Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, Michael Cartellone, and Uncle Ted

These 4 men make the group Damn Yankees, and Tommy and Jack have made two awesome cds together outside of the group. Ted Nugent is the motor city madman, Tommy is part of the writing and singing partnership of Styx. And Jack was with the 80's hair-metal / pop band Night Ranger. All of these men have had success in the past, and these cds would be no different.

Damn Yankees-Damn Yankees (A) Awesome debut from the group. Big surprise is the high harmonies that the group has. Ted and Tommy play great off of each other, and the band provides a strong back beat for them.

The title track has a fiery guitar lick, Coming of Age is a bouncy rocker, Bad Reputation has some great guitar work, High Enough is high harmony rocker that hits the stratosphere. And rest of the songs are great, from straight ahead rockers to a little pretend blues.

Damn Yankees-Don't Tread (B-) This cd should have been a lot more than what it was. Where You Going Now as good as the song is, is just a rip off of High Enough. But the song is still one of the bright spots on the cd. So is the rocker of a title track, and 15 minutes of fame. Uprising is one of Ted's best songs, and Tommy really shines on Someone To Believe and Silence Is Broken. Rest of the cd is dribble.

Damn Yankees- High Enough And Other Hits (A) Can't really argue with the choice of songs, other than the lame Mister Please. Better of the hit cds.

Damn Yankees-Live Uprising (B+) A great shot dvd with great sound. Renegade from Styx, Rock In America by Night Ranger, and Ted's Cat Scratch Fever makes an appearance. The mini interviews are fun and give some insight behind the band.

Shaw/Blades-Hallucination (A) So close to be a perfect cd. This is a rocking semi acoustic cd, with the lush harmonies that Jack and Ted are know for. Love to social comments are all on this cd. A great find.

Shaw/Blades-Influence (A-) Some great covers by Tommy and Jack, highlights are Yes's Your Move, Summer Breeze, Time Of The Season, Lucky Man, The Sound Of Silence, and California Dreaming

BLONDIE cds

Blondie came out in the mid 70's and was a hit overseas before they became a hit in the states. They stayed around till the early 80's, when they fell apart. Deborah Harry the lead singer tries solo to varying success, before the band got back together in the late 90's. I was a big fan of the band and at one time owed all their albums and solo projects. I still have a few cds and bootlegs from the band and for the post part they are still worth listening to.

Blondie (C-) Not much here. Band is raw and the songs seem to need a lot of work for the most part. X-Offender and In The Flesh are the only songs I like. Better off by one of the hits cd the group has, because these two songs are usually on it.

Plastic Letters (A-) is my favorite cd by the band. This is a fun cd. The band rocks, is serious, and during it all there is a sense of freedom and fun. Easier to say what I don't like, Cautious Lip.

Hard to pick a stand out, but if I had to right now it would be, Fan Mail and Youth Nabbed As Sniper.

Parallel Lines (B+) A new direction and a new sound. No longer the new wave sound, but a more pop sound. A great cd with some really good songs, Hanging On The Telephone, One Way Or Another, Sunday Girl, and Heart Of Glass. Plus several other good songs. Don't really care for Fade Away And Radiate and I Know But I Don't Know.

Eat To The Beat (B) While there are no songs that I don't like on this cd, this cd has some songs that don't really stand out and get your attention. Dreaming, The Hardest Part, Atomic, and Slow Motion save this cd from being a just ok cd.

Autoamerican (C+) The band keeps slipping down in song quality, and this cd has songs that I either love or Hate, nothing in between. Live It Up, Tide Is High, Here's Looking At You, Rapture, and Faces. All other songs bite.

The Hunter (D-) War Child is the only song I like. Rest is trash!!

No Exit (B+) 12 years after their last cd, Blondie returns with a near perfect cd. Well ok a very good cd. No Exit covers all the bases, from rock, to rap, to lounge singer. And for the most part it is all done good.

Screaming Skin starts the cd and it sets the mood of what is to come, some good guitar work on this song and through out the cd. The same with the keyboards. Screaming Skin, the radio friendly Maria, Nothing Is Real But The Girl, Boom Boom In The Zoom Zoom Run are just some of the different styles of songs. And they are all done with craft of a band playing together for years, but with energy of band rediscovering themselves.

Dig Up The Conjo and Night Wind are two of the weaker songs on this release.

