Dennis on Rockline

[Rockwriter]

I just listened to rockline on line.
I liked Private Jones a lot. It really sounded like classic Styx. Great song. Glad he added it to the CD.

It'll be interesting once the album is out to hear how it flows with the songs that were remixed and/or added/taken away. I'm so used to the Canadian version at this point.

It's interesting to hear an all new vocal performance on the title song . . . I figured he would just dub the other parts into the existing track, but it sounds like an entire new vocal. The mixing/mastering changes to some tracks as heard on the show just brighten the vocals a bit and change the levels between some of the parts. Nothing dramatic, but it's audible, and I actually think all of the changes are for the better. New song is a strong addition, and IMO removing "Respect Me" was the right choice as well.

I hope all is well.


Sterling

[Mr JY Roboto]

I just listened to rockline on line.
I liked Private Jones a lot. It really sounded like classic Styx. Great song. Glad he added it to the CD.

It'll be interesting once the album is out to hear how it flows with the songs that were remixed and/or added/taken away. I'm so used to the Canadian version at this point.

I don't think we will hear that Dennis does not Rock anymore
Most of this cd is smokin
Hey Chicago Styx can you send me over the new STYX cd info .

Dennis doesn't Rock.

[StyxCollector]

Private Jones rocks a lot harder than Just Be and Everything All The Time. Just sayin' ...

[LtVanish]

Hey, did anyone record this or is it out there? I'd be interested to hear what he has to say. His interviews are usually pretty good.

If you feel like listening to it again after the two weeks are up, I've uploaded all five clips today to the "other" DDY board ....

Thanks for posting them files! Now I can enjoy listening to Private Jones and 100 Year English till mid April.

[LtVanish]

Never realized Dennis was so witty before! Great interview.

DDY has always been quite a card. I always enjoy listening and reading interviews of him.

[Zan]

Private Jones rocks a lot harder than Just Be and Everything All The Time. Just sayin' ...

You are high. Just sayin'...

[StyxCollector]

Private Jones rocks a lot harder than Just Be and Everything All The Time. Just sayin' ...

You are high. Just sayin'...

Just Be is midtempo at best. Everything All The Time is upbeat, but doesn't really "rock" per se. I'll take 10 Everything All The Times before 1 Just Be. And I didn't say Private Jones was light years better than either one of those ... but it's more rock and heavy musically than either of those songs.

Personally, I wish Tommy would get out of whatever rut he seems to be in from a writing perspective. I hope the new Styx/REO single sparks something in him to do more writing. The last time he seemed this dry with song ideas was the early - mid 80s. Since Cyclorama (which had some recycled DY bits), for such a creative guy, we've seen/heard very little. The Shaw Blades shows demonstrated that he still has that spark in the right situation or moment.

[ItsMyLife]

Glad that he's singing all of "100 Years From Now".... great song but I really couldn't stand the other guy.

Also glad that he's added a couple new songs so that I'm getting more for my money when I buy it for the 2nd time.

[Toph]

Private Jones rocks a lot harder than Just Be and Everything All The Time. Just sayin' ...

You are high. Just sayin'...

No YOU'RE HIGH

Just Be is an insipid, boring acoustic type number that goes nowhere much in the same vein as Waiting For Our Time. Everything all the Time is a poppy upbeat 1980s top 40 Styx song. Neither are close to being harder than Private Jones. In fact, if anything DDY's album is "harder rock" than anything Styx has put out recently - in fact even more than Cyclorama. Tommy Shaw's writing has gone really downhill. It really is a shame.

[MtlLady]

Hey, did anyone record this or is it out there? I'd be interested to hear what he has to say. His interviews are usually pretty good.

If you feel like listening to it again after the two weeks are up, I've uploaded all five clips today to the "other" DDY board ....

Thanks for posting them files! Now I can enjoy listening to Private Jones and 100 Year English till mid April.

You're very welcome. My pleasure. You're actually the second thank you I've gotten today!

