Paradise Theatre
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| Paradise Theatre | ||
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| Studio album by Styx | ||
| Released | January 1981 | |
| Recorded | 1980 at Pumpkin Studios, Oak Lawn, IL | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 40:37 | |
| Label | A&M | |
| Producer(s) | Styx | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Styx chronology | ||
| Cornerstone (1979) |
Paradise Theatre (1981) |
Kilroy Was Here (1983) |
Paradise Theatre is a concept album released by the rock band Styx in January 1981 (see 1981 in music).
The album, a fictional account of Chicago's Paradise Theater from its opening to closing (and eventual abandonment), is used as a metaphor for America's changing times from the late 1970s into the 1980s.
The signature song, "The Best Of Times" (written by keyboardist and vocalist Dennis DeYoung), was a Top Ten hit.
The song "Snowblind" (written by DeYoung and James Young) was an attack on drug addiction. The track would come under fire for supposedly having backward messages and be branded by reactionary fundamentalists and Tipper Gore's PMRC as "Satanistic". JY and DeYoung refuted this on the Paradise Theatre episode of In the Studio with Redbeard.
The track "Half Penny Two Penny" was an attack on the financial problems the US had in the late 1970s. In the song was the lyric "Yes Mrs. Cleaver your son's home to stay" which was referring to Eldridge Cleaver (this was confirmed by James Young on In the Studio with Redbeard).
Paradise Theatre became Styx's first, and to date only US #1 album, as well the band's fourth consecutive Triple Platinum album.
Contents |
[edit] Structural differences in the album's pressings
Initial pressings of the vinyl record had a laser-etched design over the whole surface of side 2, showing the theater logo from the sleeve as a rainbow effect.
Initial pressings of the CD had the musical segue between "Half-Penny, Two Penny" and "A.D. 1958" indexed as the intro to "A.D. 1958". Subsequent pressings of the CD had the segue indexed as the fade to "Half-Penny, Two Penny" instead.
[edit] Track listing
- "A.D. 1928" (DeYoung) – 1:07
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
- "Rockin' the Paradise" (DeYoung, Shaw, Young) – 3:35
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Too Much Time on My Hands" (Shaw) – 4:31
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Nothing Ever Goes as Planned" (DeYoung) – 4:46
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw, sax solo: Steve Eisen
- "The Best of Times" (DeYoung) – 4:17
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Lonely People" (DeYoung) – 5:22
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: James Young
- "She Cares" (Shaw) – 4:18
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw, saxophone solo: Steve Eisen
- "Snowblind" (DeYoung, Young) – 4:48
- Co-Lead vocals and lead guitar: James Young, co-lead vocals: Tommy Shaw
- "Half-Penny, Two-Penny" (Brandle, Young) – 4:34 (initial CD pressing), – 5:59 (subsequent CD pressing, see previous section for details)
- Lead vocals: James Young, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "A.D. 1958" (DeYoung) – 2:31 (initial CD pressing), – 1:06 (subsequent CD pressing, see previous section for details)
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, sax solos: Steve Eisen, lead guitar: James Young
- "State Street Sadie" (DeYoung) – 0:27
- Instrumental
[edit] Personnel
Styx
- Dennis DeYoung - keyboards, vocals
- Chuck Panozzo - bass
- John Panozzo - drums, percussion
- Tommy Shaw - guitars, vocals
- James Young - guitars, vocals
Additional personnel
- Dan Barber - horn
- Steve Eisen - saxophone
- Mike Halpin - horn
- John Haynor - horn
- Mark Ohlson - horn
- Billy Simpson - horn
[edit] Production
- Producer: Styx
- Engineers: Rob Kingsland, Gary Loizzo
- Arranger: Styx
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Pop Albums | 1 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" | Pop Singles | 54 |
| 1981 | "Rockin' The Paradise" | Mainstream Rock | 8 |
| 1981 | "Snowblind" | Mainstream Rock | 22 |
| 1981 | "Too Much Time On My Hands" | Mainstream Rock | 2 |
| 1981 | "Too Much Time On My Hands" | Pop Singles | 9 |
| 1981 | "The Best Of Times" | Mainstream Rock | 16 |
| 1981 | "The Best Of Times" | Pop Singles | 3 |
