Influence (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Tommy Shaw (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion); Jack Blades (vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion); Michael Lardie (keyboards); Brian Tischy, Kelly Keagy, Ben Krames (drums); Randy Mitchell (loops); Colin Blades (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Jack Blades (electric bass); Colin Blades (background vocals); Brian Tischy, Kelly Keagy, Michael Lardie, Tommy Shaw, Randy Mitchell, Ben Krames.

Audio Mixers: Michael Lardie; Noel Golden.

Recording information: Jack's Barn (Cock And Bottle Studio), Sonoma County, CA; Tommy's House, Los Angeles, CA.

Photographers: Tommy Shaw; Scott Rosen; Jennifer Starr.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Erik Luftglass; Mike Garvey; Jeff Yapp; Eric Sherman; Paul DeGooyer.

On their second collaboration outside of Damn Yankees (the first being 1995's HALLUCINATION), guitarist Tommy Shaw (Styx) and vocalist/bassist Jack Blades (Night Ranger) offer up an all-covers set of tunes from the '60s and '70s. While the duo hews closely to the original songs on some tracks (see the straightforward version of the Zombies' "Time of the Season"), Shaw and Blades get more adventurous on other numbers, particularly the amped-up take on Simon & Garfunkel's "I Am a Rock," making for an enjoyable collection of rock chestnuts aimed at an older hair-metal crowd. minimize