MR

Not a big fan of solo material but interested in taking a listen to them. Dessert Moon is an ok tune not great but listenable. So what's best to start with???

D -None of the above.. :6

Honestly, I can't answer this one, as I've really only heard Dennis', but I can tell you outside of "Desert Moon", and "Crossing The Rubicon", his has never blown me away. "Don't Wait For Heroes" and "Boomchild" are decent pop efforts, and "Blackwall" sounds killer with the orchestra.

I actually just found an old tape of "7 Deadly Zens" that a friend gave me a while back. I really need to check that out.

Thenightbull wrote:Not a big fan of solo material but interested in taking a listen to them. Dessert Moon is an ok tune not great but listenable. So what's best to start with???

I tend to agree with the "none of the above" sentiment to be brutally honest. Well, I mean that as compared to Styx. Nobody had a solo career that remotely approaches what Styx was together, I guess is a better way of putting it. Beyond that it comes down to what you want from your music. Dennis' first three solo albums have some really great things, some so-so things, and a few songs that shouldn't have been on there at all. 'Boomchild' is my favorite of those three, 'Back To The World' my least favorite because I think it has too many weaker tracks. 'Desert Moon' is a solid pop album but still with a couple of real clunkers. You can get a sampling of all three on a collection called 'The Ultimate Collection' if you're so inclined. His live album with the orchestra is stellar, and if you're into a more Styx-sounding recording process and arrangements then '100 Years From Now' is more like Styx than his other solo stuff.

Tommy's solo career is an even more mixed bag in my view. His first album 'Girls With Guns' was produced by Mike Stone and it kinda has that glossy 80s pop production to it, kinda like Tommy Shaw meets Asia. Not my favorite production choices. The songs range from one truly excellent track that I think is one of the best songs Tommy has ever written ("Kiss Me Hello") to a couple of truly wretched tracks ("Lonely School" and "Little Girl World"). Overall a reasonably solid album. His second album 'What If' is just bad. There are maybe a few good songs but mostly it's half-baked, badly produced, demo quality work that probably shouldn't even have been released. Two songs in particular, "Friendly Advice" and "True Confessions", are so laughably bad that Tommy himself admits they are really terrible. This album was recorded at the very tail end of the worst part of Tommy's drug abuse and it shows. His third solo album 'Ambition' was done right as or right after he was starting to get it together, and it's by far the best in my view. Great production, great singing, great guitar playing, and a focus on the kind of short, hook-laden songs that Tommy does best. There are some lost classics on there like "The Outsider", "Are You Ready For Me", "Dangerous Game" and "Somewhere In The Night". Great record. Then ten years later he did '7 Deadly Zens', which I know a lot of fans really like but I can't say that I do, particularly. There are some good songs but overall it wanders away from what I think Tommy does best, which is straight pop-rock songs.

JY's solo albums are exactly what you would anticipate, pro and con. Interestingly his arrangements, especially vocally, sound more like Styx than the other guys because he retained that blaring vocal harmony approach. Lots of great guitar solos, an emphasis on heavier songs and riffs; if that's your thing you can find a lot to like on those albums. But the main drawback is that there is a lot of similar-sounding stuff that tends to point out his limitations both as a writer and a vocalist. For me, I think you could take the best of all of JY's solo output and make one really good album and throw the rest away.

Well, that's my two cents! For what it's worth, I still hear a lot of those songs and wonder what they would have sounded like if Styx had recorded them instead.

I hope all is well.

Sterling

So tommy made worser songs than never say never? lol anyway i've heard raised by wolves is jy's best any truth to that???

Thenightbull wrote:Not a big fan of solo material but interested in taking a listen to them. Dessert Moon is an ok tune not great but listenable. So what's best to start with???

I think Tommy did - by a long ways.

Thenightbull wrote:So tommy made worser songs than

Worser than? Even Froy's grammar is not that bad.

chowhall wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:So tommy made worser songs than

Worser than? Even Froy's grammar is not that bad.

Didn't know perfect grammar was a requiremen't here oh well shit happen's

I agree with most of Sterling's comments but would also add that the Shaw Blades albums are both essential purchases. Technically they may not be solo releases but the first SB album, Hallucination, features Tommy's strongest original material since the 70s. The second Shaw Blades album consists of cover versions but is also very good.

Monker wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:Not a big fan of solo material but interested in taking a listen to them. Dessert Moon is an ok tune not great but listenable. So what's best to start with???

I think Tommy did - by a long ways.

