ArticlesAlbum Reviews
Enjoy!
In 1976, a garage band called Boston released their debut album, self-titled Boston. In what is now classic rock history, it took the charts and the world by storm, going to number one and becoming the best selling album of all time, a title which was held for many years.
Read more: CD Review: Boston - Boston and Don't Look Back Remastered
Out on Tuesday, June 13th, are new editions of the first two Boston albums -- their self-titled debut from 1976 and its follow-up, 1978's Don't Look Back. They were overseen by group leader Tom Scholz, who jumped in after the label planned to release what he thought were sub-standard versions. Scholz told us that he worked tirelessly alongside a favorite engineer to get the updated CDs where he wanted them sonically: "We worked 12-plus-hour days, eight days straight, and literally went over every second, every beat, of all of the songs on the first two albums -- inch-by-inch, millisecond-by-millisecond. Made just thousands of small adjustments to make the mix into what it would have been if I had had modern do-dads back in the '70s."
The record company originally had someone else remaster the albums, and there were also some live bonus tracks included. When he heard what was happening, Scholz cancelled a birthday vacation to the Florida Keys back in March so he could take care of things himself.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
CD Review: Boston, Don’t Look Back
Epic/Legacy
By David Chiu
Bob Dylan might have released an album with the title “The Basement Tapes,” but if he hadn’t, it would have been the perfect moniker for Boston’s 1976 multiplatinum debut album. The songs that would make up Boston and usher in arena (or if you want to be cynical, corporate) rock— were recorded 30 years ago in founder/guitarist Tom Scholz’s basement; the assembling the rest of the guys seemed like an afterthought. Scholz might have languished and labored in obscurity recording the songs in his basement but the hard work and ingenuity paid off: the symphony of guitars and pristine production forged a distinct sound with enough and frequent melodic hooks to ensure a good ol’ time for the young and faithful.
New CD and Music DVD Releases
Fresh spins for the week of June 13
By CD World Staff
Boston: Self Titled, Don't Look Back
Remastered from original masters and will also come with new 12-page booklet that contains new photos, new liner notes, and other goodies. This set is packaged in a digipak. Don't Look Back is the second album by American rock band Boston, released in 1978. 'Don't Look Back' the single, was one of their biggest hits, reaching #4 in 1978 on the Billboard Hot 100. It features yet another memorable guitar riff intro from underrated guitar mastermind and founder of the band, Tom Scholz.
Boston (1976, Epic/Legacy, 37:46). The debut album, which sold an astounding 17 million-plus copies, was basically Tom Scholz working in his basement and Brad Delp then adding all the vocal parts. The classic album opens with the classic single, "More Than a Feeling", pure power guitar pop. The rest of the album goes from the symphonic opening of "Foreplay/Long Time" to the basic rock of "Rock & Roll Band" and the spirited closer "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", which nears gospel shouter. While remastered, both this and "Don't Look Back" do not feature any bonus material. A
Don't Look Back (1978, Epic/Legacy, 33:54). The follow-up album was a consolidation of the band's sound. Yes, Scholz was repeating himself, but it worked on the title hit, with another huge guitar riff, and the soaring "It's Easy". There also is the ballad "The Journey" and the basic rocker "Party". In his notes, Scholz says the album should have been one song longer, but there are no additional recordings. B+
by Tom Von Malder
The Courier Gazette
Sound and Vision magazine's Vice President/Editor in Chief Mike Mettler recently did an interview with Tom as well. He states, "You've never heard Boston and Don't Look Back like this before. These remasters show just how far ahead of his time Tom Scholz was (and still is) -- they're two of the best-sounding CDs I've ever listened to. Run, don't walk (and don't look back!), and go buy these two classic discs immediately. Your ears will be glad you did.
I spent about 50 minutes alone just on 'More Than a Feeling.' What a difference! The bass on the intro is indeed much fuller. Brad's vocals are also much fuller, and even wider in scope. On previous CD versions, it's almost like he's singing through water. The difference is quite noticeable when he sings 'away' at the 0:40 mark, and especially 'away - hey' @2:26. The drums are punchier (you can feel the kick right in the gut), and cymbal and stickwork are crisper.In general, Brad's vocals are a revelation throughout both albums, making me feel like he was singing right in front of me. "A live interview with Tom will be broadcast in the future at soundandvisionmag.com in the near future. Check the site for further information.
