Pieces of Eight
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Pieces of Eight | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1978 | |||
Recorded | 1978 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 42:18 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Styx | |||
Styx chronology | ||||
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Singles from Pieces of Eight | ||||
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Pieces of Eight is the eighth
Like the band's previous album,
The band members produced and recorded the album (like their previous three efforts) at Paragon Studios in Chicago with recording engineer Barry Mraz and mixing engineer Rob Kingsland. "I'm O.K." was recorded at Paragon and St. James Cathedral. This would be the last Styx album to be produced at Paragon Studios.
The album's cover was done by
Background
The record is considered by some
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [6] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C−[7] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
Mike DeGagne of AllMusic has retrospectively praised the album, saying that the songs on the album "rekindle some of Styx's early progressive rock sound, only cleaner."[6]
The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard album chart, and like its predecessor would go triple platinum.[11]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Great White Hope" | Young | Young, DeYoung (spoken intro) | 4:22 |
2. | "I'm O.K." | DeYoung, Young | DeYoung | 5:41 |
3. | "Sing for the Day" | Shaw | Shaw | 4:57 |
4. | "The Message" | DeYoung | (instrumental) | 1:08 |
5. | "Lords of the Ring" | DeYoung | Young | 4:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
6. | "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" | Shaw | Shaw | 4:05 |
7. | "Queen of Spades" | Young, DeYoung | DeYoung | 5:38 |
8. | "Renegade" | Shaw | Shaw | 4:16 |
9. | "Pieces of Eight" | DeYoung | DeYoung | 4:44 |
10. | "Aku-Aku" | Shaw | Shaw (whisper chant) | 2:57 |
Personnel
Styx
- Dennis DeYoung – vocals, keyboards
- James "JY" Young – vocals, electric guitars
- Tommy Shaw – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, autoharp
- Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar
- John Panozzo – drums, percussion
Production
- Producer: Styx
- Engineers: Rob Kingsland, Barry Mraz
- Assistant engineer: Harry Andronis
- Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
- Cover by Hipgnosis
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[18] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[19] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | " Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) "
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US Pop Singles | 21 |
1979 | "Sing for the Day" | 41 | |
"Renegade" | 16 |
References
- ^ "Great Rock Discography". p. 798.
- ^ "Styx singles".
- ^ "Great Rock Discography". p. 798.
- ^ "How Styx Kept Getting Bigger with 'Pieces of Eight'".
- ^ "Styx and Their Long Fall from Grace". 3 December 2015.
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone styx album guide.
- Wenner Media. Archivedfrom the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Gilday, Katherine (25 Oct 1978). "Styx". The Globe and Mail. p. F9.
- ^ Moseley, Willey (November 13, 2010). "Concert Review: The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Tour - Atlanta, GA". Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
Moreover, the choice of 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces of Eight probably didn't come as any surprise, either—those two releases were STYX's first Triple Platinum albums.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0043a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Styx – Pieces Of Eight" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Styx – Pieces Of Eight". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Styx Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1979". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Styx – Pieces of Eight". Music Canada. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ "American album certifications – Styx – Pieces of Eight". Recording Industry Association of America. November 14, 1984. Retrieved September 1, 2022.