Search - Styx, Reo Speedwagon :: Arch Allies: Live at Riverport

BRAVE NEW STYX! AND HEY, REO STILL ROCKS TOO!

Colin Crews | Birmingham, Al United States | 09/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"ARCH ALLIES: LIVE AT RIVERPORT is the first release from STYX featuring their new line up with Glen Burtnik (returning after almost a decade) and Lawerence Gowan. STYX has never sounded better. James (JY) Young and Tommy Shaw are both in fine form on the CD and drummer Todd Sucherman drives the songs along like a like a frickin' freight train. Gowan's take on the STYX classics LADY and GRAND ILLUSION are a cool change of pace while still living up to their original incarnations and Glen gets a turn with his EDGE OF THE CENTURY. JY co-produced this new STYX disc (along with long-time STYX vet Gary Loizzo) and his influence is felt in the band's revived harder edge. The intro to HEAVY WATER will prove to be a very cool suprise for die hard Stygians. I'm looking forward to hearing Burtnik, Shaw, JY, Todd, and Gowan collaberate on material for a new studio STYX album. STYX RULES! The only thing I didn't dig about the CD is the mulitple appearences of a few songs. BLUE COLLAR MAN is on the CDs 3 times. Once performed by STYX and twice by STYX & REO. I would have been happy with just the STYX/REO version, seeing how BLUE COLLAR MAN has already appeared on two previous live STYX albums (CAUGHT IN THE ACT - 1984 & RETURN TO PARADISE - 1997). STYX & REO also perform together on the SPEEDWAGON rocker ROLL WITH THE CHANGES which also makes 3 appearences (2 of the joint version and 1 with REO alone). It would have been cooler for us hard core fans if STYX had skipped the repeats and gave us the JY led LORELEI or new offerings like EVERYTHING IS COOL, I WILL BE YOUR WITNESS, or NUMBER ONE. But, whatever, that is picking gnat s--- out of pepper. This is a great record that will please any STYX fan."

Rockin' The Riverport

Colin Crews | 05/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most of these reviews have been less about the album and more about how Dennis De Young is out of the band. Well, I can honestly say the Styx CD is the lesser of the two, but NOT for that reason. It's just that the choice of Styx material for the album is a bit sub-par. The only ones that stick out to me as excellent are Gowan's version of Lady (really!), Edge of the Century, Heavy Water, and Fooling Yourself. The real gem of this collection is REO Speedwagon's disc. Gary may be gone, and Kevin may be losing his voice; however, you can feel the energy of the concert through this. Music Man is the only song that falls short. Too bad they couldn't have had a live version of Golden Country or Son of a Poor Man. Hitt is good, and I'd give this album 5 stars, but, as Kevin put it best "Nobody plays the guitar the way Gary does.""

A Good CD from 2 Great Bands

Jeffrey T. Munson | Dixon, IL | 07/18/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This double CD devotes 1 disc to each band. Recorded live during the summer 2000 tour, it contains all of the essential tracks from each band. On the Styx CD, we find such classics as "Too Much Time on my Hands" and "Renegade", while REO chimes in with "Roll With the Changes" and "Don't Let Him Go". I grew up with these groups while I was in high school, and it's nice to have a CD with both of them on it. I still think Dennis DeYoung is better than Lawrence Gowan, and the Styx disc was basically all Tommy Shaw's songs. There are a couple songs from their "Brave New World" CD which are very good, however. JY's "Heavy Water" is particularly good. Also included are a coupe of songs, "Roll With the Changes" and "Blue Collar Man", performed buy both groups together. Overall, this CD is good because it contains the good old-fashioned rock and roll sound that made both of these groups famous. There is also a VHS tape of this concert which I would recommend as well."