Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Styx
Label: A&M Records / Interscope
Release: 1978
Runtime: 42:18
Rating: 5/5
»Pieces of Eight« was, after the masterpiece »The Grand Illusion« (1977), another huge creative and commercial triumph for the American arena rock giants Styx, who in the late seventies were calling the shots on the popularity charts like it was nothing and packing stadiums from the East Coast to the West Coast of the US, while the triumph of their music could be felt on the other side of the Atlantic too. Styx pulled off an incredibly sophisticated recipe: with the help of top-notch, crunchy-yet-silky production, they managed to satisfy their old base of followers, who still swore by technically flawless prog rock, and the fans of arena rock pomp and mighty anthems with dramatic multi-part harmonies at the same time. »Pieces of Eight«, just like its predecessor, to which it was tied by a similar ‘mini’ concept, went multi-platinum. They would keep this flattering streak going on their next two studio releases.
At its core it’s not a concept album, but most of the songs on it revolve around the theme of ‘following your own dreams instead of chasing material gain’, which is vividly underlined by the quirky, unusual cover with three elderly American housewives wearing tacky, probably »made in »China«, earrings shaped like the statues from Easter Island/Rapa Nui. Interestingly, all three big hits, or best-known songs, on »Pieces of Eight«, namely »Sing For the Day«, »Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)« and »Renegade«, were written by guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw, who by then, alongside keyboardist/singer Dennis DeYoung, the band’s unofficial leader, had already settled comfortably into the role of Styx’s lead vocalist. Shaw, together with guitarist and occasional singer James Young, also formed one of the greatest guitar duos of all time. Thanks to the two of them, »Pieces of Eight« is one of the rawest Styx albums ever, packed with quite a few cocky, rebellious hard rock moments. DeYoung, on the other hand, with his mighty symphonic keyboard arrangements, was still the guarantor of progressive rock subtlety and clever arranging. Interestingly, »Pieces of Eight« is one of the regular Styx albums that doesn’t have a single one of his confessional ballads.
It’s no surprise that the album is crammed with plenty of Styx classics, as well as some lesser-known creations that are far from lacking in sonic qualities themselves. They hit with full force right from the start, since the opener »Great White Hope«, which tells the story of a boxing match, is a composition penned by the eternal hard rocker, or »metalhead«, James Young. He belts out this superb track with dynamic harmonies in an incredibly vivid way, while punchy riffs coated in mischievous synth textures roll along in the background. »I’m O.K.« is a slightly odd but still intriguing experiment, fusing prog and melodic rock with a cheerful ambience, where keyboardist DeYoung takes the lead on vocals and ‘conducting’. With its ‘Beatles’-style spiced-up, upbeat melody, it feels made for chanting at gigs or at some sports match, while the juicy solo on the ARP synthesizer, backed by dynamic guitar harmonies and sacred-flavored symphonic arrangements, is a real treat for all the music gourmets out there.
The classic »Sing For the Day«, which was also released as a single, is another upbeat song that, structurally, feels a bit like a close encounter between Genesis and Kansas, with playful acoustic guitar arrangements up front. The excellent backing vocal harmonies give strong support to Shaw’s great vocal performance, while fluid synth textures tie it all together nicely. »The Message« is a short but solid instrumental built on the ARP synthesizer, which mostly serves to loosen up DeYoung’s fingers and as an overture to the next track. The epic-tinged »Lords of the Ring«, with its tempo dictated by DeYoung’s energetic vocal, is a sort of socially satirical nod to Tolkien’s fantasy classic The Lord of the Rings, with mighty arrangements and pompous harmonies, that is, a combination that easily carries the listener off into imaginary fantasy worlds.
The epic hard rocker »Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)«, which tells of toiling through the night and the exploitation of blue-collar workers, is another beloved Styx classic that also came out as a single, and one where Tommy Shaw once again comes alive passionately in his singer-songwriter role, keeping company with epic harmonies, booming organ and punchy guitar phrases. »Queen of Spades« could well be called a forgotten gem, since it’s one of their best pieces that never earned an evergreen status. DeYoung’s epic-melancholic vocal is wrapped in mighty keyboard-and-acoustic arrangements in the background, which slowly build a dramatic mood all the way up to the unexpected shift into a »brutal« section. In the hard rock section, where it’s not hard to picture the cruel queen of spades terrorizing her many subjects and lovers, Styx get a great chance to once again show off their exceptional sense of pomp and theatricality, riding on a galloping rhythm, irritated guitar passages and an epic multi-voice chorus.
The collection of hard rock evergreens is rounded off by the masterpiece »Renegade«, the album’s third single and probably the best-known Styx song of all among fans of heavy rock music. Besides plenty of AOR hallmarks, you can hear here just how important an influence the great Queen had on the development of Styx’s songwriting vocabulary: a slow build of pompous, melodramatic choir-like vocal harmonies in the intro, followed by a fiery shift into a punchy hard rock motif, where the rebellious Shaw once again takes the lead vocal baton. It’s one of the greatest hard rock evergreens of all time, and it always proves wrong anyone who dares claim that Styx were always too cheerful and »silky« to belong in the top league of ‘hard metal pioneers’.
The title track, commanded by DeYoung’s energetic vocal, is another timeless classic that’s a veritable incarnation of all the main Styx qualities: the gradual build-up of drama, the weaving of magnificent symphonic arrangements, a phenomenal set of dramatic harmonies, dynamically coordinated guitar harmonies and an epic-pompous, soaring chorus that sounds like some ancient hymn before marching off to battle against an army of demons. The closing ambient instrumental »Aku-Aku« (the title refers to the controversial book about Easter Island called »Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island«), after all the pomp and drama, suddenly shows Styx in a distinctly sentimental light and, with lovely piano and acoustic guitar arrangements, slowly rocks the listener into a pleasant, serene atmosphere.
With »Pieces of Eight«, Styx were at the creative peak of their career, rightfully enjoying their status as America’s most thrilling arena rock band. Alongside »The Grand Illusion«, this is the ‘definitive’ album of their journey, which, in terms of songwriting superiority, the lyrical power of individual arrangements and the quality of beautifully constructed melodic anthems, is pretty much a flawless document of the golden era of arena rock.
Lineup
Dennis DeYoung – keyboards, vocals
Tommy Shaw – guitar, vocals
James Young – guitar, vocals
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar, backing vocals
John Panozzo – drums
Production
Styx
Tracklist
1. Great White Hope
2. I’m O.K.
3. Sing for the Day
4. The Message
5. Lords of the Ring
6. Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
7. Queen of Spades
8. Renegade
9. Pieces of Eight
10. Aku-Aku
