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
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