Rick Beato's intricate breakdowns of songs, music, and techniques is pretty cool.
Boston's first album (1976) in my opinion is a Top 10 of all time. Still nothing sounds like it, never has since. Boston was its own genre. Summer of '77.
Second album (1978) was good as well. I remember the anticipation of this second Boston album, buying it immediately.
That was pretty much the end of Boston (aside from the single, Amanda), on their third album ten years later in 1986.
Very interesting. This has always been one of my favorites, though I've played it so much I've kind of largely removed it from my usual listening.
Side A of Boston's first 2 albums were all great, though the side B music never rose to that standard. I guess from this guy's breakdown of MTAF, it's apparent that the reason might have been for lack of ability to pour the same amount of effort into the side B songs.
Sadly, it seems Boston is just an alias for Tom Scholz, and though he's made additional albums beyond the first 2, it seems none of them have been able to continue the success. I've wondered if those other original band-mates deserved more credit for the original successes than they ended up getting in court.
I seem to recall Scholz being accused of his perfectionism driving others crazy, and then him filing a lawsuit for defamation over what someone close to Brad said publicly after Brad's death, ascribing some aspect of Scholz's personality to the tragady. That pretty much told me the accusations were true.
Very interesting. This has always been one of my favorites, though I've played it so much I've kind of largely removed it from my usual listening.
Hear ya on that and agree; 'More Than A Feeling' was great; It made me buy that album. But yes, it WAS played to death so much that I also mentally dismissed it. (I chose this particular Rick Beato breakdown of it and song because I knew many of us liked it at the time.)
Side A of Boston's first 2 albums were all great, though the side B music never rose to that standard. I guess from this guy's breakdown of MTAF, it's apparent that the reason might have been for lack of ability to pour the same amount of effort into the side B songs.
Interesting take...
With respect to Boston's debut album, the only song not written by Scholtz was, 'Let Me Take You Home Tonight'. It was the one song I thought was just average. Otherwise I thought the rest of Side B and all of Side A were shockingly excellent.
Now if you're also referring to Side B of the 'Don't Look Back' album, I absolutely agree! So you noticed as well? (Only 'Feeling Satisfied' met the standard of excellence as heard on Side A, and the debut album material.)
Even Tom Scholtz thought his Side B of Don't Look Back was weak. According to him the record company rushed him. That would explain why that efforts wasn't as good as the debut album.
Now if you're also referring to Side B of the 'Don't Look Back' album, I absolutely agree! So you noticed as well? (Only 'Feeling Satisfied' met the standard of excellence as heard on Side A, and the debut album material.)
I'll have to listen to them again, now knowing a bit more of the background of MTAF. My feelings on them certainly won't change but I could better quantify my impression.
I'll have to listen to them again, now knowing a bit more of the background of MTAF. My feelings on them certainly won't change but I could better quantify my impression.
Your feelings or ear or impression could certainly change now that your senses are 40 years older. You focus on different things for some reason (maybe its me.)
I can't tell you how many songs I've taken a different listen to and appreciate far more now then then. (Not to mention the volume of good songs and music that fell between the cracks, never even heard. Wasn't it almost impossible to hear everything back in the late 60s, 70s-80s?)
For 41 years, I'd dismissed Boston's 'Feelin Satisfied' (second album, Side B track)...until I heard a cover band do it and heard the rest of song beyond the first over-used opening riffs. Love it. Took 41 years to appreciate it.
I can't tell you how many songs I've taken a different listen to and appreciate far more now then then. (Not to mention the volume of good songs and music that fell between the cracks, never even heard. Wasn't it almost impossible to hear everything back in the late 60s, 70s-80s?)
No, one thing I've noticed about myself is that my opinion of a particular song never changes. Songs I liked and disliked as a teen I still like and dislike today. I like to think it speaks well about my musical maturity as a teen.
I'm a big fan now of epic music which didn't exist back then, except perhaps as a foreshadowing in the music of Mason William's "Classical Gas", or Ennio Morricone's famous tune from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
If you want a real ride, check this out. Two Steps from Hell. I've mentioned Thomas Bergerson to you before. Here's "Victory". Just know that if it's the first time you've heard it and you don't have your stereo totally cranked, it's a crime against humanity. Just so you know.
Love 'Ecstasy of Gold'. It's another Ennio Morricone epic masterpiece. (I actually made own epic home video, had my father and brother wear cowboy hats, and used this particular score for it about 30 years ago.)
Miklos Rozsa is another of the epic flim score composers.
He composed quite a few of the Bible Movie epics and scores of the 1950s and early 1960s (Ben-Hur, King of Kings, El Cid, Quo Vadis)
Here is the London Symphony Orchestra doing an awesome rendition of Rozsa's Ben-Hur:
He is the only classical conductor I have ever seen crack a smile and have fun with it.
There's a time and room for "fun" and as well as serious pieces. And even then, during serious pieces like during Rieu'/LSO rendition of 'The Messiah,' I'm watching a guy and musicians/chorus smiling and still having a great time.
Part of that "fun" vibe is in the spirited delivery of Andre Rieu.
I've seen musically technically excellent concerts, but the performance have seem labored and heavy... far more precisely *because* the musicians were having a ball! And that vibe is infectious with the audience as you know.
Seems to me that a major attraction of Springsteen concerts is as much about Brucie and his bandmates having a grand old time and sharing it; That same feel-good vibe and rush is felt by the audience.
