by Chris Castro

What is one supposed to do after he has hit it big with Styx, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees, written songs for the likes of Aerosmith and Cher, released a successful collaboration CD, and toured the globe more times than most artists check in and out of rehab? If you are Tommy Shaw of Styx or Jack Blades of Night Ranger, you record Influences, an 11-track tribute album to the artists you loved when you were young.

Shaw-Blades released their debut album, Hallucination, in 1995. Yin to the yang of the hard rock acts Styx, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees, the album was rooted in acoustic guitars, chiming keyboards and moving vocal harmonies. After 12 years of writing, touring and recording, the duo decided to record an album manifested not from their experiences, but the inspiration. Spanning 11 tracks, Influences shifts the classics from the '60's and '70's into a contemporary perspective, masterfully fitted with nothing but acoustic guitars, drums and the occasional keyboard.

Some tracks remain faithful to the originals, such as the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Sounds of Silence," while others, like the folk anthem "I Am a Rock" are brought into a new light under modern rock transformation. While the musical presentation may be altered, lyrics are left unchanced, yet still transcend boundaries of time. The anti-war sentiments of Buffalo Springfield's potest-inspiring "For What it's Worth" resound heavily within the ears of a generation born into war nearly 40 years later.

Shaw-Blades will be performing at House of Blues in Atlantic City on March 17 and at B.B.King Blues Club in NYC on March 21. For more information, check out shawblades.com.