Ambition

Tommy Shaw | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 26, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: American Beat
• ASIN: B000P46PF0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,050 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks, Terry and Tommy, September 2, 2007

By 

R. Culpepper - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ambition (Audio CD)

For those who are fans Tommy Shaw of Styx and Damn Yankees, you know what a great songwriter Tommy is when he has a creative counterpart to bounce his musical ideas off of-- Such as the guys in Styx and Damn Yankees. Before Damn Yankees, Tommy met a very talented producer by the name of Terry Thomas. Tommy was in desperate need of a fresh start in his solo career after his second album failed. He got a new manager and his manager teamed him up with Terry. The result was "Ambition" a very well-written and produced "AOR" rock album in 1987. There are very few dull moments on this disc. "Somewhere In the Night" is worth the price of the whole CD alone. Very powerful stuff. Terry took Tommy in a very different songwriting direction and the result was a dark, atmospheric and emotional record that somehow manages to retain the "soul" of Tommy Shaw's style. All the sudden, he's singing in odd minor keys and in higher registers at Terry's urging. Arguably, it marks the beginning of a creative journey that will take him to Damn Yankees, to Shaw-Blades, back to Styx and back to Shaw-Blades again, with several songwriting credits on the side for other artists along the way. Wow. Most people don't realize the impact that this supposed "failure" had on his career. Commercially the album was a failure (thanks for nothing Atlantic Records) despite it's album rock-friendly production values and solid musical performances. But it is a great record that deservedly has been reissued. On a side note, this was a big break for Terry Thomas as well, who went on to produce some fine album-rock records for Bad Company and Giant in the late 80's.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY!!!!, September 22, 2007

By 

Eric Morris (San Antonio, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ambition (Audio CD)

If you only own one Tommy Shaw CD, this should be it. The title track, "Somewhere in the Night," and "No Such Thing" are the standout songs here, though they are all good. After leaving Styx in 1983 and before joining Damn Yankees in 1990, this 1987 solo effort (his 4th in as many years) finds Shaw in top songwriting form. CDs weren't really mainstream yet in 1987 and this title was never reissued (until now, 20 years later) so original issue CD copies of this are VERY rare. I have one, though I won't tell you how much I paid for it. Buy "Ambition" now! It's a piece of Rock history and Tommy Shaw's best solo album.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, October 22, 2007

By 

yankee in GA "hedbangr" (Woodstock, GA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ambition (Audio CD)

I've always been a Tommy Shaw/Styx fan, and I actually bought the original issue of this CD from a bargain bin for $1.99. I also saw the supporting tour as an opening act for Rush. This album rocks from start to finish. Great vocals, guitar, and songwriting. Highlights are Somewhere in the Night, Dangerous Game, and The Outsider. If you like Tommy Shaw, buy this album. It was out of print for years and is well worth the price.