Maestro Soloing

Dennis, Dennis.. You should make studio albums more often. Albums as wonderful as your 2007/2009 release One Hundred Years from Now. I know, there have been other solo albums as well: Desert Moon (1984, the only Dennis DeYoung 80s solo album affordable for a reasonable price), Back to the World (1986), Boomchild (1988), 10 on Broadway (1994), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1998), The Music of Styx – Live with Symphony Orchestra (2004). Still, not that many traditional solo albums in the past 20 years...

Now.. No more talking to Dennis. About this album: One Hundred Years from Now.. Well, it is excellent, just excellent. Dennis has found a fresh way to bring his new songs to the 21st century and I couldn't be happier. He still uses his 70s keyboards and the familiar Styx sounds in many songs but they actually make a good addition to this album that is packed with pop melodies and rock instrumentation.

This album was originally released in Canada in 2007. I didn't pay much attention to these different versions when I purchased this album from Amazon but now I know I got the exact right version. Believe me, you will want to get the 2007 version. On that album Dennis sings a duet with Canadian singer Éric Lapointe who sings in French, and so does Dennis – partially. This duet is called One Hundred Years from Now. It is one powerful song... Oh my, it really is powerful. If you choose to check out this album get the Canadian version. On the US version Lapointe's vocals have been replaced with Dennis singing every line alone in English. Yeah.. Dennis is an amazing singer but throwing Lapointe's impressive rock vocals out is just not right.

This album, however, is about a lot more than just that one song. Every single song on it is really good. Dennis sounds as lovely as ever and his songwriting pen is as sharp as it was back in the 70s. To be honest, something has changed. Based on this album I would say that Dennis has mostly given up writing grandiose, epic rock songs. This album is more down-to-earth but it is still Dennis – a new kind of Dennis, you might say. It is a humbler Dennis... But he still has great hard rocking guitars and he lets his voice blend with the background singers. The result is very much like what he did with Styx: tight harmonies from which you really couldn't hear anyone's voice louder than the others. That is very democratic, I think, and also what made Styx harmonies so special. Breathe Again starts with a prelude that sounds very much like 70s Styx, and the keyboard solo sounds just as familiar... To cut a long story short, on this album DeYoung has preserved many key elements that were a part of his musical toolbox while being a member of Styx. Whether it was a conscious choice or not.. I don't care. I love the end result just the same. And I bet others enjoy the nostalgic references too.

But.. I don't mean to say that this is some kind of a nostalgia album. Well, some aspects about it are but as I already stated, it is a brand new album with fresh songs. Everytime I hear This Time Next Year, I just think to myself: “Gee, Dennis sounds like Jellyfish..” Meaning, what a bouncy, happy feel. Rain is lovely and so is Save Me (He just keeps coming up with these fabulous classical piano songs!). Crossing the Rubicon contains an interesting reference to rivers.. Sort of. That song is not even the only song in which I hear these hidden messages. I admit that it is probably just my mind playing tricks but it seems that Dennis wanted to be sure his interest towards his old style (and band!) is still very much alive.

Now, I could just go on and praise every other song on this album. I can't really pick any specific favorites. The difficulty of picking a favorite song definitely originates from every song on this album being so good. This is my honest personal opinion. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go shopping for some more DDY stuff... Sometimes that man just controls my life. I enjoy every moment of it.



Dennis DeYoung website

More about the Next Mania

So, I started blabbering about Styx... Again. Well, that is what happens when you really love a certain band's music. Styx has, in fact, become the best-represented band in my CD collection right after the Beach Boys who have probably more than 15 albums there... Here are the four other Styx albums that have been the soundtrack of my life on many, many occasions.

Cornerstone (1979)

Gimme the Lights! On Cornerstone Styx took a step towards a lighter direction. I tend to think about this album as “Styx pop moment” because there really is not all that much rock (with the exceptions of Borrowed Time and Eddie). Instead, there are great pop melodies and lighter sounds. The harmonies in Why Me remind of the Beach Boys, Lights and Never Say Never have even more incredible harmonies, Boat on the River includes some more mandolin sounds - plus accordion! Power ballads Babe and First Time are some of Dennis DeYoung's most tender songs ever. I adore his power ballads. All in all, this is a fabulous album – just the type to make a girl like me get slightly addicted...

Paradise Theatre (1981)

Then comes an ever more addicting one... And again quite a pop album. Rockin' the Paradise, as well as the amazing Half-Penny, Two Penny, do rock but this theatre is still mostly about pop. Nothing Ever Goes as Planned is sort of a developed version of Why Me: it deals with the same subject and contains cool baroque elements and, all in all, fabulous rhythms. A political theme carries the album forward making the listener pay attention to both the misery and hope of modern society. When it comes to vocal harmonies, songs like The Best of Times and Lonely People may be some of the most ear-melting political songs you are ever going to hear... Some of the songs take an ordinary person's perspective while maintaining the connection to the big social issues.

