The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight: Live [Blu-ray]

This is a smokin' hot concert only Tommy and JY could have pulled off. Multi triple platinum albums 1977's Grand Illusion and '78 Pieces of Eight two of the probably the greatest rock albums of all time played live with Styx main core members Tommy Shaw and James 'JY' Young peforming flawlessly.Tommy and JY have been able to hold Styx leagacy for over a decade together well, with a very competent line up and despite their well publicised break up with original member Dennis De Young have been able tour and release albums with huge success.Their line up over the years have been consistant with Lawrence Gowan on Vocals and Keys, Ricky Phillip on bass and Tod Sucherman on drums.The concert filmed on November 9th, 2010 at the historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis, TN, culminates the great showmanship,energy and friendship the band has been harnessing over the years.I lived off these albums in '78-'79 played them 24/07 this was truly a 'Rock Odyssey' they were the 'real' days of hard rock!!!I still have these albums including the limited edition of pieces of eight.Orignal founding member Chuck 'chucky' Panazzo as usual makes guest appearences on songs with the heavy base lines like 'fooling yourself' and appears to be very happy with these stints. For years I've been yearning to hear 'Man in the wilderness and tommy nearly brought tears to my eyes so was Lawrence on Castle Walls, Sing for the day, I'm Ok were executed to perfection, also JY songs Miss America, Lord of the Rings were performed to perfection It's as though you are listening to them off the original albums.I've always loved the ageless Tommy's songs in Styx's Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight and Cornerstone he had that 'lulaby voice' and together with JY produced some soaring solos De Young was very Inspirational until in '80 when he tried to'theatrerise' the band and that was the end of Styx...but the Styx resurgence in the last era has moved us the harcore fans !!! This concert is an Amazing, Great, Historic musical experience!!!Thanks Tommy and JY!!!

(I purchased the CD/DVD combo pack first, then picked up a copy of the BR).In what has to be one of the best conceptualized concerts of the decade, Styx took 2 of their platinum selling albums for a refreshing tour of the US, stopping in Memphis for the filming of this event. While it may seem unnecessary to state, these recordings come alive, literally alive.Some might argue that many of these songs are already mainstays of the Styx setlist and that many of them have been captured live in the trove of live CD's and video released by Styx in the last decade, but this format gives them a new life. It's kinda like taking out your old Styx records and putting them on your turntable, and suddenly the band walks into the room and plays all of the songs.Of the DVD, I can't imagine that it could have been filmed or recorded any better. There are plenty of cameras to give the viewer a multitude of views and the sound is presented in DTS, filling the room with that "right there in the middle of it" sound. For a fan, it can't get any better.Sure, the songs are old and many of them have been part of the setlist for decades, and there are many other live recordings from the band, but this is the only place to get the Side 1> Side 2> next album> Side 1> Side 2 in one convenient package. For more than 2 hours and 11 minutes Styx fans are treated to the show of a lifetime.When all is said and done, this package works. For fans that weren't able to catch this tour, this gives you the perfect opportunity to see the event and enjoy it over and over. When you consider the price of concert tickets versus the very reasonable price here at Amazon, you'll see that you just can't go wrong with this purchase.

Truly outstanding DVD of Styx's live show shot in hi-def with 11 cameras playing every song from two of their iconic LP's: Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight. They've polished their act into a highly enjoyable, dynamic hi-octane show. Not only are each of the players at the top of their game, the added bonus of interviews with the road crew and inside behind the scenes details on how each member's roadie becomes another member of the band in split second backstage choreography in making Styx one of the most spectacular live shows touring today. Though Dennis DeYoung will always be missed, Lawrence Gowan stays true to the original compositions while lending his own unique brand of stage performance to the mix. James Young is as smooth as ever, while drummer Todd Sucherman astounds with his boundless driving drumming. Tommy Shaw is always up to the task rounding out this tight knit ensemble with skill and prowess. Styx has toured tirelessly since DeYoung's departure and they are stronger than ever, the hundreds of performances have resulted in an act so finely tuned and polished it seems impossible to improve on it. They wisely stick to what they do best - bringing back the timeless treasure of their 70's recordings. You will not be disappointed, this one's a keeper.