MR

Book spoilier----- Dennis Deyoung , any of his family members or those who doubt Dennis's brilliance should read this.

Pages 153- 156 of Sterlings book talks about Dennis Deyouing through the quotes of Howard Bloom. Howard Bloom was hired by Derek Sutton to promote The Paradise Theatre Album and tour..

Derek Sutton states' Howard Bloom(Publicist,The Howard Bloom Organization) is probably the greatest press agent that rock & roll has ever known.He was and still is one of the smartest human beings on the planet,and he chose for some ungodly reasonto make his living in rock and roll'.

Howard Bloom-' I started to work with Styx because of Derek, and then by going over all their material, espicially the album covers. I discovered that that there was something really remarkable about Dennis Deyoung.'

Dennis gave the band its conscience, and he made the band an absolutely visionary,prophetic band which no one seems to realize.

Howard went on to say that he read every lyric, studied every album cover and read every interview that Dennis had ever done.

'When I sat down with Dennis and discussed this, it turned out that sure enough , Dennis had exactly this in mind the whole time'. 'He was writing albums that were political,social, and cultural messages as of what lay ahead of us as a danger, and what to avoid in order to make our own future into a positive thing.

'I have worked with Prince, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and many others. Bob Marley is given credit for being proephetic, but if you look at Bob Marleys actual lyrics and what he actually did and compare it to Dennis Deyoung did and said you'll find that the real prophet is not Bob Marley. The real prophet is Dennis Deyoung'.

There is soooooo much more, but I'm done for now.


This book is a MUST read!!!!

HEY, I type like shit. Do you know how long it took me to hold Sterlings thick ass book in one hand, read quotes, and then and type with the other hand????

No fu......... ing responses to the genius that is Dennis DeYoung?


You've got to be kidding me!!!!

Answering yourself are you, Yogi?

Too bad this one ended up showing a post of April 1st on it. I remember the days of some of the better April 1st posts on here, but I think you may be actually stating what is really in this book.

I am not sure if I consider Dennis a “visionary prophet.” He has always seen things in a broader view and his lyrics reflect that view. In some cases, his observations, translated to lyrics, are some of the very best out there. “Suite Madame Blue”, “Lonely People,” “Father O.S.A.” have strong themes and, IMO, brilliant lyrics.

I like his ability to state something with an economy of words. “The left says ‘yes’ and the right says ‘no’. I’m in between and the more I learn well the less that I know.” Anyone who can sum up the whole basic philosophy of liberal vs conservative with that simple sentence, as well as placing himself into a world context as he does with the second sentence, I consider that some brilliant lyric writer.

I do think he was seeing pretty far down the road with the lines, written in 1982 or so, “The problem’s plain to see. Too much technology. Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanize.” Mighty prescient, I would say.


Bugsy

This post is 100% legit.

Purchase the book. I promise what I wrote is in the book on the pages I quoted.

Help me here Sterling!!!

100% true here ... sorry to disappoint those looking for an April Fools thing. It's in the book.

I think you may be actually stating what is really in this book

This is what I said. I knew it wasn't an April fool's joke.


Bugsy

yogi wrote:'When I sat down with Dennis and discussed this, it turned out that sure enough , Dennis had exactly this in mind the whole time'. 'He was writing albums that were political,social, and cultural messages as of what lay ahead of us as a danger, and what to avoid in order to make our own future into a positive thing.

To anybody that was there when the albums came out originally and looked at the lyrics, this isn't news. Dennis WAS very political in his writing and Styx got slammed for it all the time.

Say what you want about Kilroy, I thought some of the messages which predate the Al and Tipper Gore lyrics BS of the mid 80's, were right on (censorship, dangers of technology, etc).

LordofDaRing wrote:Say what you want about Kilroy, I thought some of the messages which predate the Al and Tipper Gore lyrics BS of the mid 80's, were right on (censorship, dangers of technology, etc).

It pre-dated the PMRC, but was not all that groundbreaking in terms of subject matter. Zappa, for example, had already explored that territory -- albeit with a very different approach -- on Joe's Garage, which came out in '79.

Yogi, I love your enthusiasm! I have Sterling's book on the way. I should get it today or tomorrow I hope.
I have been telling people Dennis was brilliant most of my life. And he's not a bad singer/writer/producer either!!

"The problem's plain to see. Too much technology. Machines to save our lives. Machines de-humanize"......

I agree with you on Zappa, he might not have been my favorite artist, but he did stand up for his belief. John Denver came to the rescue to of all people.

I agree. Dennis was brilliant. However, so is Tommy. Styx was a BAND, not just one dude with an angelic voice and a bad hairdo, Froy. Styx without Dennis is as good as Styx without Tommy.

yogi wrote:No fu......... ing responses to the genius that is Dennis DeYoung?

Oooh! Pick me! Pick me!

7 Wishes wrote:I agree. Dennis was brilliant. However, so is Tommy. Styx was a BAND, not just one dude with an angelic voice and a bad hairdo, Froy. Styx without Dennis is as good as Styx without Tommy.

Dennis had some killer hair circa Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight, ya gotta admit.