The Grand Illusion (album)
Encyclopedia
The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album
by Styx
, released on July 7, 1977 (7/7/77). It became the band's first Triple Platinum album, and spawned the Top 10 hit "Come Sail Away
" and the Top 30 hit "Fooling Yourself
".
The album was the subject of an episode of the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard featuring interviews with several band members. According to lead singer 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:
DeYoung also revealed that the title of The Grand Illusion had been considered dating back to the 1975 album Equinox.
The track "Miss America" was guitarist James Young
's scathing attack on the Miss America
pageant. Young, in his interview on the In the Studio program, said the track came to him in the middle of the night and that its riff
was inspired by the Jethro Tull
song "Minstrel in the Gallery".
entitled "Le Blanc-Seing". It features a photo of vocalist Dennis DeYoung
on the body of a horse
.
Production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, released on July 7, 1977 (7/7/77). It became the band's first Triple Platinum album, and spawned the Top 10 hit "Come Sail Away
Come Sail Away
"Come Sail Away" is a song by American progressive rock group Styx, featured on the band's seventh album The Grand Illusion . Upon its release as the lead single from the album, "Come Sail Away" charted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped The Grand Illusion achieve multi-platinum...
" and the Top 30 hit "Fooling Yourself
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
"Fooling Yourself" is the second single released from Styx's The Grand Illusion album. On the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the U.S., the single peaked at number 29.The song was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw...
".
The album was the subject of an episode of the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard featuring interviews with several band members. According to lead singer Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
, the album's theme was the struggle to overcome self-deluding superficiality
Superficiality
'The principle of superficiality versus depth' has pervaded Western culture since at least the time of Plato: 'the dialectic of truth and appearance,' as the surface image of the latter 'competes with what Plato designates for us beyond appearance as being the Idea'.21stC urban parlance speaks of...
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
DeYoung also revealed that the title of The Grand Illusion had been considered dating back to the 1975 album Equinox.
The track "Miss America" was guitarist James Young
James Young (American musician)
James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
's scathing attack on the Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
pageant. Young, in his interview on the In the Studio program, said the track came to him in the middle of the night and that its riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
was inspired by the Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
song "Minstrel in the Gallery".
Track listing
- "The Grand Illusion" (Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
) – 4:36- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
- First guitar solo and guitar fills: Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
- Second guitar solo: James YoungJames Young (American musician)James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
- "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)"Fooling Yourself" is the second single released from Styx's The Grand Illusion album. On the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the U.S., the single peaked at number 29.The song was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw...
" (Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
) – 5:29- Lead vocals and guitar: Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
- SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
solos: Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
- Lead vocals and guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Superstars" (DeYoung, Shaw, James YoungJames Young (American musician)James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
) – 3:59- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
- Soliloquy: Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Come Sail AwayCome Sail Away"Come Sail Away" is a song by American progressive rock group Styx, featured on the band's seventh album The Grand Illusion . Upon its release as the lead single from the album, "Come Sail Away" charted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped The Grand Illusion achieve multi-platinum...
" (DeYoung) – 6:07- Lead vocals and synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
solo: Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:... - ARP OdysseyARP OdysseyThe ARP Odyssey was an analog synthesizer introduced in 1972. Responding to pressure from Moog Music to create a portable, affordable "performance" synthesizer, ARP scaled down its popular 2600 synthesizer and created the Odyssey, which became the best-selling synthesizer they made.The Odyssey is...
: James YoungJames Young (American musician)James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y... - Lead Guitar: Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
- Lead vocals and synthesizer
- "Miss America" (Young) – 5:01
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: James YoungJames Young (American musician)James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: James Young
- "Man in the Wilderness" (Shaw) – 5:49
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
- Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
- "Castle Walls" (DeYoung) – 6:00
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
- Guitar fills and harmony fills: Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
- Guitar solo: James YoungJames Young (American musician)James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
- "The Grand Finale" (DeYoung, Shaw, Young) – 1:58
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
- Guitar fills and first guitar solo: Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
- Melodic Guitar Lead: James YoungJames Young (American musician)James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
- Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
Album Cover
The album cover art is an homage to a painting by René MagritteRené Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
entitled "Le Blanc-Seing". It features a photo of vocalist Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung
Dennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
on the body of a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
.
Personnel
Styx- Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
– KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, Synthesizers, VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Chuck PanozzoChuck PanozzoCharles Salvatore "Chuck" Panozzo is an American musician best known as the bass player for the rock band Styx. A longtime member of Styx, he founded the group with his fraternal twin brother, drummer John Panozzo, who died in July 1996, and singer Dennis DeYoung...
– BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Vocals - John PanozzoJohn PanozzoJohn Anthony Panozzo was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx.Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with his fraternal twin brother, Chuck . At age 7, the twins took musical lessons from their uncle in which John took an...
– DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, Vocals - Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
– Acoustic and Electric GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, Vocals - James YoungJames Young (American musician)James "J.Y." Young is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and member of the rock band, Styx. Young began playing keyboard and piano at the age of five. He attended Calumet High in Chicago and learned to play clarinet and guitar during those years.J.Y...
– Guitar, KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
,Vocals
Production
- Barry Mraz - Production Assistance, Engineer
- Rob Kingsland - Engineer
- Mastered by Mike Reese at the Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, California
- Derek Sutton - Management and Direction
- Jim Vose - Tour Manager
- Jeff Ravitz - Lighting Designer
- John "Tarkus" Schaefer - Stage Manager
- Bob "Yaz" Jastrzembski - Equipment and Motorcycle Stunts
- Judson Terry Phelps - Monitors
- Roland Young - Art Direction
- Jim McCraryJim McCraryJim McCrary is a photographer known for his 1970s album covers, most notably Carole King's Tapestry, Sérgio Mendes's País Tropical & Crystal Illusions and Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen.-External links:*...
- Photography - Chuck Beeson - Album Design
- Kelly and Mouse - Album cover painting
Album
| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
6 |
Singles
| Name | Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Come Sail Away Come Sail Away "Come Sail Away" is a song by American progressive rock group Styx, featured on the band's seventh album The Grand Illusion . Upon its release as the lead single from the album, "Come Sail Away" charted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped The Grand Illusion achieve multi-platinum... " |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
8 |
| "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) "Fooling Yourself" is the second single released from Styx's The Grand Illusion album. On the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the U.S., the single peaked at number 29.The song was written by guitarist Tommy Shaw... " |
29 |