Crystal Ball

About Crystal Ball

Crystal Ball is the sixth album by Styx, released in 1976. This album marked the recording debut of new guitarist Tommy Shaw. The track "Mademoiselle" was Tommy Shaw's vocal debut and the album's Top-40 hit. The album's title track would become a concert staple for the band, as it was performed on every subsequent Styx tour with which Shaw was involved. "Shooz" was co-written by Shaw and James "J. Y." Young. The bluesy rocker had Shaw on slide guitar while Young contributed a Hendrix-like solo to the middle of the track after Shaw's slide solo. "This Old Man" is a song that DeYoung wrote for his father and the impact his dad had on his life. Claude Debussy's classical piece "Clair de Lune" served as the intro to the album's closing track, "Ballerina". The version of "Clair de Lune" on Crystal Ball features only DeYoung on piano, with the key changed from D flat to C, as the next track ("Ballerina") begins in C minor. more »