DENNIS DEYOUNG – 26 East Vol. 1
- Posted on 10-06-2020
Former Styx lead vocalist and keyboard wizard Dennis DeYoung recently released this ambitious solo record of his via Frontiers Records and I must say that I am impressed by the scope and diversity of this ten-song opus. In many ways, it leans toward early 80s Styx while simultaneously incorporating elements and ideas that add a strongly orchestrated touch to the proceedings, all of which works quite well to a certain extent. From Queen-esque piano tinkling to strong, Styx-like riffs that rock pretty hard and further on to sweeping, symphonic passages that that lend a dash of grandeur and bombast to the affair, “26 East Vol. 1” covers a lot of ground from a musical and stylistic point of view.
There is no denying the impressive musicianship, DeYoung’s charismatic vocals, or the hook-laden qualities of compositions such as the epic “A Kingdom Ablaze”, the heartfelt “Run for the Roses”, the energetic “Damn That Dream”, and the beautifully nostalgic “East of Midnight”, but the album’s main flaw is that it lacks truly spectacular and breathtaking tunes and that it is not entirely consistent all the way through. Fillers ala the politically charged “With All Due Respect”, the cliched “You My Love”, and the unremarkable “Unbroken” are simply forgettable and way too derivative. Five of its ten compositions are co-written by the talented Jim Peterik (Pride of Lions), which is evident in places as he has a great knack for crafting ridiculously catchy melodies and coming up with glorious choruses.
Well-produced and highly varied, but ultimately, “26 East Vol. 1” is neither one for the history books nor one of those memorable discs that will necessarily linger in the back of one’s mind after having listened to it a dozen times. It is too uneven and at times uneventful for that. Still, it might be worth checking out if you are into classic symphonic rock that incorporates heaps of different influences as the record is most certainly not without its fair share of merits. It will be interesting to see what the second volume will sound like.