Dennis DeYoung Should Have Replaced Tommy Shaw In Styx After The Kilroy Tour

I'm going to do a little bit of speculation on the history of the rock group Styx. There may be an even bigger article coming. In that column, I'll speculate on how certain members of the current band Styx really feel about Dennis DeYoung and why I'm led to believe that. In this article, I want to talk about why DeYoung should have replaced Tommy Shaw in Styx after the Kilroy Was Here tour.

 

As somebody who considers Styx one of my all-time favorite bands, it makes me sad to see what's currently happening with the key members of the group that I loved. Sure, I always leaned towards Dennis DeYoung in this group. However, I appreciated what everybody brought to this band. Although I think they wouldn't have been as big a band or maybe even existed without Dennis, you can't argue the edge that James Young brought to the act, nor can you ignore the fact that Tommy Shaw brought the band to a whole new level when he joined.

I don't want to talk too much about what should be covered in another article, but I will say that Dennis has spent the last 20 years disproving the narrative that the other band members have been trying to create. From the position that they are in, they can just keep moving forward and define Styx however they choose. They own the band name. From Dennis's perspective, It's not just about him proving that what these guys have said is wrong. You can tell that he is deeply hurt by the things that took place after the second reunion tour of the band in 1997.

DeYoung never thought it would come down to this. How could he? There wouldn't even be a band if not for Dennis. He formed it with John and Chuck Panozzo. They were a very different band in 1962. They weren't the rock band we came to know. This was a group that did cover tunes and played at weddings and other venues in the Chicago area.

At some point between then and the time 10 years later when they became Styx, they became a rock band. They were still playing cover tunes and figuring out who they were as a band. Up till that point, nobody who's currently performing live with the band was even in the band. By the time they got their first record deal with Wooden Nickel, James Young had joined.

DeYoung played an important part in creating the sound of this group. It wasn't that he did everything, but from the moment they recorded the song Lady, he understood what this band was meant to be. He also understood that he wasn't the only reason they sounded the way they did. He understood the part each member played in that sound. When it came to writing and creating the music, he understood what James brought to the deal.
 
When Shaw came along after they got their second record deal with A&M records, he knew exactly what the new band member brought to the act. They already knew what their sound was. Tommy's contributions were the songs that he brought, not necessarily the shaping of the overall sound of the band. They already knew who they were by then.

Fast forward to the Kilroy Was Here tour. It's my belief that Tommy was already very unhappy with this band before they even recorded that album. I personally believe it started going downhill for him the moment they did Cornerstone, but I'll talk about why in another article. Dennis clearly had a vision for Kilroy Was Here, and I think the themes of that album are very important. Musically, it left Tommy unsatisfied, and he wanted out. Dennis has even admitted that everybody else was still good to go. They wanted to continue with a big stadium greatest hits tour and live album before heading back into the studio a year or so later.

Dennis has even mentioned that he promised Young that they would do the stadium tour after Kilroy, but Tommy left at that point. It was pretty clear that James, Chuck and John still wanted to continue, but Dennis didn't want to. He was looking at the band dynamics and who they were. He believed that fans would not accept this band without Tommy bringing what he brought to the show. Therefore, the three other remaining members could not convince DeYoung that it was a good idea to tour. Did he make the right decision? Here is where I will engage in some speculation.

Other bands had replaced lead singers for whatever reason by then. Kansas had replaced Steve Walsh and still had some chart success with a new lead singer. AC/DC had to replace Bon Scott and ended up having the biggest chart success they'd ever had. There were cases of bands moving forward without key original singers, and they were able to sell concert tickets and create new music.

Considering the minor success Styx had about a decade later with Edge Of The Century and the fact that Tommy wasn't involved in that album, I'd have to believe that this band would have been okay for at least a few years. It's my belief that Dennis should have replaced Shaw at that point, and there's a few reasons I believe this.

I have to agree with critics of bands when it comes to replacing singers and not trying to get somebody who sounds like the guy everybody loved. I think Lawrence Gowan is a fine keyboardist, but he sounds so different than Dennis that he becomes distracting when you listen to him singing anything that Dennis recorded with Styx. He doesn't do him fair justice. When Journey replaced Steve Perry, they at least made an effort to bring in somebody who sounded like the guy. Say what you want about Arnel Pineda, he's a reasonable vocal facsimile of Perry.

