Customer Reviews

One Hundred Years From Now

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is not a weak song on this very fine CD from Dennis DeYoung. Best of all is the amazing, powerful voice of DeYoung. He has not lost a single step from the earliest of his recordings when he was the voice of Styx. If anything, his voice is stronger and more nuanced. He throws in amazing falsettos and hits notes younger people could never even attempt.

His musicians and singers on the CD are a wonderful compliment to this voice. In addition, we get the always superior keyboarding skills of DeYoung on all tracks -- synth, piano, even the accordion. And it also must be added that he produced the entire CD.

Track by track:

One Hundred Years from Now - The title track was originally performed as a duet, but done solo here. Powerful, with a mix of sounds, old and new. The guitar solo is as good as anything you will hear on any rock album.

This Time Next Year - Powerhouse rock with a driving back beat. DeYoung lets loose on this one. My only quarrel with it would be the weak-sounding backing vocals that detract from the forceful nature of this song.

Rain - Wow. That is about all I can say. This one insistently gets in your head, much like the rain in the lyrics. Another rocker with great throwback synthesizer work by DeYoung.

Crossing the Rubicon - The original title song, this is a true masterwork in the tradition of his best writing both for Styx and in his solo years. Quite powerful as a self-examination. Lots of symbolism in the lyrics and the whole thing has a sort of Grand Illusion era feel to it. Another standout on a CD full of standouts.

Save Me - My personal favorite. Just a great, great song. Has an old feel to it and yet feels very current as well. A GREAT chorus sung so beautifully in harmony.

I Don't Believe in Anything - Oh wow! This is so different in style from anything he has ever written. The words are in your face and unapologetic. And the Dobro work is top notch. Just a great, great song.

Pvt. Jones - Another one that gets into your head and won't let go. A strong, driving rock song with a fantastic, melodic chorus that carries it throughout.

I Believe in You - Just gorgeous classic Dennis DeYoung power ballad. He is the master of such songs. Again, fabulous harmonies and a catchy rolling beat to it. Awesome Bruce Hornsby style piano riff by Dennis at the end of this one, too.

There Was A Time - This one, another ballad, sounds much more like the music he recorded on his solo works in the 80's. Nice harmonies, once again.

Breathe Again - Is an exquisite song devoted to his wife Suzanne. The harmonies are nothing short of spectacular. Quite a beautiful number and one of his very best of the songs he has written for her. Nice acoustic guitar intro plus an old school synth solo to just add to the pleasant mix on this.

Forgiveness - Haunting song. The lyrics are very, very powerful. As with much of his music, there are many layers and many meanings to the words he writes.

Turn Off CNN - Another rocker and this one is classic DeYoung commentary on our times. He lets the listener know to Turn off CNN. Turn it OFF!

On "One Hundred Years From Now", Dennis DeYoung manages to do something his former bandmates can't do -- make a great Styx album. Not that they haven't tried. Despite the fact that he sang on all but one of their top ten hits, the two remaining members of the classic Styx line-up ousted the frontman after 1999's "Brave New World". Since that parting-of-the-ways, the band that still records under that name have given us "Cyclorama" and "Big Bang Theory", the former a collection of songs that bear little or no resemblence to any previous incarnation of the band and the latter an inexplicable covers album. Much of the writing on "Cyclorama" seemed to be about the breakup with DeYoung (Bourgeois Pig, Kiss Your Ass Goodbye, Kill The Thing That You Love, Do Things My Way) and the ugly taste the working relationship, apparently, left in Mr. Shaw's and Mr. Young's respective mouths. Meanwhile, Dennis has spent recent years indulging himself in his Broadway roots, seemingly unfazed by the musical cheap shots from the band he fronted for a few decades. Until now, anyway.

"One Hundred Years From Now" is poetic justice for fans of the DeYoung-led version of the band and vindication for Dennis himself. While ballads like "Babe", "Come Sail Away" and "The Best of Times" are most representative of his work in Styx, it's hard to deny the stamp of the keyboardist/vocalist on rockers such as "Renegade" and "Too Much Time On My Hands". Just listen to the "guitar songs" on "Brave New World" for further evidence. Rumor has it that Shaw and Young removed Dennis' vocals and keyboards from many of the songs, leaving the disc sounding more like a collection of solo tunes than a true Styx album.

