Search - Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland: One With Everything on DVD

One Word - Awsome

David Wilson | Dover, ME USA | 01/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Those were the words of Tommy Shaw and it's definately true! Once again Styx proves they are on top of their game after all these years. The sound quality of this concert is great! My kudos to the sound crew that were able to give us all the feeling of a live rock concert and make certain that we could hear the strings, horns and chorus of the CYO! This was something those kids (and their parents) will never forget! James Young was at his best, as were the rest of the band as they sang golden oldies, along with the awsome new songs. Lance Gowan was incredible as he sang the Beatles, 'I Am The Walrus' and the enthusiasm of the kids during this number was incredible. The solos performed by the kids were one for the books. The highlight of the concert had to be Chuck Panozzo's return to the stage for the last two sets and the kids letting loose after their incredible performance for a finale to remember! My hats of to Styx...can't wait to see you guys live again this year!"

Styx in their current state, doing an amazing show

T. LeBaron | NH | 04/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First thing i need to get off my chest: will you people get over the fact that Dennis DeYoung isn't in the band anymore? It's been played to death, and he's not coming back. I compare it to Steve Perry and Journey and Peter Gabriel and Genesis. Yes, they all made some amazing music together. And no, they're not getting back together again. It's as simple as that. The nice part about gabriel leaving genesis is that we got more music out of the whole deal...from him, from them, and from Phil Collins. Dennis DeYoung has some great solo work, and Steve Perry, if he'd go back into the studio and record something new after all this time, is an equally great talent.

Now...having said that, I myself was cynical about Styx without dennis at first...then something told me to give the new lineup a chance. Let me tell you, I'm really glad I went. The band is getting along, they're enjoying doing what they do, and it shows onstage. Lawrence Gowan is every bit the dynamic keyboardist-vocalist he's always been on his dozen or so Canadian albums prior to joining Styx. Todd Sucherman is an amazing drummer, who by the way, was a Styx fan at age 11 when he was first learning to drum, Tommy & JY are as comfortable onstage together as they've always been, and Ricky Phillips is is a master on the bass. The vocal harmonies are right there like always, they put on a fan-friendly show, and to see them up there onstage together, it's blatantly obvious that this is what they love to do.

You want to hear Dennis DeYoung? Go see one of his shows. Very entertaining, he's done at least a couple tours with a full symphony orchestra thwat rival the Moody Blues for pure enjoyment...he's still got one hell of a great voice and can he play that keyboard? Definitely. But if you want to see a Styx lineup that's out there night after night having an absolute blast onstage...they're still doing it year after year, and this summer, they're bringing along REO Speedwagon and 38 Special for a full night of rock & roll classics. they're all fans of each other's music, and the mutual respect is something awesome to see between them. To say that Styx is still missing Dennis is missing the point...that was over ten years ago. Getting to this concert performance, it's an amazing piece of work that had some great involvement between the band and the youth orchestra that proves we need to make sure that music survives in our kids' school curriculum. This is a prime example that kids care about it and are very much into creating and performing, and it is very much to Styx' credit that they paire dup with this talented group of young people to create a fantastic night of music. The energy is contagious and the quality is perfect. This is a show to enjoy from start to finish!"