I Stumble In wrote:I have to say that JY is truly dellusional. Styx was NEVER a progressive rock band - even at their most successful times. I remember the Tiem article back in the day. They called it Corporate Rock - they compared Styx with bands like Journey. Formula rock bands. I love all versions of Styx - always have and always will. But do I compare them with Yes, ELP, etc... NO. Those bands produced records and music that were not the mainstream sounds of their time - and once in a while caught lightening in a bottle and had a song that was widely played by radio. But, if you look at the entire album of material - it may be one of the only songs on the album that got play.
JY is mad at Dennis for taking him down a road that he wasn't comfortable in. Deal with it - you went on the ride JY and made a shitload of money from it. You are still making money from it. Even though you may not play the songs anymore - a lot of people that attend you concerts first heard of Styx because of the efforts of Dennis, and his songs. They then feel in love with the stuff that Tommy came up with. I don't really think that there is anyone that originally fell in love with Styx because they heard Miss America and had to hear the rest of the album.
I really believe that Tommy is going to get tired of the stuff coming out of JY and will move on within the next few years. He has too many good options not to. He could go solo again - write for other people - partner up with Dennis - oh - and theres the 4 headed monster that has to make JY shudder - Damn Yankees. If Tommy, Jack, Ted, and Michael got back together - they could tour for a year and make more money that Tommy makes in 2 years with Styx.
Then if JY wanted to continue to tour as "STYX" - he would be relegated to playing small clubs - because there will be absolutely no interest in the band.
Hmmm . . . I agree that Tommy has lots of other options and JY arguably doesn't, but I have to disagree that a Damn Yankees tour could do so well as to make Tommy more money than Styx. After all, this is a band that put out just one truly successful album, followed by one much-less-successful album, and that was fifteen years ago. Those songs receive relatively little continuing airplay, and in all truth "High Enough" is probably the only song that the average person remembers by that band at this point. So yes, there would be curiosity about an all-star lineup in a reunion, but you have to offset that against the fact that in DY there would have to be three profit participants instead of two as there are in Styx, and that whatever they paid Michael would have to replace his income from Lynyrd Skynyrd. It would have to have some production and so on and so forth, and would be far less cost-effective than touring with Shaw Blades. So is there enough demand to balance out against larger expenses? Frankly, I think if a DY reunion tour was fiancially feasible, it would have already happened. It would likely have to be part of a package that split the receipts among several bands, thereby making the individual take small enough that it would not replace the income lost from Tommy in Styx, Jack in Night Ranger, Michael in Skynyrd, and Ted from his billion and one outside endeavors.
I agree that if Tommy finally does leave, the Styx train would have to come to a halt at that point. Styx without Tommy is possible, as we have seen. Styx without Dennis is also possible, as we have also seen. Styx without Dennis OR Tommy, I think it's safe to say would never fly.
As for the New York Times article, it didn't really create that "corporate rock" tag. That already existed. It simply perpetuated it by focusing more on the business and promotional aspects of the band than the creative side. Hell, it's really just one article out of thousands that have been written about this band, but because it was the Times, it's been quoted and referred to over and over for decades like it's a Bible verse or something, LOL. I recently listened to an old interview with Dennis that he did with Lisa Robinson, of all people. Lisa was one of the most influential rock writers of that time, and she was also one of the leaders of the anti-Styx brigade, and I was surprised that either one of them actually wanted to do such an interview. This was in 1984 in support of 'Desert Moon', and I was really impressed with both of them and how well the interview came off, when it could have been uncomfortabe and combative. But one of her questions to Dennis was about the Times article, and Dennis absolutely nailed it in his answer, which had to do with the "angle" of an article and how that one came at the subject from only one angle, the marketing. He said something to the effect of, "Let's not kid ourselves that when any band comes into town for a concert, that any of it happens by accident". Which was his way of saying, hey, the Sex Pistole, the Clash, Bruce Springsteen were all packaged and sold, too. If I can find the link to this I'll post it, it was very interesting.
I hope all is well.
Sterling
