By George Maurer, American Forces Network – Radio
Tommy Shaw stood alone on stage with an acoustic guitar playing the opening notes of “Crystal Ball.” The rest of Styx was off stage taking a breather after a blistering rendition of “Come Sail Away.”
I was enjoying one of the most memorable concerts of my life and, even then, it was hard to believe just one hour ago I was interviewing Shaw and James “JY” Young. As I was conducting that interview, the friendship and mutual respect Shaw and Young have for each other became obvious rather quickly. Considering what they’ve been through together, I suppose it isn’t surprising.
They say combat veterans share a bond that can only be understood by those who’ve been there themselves. I guess you can say Shaw and Young have seen their own version of combat.
Dennis DeYoung is an immensely talented musician and songwriter and by all accounts, he can also be a bit difficult to work with at times.
DeYoung preferred writing soft, complex ballads. To his credit, DeYoung’s songs were often the source of the band’s greatest successes. “Lady” put the band on the national scene in the first place and “Babe” remains their only number one single. DeYoung wrote “Babe” for his wife, who I’m sure loved it. But when he brought that same song to Styx, they weren’t nearly as enthralled.
Their previous album, “Pieces of Eight” contained the harder rock songs Shaw and Young preferred. Young believed “Babe” was too soft especially as a follow up to “Renegade” and “Blue Collar Man.” DeYoung insisted that “Babe” be included on “Cornerstone”. Young recalled giving in to Dennis because of Styx’s earlier success with “Lady”. He added, “he’s the one who brought us to the next level, so I went along with it.”
DeYoung’s instincts were right. “Babe” became the band’s biggest hit song and “Cornerstone” became their third multi-platinum selling album in a row. During the days of the band’s biggest successes, these types of disagreements were common. Unfortunately, they would eventually lead to Shaw leaving the band for 12 years and then a legal dispute for control of the name “Styx”.
Shaw and Young vs. DeYoung had been going on for a long time. This set the stage for a strong bond between the Shaw and Young dating back to the 70′s.
Their friendship was embedded through out their interview with AFN. When Young was asked if he believed he’s an under-appreciated guitar player in the annuls of American rock history, he talked more about Shaw’s abilities than his own.
The mutual respect they have for each other also shines through in their live shows. As I watch the other members of Styx come back on stage when “Crystal Ball” picks up, I’m watching Shaw and Young in particular. They look like they’re having the time of their lives. Musically, they’re as sharp as ever. If they’ve lost something over the years, my ears couldn’t tell. Young will be 60 this year and Shaw will be 57. I would’ve never guessed even when sitting with them in the same room.
As they perform the closing notes to “Crystal Ball,” I see two guys who have arrived at a very nice place in their lives and, more importantly, fully appreciate being here. At that moment, I decide “Crystal Ball” is my new favorite song.
(Radio Recon featuring Styx airs on AFN Classic Rock, Saturday and Sunday at 1pm Pacific Time.)
