MR

Happened to be listening to random on my iPhone and the song "While There's Still Time" came up. I forgot how good of a damn ballad that song is! It got me thinking about some of the ballads that Styx did during the short-lived classic lineup reunion (1995-98) and there are some good ones. In fact, I would argue where the reunion went south was the up tempo and rock songs were weak comparatively speaking. The ballads, for the most part, could have been huge in the 1980s and 90s. So, to create a conversation. What's your favorite reunion era ballad? Here was what I consider as straight ballads during that timeframe:

It Takes Love
Paradise
Dear John
While There's Still Time
Goodbye Roseland

So much potential there if they had decided to really push these.

Ill rank them:

5. It Takes Love- never liked it
4. While There's Still Time- Did not like this ballad at all either

3. Dear John - GREAT song
2. Paradise- GREAT GREAT song - Top 5 if it would have been released back in the day
1. Goodbye Roseland- One of my favorite Styx songs ever

IMO "Paradise" (from Return to Paradise) is the best of all from that era. Great vocals and guitar solo.

yogi wrote:Ill rank them:

5. It Takes Love- never liked it
4. While There's Still Time- Did not like this ballad at all either

3. Dear John - GREAT song
2. Paradise- GREAT GREAT song - Top 5 if it would have been released back in the day
1. Goodbye Roseland- One of my favorite Styx songs ever

Interesting Yogi. I really like While There's Still Time. In fact I go back and forth between that one and Paradise as to what is the better song. I like the fact that its an acoustic guitar oriented ballad. I will agree what makes it come up a tad short is that its chorus is a bit weak and uneventful compared to the top notch Styx ballads (SMTW, Best of Times, Babe, etc.).

It Takes Love has an interesting 50s vibe going on or even a Boys II Men type of vibe as well which I think is cool and unique for Styx. The lyrics were definitely not DeYoungian (probably cause he didn't write it) as I find them to be a bit simplistic.

Dear John should have been released as a single. Awesome song and Tommy really shines here. Love the bridge. Love the religious undertones. Love the heartfeltness of this song.

Paradise - Very strong. Still probably a tad under the best Styx ballads in both strong construction and catchiness of chorus. But still very strong. Should have done better on the chart, but was the victim of a poor marketing by a small record company.

Goodbye Roseland - Very strong lyrically. Tune is ok. Not quite as catchy as I would like. Clearly written in the same vein as Show Me The Way with a gospel like feel. But just doesn't flow or have the catchiness associated with a hit Styx ballad. Plus I don't hear JY or Tommy on this one at all. DDY solo song?

Dear John was released as a single. I have the CD single that was sent to me when I worked in the radio business. Out of the bunch While There's Still Time is my favorite. (The original While There's Still Time is better than the BNW version IMO).

FormerDJMike wrote:Dear John was released as a single. I have the CD single that was sent to me when I worked in the radio business. Out of the bunch While There's Still Time is my favorite. (The original While There's Still Time is better than the BNW version IMO).

How did they differ? Where can you hear the original?

Toph wrote:

FormerDJMike wrote:Dear John was released as a single. I have the CD single that was sent to me when I worked in the radio business. Out of the bunch While There's Still Time is my favorite. (The original While There's Still Time is better than the BNW version IMO).

How did they differ? Where can you hear the original?

I think it's a reference to the version on the Hunchback release.

Goodbye Roseland is the best,followed by Dear John. Probably the best mix of Tommy's and Dennis,s vocals and a touching song.

Paradise by far. While There's Still Time a distant second.

Boomchild wrote:

Toph wrote:

FormerDJMike wrote:Dear John was released as a single. I have the CD single that was sent to me when I worked in the radio business. Out of the bunch While There's Still Time is my favorite. (The original While There's Still Time is better than the BNW version IMO).

How did they differ? Where can you hear the original?

I think it's a reference to the version on the Hunchback release.

No, Boom. There was an initial release of WTST which was supposed to be on GH2 that was recorded when Little Suzie and It Take Love was recorded. Dennis pulled it at the last minute because he realized that A&M wasn't going to put any effort behind the release and didn't want a Hunchback song to stiff and lose the opportunity to release it as a single. There was evidently a sampler that was released that mistakenly had WTST on it. Some got their hands on it and heard WTST. Evidently the version on BNW was a slightly revised version.

The original Part 2 version used to be on YouTube but I could not find it. It is very similar to the BNW version (and it probably is the same version but the BNW version is a different mix, I just like the Part 2 version best). And yes, it was released on the June 1996 sampler with Little Suzie and It Takes Love.

FormerDJMike wrote:The original Part 2 version used to be on YouTube but I could not find it. It is very similar to the BNW version (and it probably is the same version but the BNW version is a different mix, I just like the Part 2 version best). And yes, it was released on the June 1996 sampler with Little Suzie and It Takes Love.

I listened to the two the other day, I like the second one better.

Abitaman wrote:

FormerDJMike wrote:The original Part 2 version used to be on YouTube but I could not find it. It is very similar to the BNW version (and it probably is the same version but the BNW version is a different mix, I just like the Part 2 version best). And yes, it was released on the June 1996 sampler with Little Suzie and It Takes Love.

I listened to the two the other day, I like the second one better.

How do they differ? Is it noticeable? Where did you get a copy of the sampler one?

FormerDJMike wrote:The original Part 2 version used to be on YouTube but I could not find it. It is very similar to the BNW version (and it probably is the same version but the BNW version is a different mix, I just like the Part 2 version best). And yes, it was released on the June 1996 sampler with Little Suzie and It Takes Love.

Finally found this CD last July. "It Takes Love" does not seem to be on the CD I have. "Little Suzie" is though. "While There's Still Time" is a different mix, besides being louder on Brave New World. Tommy's backing vocals are more clearly heard when Dennis sings "While There's Still Time, Say that you love me.." etc. and there is no synth crescendo at about 40 seconds on the June Sampler version. Extra percussion is heard when Tommy and Dennis trade off vocals also. Kind of like hitting two sticks together or against the rim of the snare - almost like a click track. Dennis has no echo on the last time he says "Time" at the end of the song on the Sampler version either. "Little Suzie" is a different mix on the promo CD also, especially the whole "Somebody's Waiting Execution…" section.

PT

it's a coin flip between "goodbye to rose land" and "dear john" for me.....both are incredible tunes.

I think the other mentioned were well written but I just dont care for them as much as the two above.

ptgraphics wrote:

FormerDJMike wrote:The original Part 2 version used to be on YouTube but I could not find it. It is very similar to the BNW version (and it probably is the same version but the BNW version is a different mix, I just like the Part 2 version best). And yes, it was released on the June 1996 sampler with Little Suzie and It Takes Love.

Finally found this CD last July. "It Takes Love" does not seem to be on the CD I have. "Little Suzie" is though. "While There's Still Time" is a different mix, besides being louder on Brave New World. Tommy's backing vocals are more clearly heard when Dennis sings "While There's Still Time, Say that you love me.." etc. and there is no synth crescendo at about 40 seconds on the June Sampler version. Extra percussion is heard when Tommy and Dennis trade off vocals also. Kind of like hitting two sticks together or against the rim of the snare - almost like a click track. Dennis has no echo on the last time he says "Time" at the end of the song on the Sampler version either. "Little Suzie" is a different mix on the promo CD also, especially the whole "Somebody's Waiting Execution…" section.

PT

Yep, that's the CD. Its the one that did not have "It Takes Love" on it. I think Rockin' The Paradise is on it too, I don't remember. I just know Dennis had a cow when it was sent out with "While There's Still Time" on it and he had it pulled.

Ptgraphics, if you have time post a pic of the CD.