Dennis was right about what Tommy brought to the band, and simply putting a guy in there that could sing decently and play guitar would not have worked. However, we witnessed over the last decade that DeYoung understood that in his own band. They finally play Styx songs that were made famous by Tommy, and the guy they have singing those songs, August Zadra, does a good job of making the song sound close to what long time fans remember. There's only one Shaw, but I'm saying that DeYoung did a reasonable job of bringing somebody into his band who could sing those songs.

The first order of business would have been going out on the road and playing live. That was the plan. The band could have taken as long as they needed to bring in a guy who could sing the Tommy Shaw songs faithfully enough and play guitar. Then, they go out on the road. We're talking 1984 at that point, and I think it would have worked reasonably well for the guys. There's probably a live album at that point and maybe even a concert that would have appeared on MTV. Then, they go back into the studio with the new guy, unless Tommy decides at that point that he wants to come back.

It's possible that Tommy sees that the guys are touring and rocking out more than they did on the Kilroy tour, and he wants back in. Maybe not. If not, the band records another album, and they possibly have a little bit of success. Maybe they don't reach the triple platinum status of before, but gold or even platinum is possible.

With their status, they can go back out on tour and make money, and the band still continues. Another tour and another album? That's just possible. All the while, the door is still open for Tommy to come back, but what if the new guy actually does such a good job that they don't need Shaw to come back into the band? Again, this is just speculation.

DeYoung tried to wait Tommy out and did his own solo stuff. It should be pointed out that Dennis really made no attempts in any of his solo work to sound like Styx until he did 100 Years From Now about 15 years ago and then his latest two albums. This is because he wanted Styx to be done by the band, not just himself. While he disbanded this group for about 8 years, he waited for Tommy. Tommy had no incentive because he was still making records and touring. He wasn't doing as good as he had with the band, but he was still doing okay throughout the 1980s.

What going back on tour does is keeps the other band members happy. The other three members probably pointed out that they were there before Tommy for a while and felt that they were as much the band as he was. If it didn't work out, which I doubt would have been an issue, they could have given it up a couple of years later.

However, what if Tommy looks over at the band and decides he really wants to come back? It's very possible that after a tour and another album with somebody else, Tommy is brought back in and we get the lineup of the band that we all know and love. Dennis isn't seen as the bad guy for putting an end to the band for so long, and who knows what songs they create at that point?

The other thing about DeYoung bringing this band back is the other three members are happy and they continue on in the newer incarnation. There's not eight years of idle time that builds up any sort of animosity from those members. He can at least claim that he tried as requested if it doesn't work out, and it's not going to damage the reputation of the more popular songs from the band.

The other thing it does is keeps the band under the guidance of Dennis. This slightly different history makes it less likely that he gets kicked out of the band when it eventually happened, and he doesn't have to go through the last 20 years trying to defend himself and figure out what went wrong.

I dislike the idea of replacing popular members of bands when they are still available. If somebody actually doesn't want to come back, that's another story. Perry doesn't want to be in Journey, so that's not going to happen. DeYoung very much wants to be in Styx, even if it's just for one final tour. He's been wanting to do something with the guys for a while now, but they won't hear it.

DeYoung is powerless to do much about it at this point except for explaining his side of the story in interviews. Had he went ahead and done the stadium tour after Kilroy, it's just possible that he'd still be in the band to this day. That's my take as an observer and a fan of the classic line up of the band.
 

Original Kansas Violinist Robby Steinhardt Dead At 71

I just got word that original Kansas violinist Robby Steinhardt has passed away. He was 71 years old. People probably don't think about the violin as an instrument in rock music, but Robby probably did more to change that perception than anyone. The sound of Kansas was unmistakable. The violin set Kansas apart from any other band and played a big role in helping take them to stardom. It still boggles my mind that this band hasn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet.

One of the first albums I bought as a kid was Point Of Know Return. Who can forget Dust In The Wind? It's not only one of the greatest songs a rock band has ever recorded, it's something that's part of pop culture for the ages. Robby's violin solo set the song apart, and he also did backing vocals. Throughout the first seven albums of the band, he got to sing lead vocals on several songs. He helped give this band an edge.

I can remember thinking about the album cover of Point Of Know Return and the song Dust In The Wind, but I devoured the music. When I saw the picture of the long haired guy with the beard, I was mesmerized. Steinhardt was always my favorite member of this band. He sang lead vocals on maybe Kansas's hardest rocking song during the classic run of the band, Lightning's Hand. I understand his favorite song in which he sang lead vocals was Miracles Out Of Nowhere, which was certainly a good song.

