MR

Did everyone here on this Styx board hear the song "Unfinished Song"? I FINALLY just heard it for the first time - a BIG "Thank You" to one of my best friends.

I LOVE this song!!!!!! Yes, it's my opinion, but this is one of my favorite Styx songs. Also added to my list is hearing "Castle Walls" LIVE!!!

I also have been listening to one of Dennis' new song titled "Hello God". After hearing it for a few days and hearing it live, I really like this song too

Just thought I'd share a few songs of the day.

Anybody else have a good song that they haven't heard in a while?

I have Unfinished Song on the original "Miracles" cassette. Great song, one of my favorites. Can't wait to hear it cleaned up one of these days, hopefully on a box set or something. I have digitized it on my Mac and play it on my iPod all the time.

PAT

I love Unfinished Song too. "Hello God" is my favorite Dennis song after "When I Hear a Christmas Song".

I've loved " Unfinished Song" for many years, since I picked up the Miracles cassette back in the 80's. Definately one of my favorites from those days, along with 22 Years.

LOL, this is an oldie but a goodie of a thread. Since it was first posted by Suite, Dennis has performed Unf. Song once, and dropped it, I am sure forever, from his setlist. Glad I got to hear it live that one time as I like it a lot myself. I love Dennis' voice on the original recording of it.

Bugsy

bugsymalone wrote:LOL, this is an oldie but a goodie of a thread. Since it was first posted by Suite, Dennis has performed Unf. Song once, and dropped it, I am sure forever, from his setlist. Glad I got to hear it live that one time as I like it a lot myself. I love Dennis' voice on the original recording of it.

Bugsy

LOL, I started this thread SIX years ago, why is LifeGiver going back SIX years ago?? LOL

Yes, Dennis played this song only one time and he'll never play it live again, from what I heard.

Do we know why? Did it go badly..?

ManOfMiracles wrote:Do we know why? Did it go badly..?

Dennis has never been a big fan of this song. And I don't think he feels like the song is a good one to play in concert. He probably has a point there, even though it sounded fine on stage that one time.

The one he has dropped that I felt was killer on stage was "Best Thing." I wish he had kept it in his setlist.


Bugsy

I'm sorry, but I don't completely understand DDY's taste sometimes.. There was a lot of ..questionable.. material on the early Styx albums, how did "Unfinished song" not measure up?

bugsymalone wrote:

ManOfMiracles wrote:Do we know why? Did it go badly..?

Dennis has never been a big fan of this song. And I don't think he feels like the song is a good one to play in concert. He probably has a point there, even though it sounded fine on stage that one time.

The one he has dropped that I felt was killer on stage was "Best Thing." I wish he had kept it in his setlist.


Bugsy

On that we agree. "Best Thing" is great live. I'm glad I saw it at the HOB show. I wonder what it would sound like now with two guitarists "Unfinished Song" was interesting but it's not a barnburner of a song.

BlackWall wrote:I'm sorry, but I don't completely understand DDY's taste sometimes.. There was a lot of ..questionable.. material on the early Styx albums, how did "Unfinished song" not measure up?

Dennis was not involved in production or sequencing decisions on those early Wooden Nickel albums. He was just a singer/writer/instrumentalist with no say as to what made it onto the records. Those records were produced by John Ryan, and he, Styx management and Bill Traut at Wooden Nickel decided ultimately what made it onto those albums. It wasn't until after "Lady" became a hit that Dennis had some pull with the record company because he had a demonstrable track record, and by that time the band was on A&M and producing itself. It was management and record company's decision not to have "Unfinished Song" on the record. They went with the cover of "Lies" instead . . . a very bad move.

As far as not playing it live now, Dennis has a huge catalog of recognizable hits to select from; from that perspective it makes awfully little sense for him to pull out a song that most of his fans have never had the opportunity to hear. I bet that's why he doesn't want to play it. Even as a "Lost Treasure", this is a song that most people don't know exists, so it's not like most people can say, "Wow, I can't believe he's finally playing this one!"

I hope all is well.

Sterling

Rockwriter wrote:
Dennis was not involved in production or sequencing decisions on those early Wooden Nickel albums. He was just a singer/writer/instrumentalist with no say as to what made it onto the records. Those records were produced by John Ryan, and he, Styx management and Bill Traut at Wooden Nickel decided ultimately what made it onto those albums. It wasn't until after "Lady" became a hit that Dennis had some pull with the record company because he had a demonstrable track record, and by that time the band was on A&M and producing itself. It was management and record company's decision not to have "Unfinished Song" on the record. They went with the cover of "Lies" instead . . . a very bad move.