Also depending on which version of the cd you got there is a 3 song live set recorded about year earlier than led to the reformation of Blondie.

Live [aka Live In New York] (A-) A great live cd. All songs sound fresh and new. Nothing boring on this cd.

The Curse Of Blondie (B) Mixed feelings about this cd. At times I really like a lot of the songs, and think it is better than the B. And at other times I can't listen to a lot of the songs and think it deserves a c or less. But no matter what mood I am in Shakedown, Good Boys, Undone and The Tingler are good songs all the time.

As far best of cds go...

The Best Of Blondie (A-) All the top 40 hits are including a horrible remix of Heart Of Glass.

Blonde And Beyond (A-) a good section of odds and ends mixed with hits. Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire makes this worth buying.

The Platinum Collection (A+) a 2cd set that is the best Blondie hit cd out. All the radio hits, concert favorites, demos, unreleased, and remixes (done right) are here.

SOLO

Deborah Harry's Rock Bird (A-) Very good solo effort, has the hit French Kissin In The USA, plus I Want You, the quirky You Got Me In Trouble, and the big bubble gum pop Free To Fall, and In Love With Love

Deborah Harry's Debravation (C-) A Madonna want to be cd. I Can See Clearly, Rain, and Communion keep this being a total wash out.

Bootleg Blondie concerts

No Sharp Objects (B) Descent sound and set list (1977) date not known,early in career.

Looks Good In Blue (B+) Good sound and set list. Recorded in 78.

The Paradise Ballroom (B) Recorded in Boston on 12-4-78. Good set list and FM broadcast

All The Children Are Drunk (A-) Maybe it was Blondie who was drunk. Good show. From 12-1-79.

Live in Glasgow (A) Good show on New Year's eve

Live in Europe (B) Another good show, some minor sound issues.

And I just got this one in 2009

Raptured in NYC (A) The best Blondie boot out there. Great sound and alot of fun to listen to.

DENNIS DEYOUNG-The Hunchback Of Notre Dame

During the the 1996 Return To Paradise Tour, Styx keyboardist Dennis DeYoung wrote and recorded his own version of the Hunchback. The cd which features Dennis and Dawne Marie on vocals, and there are some great vocal work on here from the two of them. And there are some really good songs. But that is were it the ends.

Who Will Love This Child is a very good song with a strong vocal to it. Bu the music doesn't match the performance of Dennis. Beneath The Moon is from Dennis's 3rd solo cd BOOMCHILD, and Paradise would show up on RETURN TO PARADISE, While There's Still Time, would be on BRAVE NEW WORLD. And there are other good songs Ave Maria, With Every Heartbeat. But the music slowly takes away from the songs. It lacks the impact of the vocals. And while the production is crisp and clear, it again shows the lack of a strong instrumental track to the cd

Grade C-

BAD COMPANY cds

Bad Company has gone through many changes over the years, some good, and some ok. MY favorite era of the band was with Brian Howe on lead vocals. Never was much of a Paul Rogers fan. But I think a lot of that had to do with the production back in the day. Nowadays I like Paul, he has a good voice, or maybe he has just gotten better.

Bad Company (C+) Pretty boring cd. Don't really like the songs, other than the "hits" from the cd. Stand outs are Can't Get Enough, Rock Steady, Ready For Love, and Bad Company. Rest of the cd, yuck!!

Straight Shooter (C) 8 song cd, only 3 worth listening too. Good Lovin Gone Bad, the awesome Feel Like Makin Love, and the best song the band has done with Rogers, Shooting Star.

Run With The Pack (D+) The title song and Simple Man are the only songs that keep this cd from a failing grade.

Burnin Sky (F-) One of my worst cds of all times by a big artist. Nothing is good on this cd.

Desolate Angels (F+) Rock and Roll Fantasy is ok, but he cd seems as if the band is tired of what they do, and they are just going thru the motions.

Rough Diamonds (F-) Another awful cd. Time for this band to call it quits.

Fame and Fortune (D+) New singer Brian Howe can't save this over bloated release. Burning Up, and This Love are ok songs.

Dangerous Age (C+) starts a comeback for the band. Line up change with Howe still on vocals. Production gets better and so does the song writing. Howe steps into his role as singer and becomes his own man. Dangerous Age, Shake It Up, No Smoke Without Fire, and Something About You are standout tracks.

