Pieces of Eight (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Pieces of Eight
Type = studio
Artist = Styx


Released = September 1, 1978
Recorded = 1978 at Paragon Recording Studios, St. James Cathedral Chicago
Genre = Progressive rock, hard rock
Length = 42:18
Label = A&M
Producer = Styx
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ke6ibkj96ak9~T1 link]
*"Rolling Stone" (mixed) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/styx/albums/album/103504/review/5945211/pieces_of_eight link]
Last album = "The Grand Illusion" (1977)
This album = "Pieces of Eight" (1978)
Next album = "Cornerstone" (1979)

"Pieces of Eight" is the eighth studio album and second concept album by Styx, released September 1 1978 (see 1978 in music).

The album was the band's follow-up to their Triple Platinum selling "The Grand Illusion" album.The band members produced the album and recorded it (like their previous three efforts) at Paragon Studios in Chicago with recording engineer Barry Mraz and mixing engineer Rob Kingsland.

The theme of the album, as Dennis DeYoung explained on In the Studio with Redbeard which devoted an entire episode to Pieces of Eight, was about "not giving up your dreams just for the pursuit of money and material possessions".

Eight of the album's ten tracks have vocals, and it features two instrumentals, the DeYoung synthesizer showcase "The Message" and Tommy Shaw's closing "Aku-Aku" (although for the latter, there was one lyric spoken, the title of the song).

The album's cover was done by Hipgnosis. DeYoung stated in the same 1991 interview with Redbeard on the In the Studio episode that he initially hated the cover but grew to like it as he got older.

The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard album chart, and like its predecessor would go Triple Platinum.

Track listing

# "Great White Hope" (Young) – 4:22
#* "Lead vocals and lead guitar: James Young
# "I'm Okay" (DeYoung, Young) – 5:41
#* "Lead vocals, synthesizer solos and pipe organ: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
# "Sing for the Day" (Shaw) – 4:57
#* "Lead vocals, mandolin and all guitars: Tommy Shaw
# "The Message" (DeYoung) – 1:08
#* "Instrumental, all synthesizers: Dennis DeYoung
# "Lords of the Ring" (DeYoung) – 4:33
#* "Lead vocals and first guitar solo: James Young, synthesizer solos: Dennis DeYoung, last guitar solo: Tommy Shaw
# "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" (Shaw) – 4:05
#* "Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
# "Queen of Spades" (DeYoung, Young) – 5:38
#* "Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: James Young
# "Renegade" (Shaw) – 4:13
#* "Lead vocals: Tommy Shaw, lead guitar: James Young
# "Pieces of Eight" (DeYoung) – 4:44
#* "Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
# "Aku-Aku" (Shaw) – 2:57
#* "Instrumental, lead guitar and whisper chant: Tommy Shaw

Personnel

*Dennis DeYoung – keyboards, Vocals, pipe organ
*Chuck Panozzo – bass, vocals
*John Panozzo – drums, vocals
*Tommy Shaw – guitars, mandolin, vocals, all guitars on "Sing For the Day"
*James Young – guitar, vocals

Production

*Producer: Styx
*Engineers: Rob Kingsland, Barry Mraz
*Cover by Hipgnosis

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Singles – Billboard (North America)

ee also

*Top 100 Selling Albums of the 1970s

External links

* [http://www.styxworld.com/piecesofeight.asp Official website]