The Serpent Is Rising

Described as a loose concept album, The Serpent Is Rising contains a number of sexual innuendos. The baroque prog "The Grove of Eglantine" (written by DeYoung) was about a woman's vagina. It has some harpsichord and accordion, to give a British/European sound.

The proggish title track was written by John Curulewski, is about the serpent beginning to rise. Musically, it has some King Crimson influence.

The screaming spoken word "Krakatoa" by Curulewski was named for the volcano event of the same name in 1883. It features an ending glissando which was taken from a 1970 Beaver and Krause track called "Spaced", for which they were credited on the album.

The acoustic bluesy track "As Bad as This" by Curulewski has a hidden track called "Don't Sit Down on the Plexiglas Toilet" which is a calypso humor about a boy who is sitting on a Plexiglas toilet and having problems. The track only features Curulewski and the Panozzo brothers. The song was played on the Dr. Demento radio show and "Weird Al" Yankovic supposedly loved it.{{cite magazine |title='Weird Al': 5 Songs to Scare the Neighbors |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/weird-al-5-songs-to-scare-the-neighbors-80140/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=10 March 2019 |date=16 March 2016}}

The album also includes James Young rockers "Witch Wolf" and "Young Man", the upbeat "Winner Take All" (written by DeYoung and sung by Young) and the boogie-woogie track "22 Years" (written by Curulewski but sung as a duet by DeYoung and Young). The outro for the latter track features the producer and president of Wooden Nickel records Bill Traut on saxophone.

The prog rocker "Jonas Psalter" was written by DeYoung and sung by Young. Lyrically, it was about pirates. Musically, it has elements of the contemporary sound of Yes, and also featured a Moog synthesizer.

The album finished with Handel's Hallelujah classical piece, features all the band members singing. DeYoung played a pipe organ in a Chicago cathedral for the piece.

Styx considers The Serpent Is Rising to be their worst recording. Dennis DeYoung is indirectly quoted as saying it was "one of the worst recorded and produced in the history of music."{{cite web |last1=Koch |first1=Bob |title=Vinyl Cave: "The Serpent is Rising" by Styx |url=https://isthmus.com/music/vinyl-cave/vinyl-cave-the-serpent-is-rising-by-styx/ |website=Isthmus, Madison, Wisconsin |access-date=11 July 2018 |language=en-us |date=8 January 2011}}{{cite book |last1=Whitaker |first1=Sterling |title=The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx |date=2006 |publisher=S. Whitaker |isbn=9781419653537 |page=142 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39mrwdXo71YC&q=the+grand+delusion+book+%22worst+recorded+and+produced%22 |access-date=11 July 2018 |language=en}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| extra_column = Lead vocals/Lead guitar

| title1 = Witch Wolf

| writer1 = James Young, Ray Brandle

| extra1 = J. Young

| length1 = 3:57

| title2 = The Grove of Eglantine

| writer2 = Dennis DeYoung

| extra2 = DeYoung

| length2 = 5:00

| title3 = Young Man

| writer3 = J. Young, Richard Young

| extra3 = J. Young

| length3 = 4:45

| title4 = As Bad as This" (3:45) / "Plexiglas Toilet

| note4 = hidden track) (2:22

| writer4 = John Curulewski

| extra4 = Curulewski

| length4 = 6:10

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| extra_column = Lead vocals/Lead guitar

| title1 = Winner Take All

| writer1 = DeYoung, Charles Lofrano

| extra1 = J. Young

| length1 = 3:10

| title2 = 22 Years

| writer2 = Curulewski

| extra2 = DeYoung, J. Young/J. Young

| length2 = 3:39

| title3 = Jonas Psalter

| writer3 = DeYoung

| extra3 = J. Young

| length3 = 4:41

| title4 = The Serpent Is Rising

| writer4 = Curulewski, Lofrano

| extra4 = Curulewski

| length4 = 4:55

| title5 = Krakatoa

| writer5 = Curulewski, Paul Beaver, Bernard L. Krause

| extra5 = Curulewski

| length5 = 1:36

| title6 = Hallelujah Chorus

| note6 = from George Frideric Handel's Messiah

| writer6 = Handel

| extra6 = DeYoung, J. Young, Curulewski, C. Panozzo, J. Panozzo

| length6 = 2:14

}}

• Dennis DeYoung – vocals, keyboards, accordion
• James "JY" Young – vocals, guitars
• John Curulewski – vocals, guitars, keyboards
• Chuck Panozzo – bass, backing vocals on "Hallelujah Chorus"
• John Panozzo – drums, percussion, backing vocals on "Hallelujah Chorus"

• Bill Traut – saxophone on "22 Years"

• Producers: Styx, Barry Mraz
• Engineer: Barry Mraz
• Cover art: Dennis Pohl

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-serpent-is-rising-mw0000198728 Styx - The Serpent Is Rising (1973) album review by Lindsay Planer, credits & releases] at AllMusic.com
• [https://www.discogs.com/Styx-The-Serpent-Is-Rising/release/1782058 Styx - The Serpent Is Rising (1973) album releases & credits] at Discogs.com
• [https://open.spotify.com/album/6gGRLZuYWP4Z9W2zHLHscr Styx - The Serpent Is Rising (1973) album to be listened] as stream at Spotify.com

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Category:1973 albums

Category:1970s concept albums

Category:Styx (band) albums