Larry vs. Barry

[gr8dane]

Awwriity then.
If you can't have Dennis and you don't want Larry.WHO THEN?
Barry Manilow ,Barry Gibb,Barry White(sorry he passed) or .......Just teasin'.
Who would you suggest then????
gr8dane

[Abitaman]

I Have said some hard things about Larry, but look who he is replacing. It's like Augeria replacing Perry, in Journey. Altought Augeri is a better replacement, for the simple fact he sounds a lot more like Perry, than Larry does of Dennis. LArry is a great performer (in my word, better than Dennis) a good writer (No as good as Dennis, but good. With only two songs written for Styx, still too early to tell). But when it comes to sining, Dennis he is not. It just would have helped if he sounded a lot more like Dennis. It would be like if John Waite had become the lead singer for Journey, instead of going to form Bad English with Neal and John. Waite is good, but not Steve P. Steve A, is a great replacement. Larry is a good replacement over all for Dennis, if he sounded more like him, it would have been better.-ERIC

[kiddo]

I Have said some hard things about Larry, but look who he is replacing.

Which is why 5 long years ago many of us voiced the view the band should be called something other than Styx.
Have Larry or Harry or Jerry or Terry play keyboards and sing some songs but don't pass yourself off as Styx guys.

kiddo

[classicstyxfan]

Good topic.........here's my take.

Larry's fine IF.....

#1 They don't let him sing any Dennis songs....If I had to compromise on this, I'd say, OK, let him sing The Grand Illusion
but I'd prefer just dropping them all together ( and I am aware that wont ever happen )

#2 They bolt down that Spinning keyboard ! ....or pass the dramamine out before each show.

Seriously, keep Larry, and hire a Dennis sound alike whose voice blends well with TS, and it would be an improvement. Larry can sing lead on his own songs.

[yogi]

It would be 100% fine with me if Styx changed up their set completely and nixed all Dennis led songs. They have soooo many other songs I would love to hear live for the first time. I wish it would, but that will NEVER happen. Dennis sang a majority of their hit songs. Some of those songs HAVE to be played or people are going to go home mad, and wont come back to see the band again. I cant prove these numbers but I would bet at any current Styx concert 90% of the people attending know Styx sings Lady,and Come Sail Away. They want to hear Lady, and Come Sail Away played. I would be willing to bet half dont know Gowan wasnt the orginal singer of those songs. He sounds nothing like Dennis to me, but to the novice Styx fan??? The same thing happened for the Edge Of The Century Tour. Styx had to perform Renegade, Blue Collar Man etc..

I for one am glad Styx didnt just go out and find a Dennis Deyoung rip off( like Journey did) when they moved on without him. I TRULY enjoy Gowans singing. He's no Dennis, he doesnt try to be, and who is???? Still he is DAMN good!!

[styxfanNH]

I like Larry and his role in this band as it is now configured, as I do Ricky and Todd's.

I really think Larry has evolved in the band since he became a member. When he first came here, they were playing many more of Dennis's songs. And in my opinion was trying to sound a lot closer to Dennis than himself. Over time, and really since Cyclorama has come out, he has stopped trying to be Dennis and is really just being himself. The fact t hat they have really dropped almost all of Dennis's songs from the set may make that easier.

I find nothing wrong with the band playing Dennis' songs, they are part of what is associated with the band. I think it is unrealistic to think they would walk away from their signature songs or really that any band that changes members would walk away from the songs that had a part in making the band popular. To the bands credit, they said they wanted to play the rock tunes and leave a lot of the softer stuff behind and they have done that. (I don't agree with them that this is what they should do, but what can you do? - They have even left Tommy's softer stuff behind)

As the band reinvents itself and comes out with new albums, they will evolve the set list to include more of Styx today than yesterday. But I would have to say there will always be a couple of Dennis' songs in the set.

I think we all agree that part of what made the band great was the diversity of their singers and music styles. It is just different when the players change.

[bugsymalone]

I contend that it is simply impossible to replace a signature voice in a band. Can't be done.

You can put someone else in there, but the band is not the same. No matter how much it tries to pretend that it is.

Thus, I agree with kiddo here. Many of us would have been more amenable to the band leaving Dennis behind if Styx had changed its name to refect the removal of its signature voice.

Bugsy

[ek88]

Many of us would have been more amenable to the band leaving Dennis behind if Styx had changed its name to refect the removal of its signature voice.

The thing with Styx is that they had more than one signature voice. Not to mention they had a signature sound. Both Tommy (and JY's) voices are present in the current incarnation of the band. A fair chunk of Cyclorama is reminiscent of past Styx records. With the exception of three songs, the typical Styx song in concert sounds exactly like it did with Dennis (excluding Burtnik and Gowan tracks, of course).

Now if you took Tommy out of the equation, I'd think differently. I accepted Hourglass Styx and I accept Carrot Styx as well. Besides, what sense would it make for a band with a new name to go on tour and play 90% Styx songs? That would be more confusing than the status quo, IMHO.

[gr8dane]

Hmmmm.
So none of the Larry bashers have a better suggestion than Larry then.
I myself do not really mind him stepping in and do the keyboard singing thingy.I find him adequete (is that how you spell it.)
But for a new more exciting Styx ,I would not mind giving Greg Rolie a shot on the job.Whodat you may say.Yes he was the original keyboard songwriter singer on the first 3 Journey albums before the suffered to super commercialism.Hmmm again.Kind of reminds me of Styx.
That combo would be cool.

[classicstyxfan]

did Mr Rollie sing on anthing I might recognize off of the radio ? who sang on "Feelin that way/anytime at all" ???
( I know Perry handled some of the lead on the 2nd song...)

I'm not a fanatical Journey fan, so am not as familiar with members aside from Perry and Cain.

[gr8dane]

Come to think of it ,Rolie may have been on the 'Infinity" album where Steve Perry was introduced,and may have left after that one.This album had the classic song 'Wheel in the sky" on.After this album I was a non believer, as in not caring anymore.Rolie also played with Carlos Santana on at least 1 album "caravanserai' which was Santana at their most spacey/smoking/trippy period.

[jimmy19029]

Gregg Rolie was lead singer on Feelin' That Way(with Perry) and Anytime. He also lead sang on Just The Same Way on Evolution. His final album with the band was Captured(the live one from their 1980 tour)