Some of my favorite songs featured him either doing lead vocals or sharing the lead vocals with iconic lead singer Steve Walsh. I loved All The World, which is still one of my all-time favorites from the band. Sparks Of The Tempest, Apercu, Child Of Innocence, Down The Road, Hopelessly Human. I'm getting a bit choked up thinking about Robby and what his role in Kansas meant to me as a fan. Listen to his violin work on songs like Chasing Shadows, The Pinnacle and Nobody's Home, but he could also rock out, as evidenced with songs like Apercu, Down The Road and Bringing it Back.

As with any band, tensions heat up and the dynamic changes when somebody leaves. The band was in the midst of recording what became their eighth studio album, Vinyl Confessions. In fact, the album was pretty much recorded when Walsh decided it was time to leave. He didn't like the religious message lyricist Kerry Livgren was putting in the music. As the lead singer, he felt he would be seen as preaching to the fans. Steinhardt tried the soldier forward and did the original lead vocals for Crossfire, though the John Elefante version is what we eventually got. 

Truthfully, you could see his role diminishing in the band after Point Of Know Return. Yes, he still had a vocal presence and his violin was present, but his lead singing opportunities dwindled. I think he lost interest in the band after Walsh left, and he sort of unceremoniously walked away at the end of the Vinyl Confessions tour. We didn't hear much from Robby for a long time, and the band became much different without his presence. 

They went through the remainder of the 1980s without a violinist before David Ragsdale convinced them they needed to bring it back in the 1990s. Ragsdale is certainly a fine violinist and has done a good job of carrying on the legacy of this band that Robby helped create.

We probably wouldn't have heard anything from him, but the band dynamics of Kansas changed again when Ragsdale left at the end of the Freaks Of Nature tour. When Phil Ehart wanted to revisit the classic hits with a studio album recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, he got an idea. He had seen Steinhardt perform with the band Steinhardt-Moon, and he sounded great. Phil was able to convince him to come back, and they recorded Always Never The Same. It's all the classic songs with a few new ones, and you get the London Symphony Orchestra.

Though Steve Walsh had the passion and still sang as hard as ever, his voice clearly wasn't what it was in the glory days. However, Robby sounded like he did back then. I'm fortunate that I was able to see the band on the Point Of Know Return 20th Anniversary Tour. Even more so, Robby's manager Nick Fakouri was arranging for fans to get to meet him backstage. I went to two shows one weekend and got to hang out with him, talk for a moment and got autographs and pictures. It's truly a treasured memory for me, moreso because I got to share it with my sister, who has since passed on. 

What Robby was able to bring to the band was his stage presence. He was always the guy who introduced the songs back in the glory days and bantered with the crowd a little bit. This is the role he filled for the next decade or so. Robby got to exercise his vocal chops on the last studio album that featured all of the original members, Somewhere To Elsewhere. Distant Vision is a song that stands out to me. However, Kansas was touring pretty heavily. As the first decade of the 2000s was close to winding down, you could see that the road was not agreeing with him. Ultimately, he left again as Ragsdale rejoined the band.

I think there were certain members of the band who were hurt by his departure and maybe even felt he was abandoning them. I remember reading a few things, but it's not worthy of getting into the details. The bottom line was Robby's health wasn't so good. I do believe he would have been ready to get back up on stage with the guys for the 40th Anniversary Show they had planned, but there was bad news. He suffered a stroke and was unable to be there. Much like Livgren when he had a similar health issue, Steinhardt battled back.

You could tell that he still had the passion to be involved in music, and he was hanging out with the guys of Stormbringer and occasionally playing and singing with them. At first, you could tell he was still suffering the effects of the stroke, and it was a bit sad to watch. What it did illustrate, however, was his desire to do what he loved to do and his determination to get better. Gradually, you could see him getting healthier and stronger. He was again playing the violin and singing, and I'm sure the fans who came to see him in Florida and surrounding states enjoyed his performances.

By all accounts, Robby was one of the nicest guys you would want to meet. He was friendly and outgoing as a person. I can only go by my interaction with him. When he came back to the band, you could tell he was happy to be there again. I was not aware that his health was in decline again, and I don't have all the details. I understand he was even recording new music again, which is nice. Maybe we'll get to hear that as I'm always curious what band members record when they are out on their own. 

Robby Steinhardt will always be one of my all-time favorite musicians. He was an important part of why I have become a lifelong Kansas fan. Some of the songs he sang and played on are my favorites to this day, and I'm glad that he was able to touch my life and others with his music. There's not much else that I can say about this other than the fact that he will be missed. I think we should all appreciate any of the classic groups and artists that are still out there performing while we still have them. My condolences go out to his family.

