Tommy, Tommy, Tommy

[piecesofeight]

I found this rescent interview. I am sure most of you have seen it. Tommy is really starting to grind me. When is he going to just move on. Leave it alone. He just cannot do an interview without giving a dig somewhere and not getting the story totally straight. Come on Tommy, step up and be better. Just answer the questions without being a snake.



STYX DEBUTS NEW BASSIST TONIGHT

Styx hits the road tonight (Friday, October 24th) at the Grand Casino Tunica in Robinsonville, Mississippi, with their newest member, bassist Ricky Phillips. Phillips, whose resume includes both the Babys and Bad English, joined the band after Glen Burtnik decided he'd rather work at home and be with his family in New Jersey.

* Singer-guitarist Tommy Shaw told LAUNCH that the band is a little different now, although most fans won't notice it: ["The obvious thing is Glen was a guitar player who switched to bass, and Ricky has always been a dedicated bass player. It's gonna be a little bit different thing -- it'll be subtle to most people, but for us, it'll be a very powerful rhythm section change."] SOUNDCUE (:12 OC: . . . rhythm section change.)

* Shaw also told LAUNCH that Burtnik left on friendly terms, which is a luxury the group hasn't always been able to enjoy: ["It's not as hard as some of the other times have been. You know, there was no death, there was no lawsuit, there was no dramatic turn of events that cause this to happen. It was, actually, a very civilized and amicable parting of the ways. You know, I guess we were just due for a nice, easy change like that."] SOUNDCUE (:18 OC: . . . change like that.)

* Shaw is referring to original Styx drummer John Panozzo, who died in 1996, and original singer-keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, with whom the band has been involved in legal fights for the past few years.
* Styx has got dates scattered through the rest of the year, including a New Year's Eve show with REO Speedwagon at the Aladdin Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

[classicstyxfan]

He's got to spin it in a positive way...it's still his meal ticket on the line. If he were to say, yeah, it's a step backwards....Ricky has neither the stage presence, the energy, or the vocal ability Glen had ( since I dont know Ricky, these are not necessarily my views....)

I Ricky would walk
II Ticket sales would suffer

as for subtle digs on Dennis, get used to it, it's been going on for almost 20 years ( ripping on Babe at Damn Yankees shows )
It's not going to stop now.

[ek88]

I guess I'm ignorant. What's the dig? It was NOT an amicable parting with Dennis DeYoung. Is stating that FACT a dig? I hardly think if we were to ask Dennis that he would call it amicable. Is it a dig simply because Tommy mentioned it? We mention it here all the time, and the descriptions are far from amicable. Is Tommy supposed to lie and say that it was an amicable breakup and that the lawsuits, etc. were all hearsay? I don't get it.

[PsychoSy]

Shaw also told LAUNCH that Burtnik left on friendly terms, which is a luxury the group hasn't always been able to enjoy: ["It's not as hard as some of the other times have been. You know, there was no death, there was no lawsuit, there was no dramatic turn of events that cause this to happen. It was, actually, a very civilized and amicable parting of the ways. You know, I guess we were just due for a nice, easy change like that."] SOUNDCUE (:18 OC: . . . change like that.)

Nothing more than Tommy giving us the no spin truth here, folks. If I was him, I'd have said the same exact thing because I can empathize with how the death of John, the firing of DDY, and the legal battles could be pretty stressfull -- both on professional and personal levels. I gonna say something people here might not like but nobody enjoys courtrooms, long bitter arguments that bring no resolve or closure, and funerals, okay?

I just fail to see where being a Styx employee requires an immediate cease and desist on being human. Give these a guys a break and quit jumping on every little teensy-weensy morsel that comes out of the Styx camp, alright? If you're taking issue with this quote, then you've probably never had someone in your own personal life -- be it a boss, friend, or family member -- that repeatedly drags up some old, tired, incident from eons ago over and over again just to either annoy the living shit out of you or to hear themselves do it.

I don't know about you folks but if I find out that I've got a "shadow" following me or listening to every single word I say and remarking, "Uh-huh yeah sure...heard that line before", I can guarantee that after about tenth time, I'd be entertaining the idea of grabbing that said "shadow" by the ears and shaking 'em until either their nose bled and their teeth fell out!

