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 can still be heard on classic rock radio today due to the strong vocals of
Brad Delp and the unique guitar sound of Tom Scholz. 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 '70s. [
Boston was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Vik Iyengar