Crystal Ball | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1976 | |||
Recorded | 1976 | |||
Studio | Paragon, Chicago | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 34:45 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Styx | |||
Styx chronology | ||||
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Singles from Crystal Ball | ||||
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Crystal Ball is the sixth album by Styx, released in 1976.
This album marked the recording debut of new guitarist Tommy Shaw. The track "Mademoiselle" was Tommy Shaw's vocal debut and the album's Top-40 hit.
The album's title track would become a concert staple for the band, as it was performed on every subsequent Styx tour with which Shaw was involved.
Claude Debussy's classical piece "Clair de Lune" served as the intro to the album's closing ballad, "Ballerina". The version of "Clair de Lune" on Crystal Ball features only DeYoung on piano, with the key changed from D flat to C, as the next track ("Ballerina") begins in C minor.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Rolling Stone | (favorable) [4] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Crystal Ball lacked the commercial strength and chart performance of its predecessor Equinox or its follow up Grand Illusion. It peaked at #66 on the Billboard album chart, the lowest of any of the Styx A&M releases. It was certified gold in 1984, 8 years after its release.
Daevid Jehnzen of AllMusic rated Crystal Ball three-and-a-half out of five stars. He stated that it was better than Styx's previous album, Equinox (1975), although it was not as successful. He also said that the album showcases "Styx's increased skill for crafting simple, catchy pop hooks out of their bombastic sound." [3] Alan Niester of Rolling Stone also found the album favorable, stating that "although Styx is based in Chicago, the group has its English scam down pat". He also stated that the instrumentation "always seems on the verge of going out of control, giving the whole album an extra surge of excitement." [4]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Put Me On" |
| 4:56 | |
2. | "Mademoiselle" |
| Shaw | 3:57 |
3. | "Jennifer" | DeYoung | DeYoung | 4:16 |
4. | "Crystal Ball" | Shaw | Shaw | 4:32 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Shooz" |
| Shaw | 4:44 |
2. | "This Old Man" | DeYoung | DeYoung | 5:11 |
3. | "Clair de Lune" "Ballerina" | Claude Debussy
| — DeYoung | 1:05 5:53 |
Total length: | 34:45 |
Chart (1976–1977) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [6] | 21 |
US Billboard 200 [7] | 66 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [8] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Styx is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1972. They are known for blending melodic hard rock guitar with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established themselves with a progressive rock sound during the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.
Cyclorama is the fourteenth studio album by Styx, released in 2003. This was the first studio album with Lawrence Gowan, following the departure of group co-founder Dennis DeYoung in 1999. It was also the latter of two albums to feature Glen Burtnik, and the only album released by the Lawrence Gowan/Tommy Shaw/James "JY" Young/Glen Burtnik/Chuck Panozzo/Todd Sucherman lineup, and as such the only original Styx album to feature four different singer-songwriters as opposed to the usual three. The album peaked significantly higher on the Billboard album charts than Styx's previous release, Brave New World (1999), ending up 48 slots higher at No. 127, but paled in comparison to previous 1970s and 1980s releases on A&M Records.
Pieces of Eight is the eighth studio album by American progressive rock band Styx, released in September 1978.
The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by American rock band Styx. Recorded at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago, the album was released on July 7, 1977, by A&M Records, intentionally choosing the combination 7th on 7-7-77 for luck. The release was a smash worldwide, selling three million copies in the US alone. Some estimates have the album at over 6 million copies sold. The album launched the band to stardom and spawned the hit singles "Come Sail Away" and "Fooling Yourself." The title track also received substantial FM airplay, but was never released as an official single.
Equinox is the fifth studio album by American rock band Styx, released in December 1975. The lead single "Lorelei" became Styx's second US Top 40 hit.
Cornerstone is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Styx, released in 1979. Styx's third straight multi-platinum selling album, Cornerstone was Styx's first album to earn a Grammy nomination, which was for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Like the four previous Styx albums, the band produced the album themselves. Styx recorded the album at Pumpkin Studios in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
Paradise Theatre is the tenth studio album by American rock band Styx, released on January 16, 1981, by A&M Records. It was the band's most commercially successful album, peaking at #1 for 3 weeks on the Billboard 200 in April and May 1981 (non-consecutively). It was also the band's fourth consecutive album to be certified triple-platinum by the RIAA.
