The Key To Getting Dennis DeYoung Back In Styx

I see The Real Music Observer, David Spuria, making some interesting commentaries about various bands that I have enjoyed for years. So, I'll credit him with inspiring me to do this. One of my four classic rock go to bands is Styx. I refer to the classic lineup that included Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw and James Young along with twin brothers John and Chuck Panozzo.

Rather than talk about the why things are the way they are right now, I'm going to talk about the possibility of fixing things and giving fans of the classic Styx lineup the tour they'd like to see. I see two ways to get DeYoung back in the band. Right now, it seems impossible. Styx just did a rather impressive album called The Mission this year, and DeYoung is about ready to record his own solo album after what has been a successful tour with his own band.

Of course, when they kicked Dennis out of the band, they needed somebody who would enable them to continue to do what they do. They needed somebody who could play keyboards and sing the only Styx songs that Shaw and Young seem to be able to tolerate from Dennis's catalog. They found their man in Canadian Popstar, Lawrence Gowan.

The quickest way to facilitate the possibility of a DeYoung return is for Gowan to leave. Being in Styx was the opportunity of a lifetime for him. Let's face it, nobody in America really had a clue who this guy was. He was somewhat popular in Canada. He doesn't have a bad voice, although it's not really right for the songs that Dennis sang that he continues to perform in Styx. He is definitely a showman, and he's a good keyboardist. The problem is, why would he leave the job of a lifetime? Tommy and James have to be happy with him because he fills the role they need. He has to be happy because he's still doing what he loves 20 years later.

The only way for Lawrence Gowan to step aside would be either because he knows the fans want to see Dennis with the band one more time, or he willingly takes a leave of absence from the band. It would be likely that Dennis wouldn't be a long-term member of the band, but a year's worth of dates would be enough. Lawrence could return at the end of that time period.

Some people have said Tommy Shaw is the one holding up a DeYoung return. I don't really believe that to be the case. Tommy has proven that he didn't need the band to keep his career going. True, he was interested in reuniting with the band in the late 1980s, but Dennis was about ready to release his third solo album and had commitments to honor. Tommy ended up taking the gig with the Damn Yankees and recording one of his biggest hits, High Enough. In short, Tommy was doing just fine.

Why would this make any difference? Because, if there's a bitterness that is held against Dennis, it's that he held the band up when others wanted to make money. If Tommy was out there making money as a solo artist in the 1980's and early 1990's, the same cannot be said for either Panozzo brother or Young. I'm not aware of any recording attempts ever being made by John or Chuck Panozzo. Young recorded albums, but nothing popped.

Basically, Dennis and Tommy were able to do their own thing and make money. Both had hits without the band. Then, Dennis came back when the time was right. Unfortunately, Tommy had other commitments, and the band went on without him. They had one of their biggest hits, Show Me The Way, and then things stalled out while they were working on a follow-up album. Dennis has been blamed for this. If I recall correctly, Glen Burtnik very directly blamed Dennis for costing him money, although the two have made peace since then.

James Young is one heck of a guitar player. Some have called him the balls of the band. If things got a little too soft, James was the one who kicked things into high gear. At one time in The Wooden Nickel era, James was pretty much a lead singer in this band. The Man Of Miracles album can be regarded as the height of that for James. After that, he still had one rocker on every album that followed.

Some of his finest moments include the often played Miss America, Half Penny Two Penny and Snowblind, both off of Paradise Theater, and the Great White Hope. An album of all of James's best rockers with the band would be an interesting record. However, he's more known for co-writing some of their best hits and his guitar work than for anything he ever sang with the band.

It was James who notably said that Dennis would be brought back to the band when they were playing ice hockey on the River Styx. That pretty much said that James was the one keeping the door locked and pushing his weight against it. Only James and Chuck remain with the band from the lineup that got the first record deal, and Chuck only plays a song or two on the occasional gig. Chuck's main concern was always that the band be playing so that he could play when he felt up to it.

It's hard for me to believe that if James suddenly came to the guys and said that he wanted to bring Dennis back into the band that this wouldn't happen. Some might say Tommy would be a little bit miffed, but Tommy's position in this band is solid. And he's had 18 years to lead Styx in the direction they are in. He and James have pretty much attempted to redefine what this band's legacy is.

Why would James even want to bring back Dennis? This is a good question. I don't see this current lineup wanting to hang up their guitars anytime soon. They're enjoying being out on the road. However, to the notion that Dennis DeYoung didn't want to tour or Rock, I think what he's done since being kicked out of the band has put an end to that silly discussion. Why would James want to shake things up and bring Dennis back? It brings everything full circle.

At this point, it wouldn't be about the next big Styx hit. Dennis has a track record of putting this band back up on the charts, but times have changed in the music industry. Another big hit for the band at this point in their career seems unlikely. But the Styx hits through the years have generally spoken of optimism and hope for the future. Maybe the reason the fanbase is so divided is because the music of this band has spoken to the hearts of all of them.

It's unfortunate and a bit unfair that the fans have been forced to pick sides. While you have those fans who will go to a Styx show or one of the Dennis DeYoung shows and have a good time, there are many fans who will only go to one or the other because of their feelings about what happened to break things up. Dennis has reached out and is ready and willing, so the next move is up to Styx themselves. If that move is going to be made, it would be up to James to make it. And why would he do that? Because it's the right thing to do.

Getting back to Lawrence Gowan, you don't even have to kick him out of the band to make this happen. Dennis himself has a second keyboardist in his band. This enables him to step out front of the stage and be the showman that he is. Gowan has put 18 years into this band, and I don't think Dennis has animosity towards him. Gowan is just taking a role that somebody else would have taken had he passed on the opportunity.

Lawrence might want to take a leave of absence to let this happen, but he could easily handle keyboard duties and sing a song off of The Mission, one of his other contributions to the band or even Criminal Mind. All of the classic Dennis songs would be sung by Dennis, of course. The fans get to see the three core members and even Chuck on stage one last time, and everybody can walk away happy at the end of the tour. It seems simple enough from this point of view, but when you're in the middle of it, things are a little bit different.

The talk heats up every November when people discuss who the next band will be in the Hall Of Fame. The body of work that Styx had back in those days, the way tickets and records sold and the way songs from those days still touch people's hearts today shows that this is a band that is worthy. At some point, Styx is going to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. When that moment comes, it could be that we finally get what we were looking for. Then again, if it doesn't happen then, it may never happen.