yogi wrote:Masque I would agree with you some but then I must point out songs like Little Girl World, Lonely School, See Me Now, Ever Since The World Began, Waiting, Just Be.......... The ballad can = $$$$$$$$$$$$$
Tommy Shaw is GREAT but IMOO he will never quite be in DDY's league. Back in the day most people equated the Styx sound to DDY's powerful vocals & distinctive voice. And as a bitter of a pill to swollow as Babe may have been I bet the money it brought in spent real good for all of the band members.
I think they were both superstars, and there is no way for me to "gauge" who was "more of a superstar." As for having an ear for "hits," you'd be an idiot not to give Dennis the nod there. He absolutely knows his shit where that's concerned. As for stage presence, Tommy beats just about anybody in that category. He is magnetic. Always has been, and I think that has caused some resentment in the band from time to time. He is "effortlessly" talented, unlike Denis, who seems to work very hard at being as good as he is (not saying that's a BAD thing - it's to be commended, but Shaw is just a natural born talent, and that's hard to ignore). Vocally, they're both amazing. That's strictly personal preference there. Chops...After Monday night's solo, I don't know. Dennis really hit a home run with that one. But if you've ever *watched* Tommy play, you would be in absolute awe. He makes it look like he's taking a leisurely stroll, and he plays pretty much every style of guitar there is - damn near flawlessly.
But to say "Tommy's a bigger superstar" is a peculiar thing to say, since there is no official spectrum on superstardom. Dennis made more hits, Tommy made their stage show great, and they both sing well and play the shit out of their instruments. After that, it's all about personal taste. What is this league you speak of? Looks to me, they were always playing for the pros and made a lot of money doing it. I guess the real test would be to walk around the USA and ask random people if they know who Dennis DeYoung or Tommy Shaw are then keep a tally of who gets more recognitions. But that wouldn't be a good use of one's time.
gr8dane:
what happened to Styx 1 in your Styx cover flashings?
Would you believe I couldn't find the original cover artwork online? I didn't want to use the "remake" cover like the one DJ Mike uses...plus, he's got that one covered anyway
ash:
Yogi.. I understand what you're saying about Tommy Shaw... but there is one thing out there that puts a wrench in your theory.
Seven Deadly Zens.
That is, hands down, the best Styx solo record. 100 Years from Now is right there too... but 7DZ was out years before.
That is by far Shaw's best music. Ever. Period. Including Styx's heyday. That is such an incredible work. I don't see how it can be overlooked.
I was always a fan of Ambition, myself. But I do appreciate 7DZ for it's sheer kickassery (forgive me using that word twice in the same thread) and overall raw power. It is a great CD.
Of course, there's always Palookaville and Welcome to Hollywood. Oh wait, that was the other short guitar player from Styx.
Bugsy:
My feeling about Roboto (and bless you for defending/enjoying it) is that Dennis has embraced exactly what it is. A camp classic that kinda rocks out, too. He treats it seriously and humorously at the same time.
And that's it, right there. He makes the most of it in every way possible. He embraces the cheese (as he should), but doesn't dwell in it - he also makes sure the music is GOOD, FUN, and rocks. I loved the end: I'm..."Kilroy!"...what's my name?..."KILROY!"....What was that?..."KILROY!"...say it again?..."KILROY!" and so on like a dozen times. LMAO perfect. I liked the little "Night at the Roxy" head moves he does with J&A too.
Dennis, if you've never taken a single thing I've said seriously, take this seriously: NEVER,
EVER TAKE THAT OUT OF YOUR SET.
