Did you know that the Cover artist HATES that she created this cover and doesn't care for "Rock" music :/ ? (again, comment deletes when I add the link): Do a search; Joe Bond, About that Boston album cover… Ironic, it made her known Internationally.
Funny You Mentioned That Because I Have Always Found It To Be Amazing How Many People Who Have Known This Music/Album Since It Was Released & Yet Took Them Years Before Realizing That They Are Upside Down Guitars,, Some Still Don't Realize It.
My dad was also a mechanical engineer at MIT and was in many of the same classes as Tom Scholtz. Since I play guitar and my dad knew Tom, I was one of the first to get the Rockman effects racks (Scholz's product), and best of all, I even went over to Tom's house. He showed me how to play some of these songs firsthand.
That is so freaking cool! Your Boston connection is way better than the ones I wrote in my comment...I grew in the same town, Danvers MA, as Brad Delp (my oldest brother graduated from DHS with him in 1969) and I once went to a Halloween party in Salem, MA with the bass player, Fran Sheehan. 😁
I just found this video and your comment. That has to rank up there as some of the best times of your life! I was 13 when this album came out. Hearing the album for the 1st time was a WOW moment! We are heading towards 50 years later and that album is still a WOW moment! Pure musical genius!
The 1st Boston album is one of the great albums of all time. There is not a single bad song on it. Hitch a Ride may be the most underrated of all the songs on the album...pity, because in my mind, it's beautifully constructed and the best song on the record. Thank you so much for reacting to it.
Delps vocals were pretty good, but... I find it really strange that Tom Sholtz has been given so little credit for his "one man band" mantra. Sholtz is a genius. Delp was pretty much average.
I'm so glad that you corrected yourself that this wasn't a hairband. Hairband refers to 80's bands with hairspray and lots of makeup. Boston was a 70:s band ahead of all of that.
Guitarist Tom Scholtz is a trained and gifted engineer. He is credited with the invention of Rockman effects, those guitar tones when I was a teen were a slapping surprise! Every electric guitar player owes him a debt! Peace.
My friend/roommate at the time had purchased a Rockman and we played it often on our guitars. Tom Scholz being an MIT alumn (as unki3259 pointed out), he was obsessed with tone and not using synthesizers (as said on the 1st 3 albums). He was all about Analog.
“Boston” was THE best-selling debut album of all-time for many years - 17+ million copies sold. Boston was like a bolt from the blue in 1976. They came out of nowhere to dominate the charts. Their debut album is like a greatest hits album - every song got radio airplay. And they’re still played on the airwaves today. Their 2nd album, “Don’t Look Back,” was also multi-platinum - 7+ million copies sold. Brad Delp (RIP) was their incomparable lead singer. God, I miss those days!
Smokin’ from this album is a rock masterpiece. Don’t Look Back(title track from their second album) showcases everything this band can do and it’s my favorite song from the 4 albums I own.
I love Feelin' Satisfied, which is the first song on the second side of Don't Look Back. Of course, Foreplay/Long Time is my favorite song of theirs if I had to pick one.
It's such a shame that Brad isn't here to hear all of the great things people always say about his voice. Especially the thousands of reviews and reactions on youtube. He will never be forgotten.
There's another band from Boston who also had an amazing debut album: The Cars. Totally different sound, which is what made them stand out from all the others at the time their debut album was released.
There you go…. Trying to explain Boston… Just slap on the headphones and let the music take you to wherever that spaceship is going. THIS is my favorite Boston song.
Tom Scholtz is a damn genius. I still find it hard to believe he recorded almost the entirety of the first album himself, sans drums and lyrics, in his home-built basement studio. Epic Records tried to have him re-record it in one of their own studios, but the quality of the original recordings were so good they kept those. This whole album is THE BEST debut rock and roll album, period bar none, in my opinion. Brad Delp does the lyrics on this and the first few albums, but in 1994, he opted to step away from that role, and Fran Cosmo took over for the album “Walk On”. His voice fits damn well with Scholtz’s musical style. It is definitely worth a look by ya’ll, especially the opener, “I Need Your Love”.
I came to the conclusion years ago that Tom Schulz is either a musical genius, on the level of a Bach, or, Mozart; or else, an alien from a race so far above our own, that you might just equate his music to magic.
I swear I heard an interview on Rock History Music that gave me the impression Tom Shultz wasn’t even ON “Hitch a Ride” and “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” which were recorded in LA while he stayed behind in Boston mixing. If I heard correctly, that would stick a hole in the one man band story. I’m not proclaiming it a holy fact, it’s just what I remember. I think the interview was with Barry
“Let Me Take You Home Tonight” was recorded separately from the rest of the album, so that one wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t think the rest were. Epic wanted to record in L.A. with a producer on hand, but Scholtz wouldn’t have it, so he hired John Boylan to run interference with Epic. Somehow, he got them to believe they were in L.A. working when in reality everything was being tracked in the basement studio strictly by Scholtz, as he wanted.
The fact that Scholtz recorded this album in his basement still boggles my mind. An amazing homemade engineering feat AND and incredible collection of songwriting and arrangement.
Donald Thomas Scholz (born March 10, 1947) is an American rock musician, songwriter, inventor, engineer, and philanthropist,[1][2] best known as the founder of the band Boston. Scholz is an MIT-trained engineer who designed a recording studio in an apartment building's basement. The first Boston album was mostly recorded in his basement studio, often using devices he designed and invented. After the success of Boston, he founded Scholz Research & Development, Inc. to develop and market his inventions, many under the Rockman brand. Scholz had a keen interest in music and began recording demos in his home studio while working at Polaroid. He spent six years unsuccessfully submitting demos to record companies. Eventually the demos attracted the interest of Epic Records, who signed Scholz and singer Brad Delp to a recording contract. Scholz believed his demos were good enough for release as Boston's debut album, but Epic told Scholz to re-record the demos. Most of the guitar, bass, and keyboards were performed by Scholz, although other players were involved sporadically throughout the recordings. Epic did not want the album recorded entirely in Scholz's home as Scholz had intended (the label suggested using a recording studio), but most of what ended up on the album had indeed been recorded by Scholz in his basement. The album was released in 1976 and became the biggest-selling debut album by any artist up to that time. You should check out the video, Tom Scholz sound machine ua-cam.com/video/R1c0Bx_StvE/v-deo.html
When Boston, Foreigner, and Kansas popped onto the scene, we were starting to be force fed disco morning, noon and night. They were definitely a breath of fresh air for us rock lovers.
