Styx- Big Bang Theory 20th- Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Lawrence Gowan

The Styx album Big Bang Theory, their fifteenth (!) and initially a real head scratcher upon announcement in 2005, came at the very nadir of the century-old recorded music industry. The concept, a collection of cover versions of their favorite formative garage band days, was certainly simple enough, but Styx’s motivations to record impressive versions of these beloved nuggets was considerably murkier. When veteran bands Rush and Def Leppard did likewise  with Feedback and Yeah!, respectively, that called for a serious conversation with Styx co-guitarists Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young, and keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan In the Studio.

All three bands mentioned had their own unique career reasons to record and release an entire album of cover songs at that time, but it came down pretty much to these: 1) the rapidly-expanding Worldwide Web carrying Napster digital music downloading technology disrupted the brick-and-mortar Music Industry at such dizzying speed that bands were convinced that no one would ever pay them for original content ever again; 2) some bands still owed their traditional music label another album on a contract and were reluctant to share fresh new compositions on the way out the door ( songwriter/singer Ray Davies of The Kinks told me, “Record companies are like ex-wives. They want everything, particularly when you LEAVE them.”); and 3) to combat group creeping malaise in an attempt to get their groove back and get the band’s mojo workin’. Imagine Styx playing your high school prom absolutely nailing The Who’s “I Can See for Miles”, Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home”, Humble Pie’s “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, the improbable “A Salty Dog” from Procol Harum, and simply the most spectacular live version of “I Am the Walrus” ever recorded with my guests Tommy Shaw, JY, and Lawrence Gowan exploring The Big Bang Theory twentieth anniversary by Styx. – Redbeard