Ash wrote:Well - everyone here and everywhere has been saying he's washed up and can't do the Styx sound so thats why it's good he's not in the band and yada yada yada yada..... so perhaps there is a bit of him saying "I can do this too". Dennis didn't record his solo albums the way he did because trying to sound like Styx - he was trying to release music with his own style and personality outside of Styx. The songs on his solo records are songs he wanted to write and record at the time he did them. He happens to really like writing a certain kind of song. It isn't that he CAN'T write other kinds of songs, he's just chosen not to.
I just don't see the big deal. If he's out to prove he can still write good prog/melodic rock songs the more power to him. Yeah his music has a flair of theatre in it but that is WHO DENNIS IS and really has been all his life. You're telling me Pieces of Eight wasn't theatric? Listen to the intro of Great White Hope. It was all about being bombastic and dramatic. Allow the man to be true to himself the same way you want the guys in DFB to be true to themselves.
I think it's great he's going to do a new record of material he wants to do that he thinks can be relevant to today's music - and I'm excited to hear it. Just like the DFB fans were excited when Cyclorama came out.
I'm not anti-DDY, remember. You must confuse me with ChicagoSTYX or someone LOL Remember, I like both sides (although I haven't been happy with the output of Styx for awhile). You're pointing the wrong finger on this one. Lumping me in with "you guys" is wrong.
Look, I don't necessarily disagree with you. I don't think he'd write or record something he didn't want to. He's not the type of guy to be forced into anything
But to me, he doesn't have to prove anything. If he did another album like Desert Moon, I'm fine with it. It's not me he has to answer to.
My issue - and speaking objectively as someone who has heard the good and the bad from everyone - is that while I know DDY wanted to record this material and I'm glad he found the "inner rocker", it just seems like he's trying a tad bit more than he should be. It doesn't seem as natural, say, as
10 On Broadway sounded. Doesn't mean it's bad. In some ways, it almost seems like
Cyclorama - some songs are trying so hard to sound more like older Styx that it doesn't work. That's what I mean.
I'll pass a more official judgement after more listenings and I hear the whole thing, but this is my gut reaction to the song as it stands right now. Better than any of the covers albums? You betcha. I just need to hear it in context of the rest of the album to understand it better.
And as I said, the two songs I've heard (including this one) give me hope that this album will be good. Keeping my fingers crossed.
... or not 
