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

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