one of my favorite albums, many a friend or acquaintance has blasted me for their perception of Boston as commercial fodder. I always thought Tom Sholtze one of the underrated greats on the guitar. I do tend to like music where the vocals are strong and clearly spoken.
That album marked the end of the straight up rock era and laid the foundations for a much more refined recording and mixing process for years to come. Scholz used a wall of sound concept very similar to Phil Spectre.
There are concepts of how lead guitar is voiced and recorded that are now standard issue for most artists. The over dubbing of vocals gave the lyrics and Brad Delp's vocals more emphasis and in the process added another 'instrument' to the band.
Their first album was their best and took a very long time to produce which gave the follow up albums a much higher level of quality to attain to meet the expectations of the fans and record companies.
These days we are buried with synth music with digital recording and mixing which can emulate the wall of sound but because the original was organic and analog, the new stuff lacks the warmth and comfortable feel of that Boston album.
I would say as far as this album is concerned that it created a bench mark that everything since has had to be measured by.
"Boston" is not only the only rock album in history in which every track was released as a single, but still has every one of those singles still in rotation on “classic rock” stations today, forty years later. (Shout out to KQRS in Minneapolis, MM.)
First time I heard this was in as a 15yr old in 1983 on a German exchange. My hosts had the album, and I was enthralled. I started listening to Tommy Vance on The Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio 1 on Friday nights 10 pm to midnight. All the great stuff that never made it onto the bubblegum and britpop of 1980s radio in UK. They didn't even play classic UK bands on mainstream UK radio either.
Straight up, that album blew me away when I heard it. $2.50 in the PX. Played it twice, once to check it, then once to put to tape (reel-to-reel). Still have it.
Scholz, extremely talented engineer and I remember having one of the first Rockman boxes he came out with. Battery driven, clipped on the belt, variety of his signature sounds available. But he didn't stop there. When I was freelancing for a few variety bands I kept it in the case with some cords, just ran its output to an impedance matching box and then to the PA. More than once someone came up & said, "How the hell do you get that out of a Strat?" Then I had to show them the box and say, "remember Boston...?"
That album was a tectonic shift in the recording industry plates.
Great song! Great times jamming it out on the radio and cassette of my old Oldsmobile Cutlass in 80's. Great summer, cruising, and highway, music. Never gets old.
By “breakdown of Brad Delp's isolated vocal, and Tom Scholz blending it into the screaming guitar note.” do you mean Rick Beato’s “What makes this song great” video?
boston released that album and right after that eagles hotel california with joe walsh. 2 incredible albums within about 60 days. i was a senior in high school and and truly grew up in the rock and roll age. that music from my childhood up into the 80's is still kickin. funny i came home friday from work and put on that boston through a 100 watt nad amp 4 psb platinum monitors and 2 psb 6i subs, turned it up to -8 and blew my mind away. clear as a bell and loud as a live concert.
One of the best albums of all times.
ReplyDeletean M.I.T. band!
ReplyDeleteone of my favorite albums, many a friend or acquaintance has blasted me for their perception of Boston as commercial fodder. I always thought Tom Sholtze one of the underrated greats on the guitar.
ReplyDeleteI do tend to like music where the vocals are strong and clearly spoken.
That album marked the end of the straight up rock era and laid the foundations for a much more refined recording and mixing process for years to come. Scholz used a wall of sound concept very similar to Phil Spectre.
ReplyDeleteThere are concepts of how lead guitar is voiced and recorded that are now standard issue for most artists. The over dubbing of vocals gave the lyrics and Brad Delp's vocals more emphasis and in the process added another 'instrument' to the band.
Their first album was their best and took a very long time to produce which gave the follow up albums a much higher level of quality to attain to meet the expectations of the fans and record companies.
These days we are buried with synth music with digital recording and mixing which can emulate the wall of sound but because the original was organic and analog, the new stuff lacks the warmth and comfortable feel of that Boston album.
I would say as far as this album is concerned that it created a bench mark that everything since has had to be measured by.
Too bad Brad Delp took his own life. This is one of my favorite albums ever.
ReplyDelete"Boston" is not only the only rock album in history in which every track was released as a single, but still has every one of those singles still in rotation on “classic rock” stations today, forty years later. (Shout out to KQRS in Minneapolis, MM.)
ReplyDeleteIt was the apex of the art-form.
Did not know every cut released. Thanks.
DeleteBoston, Styx, Kansas
ReplyDeleteSoundtrack of my late high school days.
This was after my "time" of enjoy-ability of rock music. I will leave it to you younger lads. I found this, and others of that same generational genre (mostly past 1972), to be passé and formulaic.
ReplyDeleteFirst time I heard this was in as a 15yr old in 1983 on a German exchange. My hosts had the album, and I was enthralled. I started listening to Tommy Vance on The Friday Rock Show on BBC Radio 1 on Friday nights 10 pm to midnight. All the great stuff that never made it onto the bubblegum and britpop of 1980s radio in UK. They didn't even play classic UK bands on mainstream UK radio either.
ReplyDeleteStraight up, that album blew me away when I heard it. $2.50 in the PX. Played it twice, once to check it, then once to put to tape (reel-to-reel). Still have it.
ReplyDeleteScholz, extremely talented engineer and I remember having one of the first Rockman boxes he came out with. Battery driven, clipped on the belt, variety of his signature sounds available. But he didn't stop there. When I was freelancing for a few variety bands I kept it in the case with some cords, just ran its output to an impedance matching box and then to the PA. More than once someone came up & said, "How the hell do you get that out of a Strat?" Then I had to show them the box and say, "remember Boston...?"
That album was a tectonic shift in the recording industry plates.
Great song!
ReplyDeleteGreat times jamming it out on the radio and cassette of my old Oldsmobile Cutlass in 80's.
Great summer, cruising, and highway, music.
Never gets old.
Blew up the speakers at the high school playing that one for a dance.
ReplyDeleteTeachers didn't seem to mind. Had new Klipsch monsters the next dance.
ROCK N ROLL!
ReplyDeleteBy “breakdown of Brad Delp's isolated vocal, and Tom Scholz blending it into the screaming guitar note.” do you mean Rick Beato’s “What makes this song great” video?
ReplyDeleteboston released that album and right after that eagles hotel california with joe walsh. 2 incredible albums within about 60 days. i was a senior in high school and and truly grew up in the rock and roll age. that music from my childhood up into the 80's is still kickin. funny i came home friday from work and put on that boston through a 100 watt nad amp 4 psb platinum monitors and 2 psb 6i subs, turned it up to -8 and blew my mind away. clear as a bell and loud as a live concert.
ReplyDeleteTom Scholz is a very interesting fellow, Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Scholz