Holy Water (A) Awesome cd. Just about every song has power to it including the slower songs. Howe is awesome on vocals, and rest of the bad really pushes the envelope. Holy Water, Walk Thru Fire, If You Needed Somebody, and I Can't Live Without You rank up there with some of the group's classics. Whole cd has a crafted for radio feel, but it works.

Here Comes Trouble (B+) More of the same as the last cd. Songs have a certain ready for radio feeling to them, but a few miss the mark this time around. As with last cd, some of the best production the band has had on a cd. Title track, This Could Be The One, Take This Town, and Hold On To My Heart are perfect example of the slick as grease mode that the band is in. But like I said it works for them. How About That is my favorite song on the cd, and my second favorite Bad Company song from their cds.

Company Of Stranger (B) is a return to basics for the band. The songs fit the mood of the first 3 cds. Robert Hart takes over lead vocals, and he sounds more like Rogers than Howe. Title track is one of my all time favorite BC songs. Cd has some other good songs Clear water Highway, Down and Dirty, Lovin You Out Loud, and You're The Only Reasons. Cd is a little too long, 13 songs. Could have had a better cd, by cutting off some of the weaker songs like, Little Martha, Pretty Woman, Dance With The Devil, or Down, Down, Down.

Stories Told and Untold (B) Good cd of new songs and old songs with Hart on vocals. New song One on One and Weep No More are standouts. Nothing really bad on here, but nothing else really stands out.

Live cds for the band are

The Best of Bad Company Live...What You Hear Is What You Get (C) Not a very good live cd. Howe and company sound like a bar band cover doing Bad Company.

Merchants Of Cool (B-) Rogers is back, and has never sounded better. This live cd has it all, but rest of the band sound bored. A good set list and good for the die hard fans.

Hits cds from Bad Company are

10 From 6 (A) Great selection of songs from the Rogers era. Could have used a few extra songs.

Original Bad Company Anthology (B+) Where the last hits cd was too short, this 2 cd set is a little too long. Songs sound better, than I remember, must have been remastered.

Couple of good bootlegs out there

Live 1991 (B+) This Howe vocal ed show sounds a lot better than the Howe offical release two years later, ...What You Hear Is What You Get.

Feel Like Rocking Steady (B) is from the Company of Strangers tour with Hart on vocals, recorded in 1995 in New Hampshire. Good set list and sound.

Pat Benatar cds

At one time or another, I have owned all of her cds, live cds, box set, hi collections, and several bootlegs. Pat as a smooth voice that can sing a lullaby, a soulful voice that sing the blues, and a powerful voice that belt out a rock song with the best.

In The Heat Of The Night (B) Her debut cd is not one of my favorites from her, most of the songs seem average rock songs, with only a couple songs that stand out, Heart breaker and You Think You Know How To Love Me. No I did not miss We Live For Love, I really don't like the chorus of this song.

Crimes Of Passion (A), One of my favorite cds by her. A lot of stand out tracks, Hell Is For Children, Treat Me Right, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, You Better Run. Rest of the cd is above average songs, with nothing below average.

Precious Time (C+) An average sounding cd, only a couple songs stand out, Fire And Ice, and Promises In The Dark. Big disappointment after the last cd.

Get Nervous (A-) Great cd, with a good mixture of songs, from hard rock, Anxiety, to pop, Little Too Late, plus other gems like Shadows Of The Night, Fight It Out, I Want Out, and Tell It To Her. Rest of the cd is pretty good too.

Live From Earth (C-) Too short of a cd. Pat has a lot of good material and hardly nothing is here. Check out the Live DVD, has a lot more songs (Below) Of the two new songs Lipstick Lies is ok, and Love Is A Battlefield is awesome. Hell Is For Children is bad on this cd, the punch has been taken from it, as with a lot of the songs.

Tropico (B+) I use to hate this cd when it first came out, but each time I listen to it, it keeps getting better. Painted Desert has some awesome guitar work and vocal on it. We Belong is one of my top 3 Benatar songs. Other stand outs are Diamond field, Temporary Heroes, Suburban King, and Takin It Back. Stinker is Ooh Ooh Song, and Love In The Ice Age isn't that great either.

Seven The Hard Way (A) This is my favorite cd by Pat, the whole cd rocks, with a modern (for then) edge. Invincible is another of my top 3 songs by Pat. Not a bad song on the cd, but Seven Rooms Of Gloom is the weakest song on the cd. Red Vision is a very underrated song. Run Between The Raindrops showcases Pats soulful side of her voice. Sex As A Weapon just can't be beat for the rock factor in it, great mixture of guitar and keyboards.

