The Grand Illusion (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = The Grand Illusion
Type = Album
Artist = Styx


Released = July 7 1977
Recorded = 1977 at Paragon Recording Studios, Chicago
Genre = Progressive rock, hard rock
Length = 38:59
Label = A&M
Producer = Styx
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yc91z8bajyv5~T1 link]
*"Rolling Stone" (favorable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/styx/albums/album/100770/review/5946017/the_grand_illusion link]
Last album = "Crystal Ball"
(1976)
This album = "The Grand Illusion"
(1977)
Next album = " Pieces of Eight"
(1978)

"The Grand Illusion" is the seventh studio album by Styx, released in 1977 (see 1977 in music). It became the band's first Triple Platinum album, and spawned the Top 10 hit "Come Sail Away" and the Top 30 hit "Fooling Yourself".

The album was the subject of an episode of the US radio show "In the Studio with Redbeard" featuring interviews with several band members. According to lead singer Dennis DeYoung, the album's theme was the struggle to overcome self-deluding superficiality in order to affirm one's genuine value. This theme was reflected in the lyrics of the album's title track:

:so if you think your life is complete confusion:'cause your neighbor's got it made:just remember that it's a grand illusion:and deep inside we're all the same

DeYoung also revealed that the title of "The Grand Illusion" had been considered dating back to the 1975 album "Equinox".

The track "Miss America" was guitarist James Young's scathing attack on the Miss America pageants. Young, in his interview on the "In the Studio" program, said the track came to him in the middle of the night and that its riff was inspired by the Jethro Tull song "Minstrel in the Gallery".

Track listing

#"The Grand Illusion" (Dennis DeYoung) – 4:36
#*"Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
#*"First guitar solo and guitar fills: Tommy Shaw
#*"Second guitar solo: James Young
#"Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" (Tommy Shaw) – 5:29
#*"Lead vocals and guitar: Tommy Shaw
#*"Synthesizer solos: Dennis DeYoung
#"Superstars" (DeYoung, Shaw, James Young) – 3:59
#*"Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
#*"Soliloquy: Dennis DeYoung
#"Come Sail Away" (DeYoung) – 6:07
#*"Lead vocals and synthesizer solo: Dennis DeYoung
#*"ARP Odyssey: James Young
#*"Lead Guitar: Tommy Shaw
#"Miss America" (Young) – 5:01
#*"Lead vocals and lead guitar: James Young
#"Man in the Wilderness" (Shaw) – 5:49
#*"Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
#"Castle Walls" (DeYoung) – 6:00
#*"Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
#*"Guitar fills and harmony fills: Tommy Shaw
#*"Guitar solo: James Young
#"The Grand Finale" (DeYoung, Shaw, Young) – 1:58
#*"Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
#*"Guitar fills and first guitar solo: Tommy Shaw
#*"Melodic Guitar Lead: James Young

Personnel

*Dennis DeYoung - keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
*Chuck Panozzo - bass, vocals
*John Panozzo - drums, percussion, vocals
*Tommy Shaw - acoustic and electric guitars, vocals
*James Young - guitars, keyboards, vocals
*Barry Mraz - Production Assistance, Engineer
*Rob Kingsland - Engineer
*Mastered by Mike Reese at the Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, California
*Derek Sutton - Management and Direction
*Jim Vose - Tour Manager
*Jeff Ravitz - Lighting Designer
*John "Tarkus" Schaefer - Stage Manager
*Bob "Yaz" Jastrzembski - Equipment and Motorcycle Stunts
*Judson Terry Phelps - Monitors
*Roland Young - Art Direction
*Jim McCrary - Photography
*Chuck Beeson - Album Design
*Kelly and Mouse - Album cover painting

Miscellanea

The album cover art is an homage to a painting by Rene Magritte entitled "Carte Blanche."

Released on 7/7/77, "The Grand Illusion" was Styx's 7th album release.

The musical theme from John Carpenter's seminal film, Halloween, sounds remarkably like the interlude to 'Castle Walls.' (The interlude occurs approximately 2:40 into the song.) Carpenter's film was not released until 1978, leading some to suspect the movie's theme may have been inspired by the Styx song.

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

ee also

*Top 100 Selling Albums of the 1970s