Ron
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Posts posted by Ron
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Yes it still exists! I don't really have the heart to take it down, even though the forums have been pretty much dead since social media took over. I still have the hope that I'll find the time to complete all of the missing information so it can become a site celebrating all that Dennis has done in his career. But life has a way of taking over. I still haven't included information about Vol. 2 or this year's production of Hunchback. Hopefully someday. It's hard to even contact former members as most of them probably have new email addresses since they registered on the site--especially since the site started in 2004. Maybe I can have things done for the 20th anniversary
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Album release date will be April 11
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Some highlights:
The album will be released as two separate albums, since there was so much material recorded.
Q&A with Dennis and Jim Peterik at April 3 Chicago House of Blues show
Some tour dates will include a copy of the CD
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When they were first released, I wasn't always downloading them when I listened to them. Now I'm trying to archive them and it looks like I am missing some episodes that do not seem to be available online. I'm not sure if it's a numbering issue or if they just aren't available. I'm looking for episodes 6-11, which would have been released in February/March of 2017
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https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-concept-albums/?fbclid=IwAR2KwL03pCMY7LSfbodJ2CvKaCe2K4xxxscicu_Vi-Qgyd1Ntc4kA4S9FlE
Love it or hate it, the concept album is a part of rock history.
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You can post whatever you want! That's what the site is here for.
I'm pretty sure the podcasts are done, as it's been about a year and a half since the last one. Since there are a lot of different ways podcasts are handled (either through another company that pays the author of the podcast, or done independently by the author) it may or may not start up again in the future. I would like to archive them here, but not until they are no longer available anywhere else. (It's interesting that it is not available in iTunes for the United States)
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I'm a little hesitant on any kind of copying content directly, even if for an archival purpose. I don't want to "steal" the content, but maybe could share the link to his post and have it as a discussion starter. I'm sure it's important to Dennis to have the views on his page and the number of likes increasing, and if I copy that material he could lose those numbers, which I would want to support.
I do a similar thing with articles that I find interesting. I will post a link, but not the content of the article so I don't get the content provider upset.
To trace back to the roots of DDY Talk, it was created at a time when Dennis didn't even have an active website. His older website, GrandIllusionMusic.com, had been "on hiatus" for quite some time, and the only other solely DDY website was the Don't Wait for Heroes website, that hadn't had any new content for quite some time. This is a huge contrast to now, where he has a Facebook presence, and has even done podcasts. I don't want to seem like I'm stealing his content.
I agree that Facebook comments stink. "When are you coming to (insert town name here)?" over and over. I think there is a place for discussion.
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I bet I know what forum you were at
I am really hoping that things can stay positive here, as it pretty much did in the past. By focusing just on what Dennis is doing, there are plenty of good things going on that there is no room for negativity. (Plus I think I have it in the term and conditions that by design this site is one-sided, and if your viewpoints are the complete opposite and you come to troll you will be promptly removed.) Dennis has a pretty heavy schedule this summer, touring with two different sets, plus a couple of symphony shows. Then there is the song from Jim Peterik's album, and Dennis' album-in-the-works.
Mark's "Styxtoury" pages on Facebook are good too. He presents all information from all musicians involved with Styx at one point or another and focuses on the music created.
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The band does have great chemistry together, which helps make the shows so much fun. "Sing for the Day" is in the middle of the big keyboard solo near the end of "Fooling Yourself". It's a really nice touch, and I was disappointed that it wasn't included when they did the DVD, but I can understand why it was left out.
Your comment about the sound being so close is one reason why I don't like to get a seat within the first five rows: You hear the monitors instead of the sound system. Depending on the venue, you may hear from both which sounds even worse. Personally, I like about 10 rows back, if I can get a seat with good balance. Otherwise, depending on the venue, I'll sit near the sound board because I know that's where it will sound the best.
Glad you had a great time
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I don't want to shut it down, because I do feel it is some sort of service for Dennis' fans. However, it does make it difficult to draw up some motivation to improve it, because it would be a lot of effort for minimal results. But still, I pay the hosting bill every quarter with no thoughts of getting rid of it.