Wide Awake In Dreamland (B) This cd is more laid back than her other cds up to this point. All Fired Up rounds out my top 3 of favorite songs by Pat. Lift em On Up, One Love, Don't Walk Away round off the good songs on this cd. The rest is just filler.

True Love (C-) True Love is an awesome song, but as a whole cd, it is pretty sad. Pat's voice is smooth as silk, but fo the most part I am not a blues fan, and a whole cd of blues song is just to much for me. So Long is the other good song on the cd.

Gravity's Rainbow (B-) The is a hit or miss cd, with some strong songs, Everybody Lay Down, Some body's Baby. Crazy, and Every time I Fall Back. Good mixture of rock and slower songs, but for the most part, most of the songs are boring.

Inamorata (B+) A great acoustic rockin cd. Pat's voice covers it all. She belts it out, and croons with the best. The songs are very heartfelt. The first 3 songs are the best, Only You, River Of Love, & I Don't Want To Be Your Friend. Rest of the songs follow closely behind these three, and keep the mood going. Last two songs are the least liked by me, but still "ok".

The King Biscuit Flower Hour (B+) is a lot better than Live from Earth (above) and really any other official live cds she has. Recorded during the Precious Time tour, so no later day material is on this cd.

Live Summer Vacation Tour Soundtrack (B) is a good later live cd. Recorded in 2001, you get more of her hits. Neil does an awesome job reworking Love Is A Battlefield and We Belong is up there too. Most songs come off good, but the new songs (live) are the weak spots on the cd.

Live At The Electric LadyLand (B) A good cd, recorded in 2002. Again nothing really stands out, and the only weak point is Hit Me With Your Best Shot.

GO (D+) Pat tries to return to her first 4 cds, and fails. The whole cd wants to rock, want to be heard, and wants to be hip, but it is not. Not one song stands out on this cd.

As far as live cds go Pat as many more than I have, most were recorded during her first 3 cds. I believe they all have about the same track listings too. I know of only 2 cds with latter day concerts, and I have them both. If you get a boot of the 86 7 Rooms Tour, or Crossroads show, pick them they are very good.

As Far as Hit cds go, Pat has had a few of them too.

Best Shots 89 (A-), All Fired Up, The Very Best Of Pat Benatar 2cd 1994 (A), Synchronistic Wanderings 3cd 1999 (A) . Theses are my top picks of her hits. And the 1999 Wanderings has several demo, and unreleased songs.

There are also some good bootleg cds out there get these if you get a chance
Live in Portland 1986. Has some good later day songs on it and an awesome version of Red Vision.
Crossroads is from the tv show. Some great sounding music, slips my mind of who she is teamed up with, but the whole cd is great.

aerosmith cds

Aerosmith has really had an up and down career. I never got into them until the mid 80's so most of their early music is lost to me. Seen the band twice in concert, good show both times, but it has been around 20 years since I saw them.

Greatest Hits (A-) a good start for the early years of the group. Some concert favorites are left, and mainly went for the radio hits. But with only 10 songs (about the limit for a record) I can see why.

Permanent Vacation (B+) Cd starts out good and keeps going for most part. Kind of falls apart at the end, but a good comeback effort. Standouts are Hearts Done Time, Magic Touch, Dude Looks Like A Lady, Rag Doll, Angel, and Hangman Jury. The Movie and I'm Down, do just that bring the cd down.

Pump (A-) This whole cd rocks, even the slow songs. Standouts are Love In The Elevator, Jamie's Got A Gun, The Other Side, Don't Get Mad Get Even, Voodoo Medicine Man, and What It Takes.

Get A Grip (B) Amazing, Livin On The Edge, Crazy, Cryin, Eat The Rich, and Get A Grip is some of Aersomith's finest work, but the rest of the cd falls flat.

Big Ones (A-) All the big hits from the last 3 cds mentioned above are here, plus 3 new songs, that should have been left off in favor of hits.

Nine Lives (C+) This is a very boring cd, both song, performance, and production wise. Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees) and Pink (the better remix is not on the cd) are the only songs that make this woth putting on

A Little South Of Sanity (C-) is an ok live cd. All the hits from past and present are here, plus some concert favorites. But for the most part the group seems to be walking through the songs. I have better bootlegs of the band than this cd.

