from Metal Muscle - Faces Rocks
September 1985

J.Y. - Styx guitarist gets slick-er

by Lisa Lampugnale
If there was ever any doubt who the boss was in Styx, no such question was uttered during the writing and recording of JY's debut solo effort. While the '70s supergroup was crowded with writers and musicians anxious to be heard and recognized - Tommy Shaw, Dennis DeYoung and JY (a.k.a. James Young) - JY is now firmly on his own. With a little help from instrumental wiz Jan Hammer, that is.
On his debut LP, City Slicker, Young plays all the guitars, sings all lead and most background vocals, and wrote the bulk of the material. The Styx guitarist did, however, get some noticeable aid from Hammer who helped out on keyboards and drums. You mean you didn't know Hammer, who most recently hit with his "Miami Vice" theme, plays drums? Well, neither did JY. But that's just one of the surprises you get when a guy like Jan Hammer signs up to co-produce your album.
"The idea was to record an album of uncompromising, dynamic, urban rock'n'roll," JY enthuses during our 9 a.m. interview a few weeks before the LP's release. "Urban" maybe - hence the album title - but "dynamic" may have to wait until JY's next effort. While City Slicker is mildly entertaining rock'n'roll, it's standard fare - the kind of stuff that makes good background music in a crowded bar. But I don't dare tell JY that. He's much too enamoured with City Slicker to hear that the album deserves no more than a C. "But," I think to myself, "just wait 'til next time."
FACES: City Slicker should be released in a couple of weeks. How do you feel about it now that it's complete?
JY: I'm very satisfied with it. I feel very strongly about it. I'm pleased it's being distributed by Jem/Passport Records. They deal with a lot of artists who are a bit off-center, and I've been told for a long time that I'm a little off-center (laughs).
FACES: It's been more than two years since Styx toured as a unit. What have you been doing in that time period?
JY: Yeah, Styx ended its last tour in October of '83. Then we all spent a couple of months in the studio remixing a live show. Then I took a little time off. I didn't want to just jump right in and start work on my own album. I took my time. I wanted to give it a lot of thought.
FACES: When was the LP actually recorded?
JY: From February '84 to July. We recorded in Jan's studio in Connecticut and in a studio near my home in Chicago. After we finished it, I lived with it for a while and, in the middle of '85, we played it for some major labels here and there.
FACES: Were any of the majors interested?
JY: I think they expected something a little different out of me. They liked it but...
FACES: What do you think they expected?
JY: I'm not honestly sure what they expected. Each label had their own image of what the next step in my music should be. My stuff is more Van Halen/ ZZ Top- oriented. It's hard-edged, and I think a lot of labels expected more hit singley-type of stuff out of me. But that's never been my inclination.
FACES: Were you discouraged by their attitudes?
JY: No. I said, "Hey, I believe in this. I've been in a group where I was a compromising team member, and now I really want to do my own thing. Here it is, guys. If you don't like it, I'm outta here."
FACES: You use the word "compromising" when talking about Styx. What was your creative input to the band?
JY: In terms of songs like "Miss America" and "Snowblind", I had a lot of input. Those were my songs. I helped in arranging and playing, but my contributions were bigger in the production end. This album reflects me more.
FACES: When you decided to do a solo album, did you know exactly what you wanted it to sound like?
JY: I love thunderous rock'n'roll. I also love lyrics that are a little clever and witty. In Styx, we'd done so much serious work. I feel that music is meant to be a diversion from the seriousness and vagaries of everyday existence. I basically wanted to have a little fun.
FACES: So this LP is definitely heavier than Styx's music?
JY: Oh, yeah. My idol was Jimi Hendrix. I saw him play five times and he really changed things around in my life. I was very young and impressionable. I've always liked hard rock'n'roll, you know, guitar-dominated. I think that, in terms of this album, we needed that kind of dynamics. In Styx, the other guys liked lighter things than I did.
FACES: From what you've been saying, it sounds like the other members of Styx won in their quest to play "lighter" material. Was it a very democratic band?
JY: Initially, there was a lot of freedom. But when the public begins to think of you in a certain way, you have to follow that up. You can't be as flexible and as open or try everything you want to. You're afraid you might alienate the fans. Now that I'm on my own, I will do what I want to do. I don't worry about what other people think.
FACES: What is the story with Styx? Were you happy in the band?
JY: In Styx, there were five musicians who wanted to be heard. Here, it's great because I don't have anyone else saying, "Am I audible?"
FACES: Were there ego problems in the band?
JY: Considering how many creative people we had and how many different opinions there were, it went pretty well. Let's just say there was never any shortage of opinions. But we sold 20 million albums.
FACES: So has Styx officially broken up?
JY: I feel we will work together in some way, shape or form. We just needed to go and make records with other people. We're not officially broke up, and there are incentives out there for us to get together again. It's a friendly situation though. Familiarity breeds a lot of things.