Former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung has revealed the track listing and artwork for his final album, 26 East: Volume 2.
The opening song is called “Hello Goodbye,” yet DeYoung insists it’s not a cover of the famous Beatles song – though it was inspired by the Fab Four.
“I read an article about Pink Floyd recording at Abbey Road the same time as the Beatles. They met the lads and told them that there would be no Floyd without them. Yet Floyd‘s music is nothing like the Beatles and neither was Styx’s,” DeYoung explained in a Facebook post. “’Hello Goodbye’ as I have previously mentioned is not a remake it’s all brand new…sorta. It’s a tribute to the lads who sent me down this long and winding road that led me to youse guys.”
The first single from Volume 2 will be “Isle of Misanthrope,” a track DeYoung claims captures the “grand ‘70s Styx tradition.” “This tune hopefully will transport you back to a time and place of your choosing (hopefully in front of your computer ordering the album),” the rocker declared. “Prog noggins this ones for you as I bid farewell.”
The singer also noted that “Isle of Misanthrope” will be released on April 7 and that its corresponding music video will be “really something different and mystical.”
Volume 2 follows Volume 1, which came out last May. Originally conceptualized as one album, 26 East was split into two editions at the suggestion of DeYoung’s label. “There were so many songs written that Serafino Perugino, CEO of (record label) Frontiers, suggested dividing it into two albums,” the rocker explained around the time of Volume 1’s release.
During a January 2021 conversation with UCR, DeYoung admitted his excitement for Volume 2. “It’s gonna be cool. I’m glad I did it. They’re good songs, and that’s it! I’ve got a nice batch, and they’re eclectic.”
Dennis DeYoung, ’26 East: Volume 2′ Track Listing
1. “Hello Goodbye”
2. “Land of the Living”
3. “The Last Guitar Hero”
4. “Your Saving Grace”
5. “Proof of Heaven”
6. “Made for Each Other”
7. “There’s No Turning Back Time”
8. “St. Quarantine”
9. “So Little Did We Know”
10. “Always Time”
11. “Isle of Misanthrope”
12. “GIF”