Just Push Play (B-) A return to greatness? No, but a better cd than 9 Lives. Jaded, Just Push Play, Beyond Beautiful, and Fly Away from Here are the standouts on this cd. Sad to say the rest is just filler.

TYoung Lust; The Aerosmith Anthology (A-),O Yeah the Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (A) are both good double disk packages that contain the early and later day hits of the bad. Young list covers the early years through live material, and O Yeah offers so descent new songs. Both collection have some of their soundtrack work, including I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, from the movie Armageddon.

Some good bootlegs to check out

Pumpin From The Hammersmith (A) Recorded by the BBC and contain alot of songs from the Pump cd.

O Yeah (A-) A dvd, pro shot, made for Japanesse tv. Great sound and picture

Live 2004 (B+) a live 2 cd set that contains songs from all eras of the band

Bryan Adam Cds

I have never much a Bryan Adams, even though I have owned all his cds at sometime or another. Just about every cd he has one to three or four really great songs. I will crank a song of his up anytime I hear it. But listen to more than six or seven songs in a row, and then I start getting tired of him. So for him and other artist I like and but do not really listen to mush anymore, I do a condensed review

Cut Like A Knife (B+) First cd (tape then) I bought of his. His music seemed like the innocence of youth. Good production. Stand out songs are This Time, The Best Is Yet To Come, Cuts Like A Knife, and Straight From The Heart

Reckless (A+) Not a bad son on the cd, but stand outs are Summer Of 69, One Night Love Affair, Run To You, Heaven, and Somebody

Into The Fire (C-) Horrible production only hurts this lifeless performance and poor songs. Hearts On Fire, is the only song to stand out on this cd

Waking Up The Neighbors (A) is very close to being as good as Reckless. What keeps from being as good? Reckless had no bad songs, this one does. Don't Drop The Bomb and Depend On Me, are very weak songs, but not bad. Some really good standouts on this cd, some of his best to be exact. Can't Stop This Thing We Started, Thought I Died And Gone To Heaven, Do I Have To Say The Words, There Will Never Be Another Tonight, All I Want Is You, and Everything I Do (I Do It For You).

Live, Live, Live (B) All the hits are prior to Waking Up The Neighbors. Good honest production of the songs, but nothing really stands out.

18 Till I Die (B-) A real mismatch of songs. The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You, Lets Make A Night To Remember, You're Still Beautiful To Me, and Have You Ever Really Love A Woman, are the songs that stand out on this cd. But there are several week songs, and some songs that seem to be missing something to take them up a notch.

MTV Unplugged (B) Good to hear the songs in an unplugged setting, but done of them really take off on there on other than I Think About You and I'll Always Be Right There.

On A Day Like Today (C-) Boring songs with no hook to them to keep you coming back. How Do You Feel Tonight and On A Day Like Today save the cd from completely worthless.

Room Service (C) This cd is better than the last but it doesn't have anything to stand out on it. There is also a 2 disk import out called Room Service that I have, it is a hits and room service cd mixed together.

I have become so disillusioned with Bryan Adams, I have yet to pick up his new cd. Hopefully I will hear something on the radio that will catch my attention, and make me want to buy it. But for now, this is all the Adams I own.

If you get a chance check out these Bootlegs from Bryan Adams

Live From Hollywood 6/1/85 (A) great sound and set list from the Reckless tour

Warwick Castle 2002 (A-) Profressional recording for overseas radio release. Great sound, and desent set list

Live Around The World (A-) Recorded at different locations, sound quality is good, but you can tell difference from song to song.

TOMMY SHAW-Live in Japan

This mini cd, 5 songs in all, is really not mush new to it. It is easy to skip pass What If, and See Me Now, and the new song Slow Down, seems to be a left over from the WHAT IF cd, which wasn't a great cd. It is good to finally hear a live version of Boat On The River, but this one is uninspired. The only stand out is a different take on Nature Of The Beast. Playing seems sloppy, and Tommy isn't in great voice. For die hard fans, for sure.
Grade C-

