STYX – Live At The Oreans Arena Las Vegas (DVD via Eagle Vision)

Formed in the early 70s, Chicago formed Styx became big in the late 70s and early 80s, the early hey-day of AOR and Pomp rock, mixing a melodic pop with powerful piano and guitar led rock, both electric and acoustic. ‘Lady’, ‘Come Sail Away’ and ‘The Best Of Times’ were all hits, in both airplay and sales.

A lot of hits and a few personnel along the way, the band now comprise Tommy Shaw (guitars / vocals), James Young (guitar / vocals), Lawrance Gowan (keyboards / vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums), Ricky Phillips (bass / guitar) and Chuck Panozzo (bass).

Filmed in 2014 in Las Vegas, the show kicks off with ‘Too Much Time On My Hands’, a catchy and hook laden number that blends guitar and keyboards well, it’s FM oriented but a lot of fun and very enjoyable from the outset.

‘Fooling Yourself’ and ‘Light Up’ follow, blending riffs and a surprisingly decent guitar solo with solid keyboards and a very polished sound. The bass lines stand out too.

‘Crystal Ball’ and ‘Superstars’ are two more great tracks than run through smoothly. Worth checking out too is ‘Blue Collar Man’, featuring former Eagles’ Don Felder.

The stage show is, aside the huge backscreen lightshow, stripped down, the stage may look a little bare but it’s all about the music, and the individual band members’ enjoyment of performance.

‘Rocking The Paradise’, ‘Renegade’ and ‘Genki Desu Ka’ round off the very enjoyable if far from long enough show; the main programme breaks tracks with interview segments with band members. Further bonuses include the unbroken show.

If you like melodic rock of that era, you’ll love this. The band are tight, polished, with guitar work aplenty. Enjoy.

4/5

Joe Geesin