MR

Of Dennis' solo career, Which songs would have been STYX songs?

I don't think we have actually tackled this one before, but I could be wrong.

styxfanNH wrote:Of Dennis' solo career, Which songs would have been STYX songs?

I don't think we have actually tackled this one before, but I could be wrong.

I don't think so - at least I don't recall ever seeing one like this.

Hmmm. let's see...

Paradise
While There's Still Time

Oh, oops! I forgot.

You know, I can't think of a single DDY solo song that would have made a good Styx song. I think there are a lot of good DDY songs, just not very condusive for Styx and all their bits & pieces. (heh...she said "bits & pieces")

Gotta agree with Zan here on this one. There are a few with possibilities, like Black Wall, but most are really difficult to imagine Styx doing, at least for me.

I always get the feeling that Dennis opened up the box of songs he had written that he knew would not make good Styx songs. The solo venture gave him the opportunity to put them on a record or three.

Oh, wait. I just forgot one song that would have been PERFECT!

...............Boys Will Be Boys!!!!!!!!!!!

(AND HOW MANY WAYS CAN I SAY I AM KIDDING HERE!!!!)



Bugsy

I guess you gotta ask yourself did he write them with the intention of being Styx songs or would they have made good Styx songs. If its the former, then probably only stuff off Desert Moon would have been originally written as Styx songs. Ditto anything off Girls With Guns. Both those albums came out in 1984 (same year as CITA), so it is likely they might have been on a Styx studio album that would have followed up KWH.

Now if you're asking what might have been a good Styx song I think that 'Southbound Ryan', 'Boomchild' and 'Desert Moon' would have turned out nicely with Tommy's and JY's influence.

Scott

Beneath The Moon for sure... hell according to Glen, Styx re-did it for possible inclusion on a follow-up to Edge of the Century. (check Glen's web site for more info on that).

Call Me would likely have made a good balad.

It's hard to say for sure because you're listening to DDY's interpretation only of these songs. These songs may have turned out sounding MUCH different once presented to the rest of the band. You'd have to think outside the box a bit to envision them fitting more into the Styx sound. It's not as simple as "just having Styx re-record the same melodies and arrangements"... it's re-arranging the song... perhaps changing the chorus.... perhaps a different bridge.

Won't Go Wasted would be good - especially because of the harmonies in that song and done with a little less keys and a bit more guitars in a more power-ballad style would be a great styx song. As it is, the song is a bit too mechanical sounding..... having Tommy's influence would definitely loosten it up a bit.

That is what was so great about Styx. You had Tommy's influence which was to get Dennis to loosten up a bit and open his eyes to different things, and you had DDY's seemingly regimented discipline in demanding and accepting only the best. It makes for great conflict, but it also makes for incredible music when it's working.

Ash said:

That is what was so great about Styx. You had Tommy's influence which was to get Dennis to loosten up a bit and open his eyes to different things, and you had DDY's seemingly regimented discipline in demanding and accepting only the best. It makes for great conflict, but it also makes for incredible music when it's working.

So far, that is the best definition of what the Styx sound is along with JY's rock edge influence combined with the creativity of the story book lyrics that goes into most of their songs....


DeeJay...

Dennis had more Styx songs that should have been solo songs as opposed to the other way around, in my opinion. Having said that, Desert Moon would be the only song I would've liked to see done by Styx.

I will REALLY disagree with most of you on this assembly line. I think Styx could of done all of Dennis's songs with the exception of many of his Desert Moon songs & the title track from Boomchild.

From Desert Moon,Please, Boys Will Be Boys & Suspicious were straight Dennis tunes. Although Great Expectations and Suspicious were sure cut from the same cloth. I cant stand either one of them.

Fire would of sounded good with JY on lead vocals. I also felt Who Shot Daddy could of been a decent JY led Styx song.

I believe Dennis said in an interview some years ago Desert Moon was to have been on the next Styx album.

kiddo

I think it is safe to say that Dennis would have brought all the songs from Desert Moon to the table for inclusion on a Styx album. The same can be said for Tommy's Girls with Guns and Jy's City Slicker.

After each was presented only the "best" would be brought to a Styx album and rearranged to meet the Styx Sound.

If their was going to be a post Kilroy/Pre EOC album I think it would have included:


Dennis
Desert Moon
Don't Wait For Heroes
Dear Darling

Tommy
Girls With Guns
Lonely School
The Race Is On

JY
City Slicker
Chain Me Down

As a side note, It was harder to choose from Tommys songs than the others. I think orchestration wise, Tommy's sounds the most "styx" like.

Don't Wait for Heroes
This is the Time
Desert Moon
What a Way to Go
Beneath the Moon
Harry's Hands
Boomchild
ERIC

I should have posted this here. :-)

Evil Eyes
Earl of Roseland
Harry's Hands
Golden Lark
and the obvious solo tune missing from Dennis' set, Don't Wait for Heroes

kiddo

StyxfanNH says:

Dennis
Desert Moon
Don't Wait For Heroes
Dear Darling

Tommy
Girls With Guns
Lonely School
The Race Is On

JY
City Slicker
Chain Me Down

Good choices, the "Styx sound" & harmonies are added and 3 more songs written together. How do you think this "Styx album" would've done?

I think if they "Styx'ed them up" It would have kept them on top.

Don't forget. Albums were still only about 45 minutes tops back then with the average Styx album about 32.

I think we forget today the added songs we get because of cd's vs vinyl

I think we forget today the added songs we get because of cd's vs vinyl

Good point, I didn't know that

styxfanNH wrote:I think if they "Styx'ed them up" It would have kept them on top.

Don't forget. Albums were still only about 45 minutes tops back then with the average Styx album about 32.

I think we forget today the added songs we get because of cd's vs vinyl

Yes,but I also think there are more years between releases.

I t hink its still a two or three year cycle for most artists.

A year to write
A year to tour
A year off

But part of the success of the big 4 albums also had to do with how quickly they got them out. When your hot, your hot and no artist takes a year off when they're hot.

But part of the success of the big 4 albums also had to do with how quickly they got them out.

One really cool, and amazing, thing was the complexity of those songs on those 4 albums Styx did that were their best sellers.

It is truly worth ANYone's admiration the quality of those recordings and the intricate work that went in to making them such great recordings.

But, of course, the fans loved those recordings and the critics dismissed them.

Bugsy

I've got a metaphor to explain how it seems groups can put out a couple or sometime several albums in a row of equal quality. If any of you run, you will understand what I am talking about. After you have run for about five minutes or so, your endorphins start to kick in. As long as you keep running you're fine. But as soon as you stop and rest, getting going AGAIN is harder than starting in the first place. This is why you see people jogging in place at stoplights.

Ever notice how so many groups put out a high level of product for several years in a row, then take a break for a couple of years only to have their 'comeback' album suck? Its the getting going again, usually several years older, that is the tough trick. I know there are exceptions, but there have got to be more examples of the crap comeback album than the masterpiece.

Scott

styxfanNH wrote:When your hot, your hot and no artist takes a year off when they're hot.

BOSTON

Victim....I said a year not a decade.....and after Corporate America, Tom obviously should have taken more off.