DENNIS DEYOUNG-The Ultimate Collection

I don't if I would call it that, but it is not far off. This cd pull heavy from Dennis' first two cds DESERT MOON and BACK TO THE WORLD. It pulls 6 of 8 songs off each cd. But only pulls 3 of 8 from BOOMCHILD. The problem I have with that, I think BOOMCHILD and DESERT MOON are far superior to BACK TO THE WORLD. And the weakest of that cd is even more evident hear when compared to the other two cds.
It does contain one new song, if you want to call it new. The Grand Illusion is rerecorded here with Dennis and his band, along with a symphony orchestra. The new recording comes off good, but shame on the shortened guitar solo. Also shame nothing from 10 ON BROADWAY is on this cd. Over all a good start if you don't have any of his solo cds.
Grade B+

DENNIS DEYOUNG-10 On Broadway

I must be honest, I know I don't know much about this type of music, and to be honest, I have never really cared for this music gene. So when I heard that Dennis was doing a show tune cd, I was not happy. I mean show tunes, YUCK!!!!
I must say this is one of the best cds I have ever let my ears listen to. Dennis picked the right songs for his voice. One The Street Where You Live, Memory, Bring Him Home, and It's In Everyone of Us are Fantastic songs, and the rest are pretty good too. Don't think you like this type of music? Then give this a listen.
Grade A

DENNIS DEYOUNG-Boomchild

After a disappointing 2nd cd, Back To The World, Dennis returns to form with his 3rd cd Boomchild. One of the big improvements this time around is the production, which is again crisp and clear, and not dense like his last offering. Also nice to hear, his the return of the piano this time a round. Only one song had it last time around, this time it is on over half the songs. And from the first note of the piano on the opening Beneath The Moon, you can't but help smile, for Dennis his back where he is best, playing the ivories.

Beneath the Moon slowly builds though out the song to a great ending. It is never past paced, but the vocals raise with intensity as the song goes on about retuning to love after being away. The closer he gets, the more the urgency.

The Best IS Yet To Come has some keyboard work, and tells us no matter what you where on what you do, it is still you underneath.

What A Way To Go, is a desert moon type song about growing up, but instead of the acoustic guitar, you get a wonderful piano played song. Another great vocal performance by DeYoung.

Harry's Hands is the most Styx sounding song on the cd. A man named Harry who has worked all his life is facing unemployment and uncertainty in today's society of small cars and vcrs. Good guitar solo in the song. The song ends as it begins with Harry.

Boomchild is a more rocked of version of We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel. Like the Fire song it deals with coming of age in today's world, "from the hippies to the Yuppies.." Song as a nice beat throughout

Who Shot Daddy is a funky whacked out song, about drug abuse.

Outside Looking In Again is my least liked song on the cd. At times I find the song ok, and other times I just skip it. The vocal performance is ok, but it is the music I do not like. Boring.

Won't Go Wasted, is a slow tempo song, that really has a good vocal too it, but the music never really seems to inspire to the vocals.

Great production and some very good songs this time around for Dennis.

Grade B+

TOMMY SHAW-Ambition

Tommy Shaw's 3rd solo cd, Ambition, is my favorite from him. The songs have more punch to them, and the production is a big plus for this cd. You get a little bit of it all here, from Shaw, and it was right after this cd that he started talking Styx reunion, before signing on with Damn Yankees.

The cd starts out with a rocker, No Such Thing, and from the first note it is obvious that Shaw is back on track. The cd continues on with two very good mid tempo songs, Dangerous Game and Weight Of The World. The guitar work on both songs really shine through.

The title track, Ambition, is the weak song of the cd. Tommy seems to be over extending himself vocally on this song. And I do not care for the fade out on the song, seems like there is still more story to be told.

Ever Since The World Began, is a slowed down ballad like song, culled form a Survivor cd. Tommy handles the vocals very good, and I actually like this version better than Survivors.

Are You Ready For Me is good mid tempo rocker, would have a better choice to start the cd with. And Yes we are ready, for this cd, the first good solo cd.

Somewhere In The Night is my favorite song on the cd, love the desperation in the voice and the playing, fit perfect the what the song is trying to get across.

Love You Too Much, could easily have been on Paradise Theater by Styx. The song has an excited happiness to it. Some pretty good keyboard work in it too.

The Outsider is another favorite of mine. It is a nice little rocker about a boy on the outside, and all the trouble he has been through in his life. And who at some time hasn't felt that way, an outsider.

Lay Them Down, has some awesome guitar work in it, and a great closer to a very good cd.

