MR

The last article was good. The one review I heard was from the "the real music observer " who gave it 10.out of 10.

I’m really looking forward to DDYs new album. With that said, Real Music Observer would give Dennis a 10 out of 10 if Dennis cut an album if he had nothing but fart noises on it.

yogi wrote:I’m really looking forward to DDYs new album. With that said, Real Music Observer would give Dennis a 10 out of 10 if Dennis cut an album if he had nothing but fart noises on it.

lol yeah, that guy posts YouTube videos with comments disabled where he rants and raves over the genius that is Dennis DeYoung and how terrible JY and Tommy have been to him for eons.

They mostly consist of him reading an article from Rolling Stone, Blabbermouth or UCR and commenting as he goes, usually getting off topic.

SuiteMadameBlue wrote:https://v13.net/2020/05/dennis-deyoung-26-east-volume-1-album-review/

Nice review. Looking forward to hearing the album on Friday.

I’m gonna take my reviews with a grain of salt. I hope it is GREAT. I’m very cautious of these reviews. I’m a huge Journey & Steve Perry fan. Loved Street Talk & Strange Medicine even more than I did Street Talk. Waited 25 years for new music and I thought Steve sounded GREAT. The reviews were stellar but the music was some of the most drool and boring music my ears have ever heard. I would have given that album a 10. A PERFECT 10 for Steve’s voice and a 0 for his songs. What If Tommy Shaw’s ‘ masterpiece’ at least scored a 45 and JY’s Out On A Day Pass racked up a 20.

Damn I hope it’s good.

StyxGuy wrote:

yogi wrote:I’m really looking forward to DDYs new album. With that said, Real Music Observer would give Dennis a 10 out of 10 if Dennis cut an album if he had nothing but fart noises on it.

lol yeah, that guy posts YouTube videos with comments disabled where he rants and raves over the genius that is Dennis DeYoung and how terrible JY and Tommy have been to him for eons.

They mostly consist of him reading an article from Rolling Stone, Blabbermouth or UCR and commenting as he goes, usually getting off topic.

He does the same thing for every band he talks about. He just looks for the conflict and then exploits it to get clicks.

You all shouldn't give him any attention at all.

Not many reviews out there for an album that will be released tomorrow. Just say'n.

ChicagoSTYX wrote:Not many reviews out there for an album that will be released tomorrow. Just say'n.

I posted a few on their own threads, I'll put them on the others on this thread either tonight or tomorrow.

SuiteMadameBlue wrote:

ChicagoSTYX wrote:Not many reviews out there for an album that will be released tomorrow. Just say'n.

I posted a few on their own threads, I'll put them on the others on this thread either tonight or tomorrow.

I'm sure there will be more online tomorrow.

From the Chicago Tribune

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertai ... bWHU8j6lDs

Hopefully Mr ANDREW will review it and give us his thoughts on it.

SuiteMadameBlue wrote:From the Chicago Tribune

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertai ... bWHU8j6lDs

Nice interview.

Another review..........

https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/den ... -volume-1-

yogi wrote:I’m really looking forward to DDYs new album. With that said, Real Music Observer would give Dennis a 10 out of 10 if Dennis cut an album if he had nothing but fart noises on it.

that dude is a raving idiot.

I'll add this one on this thread. I like how this page is Heavy Metal for Grown Ups

https://www.sentineldaily.com.au/dennis ... ers-music/

This review is from RAMzine

http://ramzine.co.uk/reviews/dennis-dey ... h-26-east/

Dennis DeYoung returns with 26 East
Posted by: Laurence Todd in Album Reviews

If you know your Seventies US rock, you’ll know the name of this artist, and even if you don’t know the band he made his name with, you’ll certainly know his voice. Dennis DeYoung was the keyboard player and main vocalist with US pomp rock band Styx, and also their main songwriter, penning several of their major top 10 hits, including ‘Lady, Don’t let it End’ and ‘Babe’. For many, he is the sound of Styx. After being replaced by Lawrence Gowran following his acrimonious (depending on whose story you believe) departure from Styx in 1999, for health related issues, DeYoung has continued to write and record, and his music has featured in several films and TV shows, notably Shrek 2, Glee and Modern Family.

However, he also has a band and continues to make solo albums. On 26 East, he takes us on a journey from “My humble beginnings in a Chicago basement to the top of my chosen profession,” and from the opening notes of ‘East of Midnight,’ if you didn’t know who he was, you’d assume this was someone copying Styx, with its classic seventies harmonies and lush backing. Tracks like ‘Kingdom Ablaze’ and ‘Unbroken’ could fit easily onto any of Styx’s classic seventies albums, and on ‘AD2020,’ he reprises Styx’s, ‘Rocking the Paradise.’

He takes a swipe at the media (who’ve never liked Styx) on ‘With all due Respect,’ singing “With all due respect, you’re an asshole.” The album also includes a duet with Julian Lennon, on ‘To the good old days,’ the lyrical content of which could only have been written by a guy now in his early seventies. As the Floyd once sang, “The memories of a man in his old age, are the dreams of a man in his prime.”

