Kilroy Was Here (album)

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Kilroy Was Here
File:Styx - Kilroy Was Here.jpg
Studio album by Styx
Released February 22, 1983[1][2]
Recorded 1982 at Pumpkin Studios, Oak Lawn, Illinois
Genre Progressive rock, pop rock, rock
Length 40:41
Label A&M
Producer Styx
Styx chronology
Paradise Theatre
(1981)Paradise Theatre1981		 Kilroy Was Here
(1983)		 Caught in the Act
(1984)Caught in the Act1984
Singles from Kilroy Was Here
  1. "Mr. Roboto"
    Released: February 11, 1983
  2. "Don't Let It End"
    Released: 1983
  3. "High Time"
    Released: 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 2.5/5 starslink
Rolling Stone 2/5 stars link

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This article is about the Styx album. For the graffiti slogan, see Kilroy was here.

Kilroy Was Here is the eleventh studio album by the rock band Styx, released on February 22, 1983. The album is named after a famous World War II graffito, "Kilroy was here." It was the final album of original material to be released by the "classic" lineup of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James "J.Y." Young, John Panozzo, and Chuck Panozzo.

The album is certified platinum by the RIAA.[3] As of 2014, it is the last album by the band to be certified platinum.

Background

"Kilroy Was Here" was conceived by lead singer Dennis DeYoung as an album and accompanying stage show, which opened with a short film of the same name. While the supporting tour was a financial disaster,[citation needed] the album debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 in its first week and sold over 1 million copies (though some sources say two and a half million copies) and peaked at #3 on the US charts; however, it broke the streak of multi-platinum albums for Styx, and ushered in a more keyboard-oriented, progressive-rock direction that would divide DeYoung and guitarists James Young and Tommy Shaw, ultimately leading to their acrimonious split in 1984.

The album's somewhat rock-operatic story tells of a future where rock music is outlawed by a fascist government and the "MMM (the Majority for Musical Morality)". The story's protagonist, Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (DeYoung), is a former rock star who has been imprisoned by MMM leader Dr. Righteous (Young). He escapes using a disguise (according to the album's famous song "Mr. Roboto") when he becomes aware that a young musician, Jonathan Chance (Shaw), is on a mission to bring rock music back.

The album spawned two hit singles, "Mr. Roboto" and "Don't Let It End".

Despite its success and well-known hits, after the Kilroy Tour, the songs were ignored during all subsequent tours, with the exception of segments from "Mr. Roboto" and "Heavy Metal Poisoning" performed in the 'Cyclo-medley'. DeYoung did perform the songs "Mr. Roboto" and "Don't Let It End" during his solo tours.

Music video

Three of the four videos for the album - "Mr. Roboto", "Don't Let It End", and "Heavy Metal Poisoning" - were filmed at the same time and used footage from the minifilm. A fourth video, "Haven't We Been Here Before", was filmed a few months after the album was released; it did not interact with the album's story.

Track listing

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Mr. Roboto"   Dennis DeYoung 5:28
2. "Cold War"   Tommy Shaw 4:27
3. "Don't Let It End"   Dennis DeYoung 4:56
4. "High Time"   Dennis DeYoung 4:33
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Heavy Metal Poisoning"   James Young 4:57
2. "Just Get Through This Night"   Tommy Shaw 6:06
3. "Double Life"   James Young 3:46
4. "Haven't We Been Here Before"   Tommy Shaw 4:06
5. "Don't Let It End" (Reprise) Dennis DeYoung 2:22
Total length:
 40:41

Personnel

Styx
Additional personnel
Production
  • Arranged & Produced By Styx
  • Engineers: Gary Loizzo, Will Rascati, Rob Kingsland
  • Apprentice engineer: Jim Popko
  • Mastering - Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1983 Pop Albums 3

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Don't Let It End" Adult Contemporary 13
1983 "Don't Let It End" Pop Singles 6
1983 "High Time" Pop Singles 48
1983 "Mr. Roboto" Pop Singles 3
1983 "Mr. Roboto" Mainstream Rock 3

References

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