Dennis DeYoung - 'One Hundred Years From Now' CD Review

Has it really been 10 years since Dennis DeYoung’s last album (Brave New World) with Styx? Wow! Of course, he was one of the founding members of that classic band which has gone through all sorts of turmoil along the way.

I guess the good thing is that today, with all that so far down the road now, both Styx and DeYoung have continued on their own separate paths and seem to be both doing okay for the most part. DeYoung has a new album out here in the US (although Canadians will already class this as old hat, since it was released there back in 2007, with much success, it seems.)

My understanding is that it has had a few tweaks with the French duet vocal parts removed from the title track, and with the track “Respect Me,” which was on the Canadian release, replaced by English version of the title track and two new songs, “Private Jones” and “There Was a Time.”

I’d say right from the start that fans of his classic work with Styx and likewise of most of his first solo album, 1984's Desert Moon, will love this release. It’s a superb, classy album, with some ripping guitar solo work, mostly in the first half.

Having appreciated Styx for years, with its balance of standout keyboards and lead guitars, I think a lot of Dennis’ work since Styx has lacked that strength somewhat, but that’s just my take. I caught his live show with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra a few years back and while I thought it was a great show and the guitar work was good, it seemed restrained in the whole arrangement of things.

That's not the case here and this is clear from the opening title track, which starts with a very subdued, laid back approach, not all that different from what we got with the Styx album, Paradise Theatre. It’s really a great track that covers the light side of DeYoung’s work, and much more. The intricate guitar work of Stéphane Dufour is simply phenomenal. This guy should be heard more!

Dufour’s great playing is also present on the next track, "This Time Next Year" and on these two opening tracks is something I believe many fans who have tracked DeYoung’s work since his departure from Styx will thoroughly enjoy.

"Rain" kind of recollects elements of something like "Don’t Wait For Heroes" from Desert Moon, but it’s really so much more and so much stronger than that. There’s some edgy guitar playing, strong keyboards, and a really great vocal performance, which is the case throughout this album.

"Crossing The Rubicon" is a ballad, perhaps not too far from DeYooung's Hunchback material -- a very theatrical type track.

"Save Me" -- I must admit, I wondered if Dennis would be covering the Queen track of the same name. I think he would be quite capable of doing something by them. It’s not, but perhaps a slight nod in that direction in its structure. Again, I can’t help but point out how very strong the vocal harmonies are on this album and this track certainly captures that again. A mid-tempo track, but a very full sound.

"I Don’t Believe In Anything" takes a shot at modern technology taking over, presented with a southern blues type feel. Tongue-in-cheek perhaps, but in a recent interview, Dennis expressed his concerns about, for example, how artists work so hard to get such a great production sound, only to have it get compressed down to MP3 quality.

A hit at establishment, perhaps, in "Private Jones" or maybe just a tribute to our troops. Read as applicable! Quite the rocker, with some slide guitar here and there, too ... again with huge choruses.

"I Believe In You" is probably the most pop-rock driven ballad here. Once again, the production work gives this an epic sound that back in the '80s might have been a massive hit. Maybe with the kind of radio airplay this album received in Canada, he could get some more chart action again.

Almost as big a production song (but perhaps not as hook-laden) is "There Was a Time," which is more appropriately suited to his soundtrack music for various theatrical stuff.

"Breathe Again" is dedicated to his wife, Suzanne. It's a big ballad production number, although it doesn’t quite reach power ballad velocity, perhaps in a "Babe" direction from his Styx days, but with a keyboard solo instead of the big guitar solo -- it doesn’t have quite the same impact.

I’ve resisted making comparisons to anyone else so far in the review, even if I did hear a couple of hints, but on "Forgiveness" I can’t help but notice that Dennis’ phrasing in the verses sounds more than little similar to Van Halen’s "I’ll Wait." Sorry, I’m guilty as charged, your honor, but that’s not to take away from the fact that it still sounds good!

Album closer is rocker "Turn Off CNN" and I have to say, we’re all probably so tired of so much bad news all the time, that who really, REALLY wants to watch it every day, especially when someone you work with is most likely going to say, “Did you hear about …?” Am I wrong? On the plus side, this is a good, solid rocker.

Overall, this is a good strong release, even if the second half of the album is more ballad driven than the first half. DeYoung has a serious gift for writing strong ballads, and they certainly are classy.

Seriously, though, there is some good quality Styx-style material here, some phenomenal guitar work, and fantastic harmony vocals -- so there’s much to enjoy!

Album U.S. release date: April 14, 2009 - Rounder Records