Unlike his former co-horts, though, DeYoung knew that it was the combined efforts of the individuals in the band that created that magical sound that made them worldwide stars. That fact is more than evident when you listen to the Styx soundalike band he has assembled for OHYFN. From the classic rock crunch of "Rain" and "Crossing The Rubicon" to the layered vocals in "This Time Next Year" and "I Don't Believe In Anything", it's not hard to imagine Tommy and James standing alongside Dennis. Meanwhile, Shaw and Young hired Canadian singer/keyboardist Larry Gowan to fill DeYoung's vacant seat. No disrespect to Gowan, whose "Great Dirty World" was a late-'80's classic, but he's out of his league here. One listen to Cyclorama's "Fields Of The Brave" proves that all singing keyboardists are not created equal.

OHYFN is chock-full of the pre-"Kilroy Was Here" Styx sound. Songs like the title cut, the aforementioned "This Time Next Year" and "Crossing The Rubicon" would sound right at home next to most of the tunes on "Cornerstone", "The Grand Illusion" or "Paradise Theater". Yet, somehow, they don't sound dated. The other thing that is striking about OHYFN is that, unlike most of DeYoung's solo efforts, there is an even balance of ballads and rockers. For every "I Believe In You", there's a "Private Jones". It's an amazing feat for the 60-something Dennis that must have his former bandmates eating their hearts out. They shouldn't fret, though. On "There Was A Time" and "Forgiveness", DeYoung seems to drop a hint or two that he might be able to let bygones be bygones. We might still get another proper Styx album yet. If not, "One Hundred Years From Now" is close enough for me.

I had eagerly anticipated the release of Dennis DeYoung's '100 Years From Now' for quite some time, as I had heard through the grapevine that it was somewhat of a return to the sound that DeYoung was so instrumental in creating with his former band, Styx. I really enjoyed the Canadian-only release of this album in 2007, but DeYoung has actually put in additional work for this stateside release that has enhanced the overall collection. Several tracks feature new performances or mixes, and there are two new songs as well.

Fans of classic Styx albums like 'Equinox', 'Crystal Ball', 'The Grand Illusion' and 'Paradise Theatre' will find plenty to like about these tracks, which blend the best of DeYoung's solo work with some very Styx-like instrumental and vocal arrangements.

The title song '100 Years From Now' finds DeYoung re-visiting one of his favorite lyrical themes. Much of his best work with Styx was observational about the state of humankind, and what needed to be done to avoid the same pitfalls in the future that we had fallen into in the past. DeYoung re-slants that theme in "100 Years From Now" to great effect, saying "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth/Who among us will speak the truth/So our children's children can live in peace somehow/One hundred years from now". The new version for this US release features DeYoung singing all the parts in new vocal performances, which is vastly superior to the English/French duet version from the Canadian release.

"This Time Next Year" is an up-tempo pop/rock song that is vaguely reminiscent of "Mademoiselle" from 'Crystal Ball', with call-and-response backing vocals that sound remarkably like Styx. "Rain" is another track in the vein of classic Styx, like the[....] son of "Lorelei" from 'Equinox', a frantic rocker with excellent keyboard work and vocal harmonies.

"Crossing The Rubicon" is one of the strongest songs of DeYoung's solo career, a nod to DeYoung's early progressive rock influences like Yes and ELP. "I Don't Believe in Anything" features a bluesy verse married to a modern rock chorus, propelled by an electronica/hip hop beat (yes, you read that right). The lyric is a classic DeYoung rant against the shallowness of popular culture.

"Turn Off CNN" is an up-tempo three-chord rocker with a lyric about the overwhelming information available too readily in the modern cable TV age.

