The Grand Illusion

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The Grand Illusion
Studio album by Styx
Released	July 7, 1977
Recorded	1977 at Paragon Recording Studios, Chicago
Genre	Progressive rock, hard rock
Length	38:59
Label	A&M
Producer	Styx
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Rolling Stone (favorable) link
Styx chronology
Crystal Ball (1976) The Grand Illusion (1977) Pieces of Eight (1978)

The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by Styx, released in 1977 (see 1977 in music). It became the band's first Triple Platinum album, and spawned the Top 10 hit "Come Sail Away" and the Top 30 hit "Fooling Yourself".

The album was the subject of an episode of the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard featuring interviews with several band members. According to lead singer Dennis DeYoung, the album's theme was the struggle to overcome self-deluding superficiality in order to affirm one's genuine value. This theme was reflected in the lyrics of the album's title track:

so if you think your life is complete confusion

'cause your neighbor's got it made

just remember that it's a grand illusion

and deep inside we're all the same

DeYoung also revealed that the title of The Grand Illusion had been considered dating back to the 1975 album Equinox.

The track "Miss America" was guitarist James Young's scathing attack on the Miss America pageants. Young, in his interview on the In the Studio program, said the track came to him in the middle of the night and that its riff was inspired by the Jethro Tull song "Minstrel in the Gallery".

Track listing

1. "The Grand Illusion" (Dennis DeYoung) – 4:36
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
   • First guitar solo and guitar fills: Tommy Shaw
   • Second guitar solo: James Young
2. "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" (Tommy Shaw) – 5:29
   • Lead vocals and guitar: Tommy Shaw
   • Synthesizer solos: Dennis DeYoung
3. "Superstars" (DeYoung, Shaw, James Young) – 3:59
   • Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
   • Soliloquy: Dennis DeYoung
4. "Come Sail Away" (DeYoung) – 6:07
   • Lead vocals and synthesizer solo: Dennis DeYoung
   • ARP Odyssey: James Young
   • Lead Guitar: Tommy Shaw
5. "Miss America" (Young) – 5:01
   • Lead vocals and lead guitar: James Young
6. "Man in the Wilderness" (Shaw) – 5:49
   • Lead vocals and lead guitar: Tommy Shaw
7. "Castle Walls" (DeYoung) – 6:00
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
   • Guitar fills and harmony fills: Tommy Shaw
   • Guitar solo: James Young
8. "The Grand Finale" (DeYoung, Shaw, Young) – 1:58
   • Lead vocals: Dennis DeYoung
   • Guitar fills and first guitar solo: Tommy Shaw
   • Melodic Guitar Lead: James Young

Personnel

• Dennis DeYoung - keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
• Chuck Panozzo - bass, vocals
• John Panozzo - drums, percussion, vocals
• Tommy Shaw - acoustic and electric guitars, vocals
• James Young - guitars, keyboards, vocals
• Barry Mraz - Production Assistance, Engineer
• Rob Kingsland - Engineer
• Mastered by Mike Reese at the Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, California
• Derek Sutton - Management and Direction
• Jim Vose - Tour Manager
• Jeff Ravitz - Lighting Designer
• John "Tarkus" Schaefer - Stage Manager
• Bob "Yaz" Jastrzembski - Equipment and Motorcycle Stunts
• Judson Terry Phelps - Monitors
• Roland Young - Art Direction
• Jim McCrary - Photography
• Chuck Beeson - Album Design
• Kelly and Mouse - Album cover painting

Miscellanea

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2009)

The album cover art is an homage to a painting by Rene Magritte entitled "Carte Blanche."

Released on 7/7/77, "The Grand Illusion" was Styx's 7th album release. Also 38:59 is the album length, which is half of 77.

The musical theme from John Carpenter's seminal film, Halloween, has similar characteristics with the interlude to "Castle Walls". (The interlude occurs approximately 2:40 into the song.) Carpenter's film was not released until 1978, leading some to suspect the movie's theme may have been inspired by the Styx song. The interlude of "Castle Walls" was inspired by Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" which was the theme music in the 1973 horror film "The Exorcist".

In the Season 3 episode of Highlander: The Series, "The Revolutionary", the album can be seen in MacLeod's record collection sitting on a shelf behind MacLeod and fellow Immortal Paul Karros.

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

See also

• Top 100 Selling Albums of the 1970s