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YG: Lately digital recording has become popular but what do you think of it?
TS: I just don’t like digital recording. I’m sure I could still record the way I do using digital but, I don’t think you can get a decent sound the way most people record. Sixteen bit recording just isn’t enough but over 16 bits might be OK. It’s not enough to let normal people hear some exciting rock and roll that has been exactly reproduced. The thing that’s exciting about rock and roll is the combination of the sound of the compression and distortion (not guitar distortion but the overall delicate distortion feeling) in the music during playback combined with the natural distortion that normally goes unnoticed inside the listeners’ head. Digital recordings just can’t produce that effect. Most people say that analog recordings sound warm. You can’t compare the amount of information obtained through analog recordings to that obtained from digital recordings. There’s all sorts of information that comes through with the music. It’s that information besides the music that makes rock and roll exciting. This has been proven through physics.
YG: In other words, analog distortion is the key point?
TS: Yea. Even when I mix down the meters are in the red! My philosophy is that the best place to hear Boston’s music is from a live stage or through a car stereo system cranked up so it gets just a little bit of distortion. That’s the basis for rock and roll!! [Laughing].
"The solo’s I chose were the ones that were the farthest from my imagination."
YG: Is the guitar you used for recording the same Les Paul Goldtop that everyone is familiar with?
TS: Ya, as usual I used the Goldtop. Gary Pihl played a Steinberger on a few songs but it wouldn’t be a mistake to say that it’s mostly my Goldtop on the album.
YG: As far as the guitar playing, is it fair to say that there was a lot of improvisation?
TS: Ya, I guess you could call it improvisation. I pretty much just left the recorder in record mode all the time and tried different things. The solo’s I chose were the ones that were the farthest from my imagination. I can always use the ones that are in my head so I pursue the other possibilities. That’s true not just for the solo’s; the backing tracks have various rhythm patterns as well. Of course there’s different voicings, and in some parts there are different chords being played on the left and right channels. The timing and vibrato are different too. That helps give it a tight feel. Having said that, the way the track comes out mostly depends on the feel of the part at the time. So I guess you could say it’s mostly improvisation.
YG: So, as a guitarist, would you say that the new album has changed from the other albums before it?
TS: Of course as a guitarist I’d say that’s true but, as a composer I’d say that I’ve progressed a lot since the Third Stage album. On the Third Stage album I was trying to get my message out but I can’t say whether I was successful or not. But on this album, including the guitar playing, I feel pretty confident that I succeeded in expressing my emotions this time. So it’s not just like writing a story. I believe that there is a technique for expressing the emotions that only come from real experiences.
YG: What do you think about the recent trend for the return of analog effects?
TS: Well, since I use an old Les Paul, Hammond organ, and other 70’s style effects and instruments, I really don’t have much to say. I think it’s an interesting phenomena. I’ve used lots of peoples ë tube amps and from there I developed the Rockman. So as far the good qualities of tube amps, I think I’ve studied the science behind it more than anyone. But even though Iëve studied about them, I don’t use them. Of course it depends on the kind of music you want to playÖ For the monotone, hard rock and roll music that’s in the American forefront today, a tube amp is OK. But you can only get one sound from it. The dynamics are also limited.
YG: Are you referring to Grunge music?
TS: Is that what it’s called? [Laughing]. I’m planning on making a pedal version of the Ultimatum preamp for them. ëCause all they need is one good sound and pedals are easy to use. For people like me who want a number of different sounds, there’s the rackmount type. When I’m up on stage I want to play what I’m inspired to play so I want all the best sounds. That’s what’s in the new Ultimatum preamp.
YG: What are you planning for after the albums’ release?
TS: What, a world tour of course!! But in order for that to become reality there are various problems I need to work out with MCA first. But all that should be settled by the release of the album.
YG: We want Boston to tour in Japan too!! So the Walk On album is Boston masterpiece, right?
TS: It really makes me happy to hear you say that. I think it’s the ultimate album. When I finished the 1st album, there were many times I worried that I wouldn’t be able to do better. But if we put our minds to it, we can make it happen. I’m really satisfied with the deep meaning in the new albums’ lyrical and musical content . As far as the guitar playing, there’s plenty of places where I couldn’t play the same part twice. They really depended on the situation I was in when I recorded them. I might be in trouble when I get to those parts in concert but I’m trying not to think about that now. [Laughing].
YG: When the 1st album came out I thought it was really sensational and I’ve been listening ever since. I think the new Walk On album is the closest you’ve come to the 1st album.
TS: That’s why I want to do a world tour this time. When we play the rock and roll songs from the album live in concert, the good things about those songs will come out.
YG: Lastly. Do you have a message for the readers of Young Guitar magazine?
TS: The most important thing is to know what you want to express to people. That’s not a technique or a good sound, it’s your heart- your emotions. It’s being able to find out what that is even one day sooner.
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