On the surface, a story of a theatre. Between the lines, so much more.
There is so much to discuss with this album, a good place to start would be with the cover art. Personally, I feel that as wonderful as streaming services are, there are elements that one misses out on through not having a physical copy of an album. In this instance, the front and back cover of the album are used to show the two states of the theatre, of its prime and its fall. The cover art sandwiches the story and perfectly brings to life the images conjured up by the beauty of the album.
The album tells the story poetically, from the opening of the fictional theatre in 1928, to its close in 1958. The album captures the excitement of visiting the theatre - a feeling I Iove - right through to its downfall and eventual abandonment.
The tracks are theatrical by nature, fully embellished with a whole host of orchestral instruments and effect pedals that elevate the guitar solos to a more theatrical stage. All the songs blend perfectly together to create a seamless flow of storytelling, of one of the most exciting places in the imagination: a place full of atmosphere, talent and likeminded people who are all there for the same reason and bound by their love of the theatre.
The emotion portrayed through the album, begs the question, however, if it is really all fantasy or whether there is more to it: An emotional personification, with the theatre used as a symbol for such happiness. This can be explored further through their 1997 album.
Returning to the theatre in a live album released more than 10 years on, this album features only three new tracks, but gives the essence of returning to a nostalgic place of comfort and excitement: the buzz that comes around remembering the good times in a location that really played an impactful part in life. The 'Paradise Theatre' here is also used as a metaphor for the feeling that is widely portrayed to come with finding true love - a place of comfort and happiness, security and good memories. Styx have very cleverly returned to the concept with this new twist, which brings in all the many ways the original album could be interpreted: at face value as a conceptual story, as a metaphor for a relationship from the beginning to the breakdown, or even as a reflection of the political situation and changing times in America during the 70s and 80s. Paradise Theatre is, simply, a refuge. It can be anything you want it to be: A metaphor, a story or a reflection. That is the beauty of visiting the Paradise Theatre.