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The Grand Illusion (album)
''The Grand Illusion'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Styx. Recorded at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago, the album was released on July 7, 1977, by A&M Records. (Intentionally choosing the combination 7th on 7-7-77 for luck). The release was a smash worldwide, selling three million copies in the US (Triple Platinum) alone. Some estimates have the album at over 6 million copies sold. The album launched the band to stardom and spawned the hit singles "Come Sail Away" and " Fooling Yourself." The title track also received substantial FM airplay, but was never released as an official single. Background and songs As with much of Styx's catalog, many of the songs have quasi-medieval/fantasy lyrics and themes. Some are allegories and commentaries on contemporary American life and the members' experiences in an American rock band in the mid-to-late 1970s, such as "Castle Walls", "Superstars", "Miss America" and the title track, which touches on "The Grand Illu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Styx (band)
Styx () is an American rock band from Chicago that formed in 1972 and is best known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established itself with a progressive rock sound in the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s. Beginning with '' Styx'' in 1972, the band usually released an album every year throughout the 1970s. '' Styx II'' (1973) had the sleeper hit "Lady", a power ballad which reached No. 6 in the US, helping the album make the top 20. "Lady" was also a top 20 hit in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. ''Equinox'' (1975) and ''Crystal Ball'' (1976) reached the US top 70 with the first featuring "Lorelei", a No. 6 hit in Canada, while the latter marked the addition of Tommy Shaw to the band. Styx's commercial breakthrough in North America came with ''The Grand Illusion'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lady (Styx Song)
"Lady" is a 1973 song written and performed by the rock band Styx. It was first released on '' Styx II'' and was a local hit in the band's native Chicago, but initially failed to chart nationally. The song gained success shortly after Styx left Wooden Nickel Records to move to A&M Records in 1974 as it began picking up airplay nationwide, eventually peaking at #6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in March 1975. The power ballad was later re-recorded for the 1995 Styx compilation ''Greatest Hits'' due to a contractual dispute between A&M and Wooden Nickel. Background "Lady" was written by Dennis DeYoung for his wife, Suzanne Feusi, the first song he ever wrote for her.As stated by DeYoung on the 2004 album ''The Music of Styx--Live with Symphony Orchestra''. DeYoung recounted to ''Contemporary Keyboard'' magazine for the January 1981 issue that the first time he ever played acoustic piano was when the band arrived at the recording studio to record "Lady" and saw the piano in the stu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed in many fields of science, manufacturing (e.g., photolithography), and business, as well as its more direct uses for art, film and video production, recreational purposes, hobby, and mass communication. Typically, a lens is used to focus the light reflected or emitted from objects into a real image on the light-sensitive surface inside a camera during a timed exposure. With an electronic image sensor, this produces an electrical charge at each pixel, which is electronically processed and stored in a digital image file for subsequent display or processing. The result with photographic emulsion is an invisible latent image, which is later chemically "developed" into a visible image, either negative or positive, depending on the purp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim McCrary
Jim McCrary (August 31, 1939 – April 29, 2012) was an American photographer known for his 1970s album covers, most notably Carole King's ''Tapestry'', The Carpenters' '' Ticket to Ride,'' and Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...'s '' Mad Dogs and Englishmen''. References External links Obituary 1939 births 2012 deaths American photographers Album-cover and concert-poster artists {{US-photographer-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Art Direction
Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vision of an artistic production. In particular, they are in charge of its overall visual appearance and how it communicates visually, stimulates moods, contrasts features, and psychologically appeals to a target audience. The art director makes decisions about visual elements, what artistic style(s) to use, and when to use motion. One of the biggest challenges art directors face is translating desired moods, messages, concepts, and underdeveloped ideas into imagery. In the brainstorming process, art directors, colleagues and clients explore ways the finished piece or scene could look. At times, the art director is responsible for solidifying the vision of the collective imagination while resolving conflicting agendas and inconsistencies bet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Audio Mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via methods such as pressing, duplication or replication). In recent years digital masters have become usual, although analog masters—such as audio tapes—are still being used by the manufacturing industry, particularly by a few engineers who specialize in analog mastering. Mastering requires critical listening; however, software tools exist to facilitate the process. Results depend upon the intent of the engineer, the skills of the engineer, the accuracy of the speaker monitors, and the listening environment. Mastering engineers often apply equalization and dynamic range compression in