Album Review

Mike DeGagne [allmusic.com]

Presenting radio with one of the best rock ballads ever, Cornerstone gave Chicago's Styx their big break with the number one single ''Babe,'' which held that spot for two weeks in October of 1979. ''Babe'' is a smooth, keyboard-pampered love song that finally credited Dennis De Young's textured vocals. While this single helped the album climb all the way to the number two spot on the charts, the rest of the tracks from Cornerstone weren't nearly half as strong. ''Why Me'' made it to number 26, and both ''Lights'' and ''Boat on the River'' implement silky harmonies and welcoming choruses, yet failed to get off the ground. De Young's keyboards are effective without overly dominating the music, and the band's gritty rock & roll acerbity has been slightly sanded down to compliment the commercial market. The songs aren't as tight or assertive as their last few albums, but Shaw's presence can be felt strongly on most of the tracks, especially where the writing is concerned. Outside of ''Babe,'' Cornerstone tends to sound a tad weaker than one would expect.