Dennis DeYoung
26 East, Vol 2

Dennis DeYoung, the legend behind most of the best of Styx, returns once more to his childhood address where the story of Styx and his musical career begun in a basement. Many years later he decides to make 26 East to end his recording career, the boss of Frontiers figured it was best to make it in two volumes and he may have been right. The previous album was great and this one I have been eagerly awaiting since then, and after this one I can conclude that Dennis ends his career on a high.

It is pomp rock, anyone who knows their musical history and the band Styx can use that as a reference as that is the style, perhaps not that strange as Dennis wrote most of the great Stuff that Styx did. It is modern and fresh, but not without looking back to the greatest era of Styx, the late seventies and early eighties. There are some easter eggs from there to be found on this album, most obvious the Grand Finale that ended the Grand Illusion album over forty years ago. The album is varied, and it feels like the 53 minutes it goes on for just fly by in a moment, and Dennis’ vocals are as great as ever – it is impressive that he sings so well after such a long career. It is also impressive that the songs feel so fresh and relevant, and still with the required amount of nostalgia that you would need when you decide to put an end to the musical chapter.

This album is great, I really enjoy the songs and the brilliance of it. Dennis certainly ends his recording career on a high note where he shows both his quality as a songwriter and that he has remained relevant throughout most of his long career. He is certainly relevant now, and this album certainly shows that. Not everything on the album is great but most of it is in level with the strongest material by Styx, it certainly evokes the sensations of Pieces of Eight, Grand Illusion, and Paradise Theatre, kind of like that era of Styx in a more modern guise. I like how Isle of the Misanthrope connects back with some of the classic Styx songs, and how they end with a Grand Finale. This is a great album, slightly better than the first part with excellent nostalgia and some fresh ideas.

Impressive album, I think Dennis ends on a high note, these two albums show his brilliance and I find a bit sad that he doesn’t want to make another album when he certainly knows how to make them. You can’t complain about such a grand finale, it is the way to end a successful recording career if there ever was one. With that all written I think that you can come to the conclusion that this and the previous 26 East albums should be something to add to your record collection. Thank you Dennis for this great album, and your brilliant contributions to the history of music.

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