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-