There are a few weaker tracks - "Save Me", "Breathe Again" - but even these are highlighted by crisp production, strong instrumental performances, and the unmistakable vocal identity that made Dennis DeYoung one of the most recognizable rock vocalists of his generation. For the US release DeYoung has chosen to omit "Respect Me", which was the weakest track, and has added two new tracks, "Private Jones" and "There Was A Time". Both the subtractions and the additions make the overall work even stronger.

All in all, '100 Years From Now' is an album that will please fans of Dennis DeYoung and classic Styx.


Sterling Whitaker
Author, The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx

I guess that I do not understand the strong sentiment that seems to cloud people's judgment regarding Styx and their current estrangement from each other. The reviewer who gave this CD only 1 star seemed to focus on his taking sides with Tommy Shaw and James Young. So does this mean that Dennis should go hide under a rock and never show his face again? Even if Dennis is guilty as charged for breaking-up Styx, how does one disregard this CD?

My view is that there was probably significant fault on both sides. But where does that leave us? It leaves me, at least, with Dennis DeYoung. I simply believe that he is the soul of Styx, with his song-writing ability, his incredible musical talent, and the way in which he reflects the essence of Styx. If you did not know that Styx had broken-up, you would think that this CD was recorded by the original group. The only thing missing is the changing-up of the vocals, where Tommy or James would do the lead on a few songs.

I have nothing against the other members of the group who have continued on under the name Styx. But they lost their founding member and lead-singer -- the one who was responsible for nearly all of their hits. By definition, they needed a replacement. Even if the replacement is a solid performer, he is not the original.

I am a life-long Styx fan, having followed them since the 1970's. This new CD by Dennis DeYoung is a must-have for anyone who relished and savored the Styx sound up until Brave New World. In this CD, DeYoung brings a wall of sound that has strong shades of Pieces of Eight and Paradise Theatre. Each song is extremely strong -- 11 solid tracks -- that left me amazed, feeling as if Dennis has picked-up where the old Styx left off. This is the old Styx!

Dennis has produced a couple of solo albums prior to One Hundred Years From Now. They were good, but not great. This one is great! He seems to have changed direction, going back to his roots, when Styx was faithful to itself (yes, that means prior to Mr. Roboto!). You will find the slower ballads on this CD, as well as harder-edged songs.

Regardless of where you stand regarding the Styx breakup controversy, I highly recommend that you get this CD, if you at all loved the Old Styx. Dennis has continued the legacy and it is rock solid. I wish all of the band members well, but Dennis IS Styx. And he proves it here, beyond any doubt, in my humble opinion.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best CDs I have purchased in a while. Dennis states on his website that it is intended to be released in the US this fall, with an all-english version of the first song, One Hundred Years from Now. The version on this import is a duet with a Canadian singer. But if that's all you've heard, be prepared that the rest of the CD is different, and in my opinion, much better.

The first thing about this CD that I like is that it Rocks! For those that thought Dennis had gone the way of Ballads and Broadway exclusively (like James Young and Tommy Shaw of Styx), this might be a surprise. Other than the first song, there really are no typical ballads, and the one or two that come close are nice; not overly mushy or trite. Second, nearly every one of the songs are instantly catchy, like Styx and classic Rock used to be. If this had been released ten or so years ago, there would definately be hit potential in several of them. Third, it is consistantly good, start to finish. There are at least 4 or 5 excellent songs in a row that reminds me, and will probably remind most listeners, of how consistantly good Styx and Styx albums used to be, and how great Dennis still is. Which brings me to my last point: it is VERY Styx-like. From the harmonies, to the great band and guitar (!), to the occasion keyboard part reminisent of great works like Equinox and Grand Illusion, it really reminds me of why I liked Styx back when Dennis was allowed to steer them.

In my opinion, it's much better than that band that calls themselves Styx these days (the Tommy and JY Band) and the CDs they put out without Dennis. This CD should hopefully give them pause to consider that they let the true heart and talent of Styx go. This sounds more like Styx than they do!

Dennis should be very proud of this CD, and if you like Dennis, and older Styx, get this NOW; you won't regret it- It's the best Styx CD in years. And finally, to the US industry: Release this in the US NOW (and promote it)!

I am just listening to this CD now.