Nick, Boston was a very radio friendly band, but you should definitely read about their 1st album and why it was as successful as it was. It's actually a very important album in rock history, but I won't say anymore other than "Tom Scholz" 🙂
My favorite Boston song. I can remember listening to this over and over again as a kid over my boom box headphones - In awe at the guitar solo. A very Inspiring and timeless sound.
Two greats, being a teenager during those years, both Boston and Journey came out with albums and music that to this day still bring back a rush of emotions and memories of a time long past. Being a teenager, no matter when you grew up, can have many challenges at times. It was the music we had to listen to back then that gave us all we needed to carry on. I always liked "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray. The lyrics ring true for me even to this day. Whenever the stress off the job or kids and family start to wear me down, I can put on the headphones and play music from my youth, and all the stress just goes away. The guitars from Boston's music and especially this song are so comforting (for lack of a better word), to me.
One of the most UNDERRATED.... LEGENDARY....& INCREDIBLE debut albums ever in the history of rock music. Nick........ there's always a GOOD reason why things come to us when they do... So... I think you FINALLY coming back to Boston, fifteen or twenty years after your initial, Let's just call it the....." I just thought they were a hair metal band" phase of your Boston experience.....was also for a VERY GOOD reason....and I think you've just discovered that Reason by listening to this song. If neither of you were a little OLDER and a little WISER, as you both are today, that reason would have been lost on you....BOTH. But now you're both at the beginning of a terrific Journey with these guys......👏🖖 Do yourselves a favor and keep a defibrillator nearby.......because both of you will be shocked at the talent....
I Seen Boston in 1977 ,the singer hit all the high notes and the guitars blew everyone away, also they played so loud my ears rang for two days, !!Every song on this LP ROCKS !!
The voice of Boston is my friend since age 15, Bradley Delp. He had a strong soulful melodic voice. And his own favorite band was The Beatles. He could sound exactly like any of them as well.
I sit back and watch people like you enjoy these songs. Do yourself a favor and watch the Tom Sholtz interview. Brief comment is that he was an MIT grad, got a job at Polaroid when sound was being added to video then not only developed his own equipment but wrote and played every instrument and recorded each song on their first two records, then after record labels heard them he had to sit in them for two years until the music caught up to his records, then found the band members to perform them.
Brad not only did the lead vocals (and amazingly well, I might add), but he also did all of the backing vocals and harmonies. Such an amazing talent and gone way too soon! RIP Brad.
Boston was literally my first band. I had their self titled cassette, listened to it on a Walkman everyday when I was in elementary school. Got in trouble a few times for always listening to it at school. Cassettes went away, but my penchant for getting in trouble never did lol.
Same here. I was 10 in 77 when I first heard More Than A Feeling. Immediately begged mom to take me to the record store. Got the cassette. Changed my life.
One of the coolest feelings was watching my daughter love this great song...kind of a full circle thing! Your reactions were fun, as usual, it's so cool to see you just simply getting in to it! Fun as always PeaceLoveLight☮
When i first listened to this song I repeated the solo like 50 times, in think it was the most beautiful , legendary, well played and full of feeling solo I’ve heard, Scholtz were and underrated guitarist.
A Boston girl here! In high school, this album played like crazy at every party ( that our parents never knew happened)! So lucky to have a young teen soundtrack..they are SO FRIGGING GOOD. LOVE 💘 LOVE 💘 LOVE 💘 YOU TWO.. LEX, YOU ARE GORGEOUS !!!
Great reaction video! Boston is a classic Hard Rock band in the 70s what would probably be labeled as POP Rock today. Tom Scholz performed and mastered the bulk of the album himself, playing all the instruments. I read below someone said he didn't play the drums but he did on a cheap set of drums he bought at Sears and put his engineering degree to use on them to get the sounds he wanted. Also he harmonized electric guitars which was not done at the time. As Lex has indicated, they are two different guitar parts played by the same man using his self developed RockMan box with some secrets smattered about. He recorded them separately and then mixed them. Once Tom had gotten the album assembled enough to develop a demo tape he enlisted his friend Brad Delp to sing on the album. Once the Demo circulated a company came calling, insisting that they make the music all over again in LA. Tom refused, said if you want the sound you heard on the demo it has to be my setup here. So, the debut Boston album was musically created and recorded in the basement of his home in Boston, and the vocals were all recorded again in LA using Toms original music tracks. When the band was set to tour, they had to find studio musicians that could play and understand what Tom would have to teach them. Its truly an amazing piece of work. The second album was delayed when Toms basement flooded and shorted out all of his equipment. He quickly went to work rebuilding his sound system back to the original specs to re record the tracks for the second album ironically titled, "Don't Look Back"! Anyway, thats some info, Im sure I probably missed on some of the details There are some great interviews on UA-cam of Tom Scholz talking about how he did it. Check it out if you have time.
Nick! Thanks for your honest admission and clear description of how attitudes, and youthful ignorance play a major role in the types of art and pop culture we choose to buy/digest/focus on! I’m never bored by honest emotions, and concise descriptions! I appreciate you!