Out on Tuesday, June 13th, are new editions of the first two Boston albums -- their self-titled debut from 1976 and its follow-up, 1978's Don't Look Back. They were overseen by group leader Tom Scholz, who jumped in after the label planned to release what he thought were sub-standard versions. Scholz told us that he worked tirelessly alongside a favorite engineer to get the updated CDs where he wanted them sonically: "We worked 12-plus-hour days, eight days straight, and literally went over every second, every beat, of all of the songs on the first two albums -- inch-by-inch, millisecond-by-millisecond. Made just thousands of small adjustments to make the mix into what it would have been if I had had modern do-dads back in the '70s."
Try to imagine this happening today: A band with no profile, no connections and virtually no fans gets signed to a major label. The first album consists of material the leader had been tinkering with in his basement for the past six years. It turns into the biggest-selling debut album of all time.
It happened 30 years ago, when Boston released its self-titled 1976 debut. The group hadn’t even played live much before its release; and leader Tom Scholz recorded most of the music with singer Brad Delp at his home studio in Watertown. But the album came to define the sound of AOR radio, and its tracks are still getting played today.
That 17-million-selling album and its 7-million-selling follow-up in 1978, ‘‘Don’t Look Back,” get reissued today in new versions remastered - painstakingly, of course - by Scholz.
‘‘The remasters sound like the original vinyl, as played through a better stereo system than you ever had before,” said Scholz, who’s enough of a perfectionist to spend years on a single track. ‘‘I couldn’t listen to the CDs that were out before. But this was a real interesting technical exercise, and fun because I had to use every bit of technical knowledge I’ve gained over the years. We made the vocals fuller and louder, the power chords are mo’ bigger. We removed the screech factor from the lead guitars. We literally went through each song second by second.”
Read more: Boston rocks again: With remastered classics, band's leader shares more than a feeling
Boston - Remasters: Boston & Don't Look Back
These two albums combined have sold nearly thirty million copies. Epic Records has remastered and re-released these two classics. The remastering was done by the brain behind Boston, Tom Scholz.
Boston, the baby of MIT grad whiz, Tom Scholz, defied the odds of acquiring a label contract and ascending into the stratosphere of Billboard charts and radio play, by making their debut album, the self-titled Boston, the way that he wanted. Largely created in his basement, the unlikely demo, holding six of album’s eight tunes, went on to shatter beliefs and sell more than 17 million units.
BOSTON, June 13 (UPI) -- Creating new editions of Boston's first two albums were a labor of love for group founder Tom Scholz.
In 1976, a little band called Boston released its self-titled first album: a slim collection of hook-drenched arena-rockers that clocked in at 37 minutes and went on to sell 17 million copies -- making it the biggest debut in pop history until Whitney Houston came along. Three decades later such stick-to-your-ribs singles as "More Than a Feeling" and "Foreplay/Long Time" are staples of classic - rock radio. To celebrate the album's 30th anniversary, Boston mastermind Tom Scholz -- an MIT grad who basically cooked the whole thing up in his basement -- digitally remastered the band's self-titled debut and 1978 followup, "Don't Look Back." Reissues of both discs arrive in stores today, inspiring the Globe's pop music critics Joan Anderman and Sarah Rodman to sharpen their knives for a debate about the merits of a band reviled by some as the creators of corporate rock and beloved by many for their pristine, lighter-raising anthems.
Read more: Love 'em or hate 'em, there's still more than a feeling
NEW YORK, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Three decades ago marked the summer of 1976 and a band and album simply titled Boston. The 17 million-selling debut album and its 7 million-selling 1978 follow-up Don't Look Back remain two of the most enigmatic case studies of the modern rock era. Unjustly vilified as exemplars of so-called "corporate rock," they were, in fact, the same basement tapes that mastermind Tom Scholz submitted as demos. Their commercial release fooled the Company gatekeepers in one of rock's great deceptions.
Read more: Boston Re-Releases First Two Albums, Remastered for CD By Tom Scholz
LOOKING BACK AT BOSTON: Two of rock music's most enduring landmarks of sonic grandeur are finally about to get grander. After 30 and 28 years, respectively, digitally remastered reissues of Boston's self-titled 1976 debut and its follow-up, 1978's ''Don't Look Back," will hit record store shelves on June 13.
May 6, 2006
Mike Mettler, Editor-In-Chief of Sound & Vision recently did an interview with Tom Scholz that's going to be featured in an upcoming issue. More details will be posted as they are known.
What follows below is Mike Mettler's comments to summarize how good he feels the remasters are, and a snippet of a Tom Scholz's email conversation. The following is posted with the permission from Mike Mittler.