I am a lifelong Styx-lover also. In fact, I refuse to EVER go to any "Styx" concerts now....because they are NOT Styx without Dennis DeYoung. Period. This CD has just proved it.

I never liked Styx's albums after Paradise.....just for background....but this?

WOW.

This is like listening to the Classically-talented Styx all over again.
I have always loved Dennis, when all the other teen girls liked Tommy....I liked Dennis! He WAS the talent in that band....he was the heart and soul of Styx, as several others have stated.
His voice is....clear, crisp, and quite beautiful.

I am not good with musical language....but I will say that all the songs on here sound like Styx harmonies, with Dennis's signature keyboards stamped on most of them. He can sing better at freaking 60 years of age than Tommy or JY EVER could back in Styx's heyday!!!

Funny....I thought he would never write music as good as what he did with Styx in the 1970s.....but I gotta say...this CD has proven me wrong.

True-blue Styx fans who KNOW Dennis IS Styx???
BUY THIS CD!!!!!!!!!!!

I keed. The last DDY album I bought was the very nice Orchestral "music of Styx".
The studio tracks on that album, Goodnight my Love (meh) and My God Can Beat up Your God (HELLYEAH!) were actually pretty good. I read the reviews here and bought 100 years from now.

First off, Eric Lapointe is the most snarling singer of rock in the french language I have ever heard. And with that awesome opening tune I was hooked. Dennis has always been an excellent songwriter he's a stable family man who when he sings of forever love I believe him.

I've been a Styx fan since I was seven years old and yet, when he left the band I felt it was best for both parties. Cyclorama was Styx's finest output in at least a decade. Dennis seemed headed in a completely different direction and it wasn't bad; it was just different.


But this; this is what Brave New World should have been. What's done is done, and I was glad to see that Glen Burtnik aided Dennis on this album and perhaps bridges are being mended. I can only hope because the DDY v STYX fan war has been several years of silly by now.

I give 100 years from now, This time Next Year, Rain, Save Me, and Crossing the Rubicon all very high marks.
I believe in you, I don't believe in anything (odd mix of song titles I know) are pretty good, as is Turn off CNN.
Breathe Again, Respect Me, and Forgivness haven't really struck me as excellent, but I don't hate them.

Overall, Dennis is in fine form. His band sounds awfully Styx like in their backing vocals, but like his other solo stuff, it's Dennis' show. It's a good show at that.

Please let's stop the Styx vs. DDY debate. Hell, they stopped it years ago. Cyclorama was an outstanding (sans DDY) Styx CD -- and this is an outstanding DDY (sans Styx) CD!!!

This is the best DDY offering, I think -- ever. I've always loved the songs from DDY that you couldn't quite classify (Nothing Ever Goes As Planned being one of my favorite examples): is it rock? pop? funk? bombastic? This ENTIRE album is like that.

It does make me wonder how it would sound with Styx behind him, but I'm not sure he writes this CD if he's still in Styx.

Dennis, rock on! You keep giving us CD's THIS good, I'll keep paying $30.00 for the IMPORT and not wait 9 months for Best Buy to stock it for $9.99 in the U.S. :)

One of the only cd's I have been playing over and over. Can't even begin to tell you how great Dennis De Young has out did himself? Anyway, love it. Better than some Styx, and the best he's ever put out.

Dennis DeYoung is familiar to music fans as the iconic voice behind some of Styx' biggest hits. Songs like Lady, Come Sail Away, Babe, The Best Of Times and Mr. Roboto owned the airwaves in the 1970's and 1980's. DeYoung and Styx even spread their penchant for rock gold into the 1990's with Show Me The Way, a song that became thematic during the first Gulf War in 1990. DeYoung went on to write a full scale musical, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, which won a Jefferson Award as Best Musical for it's Chicago run in 2008 and should be hitting Broadway in the next few years. He also continued to tour and record with Styx from the mid-1990's until a mysterious illness befell him en route to a very public divorce from the band he helped found. Sticking with the motto he enshrined in song, "Winner are losers who got up and gave it one more try", Dennis began touring with a new band playing the music of Styx as well as some original rock tunes and the occasional song from Hunchback. In 2007, DeYoung released One Hundred Years From Now in Canada, where the album achieved gold record status. In May of 2009, DeYoung released a reworked version of One Hundred Years From Now in the US on Rounder Records.