Grade B+

JAMES YOUNG-City Slicker

James "JY" Young first solo cd away from Styx is a mixed bag. Some of these songs were left over from the Styx hay day, while some were written for this cd. Most of the songs would have fit on just about any Styx cd, and a shame some didn't. But the the biggest problem is the production, or lack of. Maybe it was done this way to give the songs a more raw edge to them, but for me it doesn't work.

The title track is a fun loving song about the city life and how boring the country is. A good riff thru the song along with the shout along chorus makes for a good song.

Something To Remember You By is a good little rocker, but I find the redundancy of this getting old after a while. Cut about 30 to 45 seconds off the song would have helped it out a lot.

Waiting is JY's attempt to be like DeYoung, the hit maker of the Styx, who was know for his sweeping ballads. Waiting, although it has some very cliche lyrics ("I must make the move myself, or get left on the shelf") is still a nice change of pace for JY. There was a time in early Styx history when JY was the main singer for the group, and he could have done a song like this.

Still Feel Your Love has a good keyboard sound running thru it, and JY sings in his lower (better) register.

Running Out of Time, has a nice urgency to it, and some smoking guitar work in it.

Chain me Down and Wild Dogs are made from the same cloth, and sound a lot like your typical one song by JY on a Styx cd. Which is good intro, a few lyrics, keyboard and or guitar solo, then back to the lyrics as they are repeated over and over. Although these two song follow that pretty close, they are still good rockers. Put Styx production values on these two songs, or the whole cd and it would have been better.

No Mistake and Empty Promises has some good guitar work going on in them, but other than that that, they are pretty lame. Good guitar doesn't always make the song good.

Prisoner of War is by far the worst song on the cd. The lyrics are silly, the drums sound horrible, as does the singing. This song should be burned.

Over all there are some good songs, but the production makes the songs sound muddled. It needs the crisp clear production that was on the Styx cds. At times the productions gets to me and I just turn the cd off. Better production would have made for a great cd, rather than an ok cd.

GRADE C+

DENNIS DEYOUNG-Back To The World

Dennis DeYoung's second solo cd, like Tommy Shaw's, is a disappointment. Like Tommy's, Dennis' cd suffers from ok song writing to production. This of Dennis' "rock cds" is also the least Styx sounding, which isn't a bad thing. It is that after an awesome debut solo cd with Desert Moon, Back To The World is a big let down.

The first song, This IS The Time, is a great showcase for Dennis and his vocal powers. He sings this song like it is the last song you will ever hear from him. But by the end of the song, the song grows weary of its own redundancy.

Warning Shot, has a great opening keyboard, and some good guitar work on it. The song is about not giving up, that before you have had enough, get our attention and let us know. But something just doesn't fit right with song, the song has a very heavy (not in heavy metal) feel to it, for lack of a better word the production feels thick, or dense. It doesn't fit the song to me.

Call Me, is an updated Babe or Don't Let It End. Cut from the same cloth, with an adult contemporary jazz feel to it. It works.

Unanswered Prayers is another good song. The music fits the lyrics to a tee on this song, and the extended piano ending is great, I would have like two or three more minutes of the ending. Always nice to hear Dennis on the ivories.

Black Wall is good lyrical song about the vietnam vets. But musically I have never liked this song. But I will give this song credit and say it comes off a lot better on Dennis' live cd THE MUSIC OF STYX. Maybe it is the production on this cd that kills this song for me. But it is good to hear a song for the vets.

Southbound Ryan, Yuck. I can not stand the drums in this song. The sound hollow and fake. This song tries so hard to rock, and it comes off as a song trying so hard to rock, but it falls flat. Also the vocal does not fit the song at all. Again I thing Dennis is over trying to rock.

I'll Get Lucky is a good song with a unique quirkiness to it. Some great lyrics in this song, and some great playing too. Never heard this song live, shame.

Person to Person is another song that tries so hard to rock, and missed the mark. Again with the awful sounding drums and the thick production. I like the message of the song, but the music to me just doesn't fit.

Over all an poor cd for DDY. Over produced, rock songs that try to hard to hard and miss the mark, and songs that just don't jell right.

GRADE C

TOMMY SHAW-What if

Tommy's second solo cd is a huge disappointment. Not only are the songs second rate for the most part, but the production is poor. Where the production was high class on the first cd (although the production didn't match the cd), production on What if, is minimal, bottom of the barrel. At times the cd sounds like the songs are demos.

