A few albums do not age well. Boston, by Boston, on the other hand, has gotten nothing but better in the 34 years since it debuted. Unlike other bands such as Journey, who recently received a huge boost in sales due to popular media using their songs, Boston appears to have remained somewhere in the lead, despite having only been in a few games and shows. So why does this album stand out? For one, each song on the album carries itself and can stand alone.
The album begins by building up to “More Than a Feeling,” a song that has an arena rock type quality and gives the first look in to the versatile chord structure that Boston embodies. With a little bit of in-depth research it becomes apparent that the five years spent perfecting this song and others on the album was time well spent. Following “More Than a Feeling” is “Peace of Mind,” a song that retains the upbeat, lively nature of the whole album. Unlike the first song, this song starts immediately with the buoyant guitar work that almost seems to be part of the vocals instead of the instrumental element due to the message it puts out.
“Foreplay Long Time” begins with a wild rushing intro that builds into a cataclysmic fury before the much more calm vocal section starts. Of all the songs on the album, this is one to look into as it is a fun ride and will keep you coming back for more. By nature of the original siding of the vinyl album, the second section starts out with “Rock & Roll Band,” a song that gives a brief view into the beginnings of a band and all the excitement and forces that choose the direction of the band including executives and of course the fans.
“Smokin’,” the fifth track on the album, has a much more jazzy feel to it even while retaining characteristic dramatic parts between lyric sections. This song also has some of the better organ parts in the entire album and the effect leads to one of the more gripping songs on the album. While the final three songs on the album do not receive as much airplay as the beginning of the album, these songs each possess a characteristic that sets them aside while still retaining the flow of the album. “Hitch a Ride” and “Something About You” serve as romantic songs, an essential for albums of this era. Still these two do not compare in suaveness to “Let Me Take You Home Tonight,” the final song of the album. While this song feels a bit longer than the others, it still is full of meaning and currents of passion.
If this album is not in your library, it is certainly worth a listen on the host of music and video sites that grace the internet. It is my recommendation though that if you like the sound, go out and get the remastered version that was released in 2006. Where other bands may mess up certain delicacies of an album by remastering it, Boston proves once again that they are able to spend the time necessary to make a great album even better.
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