One Hundred Years From Now opens with the title track, originally recorded as a French/English duet with singer Eric LaPointe. For the US release, DeYoung takes solo possession of the vocals while making some lyrical alterations from the original. The song is artistic and theatrical rock; not so much an anti-war song about an anti-hared/vengeance/violence song. The musical canvas DeYoung creates here reminds one why Styx was such a commercial powerhouse from 1977 to 1983. DeYoung has always written with a mix of cynicism and optimism that comes from his working class background. DeYoung grew up in the Roseland section of Chicago in the 1960's amidst blue collar family and friends while the radical social changes of the 1960's swirled around him. This Time Next Year reflects that gilded sense of optimism of a generation that grew up knowing that no matter how difficult things might be they always get better.

Rain is a tremendous bit of Prog Rock writing, featuring heavy pop hooks, a big guitar sound and a driven keyboard root. The vocal triads in the chorus complete a sound that few bands dare to attempt nowadays. The song itself is a powerful paean to hopelessness and is a real knockout. The next song, Crossing The Rubicon, is musical nirvana for fans of classic Styx; a meandering lyrical ballad in Progressive Rock form that is the musical equivalent of a Chaucer tale. The point of no return (classically based in Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon river to invade Italy) signifies moving on, and is such a universal concept it is likely to have broad appeal. Save Me has a strong theatrical feel to it, a cry for help in the form of a mid-tempo pop song with a killer melody and wonderfully layered instrumentation.

DeYoung shows his most cynical aspect on I Don't Believe In Anything, a brilliant musical diatribe against modern technology and times which could be mistaken for the ultimate conspiracy theorists' theme song. Long time Styx fans will love this, and the injection of a little Chicago Blues is a nice bonus. My favorite song on the disc didn't appear on the Canadian version. If this had been a Styx album rather than a solo album, Pvt. Jones likely would have been sung by James Young, given the 1970's heavy metal style of the song, but it's nice to hear DeYoung really air it out on a heavy rocker for the first time in a long time. Pvt. Jones is a tribute to the soldiers who have paid a price for freedom, both those who have died and those who have come home irrevocably changed. Unlike many pro- or anti- war songs of the past few years, Pvt. Jones checks the politics at the door and just acknowledges those on the front lines.

I Believe In You is a fairly typical DeYoung pop ballad. It's a sweet, well-written love song that's certain mix-tape fodder. There Was A Time is more typical of the ballad DeYoung wrote early in his career but written from a more adult perspective. It's a ballad about regaining what was lost. There Was A Time has the theatric element that pervades DeYoung's writing and sounds like it could as easily appear on a Broadway stage as a rock album. Breathe Again is a song of love and thanks written for DeYoung's wife Suzanne; a testament to the idea that love can conquer all in highly personal terms. Styx fans will listen closely to the song Forgiveness for overtones that may apply to DeYoung's departure from the band. Irrespective of any connection, this may be the most interesting composition on One Hundred Years From Now. It's a highly insightful and honest look at the difficult negotiation between intellectual forgiveness and human emotion. The song itself is painted in dark and textured musical tones that underscore the struggle between heart and mind when forgiveness is entertained. DeYoung closes out the album with a big rocker, Turn Off CNN, imploring listeners to turn off the television and start thinking for themselves. DeYoung returns to his Rock N Roll/R&B roots on this one, particularly in the bridge.

DeYoung developed a reputation in later years with Styx as well as in his solo career as more of a balladeer than a rocker; he shatters that notion with One Hundred Years From Now. DeYoung turns in some of the best Rock material of his career on an unexpected and remarkable solo venture. Fans of Styx will eat this up, and fans of great music won't be able to keep away from an album that is destined to be a classic. One Hundred Years From Now is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't be surprised if this one gets a lot of mention on year-end lists and perhaps even an award nomination along the way.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

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