I'll be listening to the English 100 years as well. I love it. 'Nuff said.

[Toph]

Private Jones rocks a lot harder than Just Be and Everything All The Time. Just sayin' ...

You are high. Just sayin'...

My neck sure hurts...I was up half the rockin' out to Just Be.

[Bearded Clam]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the other site mentioned above that has Private Jones to listen to?

[brywool]

Finally got to hear this. Dang, Private Jones sounds like Wooden Nickel Styx. Good stuff. He's gotta monster guitarist on these tracks too. dang. Cool.

[froy]

Finally got to hear this. Dang, Private Jones sounds like Wooden Nickel Styx. Good stuff. He's gotta monster guitarist on these tracks too. dang. Cool.

Send me that unplugged Boat on The River
I will sing it and we can release it on here.
No Vocals let me handle that
Me and Zan can do harmonies on it and it will blow everyone away
Send the tape MAN..

[Toph]

Finally got to hear this. Dang, Private Jones sounds like Wooden Nickel Styx. Good stuff. He's gotta monster guitarist on these tracks too. dang. Cool.

Yeah and all that....but it sure doesn't rock as hard as Just Be and Everything All The Time...

[brywool]

Finally got to hear this. Dang, Private Jones sounds like Wooden Nickel Styx. Good stuff. He's gotta monster guitarist on these tracks too. dang. Cool.

Send me that unplugged Boat on The River
I will sing it and we can release it on here.
No Vocals let me handle that
Me and Zan can do harmonies on it and it will blow everyone away
Send the tape MAN..

What, my vox weren't good enough?? Screw You
Anyway, I'm stuck with a ton of rehearsing at the moment. I'm rehearsing a new bass player in one band and working up a duo as another project. I'll do it when I can. I have to learn the guitar part and the bass part as I just played the mandolin on it.

I think that next week I won't have as much rehearsal to do. I'll see if I can do it then.

Gimme some time (angry) young man.

[brywool]

Finally got to hear this. Dang, Private Jones sounds like Wooden Nickel Styx. Good stuff. He's gotta monster guitarist on these tracks too. dang. Cool.

Yeah and all that....but it sure doesn't rock as hard as Just Be and Everything All The Time...

Are you taking a poke at me here? I wasn't trying to start anything, I actually liked it, but I actually agree with you. Still, it was nice to hear Dennis do something without a Fender Rhoades smeared all over it. One thing, these songs DO rock harder than ANYTHING Dennis has done since "Rockin' The Paradise". 'Bout time too.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

OMG, does it really matter who is rockin' more??

Sheesh, just enjoy the music everyone is putting out, or if you don't like it, then don't listen to it!!!

[classicstyxfan]

did anyone here even expect them to be ALIVE in 2009 ? I know I would have laughed if you had told me in 1977 they'd still be making music in 2009.

Maybe I would have believed Dennis would be playing the accordion on Lawrence Welk......

[brywool]

Hey, Sterling- How did you feel about the comments he had about the books? I thought that was kind of a cheap shot. He might've been referring (and probably was) to Chuck's book, but he kind of mentioned both of them in the same breath.

[froy]

OMG, does it really matter who is rockin' more??

Sheesh, just enjoy the music everyone is putting out, or if you don't like it, then don't listen to it!!!

I agree don't listen to Styx they suck

[cittadeeno23]

Remind me what he said about the books that was a cheap shot. I remember him saying he didn't read them
but I don't remember a cheap shot. I only listened to it once, I may have missed something.

[Toph]

Finally got to hear this. Dang, Private Jones sounds like Wooden Nickel Styx. Good stuff. He's gotta monster guitarist on these tracks too. dang. Cool.

Yeah and all that....but it sure doesn't rock as hard as Just Be and Everything All The Time...

