Styx - The Grand Illusion (Japan Mini LP SHM-CD) (2016)

Styx has been unfortunate all these years suffering the unjust fate of other great bands like Supertramp and to some extent Queen as their music defies clear categorisation frustrating people who have the irrational hangup of just having to be able to neatly compartmentalise music. As Styx doesn't clearly fit into the Rock genre for some given their clearly thearetical/musical/operatic leanings they must be bad or a rotten band in some "experts" eyes. Thankfully for those of us who just enjoy great music irrespective of whether or not it comfortably fits into any genre can still enjoy great rock ballads ala Dennis DeYoung as well as hard rocking numbers ala Tommy Shaw in the same album without feeling we have to apologise for it; we can just enjoy the great band that is Styx.

And so fans are in for a real treat here as Styx's best ever album is now in mini-lp replica sleeve (mlps) format and it is one of the better mlps releases that I've ever seen. For mlps collectors, the outside cardboard case isn't the best that's ever been released but it is not the worst I've ever seen either. The inner jacket is very well done and resembles the original vinyl jacket closely. Also included is a 16-page booklet containing all the lyrics in both English and Japanese as well as a cardboard square of the original vinyl center circle. There is also a nice foldout colour poster of the band included.