STYX — Crystal Ball (review)

STYX — Crystal Ball album cover Album · 1976 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
FMOTP
I will state right up front that I love this record. It was one of my favorite LP's in high school, and I probably listened to it 100 times. I don't understand why Crystal Ball isn't given the same respect as Equinox. This is an album of excellent songs. Styx were still hard rock at this point, which ought to please the reader of this site.

Is there a bias against Tommy Shaw at work here? The man can obviously sing, and I don't see the ability to write commercially successfully music as a bad thing! If I'm picking favorites, I would probably go with "Ballerina" and the title track. "Put Me On" is bland, but that's an exception. This is an excellent hard rock album with some progressive touches. I'm giving it 3 and 1/2 stars, docked a half star only because of its "metal-ness" level.
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Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Good review, I really like this one too. 'Put Me On' has actually always been one of my favorites.

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