Are you taking a poke at me here? I wasn't trying to start anything, I actually liked it, but I actually agree with you. Still, it was nice to hear Dennis do something without a Fender Rhoades smeared all over it. One thing, these songs DO rock harder than ANYTHING Dennis has done since "Rockin' The Paradise". 'Bout time too.

Actually I was being sarastic...an earlier post (not from you) said that it didn't rock as hard as Just Be and Everything All The Time...

[chowhall]

Hey, Sterling- How did you feel about the comments he had about the books? I thought that was kind of a cheap shot. He might've been referring (and probably was) to Chuck's book, but he kind of mentioned both of them in the same breath.

What did he say? You can paraphrase. I don't feel like listening to the whole interview. I'll wait for Allan's.

[Rockwriter]

Hey, Sterling- How did you feel about the comments he had about the books? I thought that was kind of a cheap shot. He might've been referring (and probably was) to Chuck's book, but he kind of mentioned both of them in the same breath.

I didn't take it as a shot at all, to be honest. He said something like, now he doesn't know what to call his memoir because two books have taken it, something like that, which I took to mean he intended to call his memoir 'The Grand Illusion'. Now Chuck has taken that and I used a derivative, LOL. And he said he hasn't read either one, and something like at this point in his life maybe it's better for him not to read other people's recollections . . . words to that effect. No, I took no offense to that at all. He might even be right, why put yourself through that if you know in advance it's likely some negativity? It's not like he came out and said, "Sterling Whitaker is a jackass and he made it all up." LOL, now THAT I might have minded. But I have no problem with Dennis, never did, and I think he knows that I can only write what people are willing to share. I didn't expect him to come out and say I'm his favorite author now, LOL.

I hope all is well.


Sterling

[brywool]

He made some comment about how he could put together a bunch of things and just pedal a bunch of lies or something. I took it to mean that he thought either your book, or Chuck's (probably C's) was a bunch of lies.

[Rockwriter]

He made some comment about how he could put together a bunch of things and just pedal a bunch of lies or something. I took it to mean that he thought either your book, or Chuck's (probably C's) was a bunch of lies.

Oh, gotcha. Well, since he said he hasn't read either one, I can't imagine that he's saying that he thinks they're both chock full of lies, LOL. I don't know how he'd make that assessment without having read them. You know, "lying" is subjective anyway. I'm sure there are things in both mine and Chuck's book that Dennis would disagree with very strongly, but the people who said them certainly would stand by them. Conversely, I'm sure if and when he writes his own book, it will contain a number of stories and observations that the other guys in the band will see as untrue, but they will be the truth from Dennis' perspective. It's all in how you look at it, I suppose. As I always say, you want the truth? The truth is, there IS no truth. Only perspective as seen through the filter of one's own ego needs.


I hope all is well.


Sterling

[LordofDaRing]

Honestly I bet Dennis was much more pissed off about the things JY said during BTM than anything written in either book. If he was mad at Sterling, it would be more of a shoot the messenger thing. But I said it once and will say again, Sterling's book in no way comes across to this reader as a Dennis basher. I have not read Chuck's book.

[Rockwriter]

Honestly I bet Dennis was much more pissed off about the things JY said during BTM than anything written in either book. If he was mad at Sterling, it would be more of a shoot the messenger thing. But I said it once and will say again, Sterling's book in no way comes across to this reader as a Dennis basher. I have not read Chuck's book.

Thanks. It's my understanding that some of the people in the Dennis camp have read my book, and their reaction is, "Well, the expected people said the expected things, and so it goes." So I don't have the sense that there's any anger directed at me. More like a shrug of resignation, like, "Well, that's about what we were expecting."

I hope all is well.


Sterling

[brywool]

Honestly I bet Dennis was much more pissed off about the things JY said during BTM than anything written in either book. If he was mad at Sterling, it would be more of a shoot the messenger thing. But I said it once and will say again, Sterling's book in no way comes across to this reader as a Dennis basher. I have not read Chuck's book.

Chuck's book is decent, though kind of a glance at the whole thing rather than in in depth deal.