Dennis DeYoung - '26 East Volume 1' Frontiers Music srl, Available for pre-order; released on 22 May 2020

Well, well. After a long absence, here’s some very welcome new original music from Styx legend Dennis DeYoung. And not just one album, as there’s a volume two already in the can after a purple patch of writing, including a big name collaboration.

Sadly, we seem no closer to a valedictory classic-Styx reunion. The fall out from the Mr Roboto wars shows no sign of terminating and there remains a daft element that vilifies Dennis as a vaudeville crooner that split up the band. On this album, Dennis firmly reasserts his quality and credentials as the founder and leader of the band; the title refers to his old home address in Chicago where the first incarnation of Styx was born and the artwork references some other founding pillars.

Opening track ‘East of Midnight’ is a magnificent riposte to any potential doubters – could it be any more Stygian? It’s gloriously pompy in the style of mid-70s Styx and references many key points in the band’s history. Fans of a certain vintage will lap this one up and it is terrific – a must-hear.

Dennis brings things right up to date on the second track ‘With All Due Respect’. He gets all Bad Grandpa here, lambasting fake news and crappy cable news networks with a potty-mouthed rant over a guitar driven tune. Track 3, ‘A Kingdom Ablaze’ is another interesting one. It starts as a nursery rhyme then moves through some weird religious chanting and mystical eastern stylings but it somehow kind of works and is impressive.

We last heard from Dennis on the track ‘Proof of Heaven’ on Jim Peterik’s recent ‘World Stage’ album. It turns out that these two titans of AOR are near-neighbours in Chicago – who wouldn’t want to live on that street? Dennis credits Jim as one of the folks who gave him a boot up the ass to get this album done and they co-wrote five of these tunes. I’m guessing ‘Run For the Roses’ is one of them. A music box intro is followed by a snatch of that signature Peterik guitar sound, heralding a tender and poignant tale. It is excellent and will delight the many fans of both men.

Of course there’s a ballad. DeYoung & Peterik are a veritable Tate & Lyle of schmaltzy love songs and this is another masterclass. A dreamy 50s style intro segues into a classic DDY tender but bittersweet story which he narrates beautifully.

One of my favourite songs here is ‘Damn That Dream’. It is a sprightly mid-tempo tune that marches along pomptastically on top of a keyboard refrain vaguely reminiscent of ‘Hold The Line’ and is overlaid with exquisite harmonised vocals. ‘Unbroken’ is defiantly upbeat and melodic and leads into another album highlight in ‘The Promise of This Land’. This one starts with a delicate intro before shimmering keys usher in a tub-thumping rocker with a contemporary theme.

You can’t talk about the final track ‘To The Good Old Days’ without mentioning The Beatles. As I came to music long after their heyday, I have tended to look at The Beatles from a contemporary viewpoint as an over-rated Scouse boy-band. However Dennis, at the age of 73, is of a generation that had their minds blown and lives changed by the loveable mop tops and he has penned a tune in tribute to them. This isn’t it – that song will appear on the next instalment – but bizarrely, it is a homage to Julian Lennon who guests here on a full duet that would not be at all out of place on the younger man’s 1984 Valotte album. It’s had quite a bit of deserved attention and is another quality collaboration that I’m sure no-one could have predicted.

It’s not quite the final track as ‘AD 2020’ closes it out in style. It’s under one minute long and actually reprises another much loved tune from the golden age of Styx that will leave you looking forward to Volume 2.

Pre-virus, DDY had been scheduled to play a significant run of dates in the USA. That is a mouth-watering proposition for anyone familiar with his quite outstanding ‘Live in Los Angeles’ CD / DVD from 2014 that showed what an exceptional performer he still is, especially when backed by a stellar band. I’m sure a Scottish or UK date is out of the question but how good would it be if someone can make that happen? One can but dream. Welcome back Dennis.