Customer Reviews

Ambition

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Wheater you like a melodic rock or AOR, this 3rd release from " the master" Tommy Shaw seem a flawless victory for all... this release is very full of masterpiece handycraft of this briliant artist, full of melodic passage and a glorious rythem in other hand...

A very "must buy album" for everyone who loved rock or AOR Genre...

Finally re-released - Shaw's 3rd album is by all accounts his best. The perfectly produced guitar/keyboard mix was ideal in 1987 and still sounds great in 2007, and Damn Yankees was a natural transition from this title. You won't be disappointed...

Awesome price when before rereleased, Ebay had this title up to $75.

Tommy Shaw stepped up his game for this AOR gem. Like they say, the third time is the charm & it was true. Coming off of "Girls With Guns" & "What If", "Ambition" put him in a new league. This cd was produced by Terry Thomas (Giant, Charlie, Foreigner) and he brought out the best in Shaw. This was the time when Atlantic signed Lou Gramm, Johnny Van Zant & Shadow King but for some reason this cd slipped into the cracks & went away as fast as it was released. But thankfully someone realized how good it is & making it available without the steep price tag. If you like, Journey, Starship, Foreigner, Lou Gramm or Johnny Van Zant this cd is for you.

I'm surprised how little attention this CD received. I have been a big fan of Styx and Tommy Shaw for quite some time, and I think the some of his best music is on this CD. I'm not especially knowledgeable about the production aspect of CD's but this one seemed to flow from beginning to end, with the gem being Somewhere in the Night. Even now, after years of listening to that song, it's still one of my favorites, and although I've never figured out if it's a happy or sad ending it's full of emotion. I might have left Ever Since the World Began off it, but No Such Thing, Ambition, Are you Ready for Me, and Dangerous Game are solid, and Lay Them Down, Outsider, Weight of the World, and Love You Too Much round out the rest of the CD to make it a pretty enjoyable mix of music. Definitely a keeper.

Tommy Shaw's third solo album, 1987's "Ambition", not only rose far above any of his other efforts, it was genuinely one of the best rock albums of the 1980's. It is loaded with excellent lead & rhythm guitar, subtle keyboards and great melodic songs delivered by an artist who was at his peak, vocally. I had liked Tommy's 1984 solo debut album "Girls With Guns" very well. 1985's "What If" not nearly so much although it did have 3 or 4 songs that made it worth owning. But "Ambition" caught me by surprise. My favorite songs are "Dangerous Game" "Somewhere In The Night" (both of which had very strong radio potential) "Weight Of The World" & "Outsider". The ballad, Survivor's "Ever Since The World Began" was also very good although it seemed to fade too early and would have sounded better with an extended guitar solo and slower fade. Atlantic Records made no attempt to promote the album and it's a huge shame. Even today, the "Ambition" sounds very fresh and not dated like most other output of the mid-late 80's. This was Tommy at his best!

this is probably the best tommy shaw album ever....you will love every song and if you dont you are stupid

In 1987 Tommy Shaw released 'Ambition', and I feel as though his 80's albums were struggling, though the same could be said of the other two Stygian cohorts who were releasing solo albums at that time. Although both Tommy and Dennis both scored decent hits with their solo debuts in '84, the sales diminished with each album, and typically these albums don't reach the creative peak of the "High Time" (75 - 83 I guess).

Both Shaw and DeYoung were putting out albums with a lot of 'messy' funk songs, generic 80's pop, predictable rock riffs and thick, 80's production. "Ambition" is another album in this vein. But at least albums like "What If?" and "Back to the world" had some inspiring songs to get them across the line, as well as some more experimental songs, but this album is by-the-books 80's pop that totally lacks any sense of 'adventure' or 'creative vision'.

There are some good points, the production is not bad, less dense than the last album, and I like the 'tribal' sounding backing vocals on a lot of the songs, but the songs themselves offer nothing memorable, they just feel tired and totally follow the same formula. The opening cut is quite catchy; the best of the bunch and there's a ballad about halfway 'Ever since the world began' that has a nice melody, but those two songs are about all you get for solid cuts.

Maybe if Tommy made a solo album at another time, maybe in the 70's, I could have been able to 'dig it' but this is probably his weakest point, in the late 80's.