Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland: One With Everything
For Styx fans, the opportunity to see the band perform with a symphony orchestra is da bomb; for others, it may simply be da bombast. Either way,One With Everythingis a spectacle. Of course, the Styx who ruled the AOR airwaves in their '70s-'80s heyday, followed by their ascension to Classic Rock status, has been through some changes in the last several years. In the absence of Dennis DeYoung (which means we are mercifully spared DeYoung-penned hits like "Come Sail Away" and the cloying "Babe"), singer-guitarists Tommy Shaw and James Young have moved up front. Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same, and Styx remains what it always was: a facile, journeyman band, capable of writing some good rock songs ("Blue Collar Man," "Too Much Time on My Hands," "Fooling Yourself"), with a sound that's distinctive but, in the long run, not especially interesting. Still, there's no denying the sheer joy and energy that permeates this May, 2006 concert, both onstage and in the audience. Much of that is due to the presence of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland, an enormous ensemble (115 players and 56 singers) comprised entirely of teenagers. Under the direction of Liza Grossman, these kids are having a blast, and their enthusiasm is infectious, as Shaw, Young, and the other Styx-ters (original bassist Chuck Panozzo sits in on a few tunes) are clearly giving it their all. In fact, it's almost too much; there's a certain shrillness to the group's screeching lead vocals and super-high harmonies that ends up being both exhausting and slightly discomfiting. Not that this will matter to the band's adherents, who should be delighted by a show that's well over two hours long and includes covers of Willie Dixon's "It Don't Make Sense (You Can't Make Peace)," the Beatles "I Am The Walrus," and Ashford and Simpson's "I Don't Need No Doctor" in addition to Styx's own material. Bonus features include a couple of new Christmas songs, interviews, and more.--Sam Graham