Kilroy Was Here 1983 Album

Styx

Styx in the early 80's were a curious deal. They had clearly attained a higher status than many other arena rock bands from the 70's - roughly comparable to Journey, I'd say - but their two LP entries are perceived to have craved and fallen way short of the Pink Floyd-ian stratosphere. Whereas Paradise Theatre was more of a flashy, celebration/tribute kind of package, Kilroy Was Here goes the other way, making a strong statement against government censors moving against rock music. This, along with the ever-building tension within the group, produced the most fascinating album of their career, bar none. This is far more than the supposed faux-tech cheese of "Mr. Roboto" - which is actually one of the more heartfelt tracks in the Styx universe - but they remain true to their original sound AND branch smartly into 80's pop realms on frequent occasions. There is also a serious dose of sardonic humor which really makes its' presence felt on tracks like "Heavy Metal Poisoning" and "Cold War".