Crystal Ball (Styx album)

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This page is about the Styx album. For the album Crystal Ball by Prince, see Crystal Ball (Prince album).

Crystal Ball
Studio album by Styx
Released	October 1, 1976
Recorded	1976 at Paragon Recording Studios, Chicago
Genre	Progressive Rock Hard Rock
Length	34:45
Label	A&M
Producer	Styx
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone (favorable) link
Styx chronology
Equinox (1975) Crystal Ball (1976) The Grand Illusion (1977)

Crystal Ball is the sixth album by Styx, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music).

This album marked the recording debut of new guitarist Tommy Shaw. The track "Mademoiselle" was Tommy Shaw's vocal debut and the album's Top 40 hit.

The album's title track would become a concert staple for the band as it was performed on every subsequent Styx tour that Shaw was involved with.

"Shooz" was co-written by Shaw and James Young. The bluesy rocker had Shaw on slide guitar while Young contributed a Hendrix-like solo to the middle of the track after Shaw's slide solo.

"This Old Man" was a song that DeYoung wrote for his father and the impact his dad had on his life.

Debussy's classical piece "Clair De Lune" was served as the intro to the album's closing track Ballerina. The version of "Clair De Lune" on Crystal Ball just had DeYoung on piano and changed the key from D flat to C as the next track ("Ballerina") started in C minor.

Although the album stalled at #66 upon its 1976 release, it would go Gold in 1978 after the success of the next album The Grand Illusion.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Put Me On" (DeYoung, Shaw, Young) – 4:56
   • Lead vocals: James Young (verse), Dennis DeYoung (bridge after guitar solo), lead guitar: James Young
2. "Mademoiselle" (DeYoung, Shaw) – 3:57
   • Lead vocals: Tommy Shaw, harmony lead guitar solos: Tommy Shaw and James Young
3. "Jennifer" (DeYoung) – 4:16
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: James Young
4. "Crystal Ball" (Shaw) – 4:32
   • Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw, synthesizer solo: Dennis DeYoung
5. "Shooz" (Shaw, Young) – 4:44
   • Lead vocals and slide guitar: Tommy Shaw, second guitar solo in middle of song: James Young
6. "This Old Man" (DeYoung) – 5:11
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
7. "Clair de Lune/Ballerina" (Claude Debussy/DeYoung/Shaw) – 7:09
   • Instrumental/Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung, lead guitar solos: James Young (wah-wah induced solos) and Tommy Shaw

[edit] Personnel

• Dennis DeYoung – keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
• Chuck Panozzo – bass, vocals
• John Panozzo – drums, percussion, vocals
• Tommy Shaw – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
• James Young – guitar, vocals

[edit] Production

• Producer: Styx
• Engineer: Barry Mraz

[edit] Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Singles – Billboard (North America)