Ken's Album Review - 5/26

[Ken]

I haven't done one of these in a long while so here we go!

Today's pick



Title - Don't Look Back
Year - 1978
Label - Epic
Produced by - Tom Scholz
Billboard Chart Position - #1
Singles released - Don't Look Back (#4 - 1978)
- Feelin' Satisfied (#46 - 1979)
- A Man I'll Never Be (#31 - 1979)


Boston seemed to be one of those bands that like Journey and Styx the music critics just loved to hate. Me? I loved them.Don't Look Back was released two years after the band's brilliant debut. I bought my copy of this album back in '78 when my Mom and Dad and I were on a weekend shopping trip down to Bellingham Washington. I upgraded to CD sometime in the early 90's. My middle brother also had the 8 track.


Don't Look Back - A great rocker and an excellent way to kick off the album complete with Tom's huge guitar sound that he is famous for. I remember my middle brother buying the edited version of this on 45.


The Journey - I seem to remember this being the b side to the Don't Look Back. A short instrumental that features guitar and Hammond organ. I like this very much. It seagues into....


It's Easy - I've always thought Brad Delp's voice was one of the best in rock and he doesn't disappoint here. His harmony vocals on this track are killer!


A Man I'll Never Be - A really nice power ballad with a terrific melody. I love the combination of guitar and piano on the intro.

Feelin Satisfied - My #1 fave. When I first heard this I loved it right away - playing it constantly. A no nonsense piece of rock and roll. Brad once again sings some incredible harmonies and Sib's drumming is solid!

Party - My second favorite tune - more straight ahead rock from beginning to end.This is one you have to crank up.


Used To Bad News - Love the acoustic guitars heard throughout. The Hammond organ solo is very cool.

Don't Be Afraid - Another song I played alot and still really enjoy today.A very upbeat tune. The slide guitar solo I can't get enough of.


Hope you enjoyed my review

[55dodger]

Hey Ken.
I got this on vinyl, probably back in '78 or '79. Bought in mainly on the strength of the first album. Although a good album, it just never measured up, and in all honesty, probably never could. I think part of harsh critical review was based on the fact that it never quite measured up to the first one, but that's kind of unfair. Still a good album though.
Favorites: Party, Don't Look Back, Feelin' Satisfied, & A Man I'll Never Be.

[djdave]

Super album! Though "Boston" placed comfortably in my top 100, this placed well inside my top 500 albums (don't care to look right now exactly where it stood).
The title song was just about as great as anything on the first album! Most every other track is excellent, too, especially the ones Dodger already mentioned, plus The Journey/It's Easy. The last two tracks to me are more on par with the Third Stage stuff years later, but even that wasn't shabby at all.

[lora]

Ah, Boston. For some reason, I've always grouped them right along with Chicago.

Ha ha.

[Dawn]

Ken, great review!

This is an album I need to get on CD. While not quite as consistent overall as their debut, there's still quite a few winners here, and as Woody mentioned, some of the criticism it has gotten over the years has been based on unfair comparisons.

Don't Look Back is my favorite Boston track of all - absolutely love it. Feelin' Satisfied is another solid cut that the classic rock stations here are starting to add to their playlists.

[Pete70s]

I have this on vinyl, should investigate beyond the title song. Obviously, with the debut being as successful as it was, it is easy to overlook this. (One day on our local Classic Rock station, EVERY track on the debut got played within a five hour period! No reason, no "featured artist" or "featured album". They just played every song over the course of one afternoon!)

But I do love the title song, and I've always loved the cover art as well! BTW- Did not know the single was edited. The 45 I had was the full 5+ mins. Was it edited in Canada?

[SAT-I need more room!!]

pete70s said:

BTW- Did not know the single was edited. The 45 I had was the full 5+ mins. Was it edited in Canada?

Must be, Pete. My dad has the 45 REISSUE and it's full length!

[SAT-I need more room!!]

I bought this in like 1985, the same day I bought a Beatles poster. (I actually had a little "date book" back then that I guess would be the equivelant of a diary, where I'd write down things I bought and such.)

The only songs that ever got play around here are Feelin' Satisfied and Don't Look Back. Actually, I got more into the second side than the first! I really only know the title cut on side 1, never got into the other stuff. Surprised A Man I'll Never Be was a single as I never heard it on the radio. Still don't know how it goes! LOL!

Like I said, I got into side 2 more, and Don't Be Afraid is a cool song. Isn't a surprise you like this as it is very Power Pop like!

[Ken]

pete70s said:

I have this on vinyl, should investigate beyond the title song. Obviously, with the debut being as successful as it was, it is easy to overlook this. (One day on our local Classic Rock station, EVERY track on the debut got played within a five hour period! No reason, no "featured artist" or "featured album". They just played every song over the course of one afternoon!)

But I do love the title song, and I've always loved the cover art as well! BTW- Did not know the single was edited. The 45 I had was the full 5+ mins. Was it edited in Canada?

I always thought that it was,but I could be wrong. It's been a long time since I've heard the 45.