eicca
Swingin'
Something about Boston just rings deep in my soul. I'm completely obsessed. Maybe it's Tom Scholz's classical training and huge arena rock format and beautiful guitar tone, I don't know, but I'm hooked...
To say the least, I was disappointed in the 2013 album "Life, Love & Hope." To me it sounded like a pathetic high-school imitation band project. It of course made me wonder, how could a composer who had done such amazing work in the past sink to this level? I found the answer in one of Scholz's interviews where he was asked who is inspirations were and what other music he listens to. His response was "I don't want to ruin my style so I only listen to Boston." Way to inbreed, Scholz. Suddenly it makes perfect sense.
Which also shed light on why, when Brad Delp took a break after "Third Stage" (which I feel like was a transitional album from Scholz's early 60s groove style into a more clean sweep style based on traditional major scales), I feel like the Boston quality went downhill. Brad Delp lent a particular groove to the style, even if Scholz was adamant about writing everything himself. In fact, the song "Walk On" was written partially by Delp and I feel best reflects the original Boston swing.
And I'll add, I thought "Corporate America" was good, but if you compare it between "Walk On" and "Life, Love & Hope," you can definitely feel the Scholz-style-inbreeding going on. In fact, I believe the only reason "Corporate America" didn't wind up being as bland as "Life, Love & Hope" is Kimberly Dahme and the Cosmo brothers contributed songs of their own to the whole.
So that brings me to "Walk On," after all that musing. Knowing what kind of creativity Scholz can produce after seeing Boston live and studying basically everything he's ever done from tone to drum samples to song structure and base theory, I actually respect "Walk On" quite a bit. Even though it was practically born from the mind of just Scholz, it still has more of that quality feel of a full band's collaborative effort. I enjoy listening to it, and it has those Boston rush moments with epic drum fills and heavy palm muting and cool chords worked into just the right spots.
I can't say the same about "Life, Love & Hope." I can't even make it through one track on that album before getting bored.
So anyway, those are my thoughts, as probably Boston's biggest fan and biggest critic.
And I'm pissed they're not playing a show anywhere near me this year.
To say the least, I was disappointed in the 2013 album "Life, Love & Hope." To me it sounded like a pathetic high-school imitation band project. It of course made me wonder, how could a composer who had done such amazing work in the past sink to this level? I found the answer in one of Scholz's interviews where he was asked who is inspirations were and what other music he listens to. His response was "I don't want to ruin my style so I only listen to Boston." Way to inbreed, Scholz. Suddenly it makes perfect sense.
Which also shed light on why, when Brad Delp took a break after "Third Stage" (which I feel like was a transitional album from Scholz's early 60s groove style into a more clean sweep style based on traditional major scales), I feel like the Boston quality went downhill. Brad Delp lent a particular groove to the style, even if Scholz was adamant about writing everything himself. In fact, the song "Walk On" was written partially by Delp and I feel best reflects the original Boston swing.
And I'll add, I thought "Corporate America" was good, but if you compare it between "Walk On" and "Life, Love & Hope," you can definitely feel the Scholz-style-inbreeding going on. In fact, I believe the only reason "Corporate America" didn't wind up being as bland as "Life, Love & Hope" is Kimberly Dahme and the Cosmo brothers contributed songs of their own to the whole.
So that brings me to "Walk On," after all that musing. Knowing what kind of creativity Scholz can produce after seeing Boston live and studying basically everything he's ever done from tone to drum samples to song structure and base theory, I actually respect "Walk On" quite a bit. Even though it was practically born from the mind of just Scholz, it still has more of that quality feel of a full band's collaborative effort. I enjoy listening to it, and it has those Boston rush moments with epic drum fills and heavy palm muting and cool chords worked into just the right spots.
I can't say the same about "Life, Love & Hope." I can't even make it through one track on that album before getting bored.
So anyway, those are my thoughts, as probably Boston's biggest fan and biggest critic.
And I'm pissed they're not playing a show anywhere near me this year.