The songwriting isn't much better. What if has a nice opening guitar riff, but quickly falters, and the chorus on the bridge just about kills the song. Good thing the single edited it, but that was done very sloppy.

Friendly Advice and True Confession both try for a then updated sound, just didn't make it. I do like the lyrics for both the songs, the music just isn't there.

Nature of the Beast is a decent song, like the playing and the lyrics, but when push comes to shove, the song fails to step up and become something memorable from the cd.

See Me Now, again a decent song when it comes to the lyrics, but the music, although light hearted, just about kills the song.

Bad Times, bad times indeed. But there are some decent songs on this outing

Jealousy is a nice rocker about a cheating woman. Nice horn solo, and close out going against the guitar. Nice way to open the cd. Shows a promise to the cd that is never meet.

Reach For The Bottle a song about Alcohol abuse, that makes you wonder if this is a cleverly disguised song about Tommy's own substance abuse he was going through at the time.

This Is Not A Test a good rocker about nuclear war, and the song does come with a very haunting feel to it, even with the poor production.

Count On You, could have been a Styx song sung by Dennis. It has that type of feel to it, and Tommy pulls it off very good, but again shoddy production keeps the song from really being good.

I have to wonder if this cd had been better produced, if the songs would have came off better, but who knows?

GRADE C-

TOMMY SHAW-Girls With Guns

Tommy's first solo cd is a mixed bag. There are some really good songs, Girls With Guns, Come In And Explain, Lonely School, Free To Love You, and Kiss Me Hello. There are also some stinkers, Outside In The Rain, The Race Is On, Little Girl World, and Fading Away. The only other song, Heads Up is ok. My understanding is that all these were songs, Tommy wrote for Styx, but Dennis turned them down, either because they didn't fit the theme of what ever cd they were for, or they were below par. I can see why some of these songs were turned down, they just are not that good. But some like Girls..., or Come in... could really have helped KILROY WAS HERE, Shaw then last cd with the group. Kilroy could have used a good kick in the pants to pick it up more, and make it rock.

Another problem I have with this cd is the production. Dennis as produced Tommy and Styx for so long, that I am uses to way Tommy and his music sounds, clear and crisp. This cd was so over produced it is sad. It just doesn't fit Tommy. Asia and Journey producer Mike Stone, who usually does great work was just not a good fit for Mr. Shaw.

Overall a very very mixed bag.

Grade C+

DENNIS DEYOUNG-Desert Moon

A Great first CD by Styx front man, keyboardist, singer, songwriter. This CD has, outstanding vocals, excellent production, fantastic songs, and good playing all around from Dennis and his band. Dennis seems like a man on a mission, to prove that he can make it without Styx. Desert Moon would be Dennis's biggest CD and have his highest charting single (top 10) with the title track. Maybe one of the reasons it did so well, is it is the closest sounding Styx song on the CD. It has the Crystal Ball meets Babe feel to it.

Don't Wait For Heroes also could have been a Styx song, with it's up lifting anthem, of doing things yourself, and not depending on others to make it for you. The only minor (very minor) complaint I had for the song, was the middle, which I like. But back in the day when this was on the radio, a lot more than once, the disk jockey would start a new song in the middle bridge thinking the song was over. But I have to wonder if it would had a more rocking bridge, if it would not have done better on the charts

Suspicious has a bluesy jazzy feel to it that works very good for DDY. and the song was also a minor hit for him. Love the keyboard work on this song.

Also really like the boards on Gravity, which is a very lighthearted song with a funky groove to it.

You would not find the next two songs on a Styx cd because of the girls singing on it. Please is a rocker about a breakup over a misunderstanding. Like the way the voices play it out on the last part of the song and the extended chorus. And Boys will Be Boys is the guys answer to Cindy's Girls Just Want To have Fun. This to is very light , playfull song that brings a smile to my face every time I hear it.

Fire rocks. This is a very tight hard rock remake to Jimi Hendrix's song. Tom, DDY axeman smokes on this song. Can't help but think if Styx had done this song with Shaw and JY playing off each other and DDY belting out the words, how much better (if that is possible) this song could have been.

Dear Darling is the weak song on the CD, very sugar coated lyrics, and very light (but good) keyboard work, save the song from being a washout.

Over all an excellent start for Dennis back in 84.

Grade A-