After several years of avoiding any reference or allusions to his previous band, he now states “I’m making this album for Styx fans and, if they’re truly Styx fans, they’re gonna love it.” But, what about everyone else? Essentially this is an album for those fans who think Fleetwood Mac are a rock ‘n roll band. The harmonies are faultless and the songs are mostly good, even if tracks like ‘You my Love’ are a large spoonful of sweet sugar (think ‘Babe’). But if you count Judas Priest and Five Finger Death Punch amongst your favourites, you’d probably be better off looking elsewhere.

This review is from Dangerdog Music Reviews. 5.0 out of 5.0

http://www.dangerdog.com/2020-music-rev ... sqky2hKiHt


Dennis DeYoung: 26 East Vol. 1
AOR Melodic Rock
5.0/5.0
Website
Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 20.05.2020 | Released: 22.05.2020

As the as the saying goes, Dennis DeYoung needs little introduction. DeYoung was the founding member of pop prog rock band Styx, and continues to keep his contribution to the band alive through his Dennis DeYoung And The Music of STYX shows. He's also a prolific songwriter having written for film, television, and stage. And, hailing from the south side of Chicago, DeYoung is a huge White Sox baseball fan. (I remember Comiskey.) But Dennis DeYoung has not released a studio album in better than 10 years.

Now, with the encouragement and songwriting contributions of fellow Chicagoan Jim Peterik, DeYoung offers the first of what may be his last albums, 26 East Vol. 1. The title is a reference to the address of where he grew up in the South Side, with childhood friends and also founding Styx members, John and Chuck Panozzo living across the street. Peterik and DeYoung recently collaborated on the former's World Stage album, Winds Of Change in 2019.

Musically, DeYoung steers little from his long-serving musical roots: synth-charged melodic pop prog rock infused with symphonic texture, bold melodies, notable rock groove, soaring guitar solos, and lush vocal arrangements. To say the album has Styx-like references is not an abomination, but something of an accuracy: you can't outrun your past. The wild card is Peterik's singular and deft ability to create catchy AOR melodic hard rock tunes. It's a combination as favorable as chocolate and peanut butter, a shot and beer.

Tuning into some songs, for some strong synth rockers in an AOR wrapper listen for East Of Midnight, the lush and expansive A Kingdom Ablaze, or Damn That Dream. But my personal favorite is With All Due Respect, a brisk and catchy rocker that skewers American culture, media, and politics. AOR anthems rise with Run For The Roses and The Promise Of This Land, which has a strong Gospel vibe in the concluding vocal and lyrical finish. Then there's the symphonic and synth tear-jerker ballad of love gone wrong, You My Love. So sad. Finally, DeYoung hooks up with Julian Lennon for the retrospective and inspiring To The Good Old Days, a delightful AOR ballad with a strong piano line and exceptional vocal harmony from the duo.

All in all, Dennis DeYoung's 26 East Vol. 1 is a fine and entertaining album of AOR melodic rock thanks to some exceptional musicianchip and songwriting. Volume 2 is looking to be pretty great. Easily recommended.

My very quick ( for now ) review.

I LOVE ‘A Kingdom Ablaze’ its a combination of Born For Adventure, Castle Walls and Queen of Spades. This is a GREAT GREAT song. By far the best Styx song in Forever.

For me You My Love has a Love at First Sight Feel which was the last Styx hit and a song I really like. Great song

Run for the Roses is great lyrically and a really good show tune
type song. I generally don’t like show tune songs but I really like this one.

For the Good Old Days will be played at my funeral. Fantastic duet. Julian Lennon or John Lennon meets Dennis Deyoung. What a great song and duet.

This is a GREAT album!!

My CDs just arrived. It sounds so good. To The Good Old Days sounds different than what I’ve heard. It really starts off like Imagine is Julian solo on the first verse? It’s a GREAT GREAT song. My favorite still remains A Kingdom Ablaze. Really like You My Love, Run For the Roses, East of Midnight & With All Due Respect also. This is a really solid album. Fantastic!

Probably listened to it 10 times.
First couple of times it sounded promising.
Then the show tune feel started to surface,becoming a turn off.
One thing i didn't particularly care for in the Styx sound.
First track sound way too forced, trying to make the classic Styx feel, fall flat.
Some great snippets along the way, but in the overall picture, too few.
Oh well.

gr8dane wrote:Probably listened to it 10 times.
First couple of times it sounded promising.
Then the show tune feel started to surface,becoming a turn off.
One thing i didn't particularly care for in the Styx sound.
First track sound way too forced, trying to make the classic Styx feel, fall flat.
Some great snippets along the way, but in the overall picture, too few.
Oh well.

That's pretty much what happened to me. I've listened maybe 4 times and that's going to do it for me. It gets old real fast.

