Ultimate STYX Quiz II

Answer: Bad Company

Come on, did you really think Damn Yankees would be one of the options? Not that easy! Styx opened for Bad Company on the "Equinox" promotional tour. According to his biography on the official Tommy Shaw web site, Shaw has played in at least five bands other than Styx.

In addition to Damn Yankees, Vagabonds, Jive Rockets, and MS Funk, the biography cites a band Tommy briefly played with between his stint with MS Funk and his signing with Styx. The web site, however, does not give the name of this band.

Answer: "Believe In The Supernatural"

Although the title has a very mystical, Wooden Nickel era feel to it, "Believe In The Supernatural" appears on the Air Supply album "Life Support". "Right Away" is from the '72 "Styx" album; "Best New Face" from '99's "Brave New World"; "Lies" from 1974's "Man Of Miracles".

Answer: Lawrence Gowan

LG is a classically trained Pianist and devout Progressive Rock fan. The Royal Conservatory of Music is located in Toronto, Canada.

Answer: He wanted to spend more time with his family

Although "time with family" was the main reason for JC's departure, according to his son, Jamie, money disputes from early recordings and differences of opinion with DeYoung were lesser contributing factors.

Answer: Brain aneurysm

Sadly, JC passed on in February of 1988 due to a brain aneurysm.

Answer: 1988

There is at least one internet web site misrepresenting this information as 1984. The correct date, however, is 1988. JC's son Jamie said he was ultimately glad his father left Styx because "I got to spend many quality years with my father."

Answer: Hannah

Hannah is referred to in "Sing For The Day" from the "Pieces Of Eight" album, but the name does not appear in the song's title. "Jennifer" is a track on the "Crystal Ball" album; "State Street Sadie" appears on "Paradise Theatre"; "Carrie Ann" was released on "Edge Of The Century".

Answer: "Wanted Man"

"Wanted Man" is actually a lyric from the song "Renegade". Some believe the title to be "Renegade (The Wanted Man)", but it is simply "Renegade". More recognizable "man" songs from Styx include "Man Of Miracles", Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man), "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)", but that would be too easy for an "ULTIMATE" Styx quiz!

Answer: "New World Man"

"New World Man" is a Rush song from their "Signals" album. "Fanfare For The Common Man" is actually a sub-title/sub-track of "Movement For The Common Man" from the "Styx" album.

Answer: His "first paying gig"

This story is briefly covered in the biography section of the official Tommy Shaw web site.

Answer: Glasgow, Scotland

Gowan was born in Scotland and later moved to Canada.

Answer: Bon Jovi

Although Glen was asked to join Bon Jovi, he declined the offer. He has also played in The Sides and Cats On A Smooth Surface. His web site reports that "The Boss" himself, Bruce Springsteen, would show up almost every Sunday and play with the "Cats".

Answer: Glen Burtnik

Glen co-wrote the song with Patty Smyth. Patty and Don Henley recorded it and, in 1992, it reached #1 on the pop charts.

Answer: "Best New Face"

"Little Suzie" and "It Takes Love" both appeared on "Styx Greatest Hits Part-2". "Edge Of The Century" is the album for which Glen wrote the title track. It was also his Styx debut. "Best New Face" is from the "Brave New World" album. Glen was not a member of Styx when the album was cut because Shaw was back with the group, and Chuck Panozzo was still playing full-time. Glen was reinducted into the group for the "Brave New World" tour.

Answer: Two of the five members who performed on the album were not regulars on the tour

DeYoung and Chuck Panozzo were not regulars on the tour. Both men were too ill to go on the road. DeYoung wanted the other members to wait for him, while Chuck gave the other Stygians his blessing to tour without him. DeYoung was later asked to leave the group, while Panozzo is still a part-time member to this day; even showing up occassionally on tour to play a few songs - especially in and around Chicago.

Answer: 9 - All of them

Sucherman and the Panozzo brothers are the only Stygians never to perform leads. Although Chuck Panozzo did not do vocals on every album he appeared on, some albums do credit him with vocal work. According to Sucherman's web site, everyone who performed on the song "KYAGB" from the "Cyclorama" album lent vocals to the "You go first!" line.

