Some
die hard Styx fans hold out hope that Dennis DeYoung can come back for
one more tour with the band or at least do some select shows. DeYoung
himself has proposed this idea, but it's not likely that James Young or
Tommy Shaw will ever let that happen. They've dug their heels into the
sand and have taken firm control of the Styx brand name. After doing
things their way for the last 20 years, they aren't likely to compromise
with DeYoung, even for what would surely be one successful tour.
We've
heard various narratives as to why there won't be a reconciliation
between these guys, and most of them have been proven to be false. It
has been suggested that DeYoung simply didn't want to rock, but that has
been proven to be a lie. It's been suggested that DeYoung didn't want
to tour, but that has also been proven to be untrue. The reality is that
DeYoung was the captain of the ship and guided the band to its success,
and the others resented him for the way he controlled things.
DeYoung
never considered himself better than the rest of the band. He never
felt that the band could be better if any one player was removed from the
lineup. In fact, it was James Young who pushed hard for DeYoung to keep
the band going after Tommy Shaw left following the Kilroy Was Here
tour. It was DeYoung who was against the idea. There is surely some
resentment from Young and maybe even the Panozzo brothers because Styx
sat dormant for most of the 1980s while DeYoung waited for Shaw to
return.
When the band was trying to create
their unique sound and landed the record deal with Wooden Nickel, there
was a different dynamic at play. Young was as much the lead singer of
the band as DeYoung was, though DeYoung had better chart success with
his songs. DeYoung's ego took a bruising when his surefire hit Lady off
of their second album didn't chart. It wasn't until they were promoting
their fifth album with a new label that Lady became a Top 10 hit, and
that was all the encouragement DeYoung needed. From that point on, he
felt certain that he knew what it would take for this band to be a huge
success.
The first casualty of DeYoung's
guidance was the departure of John Curulewski following their fifth album (Equinox). There are varying stories
about what happened, but it's been said that John was not happy with
DeYoung. This was when Tommy Shaw joined the band and gave them just
what they needed to take it to the next level. It didn't initially start
that way with the Crystal Ball album. DeYoung featured Shaw prominently
on this album, but it didn't perform as well as the previous album did.
However, the unit jelled quite nicely for The Grand Illusion. Everybody
had shining moments to be proud of on that album, which went triple
platinum.
The next three albums also went
triple platinum, followed by a still successful platinum selling album.
Pieces Of Eight was the band's biggest rocking album with Shaw having
two of his bigger hits, Renegade and Blue Collar Man. DeYoung was still
using his progressive rock influences, but his contributions to the
album didn't go anywhere on the charts. This is where the rift began.
It's obvious that both Shaw and Young felt the band should continue to
go in a rocking direction, but DeYoung insisted they change it up.
One
could look at that argument and see both sides of the coin. Disco had a
big presence on the music scene at that time, and punk rock was
emerging. However, the band had just gone triple platinum again. There
was no reason to believe they couldn't do it one more time with more
straightforward rock and roll. DeYoung was ready to unleash the ballad
First Time as the lead single off of Cornerstone, but there was just one
thing. He recorded the song Babe with the Panozzo brothers as a special
gift to his wife Suzanne. The label wanted that song on the album and
would lead with it.
Babe was a huge hit and
opened up major doors for the band as their music was introduced to a
new audience. The triple platinum selling Cornerstone album was nothing
like they had done before, and Shaw and Young weren't thrilled with the
direction the band was taking. In fact, they fought to remove DeYoung
from the band. The only problem was they couldn't find a replacement.
When DeYoung returned, he was more determined than ever to guide the
band. His successes were all the evidence he needed to prove that he
knew where things should go next.
While Young
continued to be a good soldier, Shaw was slowly retreating. It's
interesting to point out that Paradise Theater offered Tommy's biggest
hit with the band, Too Much Time On My Hands. She Cares was his only
other contribution on the album, though he also sang lead on the popular
FM song Snowblind. Paradise Theater was another triple platinum
selling album. Even if Shaw and Young were unhappy, the fact that the
band was in so much demand that they kept adding concert dates enticed
them to stay put. Bands make most of their money on tour.
DeYoung
felt the band needed to have a big concept album in the vein of Pink
Floyd's The Wall or The Who's Tommy. He envisioned a world where
technology was used to control the masses. The band's own bout with
censorship over the song Snowblind was also an influence. This was
another album that didn't rock the way the band had in the past.
DeYoung's Mr Roboto and Don't Let It End were two more Top 10 hits, but
Shaw was becoming increasingly unhappy. If DeYoung was going to continue
to take the band wherever he saw fit, Shaw didn't want to be a part of
it anymore. He had a record deal lined up for his move from the band.