When these guys came out in 1976 we had still been listening to Peter Frampton comes alive and these guys blew us away this whole album in my book is ranked in rock and roll history possibly top 10 maybe higher for its listening power of everysong, i think you wont go wrong if ya did a marathon on this album you definitely missed out nope no hair band a bar band from some guys from the boston scene,we burnt it off the turn table yup I did say turn table..red choking hash and jibbers we passed through The long Winter of 1976 with some amazing music and in to our senior years in high school 1977 great reaction keep spreading the music around God-bless.
As a kid who grew up with Boston (and was fascinated by the spaceships) and moved onto Rush, Metheny, Zero 7, and so much more... I'm loving this channel! Hearing this song after many years makes me so surprised at how well this was mixed! Very tasty stuff.
Tommy DeCarlo replaced Brad Delp after his suicide. DeCarlo worked at Home Depot in Charlotte, NC .. he put a video on You Tube .. one of the band members wives heard DeCarlo and thought it was Delp singing ! They contacted him .. and he was contacted and joined the band.
I'm glad you heard Higher Power, it was one of three new recordings added to Boston's 1997 Greatest Hits. It was the last new Boston song to receive radio airplay Underappreciated song.
Love the lyrics Tom wrote for this....love the guitar parts Tom composed for this....love the bass guitar Tom composed for this song.....Toms engineering and production recording this song are stellar... Brad's vocal chops were insanely good... one of my favorite tunes to play on my guitar for sure.. Toms keyboard parts are very cool also...lol
Great reaction and thanks for sharing. Tom Scholz is Boston, he played all the guitars on this song and every song on every album for Boston. Tom played lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, bass guitar and also the organ and sang background vocals. Brad Delp is the singer and did his own harmonies and back up vocals as well. At the end of this song, Tom uses the Rockman pedal system that he invented to showcase different amazing sounds you can get from the same guitar on the guitar solo and yes he played both of the dueling guitars in the song. It was the first rock pedal system in the world and this song was its marketing and showcase. Now every rock guitarist in the world uses a pedal system. Tom originally recorded this album in his basement and was the sound engineer, producer, wrote the songs and of course invented and built some of the equipment used. His friend Brad Delp sang. Originally Tom played drums too, but brought in a professional drummer to finish the album. This was the largest selling debut album of all time for the longest time. Unlike most albums there are no throw away songs. Every song is amazing, every song got airplay on the radio and still do to this day. Tom was an MIT engineer with music as his hobby. Keep checking out more Boston, the first album is a can't miss for picks. My advice is to play it in song order, just like we did when we bought it back in the day. :) Chris
I'm from Boston. Used to see singer Brad Delp often with his Beatles tribute band Bestlejuice and other projects(RTZ etc).. The most down to earth humble guy you could meet. Sadly and oddly took his own life about a decade ago(RIP). I suggest Boston second guitarist "Barry Goudreau" solo with Brad Delp track " Dreams" a lost classic. While Scholz gets most of the attention Goudreau's style was a perfect fit.
Loved this! This song is my favorite song of all time, and has been for decades. I never tire of it. Back in the late 80’s, I got a fake ID and my name was Mark Bradley Delp. 😂
That first Boston album is great the whole way through, definitely a classic! If you want to hear some more cool dual-guitar stuff check out Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy. Both were big influences for Iron Maiden in their early days.
Boston's sound is so Iconic that I was able to identify the first ever playing on air of a new song simply from the first few chords..... It was the song Amanda from Third Stage and it was put on the air one weekday afternoon (maybe a Tuesday?!?!) with no introduction at all.... A memory that will be burned in my brain for ever....
Their album Walk On has the Walk On medley which is kick ass, consists of four songs that must be listen to together, sequentially. The 'spaceships' on the album covers, if you look closely, are guitars.
Thanks for doing my very favorite Boston song from an incredible debut album. Rick Beato made a great breakdown video of this song on his UA-cam channel like only he can do and I highly recommend it.
This takes me back to HS. What an amazing band. Brads voice was unmatched ..rest in peace. I am so grateful I saw them in 1995. Tom Scholtz talent in engineering as well as all the other band members should ensure they are in the rock and roll HOF.
That debut album was one of the greatest!!hitch a ride my favorite and one of the best guitar solos..thankfully I got to see Boston 2 times and with Styx..rip Brad Delp
Boston had such a unique guitar sound. You always knew right away just from the tone of the guitars that you were hearing Boston. Brad Delp had such a great voice. Tom Scholtz is indeed a gifted engineer. If any of my fellow subscribers & commenters know the answer please say so, Did Tom Scholtz actually sue people to protect his guitar sound? I know he worked very hard to create this particular guitar sound. Great job Nick N Lex so glad you reacted to Boston I still love how you pick deeper cuts to react to first.
Sometimes being musically snobbish can keep you from some wonderful tunes! This is so great in so many ways. I was 14 when it was released and we could not believe how perfect it was. And still is
Boston was the first concert I ever went to. It was the fall of 1978 in Bloomington, Minnesota with 3 of my college buddies. Sammy Hagar (whom I hadn't heard of until then) was the warmup act. It was a great concert! Check out "Rock And Roll Band" and "Smokin' ".
They are legendary for sure guys. This record was recorded in the guitarists basement with recording equipment he made himself. He was an engineer at Kodak. Tom Scholz was the mastermind.
I love "you knew about this!?" those moments are always awesome when we interact. Like the first time I tried Pho, I asked my brother " how long have you known about this!?"
Boston has a big range, from easy numbers like this to true rockers. The rockers rock HARD, but they remain totally accessible. This was for a long time the biggest selling debut of all time. Radio friendly ABSOLUTELY. Brilliant, sparkling, ingenious, complex music, ABSOLUTELY!