I’m mystified why the die hard Styx fans no matter what camp you are in are not praising the song A Kingdom Ablaze. I’ve been waiting for this song since the Pieces of Eight album. Styx had this twice on Equinox with Born For Adventure & Suite Madame Blue. Then DDY delivered with Castle Walls and Queen of Spades. Crossing the Rubicon came damn close but a Kingdom Ablaze nails the haunting & proggy Styx that I truly love. Utterly Fantastic!!

I don't know how anyone was Styx fans to begin with, the complainers complain about the same old thing, Dennis writes too many slow songs, Dennis writes too many showtunes, Dennis doesn't rock. Its old and predictable I love what Dennis brings to the table, love his diverse musical style. I don't mind showtunes either, doesn't bother me, I like ballads too, just as much as the hardest of rocking songs. I thought the Mission album was good, until I listened to it about 4 times and got bored with it. I like Brave New World better than the Mission to be honest. The Mission concept is kinda lame as well, just nothing unique about it at all. I really like DDY's new album a lot and when you factor in that at 73 years old and can still have most of that golden voice in tack is amazing to me.

LtVanish wrote:I don't know how anyone was Styx fans to begin with, the complainers complain about the same old thing, Dennis writes too many slow songs, Dennis writes too many showtunes, Dennis doesn't rock. Its old and predictable I love what Dennis brings to the table, love his diverse musical style. I don't mind showtunes either, doesn't bother me, I like ballads too, just as much as the hardest of rocking songs. I thought the Mission album was good, until I listened to it about 4 times and got bored with it. I like Brave New World better than the Mission to be honest. The Mission concept is kinda lame as well, just nothing unique about it at all. I really like DDY's new album a lot and when you factor in that at 73 years old and can still have most of that golden voice in tack is amazing to me.

Interesting.You can get bored and lose interest in The Mission for your reasons,
but I can't get bored and lose interest in Dennis for mine ??
Because he is 73.??

gr8dane wrote:

LtVanish wrote:I don't know how anyone was Styx fans to begin with, the complainers complain about the same old thing, Dennis writes too many slow songs, Dennis writes too many showtunes, Dennis doesn't rock. Its old and predictable I love what Dennis brings to the table, love his diverse musical style. I don't mind showtunes either, doesn't bother me, I like ballads too, just as much as the hardest of rocking songs. I thought the Mission album was good, until I listened to it about 4 times and got bored with it. I like Brave New World better than the Mission to be honest. The Mission concept is kinda lame as well, just nothing unique about it at all. I really like DDY's new album a lot and when you factor in that at 73 years old and can still have most of that golden voice in tack is amazing to me.

Interesting.You can get bored and lose interest in The Mission for your reasons,
but I can't get bored and lose interest in Dennis for mine ??
Because he is 73.??

That was basically my point, music is all subjective I guess. I do get excited over any Styx related release, Styx has always been my favorite band because of the diversity of the music. I'm glad any camp is making new music, so really we all should stop complaining. After years of both camps saying they would never make new music, then boom both sides got back into the spirit. I really hope both Dennis Vol 1 and 2 Sell well, he claims its his last albums, but who knows. I think Dennis should make a lot more music, he just likes to do too much of all the production and such, which he says he is lazy at it and takes he a long time to get it all done by himself. Perhaps he should let someone else do all that and just write songs.

Another review This one is from Spill Magazine.

http://spillmagazine.com/spill-album-re ... -volume-1/

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DENNIS DEYOUNG – 26 EAST, VOLUME 1
Dennis DeYoung
DENNIS DEYOUNG
26 EAST, VOLUME 1
FRONTIERS MUSIC

As hard as it might be to believe, this is Dennis DeYoung`s first studio album since 2009`s One Hundred Years From Now. Perhaps the time away from the studio has been a major asset, as 26 Eas, Volume 1 is his best solo album of his career and his best work including his days as lead singer of Styx.

DeYoung looks back on this album, and any similarities to his old band are purely intentional. 26 East is where DeYoung grew up in Chicago, and this album is his life story. In looking back, DeYoung is clearly looking forward with his music. Cowritten with Jim Peterik, who also plays guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals, DeYoung taps into everything that was good about Styx and incorporates it in his own style .

Styx play a big role on this album, not the members, and no, this is not a reunion album, but the story of Styx looms large and in fact the album is a concept album of DeYoung’s life. The opening track, “East Of Midnight” could be the best Styx song since Pieces of Eight. Lyrically and musically, this is a stunning way to open the album. The musiciansip is flawless and DeYoung’s voice has never sounded stronger.

Of course it helps that he has a fantastic backup band helping him out, but DeYoung is clearly the star here and the music and lyrics are his. He even has help from Julian Lennon, who duets with DeYoung on the very Beatley song, “To The Good Old Days”. It is nice to hear Lennon, as he has been absent from the music scene for a few years, but the two of them together form a near-perfect union.

It is quite clear that this album is near and dear to DeYoung. 26 East, Volume 1 is an excellent album, and after all these years and so many great albums behind him, the fact that DeYoung is able to do his best work is quite remarkable.

Great review. I couldn’t agree more. This album is GREAT!!