If it was a business, the site would have been gone a long time ago. But I didn't create it to make a profit. I did it in honor of someone's contribution to music, and thanks for the impact that music made on me. Those reasons still stand, which is why the site is still here.
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Have a GREAT time!
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There are several reasons why things are a big quiet around here, but I do not think it is for a lack of fans.
- Dennis has become active on Facebook.The way that social media has evolved since this site was first created in 2004 (let alone it's original form as a Yahoo! Group) has greatly changed the way that people communicate and share things on the internet. Message boards do not carry the status that they once did, and just aren't as active. Even though you can connect to this site while on Facebook, people don't.
- Arguments = activity. Members fighting over which opinion is right, arguing over band members arguing, etc. Nothing stirs up discussion more than controversy. The band breakup was 15 years ago, and (most) fans have come to terms with it by now. If you like Dennis, you are here. If you like the other guys, you don't come here. The site is, by design, one sided. By eliminating the other half, the site is a place for friendly conversation for people that share the same thoughts and feelings. The downside is that now there is no one to argue with, so there just isn't that much activity.
- Everything has already been said. What facet of the group's breakup hasn't been over-analyzed in the past 15 years? What "new" news about a group that's almost 45 years old can be covered? With a lack of worthy topics to discuss, activity gets reduced.
- It's still the same set list. We like the songs, and keep going back to hear them. But there really isn't anything new to report. I see 2-3 shows a year, and although the song order might be changed a little here or there, it's still the same 16 songs. So I go and hear "Best of Times" and thoroughly enjoy it--but it isn't exactly newsworthy.
- I don't like to post all of the time. Even though I run the site, I don't want the site to be about me, and comment on every post. The site is about Dennis' career, not what I think about Dennis' career.
I'll look into the lyrics issue. There are other things I have to update as well.
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The sound of the audience can be a tough thing to manage on a live recording. First, it depends on how many (and where) microphones are to pick up the audience. The other main part is how this audio is then added into the mix of the performers onstage. Plus, the speed of sound also has to be considered. If everything ends up in sync then it sounds good. If it gets out of sync by even a little bit, it would sound bad.
Also the audio was mixed twice. The first version Dennis did not care for, and it is my understanding that the second try was rushed due to production deadlines. The final product sounds very good, but to people that have seen the show multiple times, there are a few things missing that just got lost in the mix.
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From what I understand Dennis will be using who was filling in for Tom at the Quebec City shows
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There are those that argue that Kiss' "Beth" was the first ballad to be a hit for a hard rock band. Meatloaf's "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" also could be considered a ballad, Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" as well. I'm sure there are others as well from the 70's, but there were all pretty isolated in comparison to one another. I think that "Babe" transformed the ballad into something new that not only was extremely successful, but was something that the listening audience really wanted as the style of music was shifting from the prog-rock sounds of the latter 70's to the more new wave sounds of the 80's.
I wouldn't say that it was the first ballad, but it was the first to make a lasting impact on the entire music genre.
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I assume that his illness stems from when he was sick in December and had to cancel several of the Quebec City shows. Unfortunately there has been no official word on his progress. No news is good news?
Ken where did you hear this about Tom?
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DDY version of Rockin' the Paradise blows any other version of that song away. Currently, the band performing as Styx using RTP as a part of their encore. Could their version be that poor in comparison to the DDY version?
Dennis could deny any video of his songs for any future Styx release, and it is my understanding that there will be one next year. Although they won't admit it publicly, (and questionable if they will even admit it to themselves), Styx needs Dennis far more than Dennis needs them. I admit I like to go a little bit deeper than the hits, but a video release with only two hits on it is not going to sell.
But, I honestly think that he will not "return the favor" by not giving permission for his songs. I think he will. Why? Because he cares about the Styx brand name like he has for his entire career. I think the music is more important than the petty bullshit.
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That used to be the case. But artists make crap from the recorded product, and composers don't make that much from the recording, either. They learned the real money was in publishing. So composers form their own publishing companies to make their money. This also gives them 100% of the control of their product. When someone wants to use one of Dennis' songs in a commerical/movie/tv show, etc. He has to give his okay. He has a company handle it, but the decision (and probably pricing) comes down to his yea or nea.