Check out the Wikipedia entry on Tom Scholz. Quite a guy. After getting a master's degree from M.I.T., and working for Polaroid as a design engineer, he recorded most of this album himself in his home studio. Also see the entry on the Boston album, which goes into the unusual circumstances of the recording. Scholz played guitars, bass, and keyboards. The spaceship on the cover is actually shaped like an inverted guitar (but has only 4 strings). He also invented and marketed the Rockman - a headphone amp simulator with distortion, chorus and echo in 1982.
Hey guys. Hope things are great up there in Colorado ..Have a friend in Conifer..Depressed about his Donks (Broncos ). Saw Boston at Aloha Stadium in 79..They must have been about 2-3 hours late arriving by helicopter but they were very good..Right after second album ",Don't Look Back .", Check out " A Man I'll Never Be." One of my faves.
You were correct about being radio-friendly. Boston's weakness was that they couldn't reproduce the sound live. Their catalogue was limited, but the shelf-life of the first two albums have lasted almost 50 years. Classics.
His voice was so calming and soothing, I got to see him sing live with his Beatles cover band called Beatle Juice, his voice was silky smooth and he had such special control over the vibrato and stiletto and the highs, without a doubt a generational singer, if we're lucky we get one such talent in a whole generation, the seventies had a few like Brad, Steve Perry, Freddie Mercury, Steve Deyoung from Styx and Ann Wilson
In the 70's we were quite spoiled. We expected really Great Rock and got it but even Boston took us by surprise. At 15, when this was released, I was very on top of the latest and it was great fun to see which one of us teens in our big group of fellow rock heads got the album first! The next competition with us was who got to see them live first.
This came in 76. I was 15 and this 1st album from Boston is iconic! Every song is a gem. Brad Delp's voice and back harmonies along with Tom Sholz' guitar playing is stellar! He is a graduate of MIT in sound engineering and invented the guitar effects that were used. You can thank him for how good they sound since then.
Thank you, Nick and Lex, for listening to my number one band of all time. My late brother introduced me to Boston way back in 1978, and I've been a fan of Brad Delp (RIP), and Tom Scholz ever since. The attempt to categorize Boston into a genre has been going on for decades. The most hurtful moniker that was thrust upon them was "Corporate Rock," meant as an insult to their inoffensive nature and upbeat/ positive lyrics. If asked I simply classify them as 70s guitar-driven rock. Thanks again for the trip back to my childhood.
As mentioned previously in the comments for some nice dual guitars check out Wishbone Ash - Throw Down the Sword track from their album Argus (1972). I am sure you will both enjoy it. The whole album is a classic.
The cover of the album is guitars turned upside down to look like flying saucers. One of the coolest album covers of all time.
Yes we read that in the comments and find it awesome! We looked up their other album covers and… same thing! So cool! 🎸🤘 Thanks for sharing! - Lex
Did you know that the Cover artist HATES that she created this cover and doesn't care for "Rock" music :/ ?
(again, comment deletes when I add the link):
Do a search; Joe Bond, About that Boston album cover…
Ironic, it made her known Internationally.
Funny You Mentioned That Because I Have Always Found It To Be Amazing How Many People Who Have Known This Music/Album Since It Was Released & Yet Took Them Years Before Realizing That They Are Upside Down Guitars,, Some Still Don't Realize It.
It's not just a space ship, but contains the city of Boston escaping Earth.
is it just me or is stopping the song right before the best part to blather on and on kind of kill the mood?
My dad was also a mechanical engineer at MIT and was in many of the same classes as Tom Scholtz. Since I play guitar and my dad knew Tom, I was one of the first to get the Rockman effects racks (Scholz's product), and best of all, I even went over to Tom's house. He showed me how to play some of these songs firsthand.
Wow! How cool is that! :D
You are cool and lucky!
That is so freaking cool! Your Boston connection is way better than the ones I wrote in my comment...I grew in the same town, Danvers MA, as Brad Delp (my oldest brother graduated from DHS with him in 1969) and I once went to a Halloween party in Salem, MA with the bass player, Fran Sheehan. 😁
I just found this video and your comment. That has to rank up there as some of the best times of your life! I was 13 when this album came out. Hearing the album for the 1st time was a WOW moment! We are heading towards 50 years later and that album is still a WOW moment! Pure musical genius!
I still have a small Rockman from 1981...it still sounds perfect
The 1st Boston album is one of the great albums of all time. There is not a single bad song on it. Hitch a Ride may be the most underrated of all the songs on the album...pity, because in my mind, it's beautifully constructed and the best song on the record. Thank you so much for reacting to it.
Was always one of my favorites too, especially because of the instrumental last third of the song. Stirs my soul.....
This song's last part seems to hear
southern rock. I think why Tom S. is from Ohio.
The late great Brad Delp's voice is one of a kind. Great reaction guys.
This album held the record for best selling debut album in history for14 or 15yrs
@@289hipo He held it until the first Guns and Roses album came out.
I'm 55. I've always thought this was about suicide. RIP Brad Delp. If your considering suicide PLEASE SEEK OR ASK FOR HELP. PEACE.
Delps vocals were pretty good, but... I find it really strange that Tom Sholtz has been given so little credit for his "one man band" mantra. Sholtz is a genius. Delp was pretty much average.
I'm so glad that you corrected yourself that this wasn't a hairband. Hairband refers to 80's bands with hairspray and lots of makeup.
Boston was a 70:s band ahead of all of that.
Guitarist Tom Scholtz is a trained and gifted engineer. He is credited with the invention of Rockman effects, those guitar tones when I was a teen were a slapping surprise! Every electric guitar player owes him a debt! Peace.
MIT alum...
My friend/roommate at the time had purchased a Rockman and we played it often on our guitars. Tom Scholz being an MIT alumn (as unki3259 pointed out), he was obsessed with tone and not using synthesizers (as said on the 1st 3 albums). He was all about Analog.
