Styx "Mr. Roboto"
Although the more rock-leaning members of Styx (specifically, guitarists J.Y. Young and Tommy Shaw) would likely cringe, Styx's 1983 hit "Mr. Roboto" is one of the band's more enduring and beloved songs. It also took the band in a musical direction that caused a schism in the band that would bring their demise.
Culled from the album Kilroy Was Here, "Mr. Roboto" was the lead single from the highly-anticipated new album by the Chicago band. Throughout the '70s, the group had released a succession of platinum-selling albums including Pieces Of Eight and The Grand Illusion. Constant touring a radio hits like "Lady," "Come Sail Away," "Foolin' Yourself," and "Renegade" had made them one of the most popular (if not critically lauded) band's in America. They cemented that status with 1981's Paradise Theater and the monster singles "The Best Of Times" and "Too Much Time On My Hands."
Although the band was no stranger to concept albums, lead singer Dennis DeYoung took the idea to extravagent length for Kilroy Was Here with an elaborate story-line involving a future where rock music was banned. The idea was fleshed out by a live show that incorporated videos and set pieces acted out by the band. It was derided by critics and baffled fans. However, "Mr. Roboto" a keyboard-laden track which meshed a slight New Wave feel with robotic vocals, became one of the group's biggest chart hits when it climbed to #3 in early '83. The song lodged the phrase "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" into a generation of pop fans and was introduced to a new generation through its use in a car commercial in the late '90s.
To hear this song, and other hits from the early '80s, log on to Pop Go The '80s
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I love, love, love this
I love, love, love this song! Domo arigato!!!
That album killed them, too.....
So you go enjoy it for me~ I could not stand that putrid tune. lol I liked Styx, but not Dennis DeYoung, and definitely not Mr. Roboto.
I gotta tell you real quick though~ I saw an interview with Tommy Shaw years ago, and he said, here they were, on tour, with a couple of other big time rock bands at the time~ they were the headliner, and I think it was Van Halen that played before them, and here they were, dressed as robots, and the whole Styx band was wiggin' out backstage, telling Dennis DeYoung that they could NOT go out there, dressed as robots, and follow VH, who just left a house full of screaming, partying fans.
Shaw said, 'This crap was some big idea Dennis came up with, and he made us go out there, and what were we gonna do???????' They went out, and for 15 straight minutes, they stood strategically on the stage, TALKING. Talking as if it was some elementary school show and tell skit.
Everyone would start booing them, and they were pissed hot. And it was shortly after that, they broke up. haha~ I think that's hilarious~ could you imagine, Van Halen exits, and Styx the rock band doesn't come out.....Styx the community theatre does, and then starts reciting bad lines, and they all just sort of.........look at each other like idiots. Then they showed a clip of them in action, and to this day, I still laugh and laugh and laugh. It may have been a VH1 special~ catch it if they ever rerun it. It's TOTALLY worth watching the humiliation of them. I can see why they still aren't fond of ol' Dennis.