Sensational '70's Tune for Thursday, May 7th, '09

Before Styx had Top Ten hits with songs like "Babe," "Too Much Time on My Hands," and "Mr. Roboto," they first broke the charts in 1975 with "Lady," a single that peaked at number six, but only on its second time around. "Lady" was first released on the Wooden Nickel label in 1973, gaining some minor attention in and around the Chicago area, the group's hometown. But it wasn't until two years later, when the song was given some fresh radio promotion across the U.S., that audiences began to take notice. This second effort boosted sales of "Lady"'s parent album, Styx II, and brought the band their very first gold disk. Clearly, Dennis DeYoung's soaring vocals are what give the song its energy and flair. Although the song starts off as a ballad, the delicate piano introduction eventually melds into a rock-induced tandem of staunch electric guitar via John Curulewski and thundering drum work from John Panozzo. The beginning of "Lady" was a slight foreshadowing of ballads that were soon to come, some of which gave Styx their biggest hits ever. But "Lady" did more than spotlight DeYoung's rich vocal traits. Still in their somewhat progressive rock beginnings with albums like 1973's The Serpent Is Rising and 1974's Man of Miracles, "Lady" proved that they could mix mystical lyrics with a powerful rock edge, thus keeping the keyboard work to a minimum. Soon, Styx shed all of their progressive tendencies, solid evidence that "Lady"'s radio-oriented sound pointed them in the right direction in which to follow.