Answer: Best Thing

Although it originally appeared on the "Styx" album, "Best Thing" was re-released on "Man Of Miracles". It was soon replaced by "Lies". When RCA re-released "Man Of Miracles" as "Miracles", "Lies" was replaced with "Unfinished Song". Still later re-releases of the album with the original title and artwork restored had "Lies" back in place of unfinished song.

Answer: 6

"The Grand Illusion", "Caught In The Act - Live", "Styx Classics", "Styx Greatest Hits", "Return To Paradise", "Styxworld Live- 2001".

Answer: False

"Miss America" was released in 1977, years before the Miss America scandal of the early eighties, making these now prophetic lyrics some of the eeriest in Rock 'N' Roll history.

Answer: "Genki Desu Ka"

Because of the pronounciation, many media outlets misspell the song as "Genki Des Ka". It is common in the Japanese language to drop the last vowel sound of certain words, especially when chanting. (Kind of like Americans pronouncing the word "going" as "goin'".) The album utilizes the correct Japanese Romanji spelling in listing the track as "Genki Desu Ka".

Answer: Nichiren Shu

Did Tommy Shaw's "7 Deadly Zens" throw you off? Zen primarily focuses on meditation. Jodo Shu and Jodo Shinsu are both chanting sects, but they chant "Namo Amida Butsu" ("I take refuge in Amida Buddha"). The chant heard on "Cyclorama" is the central practice of the Nichiren Shu and Nichiren Shoshu sects of Buddhism. Translations vary, but two that are very common are "I bow to the law of cause and effect (Karma)" or "I take refuge in (or bow to) the Lotus Sutra".

Answer: It was the name of a movie that played at the real Paradise Theatre in Chicago

"State Street Sadie" was a 1928 talking movie from Warner Bros. that actually did play at the real Paradise Theatre.

Answer: John Curulewski, Tommy Shaw, Glen Burtnik, John Panozzo, Dennis DeYoung

Tommy Shaw was replaced by Glen Burtnik for "Edge Of The Century". He actually had to be talked into rejoining the group later. Glen Burtnik, who relpaced Shaw, was out upon Shaw's return to the group, despite collaborations for the "Greatest Hits Part-2" album. (Shaw appeared on "Lady '95" and was back for the "Return To Paradise" tour.) Burtnik is now relpacing Chuck Panozzo.

Although Chuck Panozzo has been replaced, he is still a part-time member, appearing on every album. John Curulewski left in 1975 and died in 1988. John Panozzo passed on in 1996. Dennis DeYoung was asked to leave the group after being left off '99's "Brave New World" tour.

At the release of "Cyclorama", Shaw and Burtnik shared the dubious honor of being the only two Stygians to be both "current" and "former" band members. (Dennis DeYoung was fired and re-hired in 1979, but this only lasted about a week, and he didn't miss any albums. So TECHNICALLY Dennis was also a "current" and "former" member at one point.)

Answer: "Renegade"

"Show Me The Way" was released three years after "Styx Classics". "Lorelei" Appears on "Greatest Hits", but not "Classics", as is the case with "Lady '95". Only "Renegade" appears on both albums.

Answer: 0

Because "Best Of Styx" was a Wooden Nickel release, no songs from that album except "Lady" being re-recorded as "Lady '95" have made any of the three A&M compilations. Because "Styx Greatest Hits" and "Styx Greatest Hits Part-2" have no songs in common, the most appearances any Styx song had made on compilation albums (prior to 2003) is two. "Styx Classics" is the other A&M compilation. Because "Cyclorama" was the first studio album to be released on CMC, there had been no CMC compilations at the time "Cyclorama" was released.

2005 Update: Since this quiz was first published, STYX has also released "Rockers", "Come Sail Away: The STYX Anthology", and "The Complete Wooden Nickel Recordings", bringing the compilation total to seven albums. This question still only deals with the pre-"Cyclorama" compilations.