Yeah Tom's quick pick slides with that trademark Rockman sound of his is epic in all their songs
I had a Rockman back in the day!
“Boston” was THE best-selling debut album of all-time for many years - 17+ million copies sold. Boston was like a bolt from the blue in 1976. They came out of nowhere to dominate the charts. Their debut album is like a greatest hits album - every song got radio airplay. And they’re still played on the airwaves today. Their 2nd album, “Don’t Look Back,” was also multi-platinum - 7+ million copies sold. Brad Delp (RIP) was their incomparable lead singer. God, I miss those days!
Boston is like the best comfort food. Never a bad time to slip it into the rotation. Triumph seems to give me that feeling too.
Smokin’ from this album is a rock masterpiece.
Don’t Look Back(title track from their second album) showcases everything this band can do and it’s my favorite song from the 4 albums I own.
One of the coolest riffs ever!
The whole 1st side of Don't Look Back was their high point.
"Albums" now there's a word you never hear these day, still got mine though.
I love Feelin' Satisfied, which is the first song on the second side of Don't Look Back. Of course, Foreplay/Long Time is my favorite song of theirs if I had to pick one.
It's such a shame that Brad isn't here to hear all of the great things people always say about his voice. Especially the thousands of reviews and reactions on youtube. He will never be forgotten.
70's ROCK is what this is. 😂 60's and 70's music, in ALL genres, was the best music ever. Deep dive on Boston is a gift! Lol
Thank you both. 😁
One of the best albums of all times! Every song is great. They are very radio friendly. I think all of the songs have been on classic rock stations.
There's another band from Boston who also had an amazing debut album: The Cars. Totally different sound, which is what made them stand out from all the others at the time their debut album was released.
@@bostonwhofan Two of the best debut albums ever, no doubt. I bet Nick&Lex would like The Cars as well.
Yep. I've heard all 8 songs on my local classic rock radio station at some point.
There you go…. Trying to explain Boston… Just slap on the headphones and let the music take you to wherever that spaceship is going. THIS is my favorite Boston song.
Tom Scholtz is a damn genius. I still find it hard to believe he recorded almost the entirety of the first album himself, sans drums and lyrics, in his home-built basement studio. Epic Records tried to have him re-record it in one of their own studios, but the quality of the original recordings were so good they kept those. This whole album is THE BEST debut rock and roll album, period bar none, in my opinion.
Brad Delp does the lyrics on this and the first few albums, but in 1994, he opted to step away from that role, and Fran Cosmo took over for the album “Walk On”. His voice fits damn well with Scholtz’s musical style. It is definitely worth a look by ya’ll, especially the opener, “I Need Your Love”.
I came to the conclusion years ago that Tom Schulz is either a musical genius, on the level of a Bach, or, Mozart; or else, an alien from a race so far above our own, that you might just equate his music to magic.
I swear I heard an interview on Rock History Music that gave me the impression Tom Shultz wasn’t even ON “Hitch a Ride” and “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” which were recorded in LA while he stayed behind in Boston mixing. If I heard correctly, that would stick a hole in the one man band story.
I’m not proclaiming it a holy fact, it’s just what I remember. I think the interview was with Barry
“Let Me Take You Home Tonight” was recorded separately from the rest of the album, so that one wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t think the rest were. Epic wanted to record in L.A. with a producer on hand, but Scholtz wouldn’t have it, so he hired John Boylan to run interference with Epic. Somehow, he got them to believe they were in L.A. working when in reality everything was being tracked in the basement studio strictly by Scholtz, as he wanted.
If he were a true genius, I'd say their albums wouldn't have gotten progressively more inferior over time. 🤔
Im going to assume you've seen the documentary "Tom Sholtz: Sound Machine". Its awesome. If not, check it out.
The fact that Scholtz recorded this album in his basement still boggles my mind. An amazing homemade engineering feat AND and incredible collection of songwriting and arrangement.
Donald Thomas Scholz (born March 10, 1947) is an American rock musician, songwriter, inventor, engineer, and philanthropist,[1][2] best known as the founder of the band Boston.
Scholz is an MIT-trained engineer who designed a recording studio in an apartment building's basement. The first Boston album was mostly recorded in his basement studio, often using devices he designed and invented. After the success of Boston, he founded Scholz Research & Development, Inc. to develop and market his inventions, many under the Rockman brand.
Scholz had a keen interest in music and began recording demos in his home studio while working at Polaroid. He spent six years unsuccessfully submitting demos to record companies.
Eventually the demos attracted the interest of Epic Records, who signed Scholz and singer Brad Delp to a recording contract. Scholz believed his demos were good enough for release as Boston's debut album, but Epic told Scholz to re-record the demos. Most of the guitar, bass, and keyboards were performed by Scholz, although other players were involved sporadically throughout the recordings. Epic did not want the album recorded entirely in Scholz's home as Scholz had intended (the label suggested using a recording studio), but most of what ended up on the album had indeed been recorded by Scholz in his basement. The album was released in 1976 and became the biggest-selling debut album by any artist up to that time.
You should check out the video, Tom Scholz sound machine
ua-cam.com/video/R1c0Bx_StvE/v-deo.html
When Boston, Foreigner, and Kansas popped onto the scene, we were starting to be force fed disco morning, noon and night. They were definitely a breath of fresh air for us rock lovers.
The solo/outro in this song is a masterpiece of dueling guitars.
Classic rock n roll.....bred delp was one of the greatest rock singers ever.....he is missed.....God bless you Brad !
I was a junior in college when Boston's first album came out . . . blown away then, still am now . . .
Nick, Boston was a very radio friendly band, but you should definitely read about their 1st album and why it was as successful as it was. It's actually a very important album in rock history, but I won't say anymore other than "Tom Scholz" 🙂
Nothing better than old late '70's music, Boston is #1! You'll find out! Best band ever!