Journey Debuts New Song

This is a fun time to be a fan of classic melodic rock. Artists from back in the 1970s and '80s are releasing new music. Most notably, Styx released a new album, Crash Of The Crown. Dennis DeYoung released 26 East Volume 2. There are some really good moments on both of those albums that will have you remembering the music industry the way it used to be when record labels let good bands develop.

Journey just released a song called The Way We Used To be. I totally understand Neal Schon wanting to get back to creating new music. Neal is a very creative musician, and it has to be difficult to just go out on tour playing "The Dirty Dozen" at the Journey shows. 

It isn't a question of not liking those songs. It's just that most musicians want to keep creating new stuff that they can put alongside of their big hits. I know that Neal is probably the driving force of the band at this point in getting into the studio and recording. More music will be forthcoming.

Like many fans of the band, I love the underdog story of Arnel Pineda being brought from the Philippines into this band. We've seen a few stories over the last 15 years or so of singers and musicians being discovered based on YouTube videos they created. Arnel was belting out songs by Journey and other great bands and doing a remarkable job of emulating the original vocalists. He could reach for those highs. I think he may be the best singer in Journey since Steve Perry.

Arnel is so humble. You get the feeling that he is thanking God everyday for the opportunity he's had to tour with this band and record new music through the years. I think anybody cheering against this guy might be taking it too far. There's also the comparisons between he and the guy who originated the vocals as done on the classic Journey songs, Steve Perry. 

Steve has said repeatedly he has no intentions of ever returning to this band and even gave Pineda his blessing. Being the humble guy that he is, Arnel has even suggested he would get out of the way if Steve wanted to come back to this band.

In listening to this new Journey song, I get a distinct 1980s vibe from it. Musically speaking, it stacks up against the music created back in those days. Neal and the guys crafted a good song, plain and simple. Arnel lays down the vocal tracks, and it's not like they are bad. He does a solid job of singing and doesn't ruin the song. I do have a criticism, but it comes from a place of not disliking Arnel and actually wanting to see him succeed. I'm not trying to compare him to Perry or any other vocalist.

Let me just say that Steve Perry raised the bar so high with his vocals while he was in Journey that most who try to fill his shoes will fail. Or, they'll blow out their voices. Steve's voice doesn't even sound the way it did back in those days, and he came to a realization that he needed to sing and record differently after a while. When you listen to his newer music off of the album Traces, you hear a good vocalist, and it's still Steve. I like those songs and how they represent who he is now. Steve would obviously have a difficult time ever trying to come back and recreate what once was. 

What Arnel did when he joined the band was give them an opportunity to keep playing those songs with vocals that are pretty darn close to what Steve offered. Plus, you had a very energetic singer on stage trying to put on a show for the fans. When it comes to getting into the studio and recording new music, I can't really talk about most of the stuff Pineda has done with Journey. I haven't heard a lot of it, so what I'm going to say here only represents the song The Way We Used To Be. 

Back in the days when vocalists like Steve Walsh, Steve Perry, Freddie Mercury and Lou Gramm were making a name for themselves, they were interpreting those lyrics. Sometimes they wrote the lyrics, and other times they were singing somebody else's words. However, the vocals that they laid down on those songs were their interpretations.

These legendary singers made those songs their own. They didn't merely sing the words that were written. It was about vocal phrasing, when to take it up a notch and really pack a punch with the vocals. They knew when to turn it up and when to tone it down, and that's what made them legends. 

When it comes to any classic song that Arnel may sing, be it from Journey, Chicago, Styx or what have you, he knows how to sing them. The singers who originally recorded those songs showed him the path and where to really show off his vocals. I don't get the feeling that Pineda knew what to do with this song. He didn't really reach for any big moments that would be tied to him and put him on the level of a great vocalist. I hear adequate singing here, but it's nothing that jumps out at me. 

I don't think it's fair to compare this guy to Steve Perry for many reasons, and I would never do that. When I'm making this comparison with great vocalists, all I'm saying is I want to hear Pineda take a song and make it his own. I want to see him make a song that vocalists 20 years later will hear and try to emulate what he did. 

This song vocally did not impress me, but it's only one song. It's not about him being a bad vocalist. I think he's good, but I don't think he reached for the moment and made it his. I look forward to hearing what he and the band do next and if he reaches for a truly amazing vocal moment. I hope he does