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< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Styx and The Contemporary Youth Orchestra
One With Everything
2006,Frontiers Records/Zink Music
Rating: 3.5/5

This is a live album by < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Styx with a 115-piece string orchestra consisting of kids between the ages of 15 and 19 and a large 60-member choir. The event took place at the Blossom Music Center in Cleveland, Ohio on May 25^th of 2006. The album features songs from the band’s last album BIG BANG THEORY as well as an entirely new studio song called “Just Be”. There are 13 songs and the album’s playing time is 75 minutes. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The bio is a bit messy; it says that there are two studio songs provided, and I can only hear one; it also has an incomplete track list. Overlooking that, everything else is OK. The same goes for the album, which is a bit better than the average live CD.

ONE WITH EVERYTHING is loaded with energy and vitality; even if the band’s songs sounds a little different from what we are used to, I’d say that the orchestra makes the songs a little better when compared to the originals. Unfortunately, the production does not do the songs, the orchestra, or the choir any justice at all. Even though it is a huge choir and orchestra, you cannot hear them well enough, which is sad. And who came up with the idea of putting a studio song in the middle of the live performance? The live feeling dies a little when you hear the audience fade away and a studio song takes over. Why not put it at the end or in the beginning instead of in the middle?

Besides those things, I think this is a great live album made by one of the greatest U.S. rock legends. It’s really intriguing that Styx has featured a youth orchestra. ONE WITH EVERYTHING is a great gift for every fan of symphonic/pomp rock. Killer tracks are “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)”, “One with Everything”, “Boat on the River”, “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, “Crystal Ball”, and “Too Much Time On My Hands”.

Tommy Shaw – vocals, guitar, mandolin

James “JY” Young – guitar, vocals

Lawrence Gowan – keyboards, vocals

Todd Sucherman – drums

Ricky Philips – bass, b-vox, guitar

Chuck Panozzo – bass

www.styxworld.com

www.frontiers.it

www.zinkmusic.com

Tracklist

Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)

On With Everything

It Don’t Make Sense (You can’t Make Peace)

Everything All The Time

I Am The Walrus

Just Be (Studio Version)

Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)

Boat On The River

I Don’t Need No Doctor

Crystal Ball

Too Much Time On My Hands

Miss America

Renegade