The most underrated band in the history of music. Explosive sound, crystal clear guitar and vocals off the charts! RIP Brad Delp 🙏
My favorite Boston song. I can remember listening to this over and over again as a kid over my boom box headphones - In awe at the guitar solo. A very Inspiring and timeless sound.
The only comfort I could ever have in constantly dealing with the tragic loss of Brad delp is that I truly hope he knew how much he was loved.
“Voice is so special”
Yep Brad Delp the legend
Brad Delp is up the with Steve Perry as one of the best rock vocalists of all time
Two greats, being a teenager during those years, both Boston and Journey came out with albums and music that to this day still bring back a rush of emotions and memories of a time long past.
Being a teenager, no matter when you grew up, can have many challenges at times. It was the music we had to listen to back then that gave us all we needed to carry on.
I always liked "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray. The lyrics ring true for me even to this day. Whenever the stress off the job or kids and family start to wear me down, I can put on the headphones and play music from my youth, and all the stress just goes away.
The guitars from Boston's music and especially this song are so comforting (for lack of a better word), to me.
Add Lou Gramm and Steve Walsh
One of the most UNDERRATED.... LEGENDARY....& INCREDIBLE debut albums ever in the history of rock music.
Nick........ there's always a GOOD reason why things come to us when they do... So... I think you FINALLY coming back to Boston, fifteen or twenty years after your initial, Let's just call it the....." I just thought they were a hair metal band" phase of your Boston experience.....was also for a VERY GOOD reason....and I think you've just discovered that Reason by listening to this song. If neither of you were a little OLDER and a little WISER, as you both are today, that reason would have been lost on you....BOTH.
But now you're both at the beginning of a terrific Journey with these guys......👏🖖
Do yourselves a favor and keep a defibrillator nearby.......because both of you will be shocked at the talent....
Great song and great band. Glad you liked it. Lexi your hair looks great
This album, and those songs NEVER get old. One of my all time favorite Boston songs.
I Seen Boston in 1977 ,the singer hit all the high notes and the guitars blew everyone away, also they played so loud my ears rang for two days, !!Every song on this LP ROCKS !!
The voice of Boston is my friend since age 15, Bradley Delp. He had a strong soulful melodic voice. And his own favorite band was The Beatles. He could sound exactly like any of them as well.
Beautiful music!❤
I sit back and watch people like you enjoy these songs. Do yourself a favor and watch the Tom Sholtz interview. Brief comment is that he was an MIT grad, got a job at Polaroid when sound was being added to video then not only developed his own equipment but wrote and played every instrument and recorded each song on their first two records, then after record labels heard them he had to sit in them for two years until the music caught up to his records, then found the band members to perform them.
1 ] Blue Sky -- The Allman Brothers Band
2 ] Hitch A Ride -- Boston
3 ] Hotel California -- Eagles
Brad not only did the lead vocals (and amazingly well, I might add), but he also did all of the backing vocals and harmonies. Such an amazing talent and gone way too soon! RIP Brad.
One of the few albums I have sat down to listen to and liked every song. Huge hit back in high school. Thank you for the review.
Boston was literally my first band. I had their self titled cassette, listened to it on a Walkman everyday when I was in elementary school. Got in trouble a few times for always listening to it at school. Cassettes went away, but my penchant for getting in trouble never did lol.
Same here. I was 10 in 77 when I first heard More Than A Feeling. Immediately begged mom to take me to the record store. Got the cassette. Changed my life.
One of the most beautiful guitar solos ever!
One of the coolest feelings was watching my daughter love this great song...kind of a full circle thing!
Your reactions were fun, as usual, it's so cool to see you just simply getting in to it!
Fun as always
PeaceLoveLight☮
Boston's first album came out in 1976, I believe. WAY before hair bands were a thing.
When i first listened to this song I repeated the solo like 50 times, in think it was the most beautiful , legendary, well played and full of feeling solo I’ve heard, Scholtz were and underrated guitarist.
A Boston girl here! In high school, this album played like crazy at every party ( that our parents never knew happened)! So lucky to have a young teen soundtrack..they are SO FRIGGING GOOD. LOVE 💘 LOVE 💘 LOVE 💘 YOU TWO.. LEX, YOU ARE GORGEOUS !!!
17,000,000 albums sold of their debut album…, makes this (possibly) the greatest debut albums of all time. It is pretty much a perfect record.
Their first album is a masterpiece.
Great reaction video! Boston is a classic Hard Rock band in the 70s what would probably be labeled as POP Rock today. Tom Scholz performed and mastered the bulk of the album himself, playing all the instruments. I read below someone said he didn't play the drums but he did on a cheap set of drums he bought at Sears and put his engineering degree to use on them to get the sounds he wanted. Also he harmonized electric guitars which was not done at the time. As Lex has indicated, they are two different guitar parts played by the same man using his self developed RockMan box with some secrets smattered about. He recorded them separately and then mixed them. Once Tom had gotten the album assembled enough to develop a demo tape he enlisted his friend Brad Delp to sing on the album. Once the Demo circulated a company came calling, insisting that they make the music all over again in LA. Tom refused, said if you want the sound you heard on the demo it has to be my setup here. So, the debut Boston album was musically created and recorded in the basement of his home in Boston, and the vocals were all recorded again in LA using Toms original music tracks. When the band was set to tour, they had to find studio musicians that could play and understand what Tom would have to teach them. Its truly an amazing piece of work. The second album was delayed when Toms basement flooded and shorted out all of his equipment. He quickly went to work rebuilding his sound system back to the original specs to re record the tracks for the second album ironically titled, "Don't Look Back"! Anyway, thats some info, Im sure I probably missed on some of the details There are some great interviews on UA-cam of Tom Scholz talking about how he did it. Check it out if you have time.
