DENNIS DEYOUNG
“26 EAST, VOL. 1”
Album Review by Syl Pdll

10/10

Dennis DeYoung released his sixth solo studio album.  According to the singer who was a former member of mythical band Styx, 26 East was intended to be his final album, however, it was chosen to split into two parts by request of Frontiers Records CEO Serafino Perugino.  This album pays tribute to his origins as a person and as a musician, because 26 East is the address where Deyoung grew up and who also saw the band that catapulted them to fame along with John and Chuck Panozzo.  It could be an ambitious album, but it shows a variety of styles and sounds that, as its cover indicates, invites you to take a journey through time.

East Of Midnight is the beginning of this journey to the stars and introduces us to teenage Dennis DeYoung who wonders about life itself and where music changes a very important part in determining his future.  It is a song worthy of a theatrical work, a spectacular beginning and that raises that spatial atmosphere that is described on the cover of the album.  The combination of classic rock with the organ shows us part of its musical influences.

“Talk talk yada yada blah blah woof woof” is the pun with which introduce us to With All Due Respect.  It is a dynamic song that combines the chords of classic rock with an influence of blues and soul through the female vocal accompaniment.  The chorus is quite catchy and enjoyable that could make more than one sing.

The influence of the 80’s using synthesizers is present in A Kingdom Ablaze where Dennis DeYoung and his team surprise again with this grateful musical variety.  This song shows an interesting fusion as we go along finding some parts performed by the Chicago Children’s Choir. The guitar playing showed us an influence closer to classic rock that might be somewhat reminiscent of Pink Floyd.

You My Love is the melodic contribution of this album.  A song that from its first chords pays tribute to one of Dennis DeYoung’s musical influences: The Beatles.  We can find in this song musical chords that take us back to the 70s and that tells us about personal relationships, about that yearning to stay together until one of the two breaks that promise. The interpretation of the American vocalist is simple and  simply masterful

Run For The Roses continues this melodic line where the piano is the dominant instrument and evokes that feeling of nostalgia.  It is a song that talks about the ups and downs that we humans have, in the case of Dennis DeYoung it could refer to the episode where he could become famous with Styx. The combination of symphonic and choral events denotes greater sentimentality in a song.

Damn That Dream returns again to the chords of classic rock whose sound also shows that very characteristic Styx musical influence.  A song that motivates us to continue fighting to achieve that dream we have.  The chorus of the song is forceful and powerful, just like the guitar solo will make you blow your head.

A melodic atmosphere that contrasts with the chords of rock introduces us to Unbroken and continues with this motivational vibration of overcoming ourselves and facing adversity.  The execution of the vocal part is oriented to the melodic with the refrain being the most heartbreaking part of the song.

The Promise Of This Land begins to prop us up towards the end of this album.  Initially, the song is guided by piano and guitar chords combined by Dennis DeYoung’s powerful voice.  A minute later, this song surprises for showing a rhythm that is closer to rock and in a way shows a Styx essence through the notes of the keyboard.  In my opinion, it is one of the most complete songs on this album and it encompasses that musical variety that we have found throughout this album.

To The Good Old Days shows a sound closer to The Beatles and it is not a coincidence because it has the participation of Julian Lennon, son of the late John Lennon whose voice in combination with that of Dennis DeYoung create that illusion as if the member himself from the Liverpool quartet would be alive. This is undoubtedly the highlight of this album.

A.D. 2020 is the closing of this album and it proposes a form of farewell in which the music that never dies stands out and that it is only enough to close your eyes to make this trip again.

This album is a masterpiece from start to finish. Dennis DeYoung has presented an intimate album that allows us to get to know the artist beyond the music he presents and which presents a train journey with different stations as a metaphor, each one evoking a series of memories that denote different feelings and that combines the essence of classic rock with the melodic and that implicitly also presents an essence of his collaboration with Styx in his glorious years. Perhaps the quarantine did not allow him to promote his album through a tour as was the original intention, but it did allow us to appreciate one of the best albums of his career and probably of the year.

TRACKLIST

East Of Midnight
With All Due Respect
A Kingdom Ablaze
You My Love
Run For The Roses
Damn That Dream
Unbroken
The Promise Of This Land
To The Good Old Days
A.D. 2020

http://www.dennisdeyoung.com
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