Your as high as Tommy was when he recorded most of that crap. DDY's solo stuff is far better.

Toph wrote:

Monker wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:Not a big fan of solo material but interested in taking a listen to them. Dessert Moon is an ok tune not great but listenable. So what's best to start with???

I think Tommy did - by a long ways.

Your as high as Tommy was when he recorded most of that crap. DDY's solo stuff is far better.

At least he can put a sentence together without making himself look stupid Raj.

No one's mentioned "Hunchback" yet. I think that's the best of the lot. Of course, it was a musical, not a rock and roll album. Everyone is different. Here's a snap of what I think.


Dennis:
Hunchback - his best. A truly awesome musical. Should be on Broadway
Desert Moon - another classic. I even like "Boys will be Boys". Of course, I was 17 when it came out
100 years from now - solid. I like it, but not as much as most people here.
Back to the World - A few real good songs, a few o.k. songs, and a few awful songs.
Boomchild - See above
10 on Broadway - It does well what it intends to do. I'm not a big fan of anyone, however, covering show tunes.
His live one - a great mixture of tunes. Of the "new" songs, "Hello God" is stellar.

Tommy:
Girls with Guns - agree with Sterling - too much 80's influence. Although I did like Lonely School!
What If - Sorry, but I always liked this one. This was my fave before 7DZ.
Ambition - never cared much for this one at all. It's sad when the best song is a Survivor cover and he cowrote a lot of tunes with Terry Thomas.
Seven Deadly Zens - loved this one. My fave of his. Of course, I was riding high when it came out because I remember thinking (incorrectly) that right after this, there would be "an awesome new Styx album".

JY:
City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful"
I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers.


Cinj

chowhall wrote:

Toph wrote:

Monker wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:Not a big fan of solo material but interested in taking a listen to them. Dessert Moon is an ok tune not great but listenable. So what's best to start with???

I think Tommy did - by a long ways.

Your as high as Tommy was when he recorded most of that crap. DDY's solo stuff is far better.

At least he can put a sentence together without making himself look stupid Raj.

Get some new material asshole. Who is Raj?

Toph wrote:

chowhall wrote:

Toph wrote:

Monker wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:Not a big fan of solo material but interested in taking a listen to them. Dessert Moon is an ok tune not great but listenable. So what's best to start with???

I think Tommy did - by a long ways.

Your as high as Tommy was when he recorded most of that crap. DDY's solo stuff is far better.

At least he can put a sentence together without making himself look stupid Raj.

Get some new material asshole. Who is Raj?

Man you two should settle this in the ring. I outta call mcmahon and put you guys on ppv.

cinj wrote:
JY:
City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful"
I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers.


Cinj

City Slicker is ok, production is bad, it is Out On A Day Pass that sucks rocks.

I like the song City Slicker and I love the song still Feel Your Love from that album.

7dz has some awesome shit on it....all in how you say it, stop knockin, half a mind

fsutall wrote:I agree with most of Sterling's comments but would also add that the Shaw Blades albums are both essential purchases. Technically they may not be solo releases but the first SB album, Hallucination, features Tommy's strongest original material since the 70s. The second Shaw Blades album consists of cover versions but is also very good.

I deliberately didn't comment on SB or Damn Yankees because they are band or duo projects, but yeah, they change the equation a lot. Tommy did some great work on the DY albums, and in fact I think 'Hallucination' may contain the best songs he's ever written in one shot all in one place. I still maintain that he's better in that setting and that Styx is just his day job, LOL. The Shaw Blades show I saw was like seeing the REAL Tommy Shaw for the first time. It was that good. It made the rest of his solo career look absurd by comparison.

Sterling

To me, all the solo albums were extremely disappointing (with the exception of 100 Years From Now which is as good as a Styx album). The best of these being Boomchild the worst being any of JY's.

My ratings:
Desert Moon - C-
Girls With Guns - C-
City Slicker - D-
Back To The World - C
What If - F
Out On A Day Pass - F
Boomchild - B
Ambition - C
Raised By Wolves (alright, I've honestly never listened to it)
10 on Broadway - D
Hunchback demo - C (done with a producer it could have been an A, the songs are top rate - the production sounds like Dennis recorded it in his bedroom with a casio and a tape deck)
7 Deadly Zens - D-
100 Year From Now - A

Did I forget any?

My fav's:

Tommy Shaw-Ambition, Girls With Guns
DDY-Desert Moon, 10 on Broadway
JY-His best is Raised By Wolves but this was more of a band effort than a solo. The rest of his stuff is very poor. Poorly written and poorly produced.