Even without thinking much about the theme, Paradise Theatre is simply musically so enjoyable that I never hesitate to choose it from my mp3 player or whatever means I am currently using to listen to music. I call this album my favorite Styx album. Other people love it too: it was the first Styx album to go #1. Oh, and did I mention that the Styx harmonies were at their very best on this album?

Kilroy Was Here (1983)

Another concept album, anyone? Well, you don't make great music just by picking an interesting theme... Still, even if you don't pay any attention to lyrics, this album does sound like a fluent line of songs that support each other. This is true of probably any Styx album. Kilroy makes no exception to the Styx concept of making catchy songs with fabulous singing and harmonies, arrangements that serve the songs just right...

Don't Let It End is one of the highpoints here: such a lovely semi-ballad with lots of sweetness and dash of bittersweetness. There are also a plenty of fun non-ballads – I use the word “fun” for a reason. Many instrumentations and even the general feel of this album have such a happy, playful quality which is not all that often heard on a Styx album. Just check out Cold War, High Time, and even Heavy Metal Poisoning. In the latter half of the album there are some more songs in which the mood is a bit more serious. Tommy Shaw does a lovely job on Just Get Through This Night and with Dennis joining him in the vocal section in another ballad, Haven't We Been Here Before, the result is just plain gorgeous.

This album was even made into a theatrical play – I guess you could call that a musical play. Dennis DeYoung's ambitions didn't meet with those of the other band members which resulted in severe conflict. Styx split up but returned seven years later with a new album. During the break Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw embarked on solo careers. Dennis continued developing his ambitions in the sector of musical plays.

Edge of the Century (1990)

This was the first Styx album after a long break. Also the first Styx album for ages not to feature Tommy Shaw. Here, Tommy was replaced by Glen Burtnik who makes quite a good job filling Tommy's role. For a while I actually thought he was Tommy.. Still, Burtnik's songs don't tend to sound like Styx. It is quite OK, though. Dennis DeYoung performs three power ballads, such as Love at First Sight, one of his loveliest pieces ever. Back to Chicago is also fabulous. Here, like in many other Styx songs, Dennis sounds like Freddie Mercury – only better, in my opinion! Edge of the Century is a nice album that shows that Styx has gone through some changes during the years but also that the band is literally Not Dead Yet. For a fan this album is no disappointment.

So. I still have the first four Styx albums to check out, as well as the newest releases, including Brave New World (1999), the last Styx album featuring Dennis DeYoung. After that album Dennis practically got fired from the band, which of course was not even the first time.. The sad part is, it looks like the other guys are not going to take Dennis back this time – it has already been 10 years. Or maybe they are? I cannot be sure. I already listened to Cyclorama to determine how Lawrence Gowan has been able to step into Dennis' shoes. Gowan does resemble Dennis vocally. All in all, he sounds great singing his new songs that he has written for Styx. Despite Gowan's obvious talent, Styx is not Styx without Dennis DeYoung. Therefore I highly recommend taking Dennis back. I believe there is enough room for both DeYoung and Gowan in Styx – no need to throw anyone out to get Dennis back.

The Next Mania

The Beatlemania I had earlier this year subsided after three weeks. My affection towards the Beatles seems to come in short but intense periods. I do love the Fab Four all the time but don't spend much time listening to their music. So, for one reason or another, I was again drawn to Styx, this extremely successful hard rock band from the 70s that I had never heard of until that Come Sail Away cover version by the Sun Sawed in 1/2 (I was also very familiar with a Finnish translated version of The Boat on the River, but I didn’t know it was a Styx song until I actually found out about the band).

I already spent a considerable amount of time last summer listening to this band... And, to be honest, some other 70s rock/hard rock bands too. During the past year and a few months on top of that, I have grown quite attached to Styx. Those magnificently catchy melodies, distinctive synth sounds, powerful hard rock guitars, fabulous baroque elements, impeccable songwriting... Not to mention one of the most gorgeous, amazing voices ever: Dennis DeYoung. Plus his friends Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Chuck and John Panozzo – a batch of great guys who created some of the most stunning vocal harmonies ever.

Because I am such a Styxmaniac and this band has made a huge impact on me in many ways I decided to tell some thoughts concerning eight of the band's albums that I have listened to very much. Here you go.

Equinox (1975)

Lorelei, let's live together... Yeah, why not? Equinox is a very nice album that invites you to join the celebration. Tommy Shaw has not yet joined the band but everything is already very, very much like the Tommy Shaw era. Dennis takes care of almost all of the the lead vocals and the harmonies are staggering. I enjoy everything on this album: Mother Dear, Midnight Ride, Suite Madam Blue... It all makes a fabulous mix of energy and mystique. The album cover depicts a flaming iceberg. Yeah...