Kilroy Was Here is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band Styx, released on February 22, 1983. A concept album and rock opera about a world where rock music is outlawed, it is named after a famous World War II graffiti tag, "Kilroy was here." It was the last album of original material to be released by the "classic" lineup of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James "J.Y." Young, John Panozzo, and Chuck Panozzo.
Caught in the Act is a live double album by Styx, released in 1984. It contains one new song, "Music Time," which was released as a single, reaching #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Return to Paradise is the second live album by Styx, released in 1997, and their first album after signing with CMC International. It features songs from their successful reunion tour with Tommy Shaw, but without John Panozzo, who died in July 1996. It includes three new studio tracks, "On My Way," "Paradise," and "Dear John." Shaw wrote the latter as a tribute to Panozzo, while "Paradise" featured upon Dennis DeYoung's solo album and was newly recorded with the band.
Brave New World is the thirteenth studio album by Styx, released in 1999. It is the band’s first studio album to feature drummer Todd Sucherman, replacing John Panozzo, who died in 1996 and the last album to feature keyboardist/vocalist Dennis DeYoung. This is the last album that bassist Chuck Panozzo is credited as a full-time member, he would continue with the band as a part-time member. The album peaked at #175 on the Billboard 200 and reached the top 10 on the Top Internet Albums chart. However, its position on the Billboard charts was the lowest from a Styx album of new material since 1973's The Serpent Is Rising.
"Renegade" is a 1979 hit song recorded by the American rock band Styx on their eighth studio album, Pieces of Eight.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album and primary Greatest Hits album by the American rock band Styx. It was released by A&M Records on August 22, 1995. It contains 16 tracks, 8 of which were Billboard Top 10 Pop Singles, another 4 that were Billboard Top 40 Pop Singles, and 4 that received heavy airplay on FM album oriented rock stations.
Greatest Hits Part 2 is a 1996 compilation album by the rock band Styx and a follow-up to Greatest Hits, another compilation album released in 1995. The album features 14 previously released Styx songs as well as two new songs, "Little Suzie" and "It Takes Love". Major omissions that were not included on either Greatest Hits packages are 2 top 40 charted singles, "Why Me" and "Music Time".
"Lorelei" is a song from rock band Styx. It is on their 1975 album Equinox, and was released as a single in 1976.
"Mademoiselle" is the first single released from Styx's Crystal Ball album. The B-side, "Lonely Child", was taken from the previous album, Equinox. It peaked at #36 on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 singles chart the week of December 25, 1976, becoming Styx's third top 40 hit. It also reached number 25 on the Canadian RPM singles chart on the week of January 22, 1977.
"Crystal Ball" is the title track and second single released from Styx's Crystal Ball album. It was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw who had just recently joined the band. A live version from 1979 was included on the soundtrack for the 1980 film Roadie. The live version is also available on a Japan-only Styx compilation released in 1981 on LP and on CD in 1986.
"Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" is the second single released from Styx's The Grand Illusion (1977) album. On the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the U.S., the single peaked at #29 in April 1978. It also hit no. 20 on the Canada RPM Top Singles chart the week of May 6, 1978.
"Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" is a song by American rock band Styx, released as the first single from their eighth studio album, Pieces of Eight (1978). Released in 1978, the single came in two 7" vinyl formats: one with the b-side "Superstars" (a track from The Grand Illusion) and a second single with the instrumental album track "Aku-Aku" as the b-side. Some printings of the single were also issued in a translucent blue vinyl, which are now highly sought after collectors items.
"Sing for the Day'" is the second single that Styx released from their album Pieces of Eight. It reached #41 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in February 1979. It was later the B-side of their next single “Renegade”. Tommy Shaw used the name ‘Hannah’ in the song, to represent his fans. Several years later, he named his newborn daughter Hannah. The album version that lasts 4:57, was edited down to 3:40 for the single version.
rolling stone styx album guide.