Boston

by Boston, Barry Goudreau

Overview

Sometimes an album manages to transcend itself as musical product and become an element of pop culture. During the time of its 1976 release, Boston's debut album was as much a part of America's high schools as the most popular cheerleader. Boston was one of the bands that reveled in the excess of the late '70s and, fortunately, the result was stellar music. No tune on this album failed to receive airplay and enjoy tremendous popularity; it is no wonder that the album sold eight million copies. Boston, the brain child of M.I.T. graduate Tom Scholz, managed to achieve a totally unique sound, in part due to Scholz's invention of the Rockman, an amplification system for guitars that would forever be known as the Boston sound. This driving, omnipresent guitar sound, combined with Scholz's creative use of organ, Brad Delp's searing, over the top vocals, and an incredibly polished production all make this album an aural treat and an important part of the annals of rock music. The tunes range from enjoyable party rockers like "Smokin' " and poignant pleas of love like "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" to the album's magnum opus "Foreplay/Long Time" --an extended piece which begins with classical-like fury and then builds into a rock anthem. And who could forget "More Than a Feeling", the album's biggest hit ?

Product Details

Release Date:	06/13/2006
Label:	Sony
UPC:	0696998632226
catalogNumber:	86322
Rank:	1241

Tracks

1. More Than a Feeling
2. Peace of Mind
3. Foreplay/Long Time
4. Rock & Roll Band
5. Smokin'
6. Hitch a Ride
7. Something About You
8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Boston   Primary Artist
Barry Goudreau   Guitar,Percussion,Electric Guitar,Rhythm Guitar
Brad Delp   Acoustic Guitar,Percussion,Rhythm Guitar,Vocals,12-string Guitar,Guitar (12 String Acoustic),Vocal Harmony
Jim Masdea   Drums
Fran Sheehan   Bass,Percussion,Bass Guitar
Sib Hashian   Percussion,Drums
Tom Scholz   Organ,Acoustic Guitar,Bass,Percussion,Bass Guitar,Electric Guitar,Rhythm Guitar,Keyboards,Clavinet

Technical Credits

John Boylan   Producer
Brad Delp   Arranger,Composer
Warren Dewey   Engineer
Paul Grupp   Engineer
Amy Herot   Producer,Reissue Producer
Jim Masdea   Arranger
Joel Zimmerman   Reissue Design
Roger Huyssen   Illustrations,Cover Illustration
Paul Ahern   Direction
Stephen Saper   Engineer,Authoring
Jeff Albertson   Original Photography
Kim Hart   Artwork
Charles McKenzie   Direction
Tom Scholz   Arranger,Composer,Special Effects,Producer,Engineer,Liner Notes,Artwork

Editorial Reviews

Boston is one of the best-selling albums of all time, and deservedly so. Because of the rise of disco and punk, FM rock radio seemed all but dead until the rise of acts like Boston, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen. Nearly every song on Boston's debut album could still be heard on classic rock radio decades later due to the strong vocals of Brad Delp and unique guitar sound of Tom Scholz. Tom Scholz, who wrote most of the songs, was a studio wizard and used self-designed equipment such as 12-track recording devices to come up with an anthemic "arena rock" sound before the term was even coined. The sound was hard rock, but the layered melodies and harmonics reveal the work of a master craftsman. While much has been written about the sound of the album, the lyrics are often overlooked. There are songs about their rise from a bar band ("Rock and Roll Band") as well as fond remembrances of summers gone by ("More Than a Feeling"). Boston is essential for any fan of classic rock, and the album marks the re-emergence of the genre in the 1970s.

All Music Guide - Vik Iyengar