The final decision not to give permission for that one song comes down to two people. One, or both, said no. Even if they were advised by their management, they had the final say.
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I think his comments about "100 Years from Now" are quite valid. As a collective piece or work, that album, out of the four solo rock albums, is the strongest on its own.
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The way that he is embraced in Quebec is simply amazing. He would not be able to sell out 15 dates in one venue anywhere in the States. Not even Chicago, or other fan-heavy locations (New York City/New Jersey Philly metro area has a very strong Styx fan base. Florida does, too).
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The publishing rights belong to three people. Only a "no" from one of those three people prevented the video for that song to be released. Video and audio rights are different, so the publisher would have had to view the video, then grant (or not grant) permission. Audio rights are covered through ASCAP and do not require such stringent procedures. So one of those three people did not want the video for that song released. Those three people are: Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, and James Young.
Who exactly said no is unclear. JY approved Lorelei, and Tommy approved all of his songs. Dennis I feel took many steps to make sure there would be no issues with the approval process (No "Sing for the Day" in the middle of "Fooling Yourself"; "The End" dropped from the end of "Best of Times/AD 1958").
20th Anniversary of DDY Talk
in Website Information
Posted
On September 8, 2004 the first post on the new website was made after an active Yahoo! Group out grew the simplicities of the medium. It was quite active for several years, and expanded it's content from just being a message board to an information source.
I'm case you can't remember some details concerning 2004, let me refresh your memory:
The medium known as "social media" did not exist. The only way groups of people could interact with each other was on message board websites or the simpler email groups. If you wanted peer-to-peer assistance or to discuss a common topic, this was it.
Dennis DeYoung had no official online presence. His "Grand Illusion Music" website was put on a self-imposed hiatus, and anything Styx-related would concern the group without Dennis as a member, since he was removed from the group less than five years earlier. Any comments were usually negative concerning Dennis, or completely ignored him and his contributions to Styx. The large Styx fan base had been split and had turned against itself with constant arguing. Sadly this aspect still continues today.
DDY Talk was a place where members recognized Dennis' contributions and supported him. Not only for what he did as a member of Styx but for whatever the future may have in store for his career. Simply put, they cared for Dennis DeYoung the individual, not just Styx. All discussions were of a pro-Dennis nature, and possibly a little more bashing of his former bandmates than I would like to recognize now, but it was an extremely volatile time to be a fan. With this forum, people were able to express that they still cared about Dennis DeYoung.
The website grew and expanded with a few interviews, as well as discography information and lyrics. It was redesigned several times at first, because I knew what I wanted, but not sure how to do it. After teaching myself HTML, and then later CSS and eventually basic PHP I was able to make the site better, and much more than a message board. In 2006 the website received an award for design. In 2008 work was being done for a complete redesign as the way things were presented in the Web were changing: Screens were getting bigger and smaller, with larger resolution desktops which gave away to phones and tablets. Real Player, and then QuickTime disappeared. I started learning Flash only to see that go away. The 2008 redesign was based on a color scheme from the cover of "One Hundred Years From Now" and liked really good, but unfortunately never came to be. It was a lot of time, effort, and hard work, and I had other things in my life demanding my attention. Plus, she new websites called MySpace and Facebook were just starting up, and all of the discussion that was happening in the message board moved to these new platforms. Also, by this time, Dennis once again had an active website and was touring regularly. The need for someplace like DDY Talk wained, and the site would remain dormant. I still paid the bill every year, as I just couldn't let it go and shut the site down. In 2019 I started working with she of the additions in the message board software to update the website and hopefully get it ready for when "26 East Volume 1" was to be released. A lot was done, but not completed. I still haven't added "Volume 2" into the site yet.
So here we are 20 years later. Even though many things have changed, and that the website has been dormant for most of us existence, it still exists. For the simple reason to say "thank you" to the person that wrote lyrics and music that shaped my life, and the lives of those that came to this website to share. The impact that Dennis DeYoung has made with the music that he had created as a member of Styx and beyond, as well as the impact on my life, will never be forgotten.
Ron Stevens
9/7/24