Nick! Thanks for your honest admission and clear description of how attitudes, and youthful ignorance play a major role in the types of art and pop culture we choose to buy/digest/focus on!
I’m never bored by honest emotions, and concise descriptions!
I appreciate you!
When these guys came out in 1976 we had still been listening to Peter Frampton comes alive and these guys blew us away this whole album in my book is ranked in rock and roll history possibly top 10 maybe higher for its listening power of everysong, i think you wont go wrong if ya did a marathon on this album you definitely missed out nope no hair band a bar band from some guys from the boston scene,we burnt it off the turn table yup I did say turn table..red choking hash and jibbers we passed through The long Winter of 1976 with some amazing music and in to our senior years in high school 1977 great reaction keep spreading the music around God-bless.
Yeah Tom's quick pick slides with that trademark Rockman sound of his is epic in all their songs.
As a kid who grew up with Boston (and was fascinated by the spaceships) and moved onto Rush, Metheny, Zero 7, and so much more... I'm loving this channel! Hearing this song after many years makes me so surprised at how well this was mixed! Very tasty stuff.
Tommy DeCarlo replaced Brad Delp after his suicide. DeCarlo worked at Home Depot in Charlotte, NC .. he put a video on You Tube .. one of the band members wives heard DeCarlo and thought it was Delp singing ! They contacted him .. and he was contacted and joined the band.
Thank you for letting me rediscover Boston!
I had their first album many moons ago and sold it along with other LP’s from that time.
I'm glad you heard Higher Power, it was one of three new recordings added to Boston's 1997 Greatest Hits. It was the last new Boston song to receive radio airplay Underappreciated song.
I love yall's reaction to the first words "Gonna Hitch a Ride". I believe this is my favorite song from this album.
This is by far my favorite Boston song of all. The outro solo is sick. Tom Scholz is a genius
Love the lyrics Tom wrote for this....love the guitar parts Tom composed for this....love the bass guitar Tom composed for this song.....Toms engineering and production recording this song are stellar... Brad's vocal chops were insanely good... one of my favorite tunes to play on my guitar for sure.. Toms keyboard parts are very cool also...lol
One of the best guitar solos of all of rock music 🎵🎶
Wow! What fun to see Nick come to Boston. Any song off this album will lift your lid!
Great reaction and thanks for sharing. Tom Scholz is Boston, he played all the guitars on this song and every song on every album for Boston. Tom played lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, bass guitar and also the organ and sang background vocals. Brad Delp is the singer and did his own harmonies and back up vocals as well. At the end of this song, Tom uses the Rockman pedal system that he invented to showcase different amazing sounds you can get from the same guitar on the guitar solo and yes he played both of the dueling guitars in the song. It was the first rock pedal system in the world and this song was its marketing and showcase. Now every rock guitarist in the world uses a pedal system. Tom originally recorded this album in his basement and was the sound engineer, producer, wrote the songs and of course invented and built some of the equipment used. His friend Brad Delp sang. Originally Tom played drums too, but brought in a professional drummer to finish the album. This was the largest selling debut album of all time for the longest time. Unlike most albums there are no throw away songs. Every song is amazing, every song got airplay on the radio and still do to this day. Tom was an MIT engineer with music as his hobby. Keep checking out more Boston, the first album is a can't miss for picks. My advice is to play it in song order, just like we did when we bought it back in the day. :) Chris
Dual Guitar sounds that Iron Maiden were influenced by were 'Thin Lizzy' 'Eagles in Hotel California' and many other bands. Chris
I'm from Boston. Used to see singer Brad Delp often with his Beatles tribute band Bestlejuice and other projects(RTZ etc).. The most down to earth humble guy you could meet. Sadly and oddly took his own life about a decade ago(RIP). I suggest Boston second guitarist "Barry Goudreau" solo with Brad Delp track
" Dreams" a lost classic. While Scholz gets most of the attention Goudreau's style was a perfect fit.
Loved this! This song is my favorite song of all time, and has been for decades. I never tire of it. Back in the late 80’s, I got a fake ID and my name was Mark Bradley Delp. 😂
That first Boston album is great the whole way through, definitely a classic! If you want to hear some more cool dual-guitar stuff check out Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy. Both were big influences for Iron Maiden in their early days.
Wishbone Ash is so good, seen them live several times
Agree on both counts!
Wishbone Ash's Argus would be great for either doing single songs or a complete album review.
Great shout Erik- Wishbone were the band for me(saw them eight times in the 70s)
One guitar is playing the lead and the other is playing a harmony part. Baritone maybe?
You guys know the spaceships look different upside-down right?
*Teaser alert! : Pay close attention to Extracaliber's comment!
Boston's sound is so Iconic that I was able to identify the first ever playing on air of a new song simply from the first few chords..... It was the song Amanda from Third Stage and it was put on the air one weekday afternoon (maybe a Tuesday?!?!) with no introduction at all.... A memory that will be burned in my brain for ever....
They are the absolute kings of straight ahead rock and roll!
This debut album rocked from the first time it came out. I was in 7th grade. We kids loved it then. Us grandparents still love it now.
This song brings back memories from the 11th grade, crusing around in my party wagon smoking a joint, snd chilling with the boys!
Their album Walk On has the Walk On medley which is kick ass, consists of four songs that must be listen to together, sequentially. The 'spaceships' on the album covers, if you look closely, are guitars.
Higher Power is one of the more obscure Boston songs, yet one of my favorite
You guys need to give a listen to "Frankenstein" is an instrumental by The Edgar Winter Group from their 1972 album They Only Come Out at Night.
Absolutely! Pull up the video so you can see Edgar’s mad skills on multiple instruments!
Yeah, Frankenstein is incredible, no doubt.
Thanks for doing my very favorite Boston song from an incredible debut album. Rick Beato made a great breakdown video of this song on his UA-cam channel like only he can do and I highly recommend it.
