Dennis Deyoung - Ultimate Collection (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

A Mixed Bag

Steven Sly | Kalamazoo, MI United States | 01/13/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Deyoung of course, was one of the founding members of Styx. This album is a compilation of material from his solo albums. The album as a whole is a mixed bag. Deyoung's penchant for sappy ballads is what turned many rockers away from him, and there are quite a few of these to be found here. On the other hand, when he wants too, Deyoung can write very good lyrics and rockers. Those can be found here as well. On the negative side, the sappy ballads (and some of the harder stuff) all have a very 80's sound to them. In fact much of this album, even the good stuff, sounds dated. The first half of the album is pretty bad with only the title track to his Desert Moon (and the only true hit on this collection) standing out. The second half of the disc is much better. The rocking "Southbound Ryan" is about the Dan Ryan expressway in Chicago and his love for the city in general. I have driven the Dan Ryan many times and can relate to this song. "Black Wall" is a song about Vietnam and is an excellent example of Deyoung at his best and sounds very Styx like. "Harry's Hands" is an excellent character study of Deyoung's father and his struggles as a blue collar worker in post war America. The rocking "Boomchild" is a fist pumping anthem for the baby boom generation and another really good tune. The album closes out with a new (at the time) version of the Styx classic "Grand Illusion". Overall this is a nice collection of his solo stuff, and if you can get past the sappy stuff, there is some good material to be found here."

Dennis DeYoung Is Awesome

DANtheSTYXfan | Kalamazoo, MI USA | 09/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In most cases as musical artists get older their sound fades away. Not so with Dennis DeYoung every song on this CD is a classic and I could honestly see Styx performing some of these. He is truly missed by alot of Styx fans. He was the heart and soul of Styx. And he shows it. My favorite songs on here are "This Is The Time", "Boomchild", "Black Wall", "Gravity", "Call Me", and "Desert Moon". But what I really apreciate on this album is the remix of Grand Illusion with the Orchestra I think that that is a paticular nice touch by him. Dennis DeYoung is one of the greatest singer/songwriter/musicians of all-time. He's one of my favorites. I highly suggest to anyone that you buy this album."

5 stars, and that's just for Destert Moon

Paul D. Rasmussen Jr. | Pittsburgh PA, United States | 05/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Collectors will want this CD because it has the full LP version of Desert Moon. When it comes to Adult Contemporary music, is there a more moving guitar lick at the finish than this one?"

Very solid collection

Brett Simpson | Auckland, New Zealand | 04/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Those who don't like the fact that Dennis 'went soft' in his later years with Styx may not like a great deal of this album, but even they must appreciate DeYoung's sense of craft and showmanship, not to mention his ability to write succinct and memorable, yet often deeply personal, lyrics.

The ballad count is high here, so the CD as a whole doesn't really ever gain momentum, but there are many excellent tunes featured, including the odd uptempo number that demonstrates the artist's continued versatility.

It opens with his four solo singles entries, of which only 'Desert Moon' was a bona fide hit (none of the other three even reached the top 50). The best of these is the superb 'Don't Wait For Heroes', which has a great message, and one that I have found personally inspiring over the years. It's essentially 'don't give up' but it goes much deeper than that, and the fact that Dennis has practised what he's preaching counts for a lot as well.

Of the remaining tracks, while there are no real clunkers there are only a handful that truly stand out, especially 'Black Wall', DeYoung's tribute to Vietnam vets, and another life-affirming tune in 'Unanswered Prayers'. Possibly my favourite track on the entire CD though is one of the ballads, 'Beneath the Moon' from his non-charting 'Boomchild' album. Featuring a great hook and a pretty decent lyric, this one would have been a smash if promoted properly (As witness the reformed Styx soon after hit #3 with 'Show mt the Way'), but unfortunately this was released on MCA at a time where the only artist they were bothering to promote, it seems, was Tiffany! Oh well.

Overall a high standard of songs is featured throughout, and while there are undoubtedly other strong cuts from his solo albums, this collection will suffice for most people, and is well worth the trouble for those curious about what DeYoung sounded like outside of his work with Styx."

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	Dennis Deyoung Ultimate Collection Genres: Pop, Rock, Classic Rock Track Listings (15) - Disc #1 This Is the Time Desert Moon Call Me Don't Wait for Heroes Warning Shot Dear Darling (I'll Be There) Suspicious Southbound Ryan Black Wall Unanswered Prayers Gravity Beneath the Moon Harry's Hands Boomchild The Grand Illusion [#]
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