Double Album Review — Styx/Dennis DeYoung

Styx — Crash of the Crown/Dennis DeYoung — 26 East, Volume 2

Styx released their 17th studio album the week after Dennis DeYoung released his final solo record. “Crash Of The Crown” has a loose concept album feel to it. It offers 15 tracks with a couple of short interludes and multiple songs checking in at under three minutes.

There are a couple of classic sounding Styx songs. “Reveries” has that classic early 80s Styx sound while “Our Wonderful Lives” has a very similar acoustic intro to Styx classic “Fooling Yourself”.

A couple of highlights include “Save Us From Ourselves”, which is one of the more modern sounding tracks. The mostly acoustic “Sound The Alarm” is another quality Tommy Shaw track. “To Those” is probably the closest Styx sounding track with a little Who-type feel to it.

Surprisingly, the album sounds more like other bands than it does Styx. I get a very Queen-like vibe throughout the record. Two of the tracks, “Hold Back The Darkness” and “Stream”, sound very much like Pink Floyd. There’s The Who feel on “To Those” as well as some prog sounding stuff here and there that pops up.

It’s definitely an interesting record as the band explores different genres throughout. It just doesn’t sound that much like Styx to me, at least my favorite version of the band. Tommy Shaw still sounds great and the album has its moments, but overall I’m left wanting it to sound more like Styx.

80 out of 100

Track Listing

1. The Fight Of Our Lives
2. A Monster
3. Reveries *
4. Hold Back the Darkness
5. Save Us From Ourselves *
6. Crash of the Crown
7. Our Wonderful Lives
8. Common Ground
9. Sound the Alarm *
10. Long Live the King
11. Lost at Sea
12. Coming Out the Other Side
13. To Those *
14. Another Farewell
15. Stream

*Best Songs

Dennis DeYoung has released the second part of his final solo album duo, this one aptly titled “26 East, Volume 2”. DeYoung has stated this is his last record and he has decided to pay tribute to his biggest influences as well as his own musical career.

The album starts with “Hello Goodbye” which is a clear tribute to The Beatles. There are multiple vocal and musical odes to the band throughout the track which in itself sounds very much like a Beatles song.

“Land of the Living” is a much more modern sounding rock track. DeYoung still has that vocal range that made him such a star in the 80s.

“The Last Guitar Hero” features Tom Morello on guitar and takes on the decline of the rock business. “Gone like the record store and never coming back”. Morello gives us a typical Morello solo that fits the track well.

“Proof of Heaven” was on Jim Peterik’s last record that featured DeYoung. This sounds like the same version but is a really strong track. The combination of Survivor and Styx produces an anthemic treat.

“There’s No Turning Back Time” is one of multiple reflective tracks. It’s clear this is DeYoung’s swan song which can border on melancholy at times. At the halfway point the track takes a turn and sounds like old school Styx which really works.

“St. Quarantine” has a Springsteen-like sound to it which I just love. It’s a really smart take and turn on the pandemic in classic Springsteen style.

“Always Time” is another melancholy look back and the passage of time. It’s both beautiful and haunting.

“Isle of Misanthrope” brings me back to the early days of listening to Styx. It’s a six minute epic that sounds almost medieval at the start but then switches gears to a classic sounding early Styx track before a quick return to the medieval feel from the start. It breaks up the reflective feel that the end of the record has which makes me wonder if it wouldn’t have been a better fit earlier in the sequencing.

The album ends with “Grand Finale” which is a quick ode to DeYoung’s career and especially to the songs “Come Sail Away” and “Grand Illusion”, to the point of revisiting a part of the latter song. It’s a fitting final bow as DeYoung exits the stage.

This is what I would want from a final record from DeYoung. He opens by paying tribute to his biggest influence and closes with a nod to his most famous and influential moments as an artist with some quality material in between that is at times critical, melancholy and reflective.

My hope is DeYoung continues on in some capacity and of course I’d love to see the classic lineup of Styx reunite one more time. But if this is the end for DeYoung then he has left well.

Thanks for the music, DD.

90 out of 100

Track Listing

1. Hello Goodbye
2. Land of the Living *
3. The Last Guitar Hero
4. Your Saving Grace
5. Proof of Heaven *
6. Made for Each Other
7. There’s No Turning Back Time *
8. St. Quarantine *
9. So Little Did We Know
10. Always Time
11. Isle of Misanthrope *
12. Grand Finale *

*Best Songs