This takes me back to HS. What an amazing band. Brads voice was unmatched ..rest in peace. I am so grateful I saw them in 1995. Tom Scholtz talent in engineering as well as all the other band members should ensure they are in the rock and roll HOF.
That debut album was one of the greatest!!hitch a ride my favorite and one of the best guitar solos..thankfully I got to see Boston 2 times and with Styx..rip Brad Delp
Yay. My favorite by them. I saw them live fortunately before the great Brad Delp passed.
Love you two, I grew up with Rush , triumph, April wine, Boston, Styx, glad you you see it!!!👍
Gitarz, drum, keyboard and beautiful voice is so clean. Jazzy rock. There is so much more to this band. Even in the 90s
Boston had such a unique guitar sound. You always knew right away just from the tone of the guitars that you were hearing Boston. Brad Delp had such a great voice. Tom Scholtz is indeed a gifted engineer. If any of my fellow subscribers & commenters know the answer please say so, Did Tom Scholtz actually sue people to protect his guitar sound? I know he worked very hard to create this particular guitar sound. Great job Nick N Lex so glad you reacted to Boston I still love how you pick deeper cuts to react to first.
Hey Guys! This is perhaps my favorite song by Boston. You came back from vacation with new energy and it’s great.
Sometimes being musically snobbish can keep you from some wonderful tunes! This is so great in so many ways. I was 14 when it was released and we could not believe how perfect it was. And still is
Boston was the first concert I ever went to. It was the fall of 1978 in Bloomington, Minnesota with 3 of my college buddies. Sammy Hagar (whom I hadn't heard of until then) was the warmup act. It was a great concert! Check out "Rock And Roll Band" and "Smokin' ".
Best song on the album?
Definitely one of the best guitar solos ever recorded in rock music 🎵🎶🎵
They are legendary for sure guys. This record was recorded in the guitarists basement with recording equipment he made himself. He was an engineer at Kodak. Tom Scholz was the mastermind.
I love "you knew about this!?" those moments are always awesome when we interact. Like the first time I tried Pho, I asked my brother " how long have you known about this!?"
Boston has a big range, from easy numbers like this to true rockers. The rockers rock HARD, but they remain totally accessible. This was for a long time the biggest selling debut of all time. Radio friendly ABSOLUTELY. Brilliant, sparkling, ingenious, complex music, ABSOLUTELY!
Com on guys, this is one of the best guitar solos ever in rock music, the richness of the sound, the melodic moves......
Check out the Wikipedia entry on Tom Scholz. Quite a guy. After getting a master's degree from M.I.T., and working for Polaroid as a design engineer, he recorded most of this album himself in his home studio. Also see the entry on the Boston album, which goes into the unusual circumstances of the recording. Scholz played guitars, bass, and keyboards. The spaceship on the cover is actually shaped like an inverted guitar (but has only 4 strings). He also invented and marketed the Rockman - a headphone amp simulator with distortion, chorus and echo in 1982.
Please react to Boston’s first album. Every song on the album is amazing.
The album looks like a spaceship, but it’s actually A Guitar.
Hey guys.
Hope things are great up there in Colorado ..Have a friend in Conifer..Depressed about his Donks (Broncos ). Saw Boston at Aloha Stadium in 79..They must have been about 2-3 hours late arriving by helicopter but they were very good..Right after second album ",Don't Look Back .", Check out " A Man I'll Never Be." One of my faves.
You were correct about being radio-friendly. Boston's weakness was that they couldn't reproduce the sound live. Their catalogue was limited, but the shelf-life of the first two albums have lasted almost 50 years. Classics.
Absolutely the best guitar work in any song EVER
His voice was so calming and soothing, I got to see him sing live with his Beatles cover band called Beatle Juice, his voice was silky smooth and he had such special control over the vibrato and stiletto and the highs, without a doubt a generational singer, if we're lucky we get one such talent in a whole generation, the seventies had a few like Brad, Steve Perry, Freddie Mercury, Steve Deyoung from Styx and Ann Wilson
I meant falsetto not stiletto lol
Lex is a sweetheart. Nick,get a grasp. Boston has one of the great first albums and you haven't heard. Wow! Skating away on the thin ice of a new day!
In the 70's we were quite spoiled. We expected really Great Rock and got it but even Boston took us by surprise. At 15, when this was released, I was very on top of the latest and it was great fun to see which one of us teens in our big group of fellow rock heads got the album first! The next competition with us was who got to see them live first.
This came in 76. I was 15 and this 1st album from Boston is iconic! Every song is a gem. Brad Delp's voice and back harmonies along with Tom Sholz' guitar playing is stellar! He is a graduate of MIT in sound engineering and invented the guitar effects that were used. You can thank him for how good they sound since then.
@Retromolarman Toms degrees from MIT are both in Mechanical Engineering.
The outro guitar solo in this song is transcendent
Boston has been a road trip album since I was a freshman in HS back in 1976 - they were fantastic in concert, like so many bands in the 70's and 80's.
"Hair Bands" were popular in the late 80s.
Thank you, Nick and Lex, for listening to my number one band of all time. My late brother introduced me to Boston way back in 1978, and I've been a fan of Brad Delp (RIP), and Tom Scholz ever since. The attempt to categorize Boston into a genre has been going on for decades. The most hurtful moniker that was thrust upon them was "Corporate Rock," meant as an insult to their inoffensive nature and upbeat/ positive lyrics. If asked I simply classify them as 70s guitar-driven rock. Thanks again for the trip back to my childhood.
As mentioned previously in the comments for some nice dual guitars check out Wishbone Ash - Throw Down the Sword track from their album Argus (1972). I am sure you will both enjoy it. The whole album is a classic.
one of the best debut albums of all time IMHO !!!