Review 1 of 1

No Screen Name writes:

Not Rated

Cornerstone took Styx in a completely new direction
musically. Coming from Pieces of Eight's powerful rock edge
and raw sound to the glossy almost neon light soft glow of
Cornerstone probably made some fans and even band
members shake their heads and say "what are we doing on
this album?" How did it happen? Simple: saxophone/horn
section/fender rhodes electric piano. The fender rhodes
dominates the sound on Lights, Why Me, Babe, Borrowed
Time, First Time, and Love in the Midnight. When do you hear
an acoustic piano on this album? Rock Organ? Mix this
electronic sound with any guitars and you get a softer pop/
rock sound. So why 4 stars?
These guys still put together some great songs, harmonies,
and music. Lights starts with the Styx synth sound we all
know and love, but quickly turns to the electric piano and
acoustic guitar gloss Cornerstone is known for. Why Me is
probably one of the most under rated songs in Styx history.
Excellent use of saxophone and one of my favorite synth
solos at the end of the song. Great lyrics and energy make
this song along with a great sax/guitar duo. Babe speaks
for itself...the synth strings made a trademark sound for the
upcoming 80s ballads. Never Say Never and Boat on the
River are solid Tommy Shaw songs influenced by a European
trip and have merit in life and Styx connection in Europe.
Borrowed Time has that electric piano intro that defines
Cornerstone's sound. A little Yes/No stereo action I would
have done w/out, but the rest of the song just rocks. A little
less gloss and it would have been bigger than Blue Collar
Man. First Time is a rare 2nd ballad on a same album that is
just like Babe. Good song and typical Styx vocal harmonies
and guitar work with yet again...fender rhodes glosss. The
most interesting song that is JYs one contribution is EDDIE
which features a semi-unmelodic verse that rocks and gives
way to a high gloss chorus with some unusual Styx harmonies
and then ends with a most unusual fade out and fade back in
to a complete STOP. Love in the Midnight is a good ending
to the album that if you hadn't listened to the entire album
you could probably believe is came from Pieces of Eight or the
Grand Illusion.
Probably not Styx' greatest effort of their 4 consecutive triple
platinum albums, but one that incredibly successful and
features their lone #1 hit and a sound you never heard from
the band again. Blending into the early 80s, you must
compare Cornerstone to the high gloss efforts of Queen's THE
GAME. Exploring new sounds may have kept these bands
going through the end of the disco era where many bands
just gave up. It's worth listening to again and again to seek
their abilities to be creative with new sounds.

Feb 5, 2007 21:05:09