Search - Dennis Deyoung :: Desert Moon

Rich, Luscious Pop From One Of Rock's Great Voices

Kimberly Murphy-Smith | Laurel, MD USA | 04/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a huge Styx fan, and when they went their separate ways in 1984, I snapped up this album figuring it would just be a quick fix to tide me over until the boys worked out their differences.I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a fantastic album on its own, showing off Dennis DeYoung's extraordinary musical range. Dennis DeYoung's rich vocals and keyboards were often the best things about some of Styx's songs, and this album takes the best of those and puts them on display. There's not a bad track on the disk, and my only complaint is that there are too few of them! "Desert Moon" is a beautiful and moody song that invokes great visuals through its lyrics ("The waiter poured our memories into tiny cups..."); "Don't Wait For Heroes" is inspirational and fun; "Fire" is a bluesy remake of the Jimi Hendrix original (and yes, it does indeed hold its own); "Dear Darling (I'll Be There)" closes the album with a typical (and typically brilliant) DeYoung rich ballad.If you liked Styx and this album isn't yet part of your collection, what are you waiting for? Get it now!"

A shear Classic for Styx, Journey, Chicago Fans.

Victor R. Maniglia | Lakeland, FL USA | 02/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Debut Solo Album/ CD by the founding member of Styx is truly a classic to behold. I was beginning my freshman year of college when the radio premiered this album. I was immediately drawn to the Title song. One thing that I didn't know was that one song was a remake of a Jimi Hendricks song that I like."

4 1/2 stars--Best DDY solo effort

Brad | CT | 06/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am a Styx fan before I am a Dennis DeYoung fan, but I to this day love Dennis' voice. I especially enjoy this first solo album of his as a fantastic slice of pop/rock. After having it on cassette for years, I was very pleased to see it finally available on CD.Now obviously, I love the top 10 hit title track. For sure, that beautiful song showcases Dennis' emotional, melodic, soulful vocals at their best. However, I also love the catchy opener "Don't Wait For Heros", one of only a handful of rocking DDY solo songs. "Fire" is a bluesy delight, while "Gravity" is a mystical slice of pop. Even the ridiculously goofy "Boys Will Be Boys", which is kind of a rocker of sorts, is a lot of fun to listen to. The closing track "Dear Darling" is a very sweet ballad to close the album.Don't expect a hard rock album with this effort, because it's not that at all. What you have here is a melodic pop/rock delight that is already well outside of the Styx realm. While later DDY solo efforts probably mellow out too much overall, this one still has some kick in places. Call my overall grade 4 1/2 stars, as it falls a bit short of most of the best Styx efforts. Still well worth a listen for fans of that golden voice."