Crystal Ball (1976)

A great album that starts with Dennis' energetic keyboards, then later focuses on darker moods and atmospheres. Listen to Tommy Shaw's first appearances on bouncy Mademoiselle and melancholic Crystal Ball, as well as Dennis DeYoung mesmerizing you with Put Me on, obviously, and Clair De Lune/Ballerina, a song that borrows its first part from classical composer Claude Debussy.

The Grand Illusion (1977)

Now begin the masterpieces. Oh, what miracles you can do with a simple organ sound... I still keep wondering the amazingness of Superstars – that magical feel! A bit like Crystal Ball, this album also begins with happier, energetic songs such as The Grand Illusion and Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man), then turns into more melancholic on the latter half (Man in the Wilderness, Castle Walls). And oh yes, Come Sail Away is here. That one is serious stuff.. Serious. When I heard it for the first time I couldn't believe my ears. I still sometimes feel that way. This album is one of my three favourites from Styx, along with with Cornerstone (1979) and Paradise Theatre (1981).

Pieces of Eight (1978)

Money, money, money.. That is what Styx made with this music. Lots of it. Pieces of Eight is another strong bunch of songs. During this long top-selling period the band didn't seem to know how to pick anything but absolute high quality songs to their albums – that is why it is so easy to love Styx. Then, about the songs... Dennis DeYoung is getting in the spirit of power ballads, one of his greatest assets. Check out I'm OK and Pieces of Eight, the title track (Those harmonies in Pieces of Eight... They will melt your heart!). There is also Sing for the Day, an example of the band's lighter sound that features a mandolin and some quite intriguing synth sounds from DeYoung. Tommy Shaw is great on this album. He performs lead vocals to Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) and Renegade, two catchy rockers.

The other four albums coming tomorrow!

Sailing Away

My devotion towards the rock/hard rock band Styx started thanks to The Sun Sawed in 1/2, Messrs Rose and Bobenhouse, and a very, very nice song called Come Sail Away. I find it quite weird that I didn’t hear a word about this band until my favourite singer sang the song on YouTube. On the other hand, I had never heard of bands like Kansas or Foreigner either.. Except for that I most certainly was familiar with them as place names/words.

Styx ended up becoming a quite big thing for me. Their wonderful harmonies, great melodies and very grandiose style that reminds of The Who and Queen were sure to impress me big time. The band has several excellent singers – Mr. DeYoung not being my least favourite.. The guy sounds like Freddie Mercury who’s swallowed a chunk of bubblegum – and occasionally that seems to be roughly the definition of “How to become Melody Freak’s #1 favourite singing voice”.

And the songs! The harmonic and melodic quality of Lorelei and Light Up will surely brighten up any pop fan’s day – let alone the romantic ballad Babe, it’s gorgeous! Once again, we get to hear those Allman Brothers guitar sounds that we love – check out Mademoiselle (not unlike Queen!). For a rock’n roll girl like me Rock & Roll Feeling is a new theme song. Another cool song is Renegade – also provably partially performed by The Sun Sawed in 1/2 on a TV show in the early 90s.. The Grand Illusion and Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) give you all the things a pop music fan searches for in a song – plus more. The most wonderful song, in my opinion, is The Best of Times. The title basically says it all.. Those harmonies, those melodies! On more than one occasion six minutes is not enough for a Styx song. I suppose there is a reason why this band is also considered progressive. However, when done properly, a two-minute intro won’t bother at all, and as a reward you’ll get some excellent melodies that you will never forget - definitely not a bad deal.

I was surprised that I didn’t seem to find a single familiar-sounding song in the band’s catalog. I tend to find at least one familiar song whenever I check out new (famous!) artists from the past. For a band this big it should be quite logical that there would be some familiar songs. For goodness’s sake, they have sold platinum with eight albums – and no one ever told me this band existed?

It took really long but eventually I found a Styx song I’d heard before. This is so silly.. The song is Boat on the River, and it has been performed in Finnish by schlager artist Riki Sorsa as Joki ('The River'). According to Wikipedia, it was actually performed already in the 80s by Taiska with different lyrics and name (Aamulla yksin). Can you believe that? To be honest, it’s not that strange.. Translated schlager has been a really popular concept in Finland in the past (and it still might be), although I don’t think there is a reason to translate music into Finnish. The original performance is the original, one and only. However, there is a possibility that someone might make a really good cover... Besides, almost everyone knows English these days – at least the young people.

Styx is still touring and even releasing new albums (the latest being from 2005). However, people seem to think it’s not the real Styx anymore. Original band members Dennis DeYoung and Chuck Panozzo, for instance, left the group in 1999. YouTube has many songs from the band’s 1996 Return to Paradise tour, a gig in hometown Chicago, with all living original members on stage. These are incredibly good-sounding live performances. Don’t hesitate to watch – it sounds perfect.

Lorelei
Come Sail Away
The Grand Illusion
The Best of Times
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
Renegade
Boat on the River
Show Me the Way

Official Styx website