of the main chorus takes your breath away every time. Meanwhile, the melancholy-tinged dual guitar harmonies and artfully laid synth flourishes keep the rich prog-rock stamp of this classic in place throughout.
The blues-rocking »Shooz«, where Shaw takes on lead vocals and also tries his hand at slide guitar, stands out quite a bit from the other songs on the album with its dirty, hedonistic nature. Young builds on Shaw’s slide solo in a classic bluesy way, while finger snaps echo in the background. DeYoung’s »This Old Man«, which he dedicated to his father, is another 360-degree turn compared to its predecessor, as with its rich acoustic arrangements and vocal multi-harmonies Styx head back into the magical realm of mystique and epic scope. It’s all accompanied by the militaristic march rhythms of Panozzo’s drums and crafty passages on the mini Moog, which carry it off into thrilling symphonic prog-rock atmospheric fields.
The album’s peak, though, is the closing complex epic »Clair De Lune/Ballerina«, at heart a prog-rock masterpiece with a classical pulse. DeYoung’s piano rendition of Debussy’s classic »Clair De Lune« serves as the intro to the epic tearjerker »Ballerina«. Symphonic passages on piano and synths eventually melt into wailing slide-guitar harmonies, while DeYoung’s vocal keeps the hypnotic drama of this Styx relic nicely alive the whole way through. As has always been the tradition of this legendary band, its atmosphere peaks in the chorus, ruled by pompous harmonies that slowly and successfully carry the song to its finish.
Upon release, the masterpiece »Crystal Ball« marked a new chapter in the career of these Chicago masters of arena-rock eclecticism and sophistication. Tommy Shaw’s arrival beefed up their already rich sonic maneuvers and pushed them into the elite of the best rock bands of the day. Even though »Crystall Ball« is one of the best achievements of their career, it didn’t bring them broader commercial success, and sadly it still gets overlooked quite often today. In many ways it was the overture to their next studio move, the one that finally let Styx conquer the airwaves of radio stations back then and made them, for better or worse, the darlings of the American rock audience.
Lineup
Dennis DeYoung – keyboards, vocals
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar, backing vocals
John Panozzo – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Tommy Shaw – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
James Young – guitar, vocals
Production
Styx
Track list
1. Put Me On
2. Mademoiselle
3. Jennifer
4. Crystal Ball
5. Shooz
6. This Old Man
7. Clair de Lune/Ballerina