None of this solo work comes close to the best of Styx. There are some songs that may have made great Styx songs but we
'll likely never know.

Abitaman wrote:

cinj wrote:
JY:
City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful"
I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers.


Cinj

City Slicker is ok, production is bad, it is Out On A Day Pass that sucks rocks.

I still rue the day I actually paid money for "Out On A Day Pass"


Robin 8)

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Abitaman wrote:

cinj wrote: JY: City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful" I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers. Cinj

City Slicker is ok, production is bad, it is Out On A Day Pass that sucks rocks.

I still rue the day I actually paid money for "Out On A Day Pass" Robin 8)

And i'll rue the day i first saw your avatar seriously frekin charmander???

Thenightbull wrote:

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Abitaman wrote:

cinj wrote: JY: City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful" I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers. Cinj

City Slicker is ok, production is bad, it is Out On A Day Pass that sucks rocks.

I still rue the day I actually paid money for "Out On A Day Pass" Robin 8)

And i'll rue the day i first saw your avatar seriously frekin charmander???

So what, Charmander was my son's favorite Pokemon (and obviously yours too)


Robin :wink:

Dennis's solo career is great for me when I'm in the mood (i.e. in the mood for softer stuff, for the most part).

He can rock though too, as evidenced by Black Wall, Harry's Hands, Private Jones ( ), and This Time Next Year.

Ehwmatt wrote:Dennis's solo career is great for me when I'm in the mood (i.e. in the mood for softer stuff, for the most part).

He can rock though too, as evidenced by Black Wall, Harry's Hands, Private Jones ( ), and This Time Next Year.

When i'm doing chores or going for a walk, I like to listen to Dennis' "Boomchild" album


Robin

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Abitaman wrote:

cinj wrote: JY: City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful" I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers. Cinj

City Slicker is ok, production is bad, it is Out On A Day Pass that sucks rocks.

I still rue the day I actually paid money for "Out On A Day Pass" Robin 8)

And i'll rue the day i first saw your avatar seriously frekin charmander???

So what, Charmander was my son's favorite Pokemon (and obviously yours too) Robin :wink:

Nah i was more of bvlbasoure (spelling) and a squirtlle type of guy never really got pikachu

Wait a second...where's Ash? Shouldn't he be the pokemaster here?

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Abitaman wrote:

cinj wrote: JY: City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful" I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers. Cinj

City Slicker is ok, production is bad, it is Out On A Day Pass that sucks rocks.

I still rue the day I actually paid money for "Out On A Day Pass" Robin 8)

And i'll rue the day i first saw your avatar seriously frekin charmander???

So what, Charmander was my son's favorite Pokemon (and obviously yours too)


Robin :wink:

Dennis Deyoung cds
Desert Moon A-
Back to the World C
Boom Child B+
10 on Broadway A
The Ultimate Collection B+ (too much of Back to World and not enough Boomchild)
Hunchback C-
The Music of Styx A-
100 Years From Now A

Tommy Shaw
Girls With Guns C+
What If C-
Ambition B+
7 Deadly Sins C+
Damn Yankees A
Don't Tread B-
Hallucination A
Influence A-

James Young
City Slicker C+
Out On A Day Pass D-
Raised By Wolves A-

Monker wrote:Wait a second...where's Ash? Shouldn't he be the pokemaster here?

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Thenightbull wrote:

pinkfloyd1973 wrote:

Abitaman wrote:

cinj wrote: JY: City Slicker - should be pictured in the dictionary next to "awful" I never bought any of his others after this, especially since no one who had heard them, seemed to think they were any better than City Slickers. Cinj

City Slicker is ok, production is bad, it is Out On A Day Pass that sucks rocks.

I still rue the day I actually paid money for "Out On A Day Pass" Robin 8)

And i'll rue the day i first saw your avatar seriously frekin charmander???

So what, Charmander was my son's favorite Pokemon (and obviously yours too) Robin :wink: [url=http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Pq1Djrr9][img]http://s3. ash was a total idiot. He had no idea what he was doin have the time

SQUIRTLE FTW!!!

Gunbot wrote:SQUIRTLE FTW!!!

Funny reminds me of froy... no offense bud

I know it was not an option but for me Glen had the most consistent and best solo work of any Styx members. I could listen to his work on a much more regular basis than I can any of the big 3 in Styx. After that would be Tommy, then Dennis and on occassion JY. Just my preference, of course.

Mike