As far as not playing it live now, Dennis has a huge catalog of recognizable hits to select from; from that perspective it makes awfully little sense for him to pull out a song that most of his fans have never had the opportunity to hear. I bet that's why he doesn't want to play it. Even as a "Lost Treasure", this is a song that most people don't know exists, so it's not like most people can say, "Wow, I can't believe he's finally playing this one!"

I hope all is well.

Sterling

Well, maybe that explains why he dropped "Best Thing", too. It comes from an era in Styx' career that Dennis might, other than "Lady", possibly like to forget.

Still BT was really fantastic in concert.

Bugsy

bugsymalone wrote:

ManOfMiracles wrote:Do we know why? Did it go badly..?

Dennis has never been a big fan of this song. And I don't think he feels like the song is a good one to play in concert. He probably has a point there, even though it sounded fine on stage that one time.

The one he has dropped that I felt was killer on stage was "Best Thing." I wish he had kept it in his setlist.


Bugsy

Maybe he'd like it a bit more if he finished the song.

Monker wrote:

bugsymalone wrote:

ManOfMiracles wrote:Do we know why? Did it go badly..?

Dennis has never been a big fan of this song. And I don't think he feels like the song is a good one to play in concert. He probably has a point there, even though it sounded fine on stage that one time. The one he has dropped that I felt was killer on stage was "Best Thing." I wish he had kept it in his setlist. Bugsy

Maybe he'd like it a bit more if he finished the song.

lol

Monker wrote:

bugsymalone wrote:

ManOfMiracles wrote:Do we know why? Did it go badly..?

Dennis has never been a big fan of this song. And I don't think he feels like the song is a good one to play in concert. He probably has a point there, even though it sounded fine on stage that one time.

The one he has dropped that I felt was killer on stage was "Best Thing." I wish he had kept it in his setlist.


Bugsy

Maybe he'd like it a bit more if he finished the song.

Then he would have to change the name of the song

Abitaman wrote:

Monker wrote:

bugsymalone wrote:

ManOfMiracles wrote:Do we know why? Did it go badly..?

Dennis has never been a big fan of this song. And I don't think he feels like the song is a good one to play in concert. He probably has a point there, even though it sounded fine on stage that one time.

The one he has dropped that I felt was killer on stage was "Best Thing." I wish he had kept it in his setlist.


Bugsy

Maybe he'd like it a bit more if he finished the song.

Then he would have to change the name of the song

Well, you know, he just kept "travel(ing) in circles, quickly to nowhere" on that song. So I guess it will remain unfinished.

Bugsy

Hi folks.....just got this e-mail in that I am most pleased to post here:

"My name is Charles Lofrano. I wrote the lyrics to "Unfinished Song". I'd like to thank your subscribers for their kind words about the song. It always knocks me out when some work that I've done so many years ago is even remembered by one person. I thought it mightt be interesting to explain the origin of the song.

It started as a poem I wrote after returning from combat duty in Vietnam where I was wounded. I was trying to figure out what was next for me as a disabled 21 year old veteran Dennis and I have been friends since I was about 14 and John and Chuck Panozzo are my first cousins. Dennis would share his ideas with me and I would show him my poetry. I wrote the lyrics to "Serpent is Rising" and "Winner take All" also based on poems I had written. Obviously the main attraction of "Unifished Song" is Dennis' haunting melody and
I am truly greatful that he unselfishly allowed me to express my thoughts in such a way.

Again, thanks to your subscibers for their kind words and to you for your fine site. Please
feel free to print this if you think it would be of interest."

Many thanks Charles!!

Andrew thanks

SuiteMadameBlue wrote:Thank you Andrew for posting the letter and thank you Charles for writing "Unfinished Song" !

I originally posted about "Unfinished Song" back in 2003. I still enjoy listening to the song quite often It was a real treat to hear it live in Chicago and to have Charles in the audience.

^What Suite said, ! I like everything about this song, as I think I have posted before. Sad that it will not be performed in concert again, but we have discussed in great detail around here the reasons why songs are, or or not, played in concert. And, of course, Dennis has addressed that question in more than one interview.

Thanks for sharing Charles' e-mail, Andrew.


Bugsy

Big Thank You Andrew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!