Styx - Regeneration: Volume I & II

Styx – Regeneration:Volume I & II
2011, Eagle

Like many classic rock bandssubject to the avarice of labels who own the rights to their songs, Styx hasseen a number of re-releases and repackages of their material over the years.  Since 2007 there have been no less than ninegreatest hits/best of packages released in various countries around theworld.  Not too shabby for a band thatapparently can’t even get a grudging nod of respect from the folks at RollingSt…  I mean the Rock and Roll Hall ofFame.   Styx is back with anotherre-package of old hits, but this time it’s a bit more intriguing.  Regeneration:Volume I & II offers 15 new recordings of classic Styx songs, plus onenew track.

Styx released Volume I and VolumeII separately over the past year and a half, with the intent that the albumswould be sold only at shows and on-line through the band’s fan club.  The secondary demand for the discs provedsignificant, however, and Eagle Records has packaged both albums in one set.  You can see our prior review of Regeneration: Volume I here.  Volume II runs in the same vein, with oldStyx favorites getting new life from the current lineup.  Like VolumeI, Volume II has a raw-but-polished quality, similar to a professionallyproduced live album.  Styx strives tocapture the sound you hear in concert today on record rather than re-create theoriginals note-for-note.  The result isan exciting update to material that still seems vibrant even (in some cases)thirty-five years later. 

The band revives such hits as “BlueCollar Man”, “Renegade”, “Miss America”, “Snowblind” and “Too Much Time On MyHands”, with Tommy Shaw and James Young belting out classic vocal lines.  In the process, Styx digs out a wonderful gemin “Queen Of Spades”.  Lawrence Gowandoes a great job with this classic album cut, even if it doesn’t have quitehave the dramatic sense of the original. Styx also gives life to two cuts Tommy Shaw performed with side projectDamn Yankees (Shaw, Jack Blades, Ted Nugent & Michael Cartellone).  “High Enough” and “Coming Of Age” alwayssounded like Styx songs and work very well in the context of the current lineupof the band.

Yes, there was much complainingon-line and in fan enclaves when Styx started releasing the Regeneration projects.  Fans who will never forgive the band for thedeparture of Dennis DeYoung scalded the remaining members for carrying onwithout him, but this is what bands do, like it or not.  Regeneration:Volume I & II isn’t about excising a former band member, it’s aboutputting Styx in a position to make a living off their own work, rather thanhaving all of the licensing opportunities fall into the lap of a dying majorlabel architecture more interested in profiting off its catalogue than actuallybuilding up artists for the future.  Regeneration: Volume I & II givesmore than fair value; classic songs with an updated sound that’s as fresh andvibrant today as ever.

Rating:  4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Styx at www.styxworld.com. 

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Aurical - Something To Say

Aurical - Something To Say
2011, Gallant Music

Aurical is a folk/pop duo born of two coasts.  Singer/songwriter/producer Rachel Rossos has spent time in both New York City and San Francisco, working with musicians such as Edgar Meyer, William Bolcolm and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.  Michael Gallant is the senior editor of Keyboard Magazine, and serves as singer/songwriter/pianist and co-vocalist for Aurical.  Together, the two have crafted a vibrant and original sound, on full display on Aurical’s debut album, Something To Say.

Something To Say opens with the title track, an edgy, piano-driven rocker.  Vocalist Michael Gallant sounds a bit like James Young of Styx, delivering a high-octane performance that's a smash as an opener.  "Brahms Of Philosophy" has a bit of a Ben Folds feel, and Rachel Rosses does a nice job with the vocal line.  The song is catchy although perhaps a bit rushed at times; ultimately very entertaining.  "Mom's Favorite" is a bit reserved and straightforward in style.  "Julianna" is wonderfully dark, with distinctive harmonies that grab you.  It's a solid piece of songwriting that's worth revisiting. 

"Leave It All behind" is lyrically awkward at times, but impresses on the musical side.  Jethro Tull, Genesis and Supertramp stirred up in a room together might have created something that sounded like this.  The bass steals the show with a funk-driven style of play that enlivens the song with an ambitious progressive rock sensibility.  "Work Song" is a slow and meandering number that works on the music side but again shows a lyrical clumsiness that stands out.  Things get really interesting on "Redhead Girl", with a piano style that sounds like a cross between Ben Folds and Tori Amos.  The most original and intriguing work on the album, "Redhead Girl" shows Aurical's ability to push the envelope and do it well.  "I've Never Known" is the best overall contribution on the album.  Rachel Rossos is fantastic here, crafting an early female-vocal group sound.  Things get a bit more mundane as Something To Say rumbles to a close with three solid if unremarkable tracks.

Aurical dances between magic and the mundane throughout Something To Say, creating moments that build anticipation in the listener, but often falling back before finding that perfect musical strike.  There's some very good stylistic songwriting on the album, but the lyrical composition of the album has its awkward moments.  Something To Say has enough to offer to make it worth spending some time with, but there are some definite kinks and wrinkles in the band's creative process to be smoothed out next time around.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Aurical at www.auricalmusic.com or on Facebook.  Something To Say is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.