The
concert tour for Kilroy Was Here was a loser due to the big production
costs, and DeYoung already knew that he needed to take the band back in a
rocking direction. However, Shaw's departure caused DeYoung to put the
band on hold. Both Shaw and DeYoung pursued solo careers, and DeYoung
had the bigger chart success. The other three members of the band were
more than willing to continue to go on without Shaw, but DeYoung felt it
wouldn't work without Tommy. He wanted to wait.
This
is the genesis of the rift between the other band members. It still
boils down to the other band members feeling DeYoung had taken too much
control. Though the band was having chart topping success and selling
out arenas, Shaw and Young felt creatively stifled in this environment.
However, Young was more than willing to continue without Shaw due to the
fact that they could still sell tickets to the show. It's obvious that
DeYoung putting the band on hold didn't make Young very happy either.
This
is the other cause of the problem. The band was not allowed to continue
unless DeYoung felt it should. By the time Shaw was ready to return,
DeYoung was committed to a solo album. The band waited long enough that
Shaw got a gig with the Damn Yankees. This time, DeYoung decided to
replace Shaw with Glen Burnick, and the band recorded Edge Of The
Century. They toured on that album and recorded material for a new
album, but DeYoung's issues with the record label ended things at that
point.
At this point in the story, there was
bound to be resentment towards DeYoung. During this time, John Panozzo
ended up getting sick and passing away. This no doubt led to a little
bit of resentment from Chuck Panozzo, who may have wondered why the
band had so much downtime when three of the other members were willing
to go without Shaw. However, everybody buried the hatchet when they
rerecorded Lady for a new Best Of album, and this led to the band
reuniting for the successful Return To Paradise tour.
The
band was selling out decent sized venues during 1996 and 1997. DeYoung
hadn't made the commitment to tour beyond that, but he changed his mind
as certain band members had financial issues and he wanted to help them.
However, the band was gaining more momentum. Their music was being used
in TV commercials, TV shows and movies. Their music was being
introduced to a whole new generation, so the idea of recording a new
album and touring some more was on everybody's mind.
This
last part might have been just unlucky timing. DeYoung legitimately got
sick and was suffering fatigue issues. While he tried to get that
diagnosed, the remaining band members didn't want to wait on him. They
took legal action to control the Styx brand. DeYoung ultimately took
them to court and won the right to use "The Music Of Styx" in
advertisements for his solo shows. However, Shaw and Young won the right
to use the Styx brand name and book dates as they saw fit. It's obvious
that the remaining band members resented DeYoung for taking legal
action.
In various interviews, they've used
different excuses for why DeYoung wasn't in the band anymore, but it
boils down to control. The irony of the situation is that those
contentious years when the band was at their peak enabled them to raise
the brand name to new heights. They are able to tour now without the
principal songwriter and lead singer because of the popularity of those
other songs. In the 20 years that Young and Shaw have controlled the
brand name, they've really added nothing of significance to their music
catalog. Then again, the music industry has changed so much that there
aren't too many older bands that have accomplished that either.
The
bottom line is the Styx brand name goes on under the guidance of Shaw
and Young. They are able to book concerts every year, even if they are
usually part of a two or three band package deal. New music is still
being made (Cyclorama, Mission To Mars), but it's not necessary for their business model. Even the fact
that DeYoung coming back to the band might sell more tickets isn't a
factor at this point. They are already able to sell tickets, so bringing
DeYoung back into the band is not seen as necessary. They have a
formula that works, and it's not likely to change.
DeYoung
released 26 East this year and will release another album next year. He
has indicated that at 73 years old he is about ready to retire. He has
nothing left that he needs to prove, but there is a desire to get back
together with the guys one more time and bring everything full circle.
What DeYoung is talking about isn't about him taking control of the band
again but rather coming back to do some more shows. Though many fans
want to see this happen, it's not likely to happen and that's a shame.
Given
the energy that the guys in Styx still have, barring any major health
issues, it's likely that they will be touring five years from now.
However, it's not as likely that DeYoung will be touring five years
from now. If anything, he would only do an occasional show at that
point. Or, if the band made peace with each other, DeYoung might just
show up at the occasional Styx show to do a couple of songs, and fans
would see a more unified Styx for the first time in many years. For that
to happen, old wounds have to heal.
DeYoung
initially felt betrayed by the band for removing him and making the
major business decisions without him. This is why he filed the lawsuit
against them and won the right to use the band name to advertise his solo
shows. The remaining members of the popular core lineup still harbor
resentment towards DeYoung that go back long before the Return To
Paradise Theater tour happened. It would be up to them to put that in
the past in order for any sort reunion to happen. There's been no
indication that either Shaw or Young is willing to do that, and there's not reason to expect that to change any time soon.