"GO RATTLE YOUR NOSECHAIN ELSEWHERE AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

[piecesofeight]

I just fail to see where being a Styx employee requires an immediate cease and desist on being human. Give these a guys a break and quit jumping on every little teensy-weensy morsel that comes out of the Styx camp, alright? If you're taking issue with this quote, then you've probably never had someone in your own personal life -- be it a boss, friend, or family member -- that repeatedly drags up some old, tired, incident from eons ago over and over again just to either annoy the living shit out of you or to hear themselves do it.

Well Psycho...., that's what these forums are all about, to discuss WHATEVER is going on with Styx and to comment on anything they are doing or saying. If you don't like this, then YOU don't belong here. Totally fine if no one but me saw this as Tommy using this as another way to not let the fire die. By Tommy not just answering questions, but taking it a bit further, he's the one who creates this stuff. The problem for me with Tommy lately is that he doesn't usually tell the same story everytime. Sure talk about John's death in the same sentence as bringing up the Dennis crap. I don't really care if I'm the only one who was a bit turned off by this or saw something in it, but this isn't the place to tell people to back of Styx. This is a FORUM. If you are going to get so ticked, maybe you shouldn't come here.

[LordofDaRing]

The one point that several people are over looking is that Dennis does not say anything about his former band mates, at least not in the last couple of years. According to some of you, he has had the mike in front of him in some of the cities he has played in, so the opportunity to cut loose has been there. Iam sure life in a band with Tommy and JY was not always fun and games too. I will say this for the record, Tommy has been a lot more professional about this subject then the reluctant legend has been.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

LordofDaRing sez: "The one point that several people are over looking is that Dennis does not say anything about his former band mates, at least not in the last couple of years. According to some of you, he has had the mike in front of him in some of the cities he has played in, so the opportunity to cut loose has been there. Iam sure life in a band with Tommy and JY was not always fun and games too. I will say this for the record, Tommy has been a lot more professional about this subject then the reluctant legend has been."



Good point, that's why I respect Dennis more than the "other side". 2 weeks ago he was here, he did 3 tv interviews and about 4 radio interviews, not once did he rip on his former bandmates. He was asked in a couple of interviews if he thought that Styx would ever get back together, he said "I would like to hope so, but I don't think so". Every interview he was very positive about his music and with all of his years with Styx. Not once did he rip on anyone or avoid any questions. The new Styx band was here recently and one of the movie crews here did a interview with JY. This was the first time that I saw him talk a little positive about the years with Dennis, when they were working on the Grand Illusion album. It was a different side of JY that I've never seen before in public. I'm sure it's how both parties are asked the questions from the media. I know the media loves to dig up the dirt. I was reading a current issue of the "Classic Rock" magazine with Styx and JY and Tommy sounded very angry towards Dennis and they ripped on songs and albums that they did together as Styx, especially Cornerstone. If it was so bad, why did it sell so many albums?

[classicstyxfan]

Saying this personnel change ( unlike others ) was "Civlized and Amicable" implies that when Dennis left it was Uncivilized.....with no implication on TS's part that the current band takes any ownership for their part in the level of civility in that personnel change.

that's not a subtle dig on Dennis ?

I guess I need to re-check my dictionary......a different phrase with an entirely diffeent inference would be to say this parting was more civil than past partings. It implies a different degree of civility vs a completely black and white difference.

[ek88]

In response to the Cornerstone remark, I don't think it was a matter of whether or not it was a good album (great in my opinion) but a matter of whether all group members were happy with it. I think Tommy and JY are just being honest when they "rip" Styx songs and/or albums. Clearly it's not that the music itself is bad. I mean, take a look at Tommy's solo albums. As many have stated before, a fair chunk of his solo stuff is comparable to Styx songs that he and JY were unhappy with. Obviously Tommy and JY had a more limited view than did Dennis as to what kind of music should be recorded under the Styx moniker. Whether it's right for Styx (or any band), in Dennis' words, to put "bounds on creativity" is a debate for the ages. However, what is clear is that the 3 songwriters in Styx never were able to reach a lasting agreement on that issue.

As far as Tommy and JY's remarks, keep in mind that they've had to deal with a lot more criticism for their ousting of DeYoung than Dennis has had to deal with as the oustee. Besides, nobody wants to be the guy that got kicked out. Any negative remarks by Dennis or any agreement on his part towards Tommy and JY's remarks would be akin to his admitting that the breakup was the best move for both parties. I also think that he would ideally like to reunite with the band. Again, any negative remarks he were to make would work against this. These are the reasons I feel that he's relatively silent on the issue, not because he doesn't feel any animosity and certainly not because he doesn't agree that there were creative differences back in the day. As always, just my opinion. Cheers!