Old guys, what was BOSTON when they came on the scene?

[Britishampfan]

I was just checking out some live footage, its pretty great, nice gear too. From the gear it looks like people that hang out here. LOL

I`ll have to add that album on iTunes, thanks for the rekindled memories gear page.

 

[JWDubois]

I remember the first time I heard Smokin' on the radio. Nothing but disco at the time and this comes out of nowhere. Blew me away.

 

[RupertB]

There was the sound of recorded rock guitar pre Boston and the sound of recorded rock guitar post Boston. Tom Stoltz changed the sound of guitar with the first Boston album without a doubt and if I remember correctly he did it in a budget studio in his cellar.

This... twice. Except for Let Me Take You Home Tonight.

"[Producer John] Boylan developed an elaborate ruse that involved flying the rest of the band to Los Angeles, where they were working on non-Scholz material, such as “Let Me Take You Home Tonight,” while Scholz remained in his basement, safe from Epic’s accountants. Boylan says he paid for the equipment rentals for Scholz himself to avoid tipping off Epic’s auditors.

That spring, Boylan returned to Boston to hear the tracks, on which Scholz had recut drums and other percussion and keyboard parts. Boylan then hired a remote truck in Providence, RI, and had it come to Watertown, where it ran a snake through the basement window of Scholz’s home to transfer his tracks to a 3M-79 2-inch 24-track deck, going from 15 ips on the one-inch 112-track tape to 30 ips on the 3M multitrack. The tapes were taken to Los Angeles, where Boylan, Scholz and Delp settled in for vocals."

https://www.mixonline.com/recording/classic-tracks-bostons-more-feeling-374326

And yes, their eponymous album was a game-changer regarding production on rock albums.
The irony of their being labeled 'Corporate Rock' can't be overstated.

 

[jtees4]

Boston, Kansas, Foreigner, Heart, Styx, Toto, REO Speedwagon, Journey, and Survivor fit that mold. Guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and wailing tenor vocalist. The genre came to be known as 'corporate rock'.
+++++

man, wish those corporations would make a come back...

I agree completely, but I'd add....;Boston still sounds GREAT. I can and do listen to thei first album and every song is good to great, just doesn't get old for me. I like the others you mentioned also, but Boston has stood the test of time better IMHO.

 

[willyboy]

The first Boston album is essentially three people, Tom Scholz, Brad Delp and Sib Hashian. It was in reality somewhat close to a producer/composer/musician working with a vocalist record. Sort of like most artist's releases now. Today this would likely have been a solo Brad Delp album with tons of credits to Tom Scholz for production, writing, etc, with Sib Hashian credited for drums. The fake band thing always made Boston seem fake. And, for some reason, Brad Delp never fully got the credit he deserved. Yes, Tom Scholz wrote some good songs and produced them to the limit but Brad Delp's voice carried that record as far as it being a classic. Using the Keith Richards method of assessing talent, just ask yourself what has Tom Scholz done without Brad Delp. Not anything that great would be my answer.

First off Boston is not a fake band, no matter how you want to spin that and try to devalue what Scholz has done. I get what you're attempting to say but lets put some things in perspective in terms of Tom's 'success'.

Yes what has Tom done without Brad......hmmmmmm......

Studied classical piano
BA and MA in Mechanical Engineering
Senior product design engineer for Polaroid
Designed and built the studio, and at least some of the recording gear, where the Boston albums were recorded
Founder and inventor of products for Scholz Research and Development
Philanthropist, founder of DTS Charitable Foundation

Everyone has there own path in the music business. Just because it doesn't fit yours or Keith Richards' idea of success or supposedly assessing talent is irrelevant. Regardless what you may think of him, the facts are Tom is extremely smart, talented, successful and can count more successes in more careers than many can.

 

[leftygeetar]

Precise recordings but states are greater than cities so get a Kansas album.

 

[ClickClack]

.... I had a friend who owned the album and said "someone told me they might actually be the Beatles recording under another name"?

Oh, please....

