Classics Styx recordings were recently released in a new vinyl box set.

Original vocalist and songwriter Dennis DeYoung received the set in the mail and shared his experience with them on his Facebook page.

“Hey everybody,

“I just received the new Styx Vinyl Collection in the mail and decided to pop it open to have a look. I called the local fire department to assist me seeing as how to open anything you buy these days takes considerable ingenuity and effort. After they had gotten it open I decided to buy my own set of "Jaws of Life" for the next time I have to open something, you know, like a bottle of Listerine. The child proof cap on this thing should state that this product is safe for all children under the age of 114 cause ya ain't agittin it open.. Squeeze the marked sides and twist, only to realize after 72 attempts that your gingivitis and plaque will be celebrating and your breath will have to remain questionable. Buy one bottle and it will be yours for life, What would you give to have 5 minutes alone with the murdering, tampering, Tylenol guy who started all this idiotic protective packaging crap. I believe, though I could be wrong, that hospital emergency rooms have invested heavily in this protective packaging. Obamacare does not cover this. But I digress.

“After seeing the collection I was impressed to find that all the albums appeared to be as I had remembered them, with the exception of the laser etching on Paradise Theater. Of the four million that sold only the first million were actually etched. It was the brainchild of Jeff Ayeroff at A and M. and was awfully cool.

“They contain the same lyrics and photos as the originals including the Grand Illusion poster. In this photo under my jacket I'm wearing an A and M tee shirt to match my Robin's egg blue colored saddle shoes, oh and let's not forget my fashionable little scarf ya know in case I catch cold or decide to rob a 7/11. I heard that Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn saw my getup and Gunn broke out in hives. It's a wonderful poster and the photo shoot was memorable in that I never heard anyone yelling 'Blairrrrhhh more smoke at crotch level'. (For those of you who do not understand the reference check out an earlier post where I discuss our first album photo shoot).

“As of yet I don't know if I will make the effort to listen to these records because it would entail some work on my part to fix my turntable and stylus, connect it to an amp and speakers and find my hookah and platform shoes. Besides I know what they sound like I was there when we did them. If any of you were bold enough to get these new things let me know what you think and please do not post your prom pictures...oh go ahead! Cheers Dennis”

North American syndicated Rock radio show and website InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the release of eight classic Styx albums in a new vinyl box set.

Originally a Midwestern phenomenon far from the musical meccas of New York and LA, Styx were outsiders of sorts to the music industry, but dearly beloved by their loyal fan base to this day. Styx songwriters Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, and co-founder Dennis DeYoung wrote about the life in America they experienced, all the while battling for respect from certain music critics hell bent on tagging them “corporate rock” for the band’s hard-earned success.

InTheStudio host Redbeard gets first-hand accounts from all three principles about this period in Styx history, as the band’s current and former members  share stories behind eight of their classic albums: Equinox, Crystal Ball, The Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight, Cornerstone, Paradise Theater, Kilroy Was Here and the live double album Caught In the Act.

“Styx was a really hard thing to get people to believe in. Most bands have one sound. They have one guy you focus on and one style of songwriting... We were so different from each other that we were trying as hard as we could to have a unified sound.” - Tommy Shaw

“The Grand Illusion, in part, was my way of saying, ‘Don’t be fooled by all the things you see, because that’s not reality.” - Dennis DeYoung

Listen to the interview in two parts:

Part 1
Part 2