Boston's S/T debut album

Can't remember if I posted this before but my best friend worked at a local Pay 'n Save in 1976-77 when Boston topped the charts and was all the rage. Foreplay / Long Time was on the intercom in the back storage or shipping room. It was late at night and he thought he was alone. Hes in perfect air guitar on top of a large crate and when the song explodes into 'Long Time' he executes a perfectly timed jump and hits the floor in perfect arena rock pose, with 'guitar' held high.....just in time to see his boss and several employees - including the girl he wanted to ask out - watching him with huge grins. They break out into applause. That moment was seared into his dna.

 

You answered your own question, you don't know why!

 

Best not sure. There is an oddball super rare Japan manufacture that some I think claim to be great. But i'm a sucker for those old DADC's and those Japan's are quite out of my reach

 

Get it. You can’t regret it. It’s not possible.

 

Pretty good pick. As much as I love that one, Boston is superior.

 

Something About You is a monster rock tune. Almost tied for last here. cmon Boston fans. Listen to Live in Long Beach. It's one of the few tunes here that might survive in any genre.

 

Well, deciding which is better is purely subjective. There are a bunch of 1976 debuts that I like better than Boston but I went with the most iconic of the bunch. I'd could also make a pretty good argument for The Modern Lovers' debut, though it was recorded five years earlier.

 

Agree.. But, in all honesty here my friend the Thread Title says it all to the context and who is going to be on here,right? It's not titled "Is BOSTON's S/T The Best Release Of 1976?" or " Name Your Favorite 1976 releases"Then,I would say your picks have some weight/validity in that context of a thread,right? I have my own picks too. But, this is really not where I would insert those if that makes sense?

 

Agreed, which is why I can't take offense when I get push back. I sort of expect that in a thread like this.

 

Gotcha.

 

My 3 Favorites are
"More Than a Feeling" (While overplayed it still is an all-time classic, 'nuff said)
"Foreplay/Long Time" (Boston does Prog, awesome vocals, great arrangement another classic)
"Hitch a Ride" (as melodic as it gets, more awesome Brad vocals, and EPIC guitar guitar soloing at the end)

On another note-I did see them live in '87 after Third stage was released-perfectly average show-nothing really of note. My biggest memory of that show was that it was one of like 9 or 10 shows at the same venue during like a 2 week run in Worcester Ma as they kept selling out and adding shows-it was crazy.

 

The Wally mastered original LP is a treasure.

 

This album is one of those weird ones for me, in that, when I hear one of its songs come on the local Classic Rock station, I'm like "Ugh, this song? Play something else". But when I sit and listen to the whole album, I'm like "Man, all of these songs rock! What a great album!"

 

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ditto. especially when it's my old wally mastered LP. man that thing explodes out of my speakers.

 

Anyone seen the blue or red Kevin Grey ( Friday music ) vinyl out yet ? It was supposed to be out in May. I haven't seen it yet.

 

Because a lot of it really isn't very good, or even tasteful.

Pink Floyd, Queen, and Neil Young are examples of classic rock that have held up well. Styx and Journey, not so much.

I'm not a fan of the genre in general, but I do like the first Boston album. The production is over-the-top in that crazy '70s way, but it's such a fun album to listen to.

My first ever concert, in late 1978, was Boston - in Boston! How neat is that?

 

That is pretty cool for sure! Curious here...are they Native /Local/ Transplants in relation to Boston? An example, the artist Jewel when she hit it big was touted as San Diego's own by the DJs on the radio stations as I recall. But,I had a friend who used to jam with her in Leucadia(now the Encinitas area)when she was living out of her (I think) VW van as she had made the drive from Alaska (I believe her home state) to make it in California playing coffee shops and such way before her got "Big".Point ,she's not from S.D. But, that didn't stop the S.D. PR machine from taking some sort of credit/claim of her and her success if that makes sense? Hence my thoughts about the members of Boston and are they even from Boston to begin with?This just dawned on me as I read your post

 

Yes, their first album was recorded in Tom Sholtz' basement in Watertown, which is very close to the city of Boston, and they were all from the area.

 

Tasteful? Who determines what is tasteful and what is not?

Sure, there is some classic rock that hasn't aged well, but the sheer volume of classic rock songs (late 60's through early 80's), meaning songs that managed to sustain FM radio air play for a long time, is staggering. Even if you say 25% of them suck now or haven't aged well, that is still a tremendous number of songs. I could probably make a list of 1,000 songs that just about anyone who has listened to classic rock radio would know. 1,000 songs might even be selling it way short.

 

No need to get your back up, I was merely offering my opinion. I like a lot of stuff that others may dislike, and that's fine too.

 

I had the same experience a year or two earlier. The cassette track order kind of worked for me. Foreplay/Long Time was a great closer ... until I got the Cd!

 

Delp lacked real personality as a great vocalist but...

What he lacked the band more than made up for

More Than A Feeling is one of rocks greatest singles

Side 1 is a perfectly executed side of AOR bliss

In 1976 Boston hit with the same power of Hendrix & the Doors a decade earlier

The premise was Hendrix but came out as white as the Beach Boys

The follow up was even better....

AOR began with Pink Floyd DSOTM but pinnacled with Boston & F.Mac Rumours

Side 1 of Boston & all of Don't Look Back are still fun listens 40+ yrs later

I chose all of side one;

More Than A Feeing
Peace Of Mind
Foreplay-Long Time

 

Cool .I like that. So, Boston playing in Boston must of been one heck of a show to have seen then !

Being from the San Diego area there are a lot of Musician/Artist/Actors who move here get successful (or already are) and get (IMO )paraded like the Life long Local Celebrities of the town.Bugs me sometimes as I remember before they showed up in town.

 

Can’t think of too many solos ever better than the end of Hitch a Ride....

 

To me that "Classic Rock" can be up to one's own interpretation/personal tastes/preferences ? In the mainstream definition of "Classic Rock" ?I feel includes a bit of "Eh..." "Classic Rock" Early catalogue to this is stronger IMHO than the latter (or end capping )era if that makes sense? Classic Rock to me morphed into Area Rock at some point and things were compromised is the nicest way I can put it from MPOV.Classic Rock was the beginning of the commercialization of the genera and Area Rock was the epitome of the that. We all like what we like and I don't want to step on toes here. Just my opinions with a cup of coffee here(well 2nd cup actually) everyone has a period within "Classic Rock" were it was a perfect balance of Rock music & commercial air playable songs. Boston's debut was ground zero perfection in that sense to me