STYX PIECES OF EIGHT (LP) - Vinyl

This album basically picks up where its predecessor, the breakthrough GRAND ILLUSION left off, and is equally effective. Dennis DeYoung's title tune about the emptiness of wealth (a subject on which he was beginning to gain first-hand experience) continues the previous album's thematic thread nicely. Tommy Shaw's infectious rockers "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man" would become two of the group's most popular songs, and deservedly so. With their fanciful lyrics and freewheeling synth coloring, "Sing for the Day" and "Lords of the Rings" mark a slight return to Styx's prog-rock roots. PIECES OF EIGHT furthered the group's new status as superstars and continued their run of consistently strong releases.

• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Pop