Styx fans who are old enough to remember the release of “Paradise Theater” might be surprised to learn just how old they are. The album, originally released in 1981, is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Reflecting on the occasion, ex-Styx vocalist Dennis DeYoung says he was inspired to write the concept album’s songs by two events that mirror what’s going on today: a national recession, and the presidential race between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.
“There was a presidential when the album was being created," DeYoung says. "And I was trying to formulate my opinion on the state and the condition of the United States. I was walking through an art gallery in Chicago, and there was the Robert Addison serigraph of 'Paradise Theatre,' which was this beautiful, opulent, cavernous movie theater on the west side of Chicago. Timing is everything in life."
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