The Grand Illusion
For other uses, see Grand Illusion.
| The Grand Illusion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Styx | ||||
| Released | July 7, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 at Paragon Recording Studios, Chicago | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, art rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 38:59 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Styx | |||
| Styx chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Grand Illusion | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Daily Vault | (B-) (1998)[2] B (2006)[3] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [5] |
The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by Styx, released on July 7, 1977. It launched the band to stardom, spawning the hit singles "Come Sail Away" and "Fooling Yourself", and selling over three million copies in the US.
According to keyboardist 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
The title of The Grand Illusion had been considered dating back to the 1975 album Equinox.
Recording
The album was recorded at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago.
Track listing
- "The Grand Illusion" (Dennis DeYoung) – 4:36
- Lead vocals: DeYoung
- First guitar solo and guitar fills: Tommy Shaw
- Second guitar solo: James Young
- "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" (Shaw) – 5:29
- Lead vocals: Shaw
- "Superstars" (Young, DeYoung, Shaw) – 3:59
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Shaw
- Soliloquy: DeYoung
- "Come Sail Away" (DeYoung) – 6:07
- Lead vocals and synthesizer solo: DeYoung
- ARP Odyssey: Young
- Lead Guitar: Shaw
- "Miss America" (Young) – 5:02
- Lead vocals and guitar solo: Young
- "Man in the Wilderness" (Shaw) – 5:51
- Lead vocals and guitar solo: Shaw
- "Castle Walls" (DeYoung) – 5:59
- Lead vocals: DeYoung
- Lead guitar: Young
- "The Grand Finale" (DeYoung, Young, Shaw) – 1:57
- Lead vocals: DeYoung
- Lead guitar fills: Shaw
- Melodic guitar lead: Young
Album cover
The album cover art, created by Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse, is an homage to a painting by René Magritte entitled "Le Blanc-Seing".
Personnel
Styx
- Dennis DeYoung – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals
- Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar, vocals
- John Panozzo – drums, vocals
- Tommy Shaw – acoustic and electric guitars, vocals
- James Young – guitar, keyboards, vocals
Production
- Barry Mraz - production assistance, engineer
- Rob Kingsland - engineer
- Mastered by Mike Reese at the Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, California
- Derek Sutton - management, direction
- Jim Vose - tour manager
- Jeff Ravitz - lighting designer
- John "Tarkus" Schaefer - stage manager
- Bob "Yaz" Jastrzembski - equipment, motorcycle stunts
- Judson Terry Phelps - monitors
- Roland Young - art direction
- Jim McCrary - photography
- Chuck Beeson - album design
- Kelly and Mouse - album cover painting
Charts
Album
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 6 |
Singles
| Name | Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Come Sail Away" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" | 29 |
References
- ↑ DeGagne, Mike. The Grand Illusion at AllMusic. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
- ↑ Christopher Thelen (1998-08-08). "The Daily Vault Music Review : The Grand Illusion". The Daily Vault. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ Melanie Love (2006-06-13). "The Daily Vault Music Review : The Grand Illusion". The Daily Vault. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ Joe Fernbacher (1977-11-03). "The Grand Illusion by Styx | Rolling Stone Music | Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 789. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
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