order to optimize sound translation on all playback systems. It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording—known as a safety copy—in cas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Recording Engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, and reinforcement of sound. Audio engineers work on the "technical aspect of recording—the placing of microphones, pre-amp knobs, the setting of levels. The physical recording of any project is done by an engineer... the nuts and bolts." Sound engineering is increasingly seen as a creative profession where musical instruments and technology are used to produce sound for film, radio, television, music and video games. Audio engineers also set up, sound check and do live sound mixing using a mixing console and a sound reinforcement system for music concerts, theatre, sports games and corporate events. Alternatively, ''audio engineer'' can refer to a scientist or professional engineer who holds an engineering degree and who designs, dev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Production Assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a member of the film crew and is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget and specific requirements of a production as well as whether the production is unionized. Production assistants on films are sometimes attached to individual actors or filmmakers. Television and feature film In unionized television and feature film, production assistants are usually divided into different categories. Variations exist depending on a show's structure or region of the United States or Canada. *''Office PAs'' usually spend most hours in the respective show's production office handling such tasks as phones, deliveries, script copies, lunch pick-ups, and related tasks in coordination with the production manager and production coordinator. *''Set PAs'' work on the physical set of the production, whether on location or on a soun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Panozzo
John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx. Early life and career Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois, with his fraternal twin brother, Chuck (born 90 minutes apart). At age 7, the twins took musical lessons from their uncle in which John took an interest in drums and percussion. They attended Catholic school and eventually they were part of a three-piece band in which John played drums and Chuck played guitar. They would play weddings at age 12 and were paid $15 apiece. Then, in 1961, John, Chuck, and their neighbor, Dennis DeYoung, formed a band called The Tradewinds in which John played drums, Chuck played guitar, and Dennis played the accordion and sang. They played local gigs at bars and began gaining popularity as a garage band on the city's South Side. In 1968, Chuck switched to bass and they added guitarists/vocalists James "J.Y." Young ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chuck Panozzo
Charles Salvatore Panozzo (born September 20, 1948) is an American musician best known as a co-founder of the rock band Styx. He is currently a part-time bass player in the band, sharing bass duties with Ricky Phillips. Panozzo suffers from HIV, which prevents him from full-time participation. Biography Panozzo grew up in a working-class Italian Catholic neighborhood in South Side, Chicago. At the age of 7, Panozzo and his fraternal twin brother, drummer John Panozzo, who died in July 1996, took music lessons from an uncle. He attended Catholic schools. Since age 7, Panozzo realized that he was gay. In 1961-1962, Panozzo founded Styx with his brother and singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung. Panozzo received a degree in art education and taught art at the high school level. In 1991, he was diagnosed as being HIV positive, which he kept secret along with his sexuality. In 2001, at the Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommy Shaw
Tommy Roland Shaw (born September 11, 1953) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx (band), Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups including Damn Yankees (band), Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades as well as releasing several solo albums. Early life and music career Tommy Shaw was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and played with many local bands in his early years. He left Montgomery after attending Robert E. Lee High School (Montgomery, Alabama), Robert E. Lee High School to join The Smoke Ring (band), The Smoke Ring and then MSFunk, a Chicago-managed outfit that he played with for three years, which gave him a chance to be noticed by Styx (band), Styx during a two-week club gig in Chicago. After MSFunk disbanded, he went back to Montgomery to join a local group called Harvest with his childhood friends. Following Styx's move to A&M Records, A&M, guitarist and vocalist John Curulew ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Young (American Musician)
James Vincent Young (born November 14, 1949) is an American musician who is best known as the lead guitarist in the American rock band Styx, having served as the only continuous original member of the band. 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. He was nicknamed by Styx members & long time fans as "J.Y." and is often referred to as "The Godfather of Styx". In 1970, Young joined the band TW4 while a student at Illinois Institute of Technology, from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. That band later became the first incarnation of Styx. After Styx's initial breakup in 1984, Young released the solo albums ''City Slicker'' (1985) with Jan Hammer, ''Out on a Day Pass'' (1988), and ''Raised by Wolves'' (1995 ) with James Young Group. Young tends to write the more hard rock pieces for Styx. He is best known for the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