 

[MojoHand]

Pretty mind-blowing at the time. They emerged fully formed. There was no obscure first album or cult following. Just bam! A hard rocking band with a really polished sound that came out of nowhere. They were very unique and didn't really sound like anyone else. The tunes were maybe a little bit too catchy and pop sounding, but the guitar playing and overall rock ethos was legit. I remember kind of not wanting to like them because they seemed a little slick; like something a record company had packaged. But it was the origin story of a guy basically creating this amazing rock album all by himself (at a time when quality home recording was unheard of) that earned my respect.

 

[DRS]

Didn't Goudreau have to teach Scholtz how to play guitar before they could tour?

 

[PhuzzphayzZ]

HIGH SCHOOL LUNCHROOM FACT:

Boston knocked Kiss off the 'Greatest Band in the World' pedestal. Kiss had just released their Solo albums; Boston reaped the benefits.

 

[Blooby]

The back story on the first album is cool. If memory serves, basically home recorded while Tom Scholz worked at Polaroid. The guitar tones were way ahead of their time, or at least I hadn't heard anything like that. It is brilliantly engineered. Hell, the way Bard Delp's voice morphs perfectly into guitar feedback in "More Than a Feeling" is worth the price of admission alone.

I can't remember the last time I actively put on one of their albums (I should to put some fun back in my listening) but much respect.

 

[toasterdude]

First time you heard them was a holy crap moment. They did not sound like anything else at the time. I remember cleay where I was. Cutting through gas station to get into sunrise mall parking lot. Mall parking lot seems appropriate all these years later.

 

[Norm N Playin]

I do remember the prettiest girls in my Art classes all liked Boston. ...especially that older blond girl with emerald green eyes and that incredible ...pair ...of blue jeans.
...Heck ALL the girls in ALL my classes really liked them.
So I learned how to play More than a Feeling, and Hitch a Ride ... and... well... yeah, Boston was great.

The older girl with the green eyes... I'm pretty sure her jock-boyfriend liked Boston too.

 

[guitarjazz]

Boston, Kansas, Foreigner, Heart, Styx, Toto, REO Speedwagon, Journey, and Survivor fit that mold. Guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and wailing tenor vocalist. The genre came to be known as 'corporate rock'. The music was more polished than that of the first half of the 1970s.

I saw Styx and REO several times in the first half of the 70’s.

 

[John Hurtt]

I bought one too. I think I may have found it when I was packing the family home for sale. Can't remember if I kept it or threw it away. *I think it had battery damage so it is likely it's gone* I threw away a lot of portable electronic gear for that reason.

I still have my X100, I had issues after unpacking it about ten years ago. I contacted Dunlop (I think they own the Rockman stuff now) and they reworked it for free.

 

[Victor R]

Reminds me of my first day of high school. All my friends hanging by their cars blasting music. It was a glorious time to be young and alive.

 

[John Hurtt]

Didn't Goudreau have to teach Scholtz how to play guitar before they could tour?

No...Scholz played almost all the guitar on the first album. He did say in interviews later that he was right at the edge of his guitar playing ability on that 1st album.

 

[Dasein]

I still have my X100, I had issues after unpacking it about ten years ago. I contacted Dunlop (I think they own the Rockman stuff now) and they reworked it for free.

I had to solder new (amp) chips on mine.

 

[John Hurtt]

Legit rock band. Cool sound. They fizzled when they didn't tour much or follow up the first album.

They've sold seven million copies of that second album...Third Stage (3rd album) went to #1 on the charts with a #1 single with "Amanda".

 

[Dasein]

They've sold seven million copies of that second album...Third Stage (3rd album) went to #1 on the charts with a #1 single with "Amanda".

I saw them twice on the 3rd stage tour -- it was Awesome.... and seeing & hearing Brad sing live was a musical treat beyond words... it was hard to believe that there he was! The band was tight - and LOUD - Tom had a decibel meter on stage that they had some fun with. 3rd Stage was a fantastic album for its time and in some ways more satisfying that the wait for Hysteria. And they did tour the hell out of it. Super fond memories of those shows -- and the crazy thing is Tom is still wearing the same clothes today.