Boston - "s/t" (CBS - 1976)

One of the best things about getting older is that you grow less and less concerned with what's "cool," and what is not. One day, you get out of bed and your back groans and you notice that a few more of your hairs have gone gray, and you don't mind because at least they're still there, (for now), and you flip on the radio, (because you're old and you still listen to it), and some overplayed schlocky relic from the 70's comes clunking out, and instead of furiously changing the station you find yourself joyously singing along, and without a trace of ironic sarcasm. Ladies and gentlemen, the first Boston album! While sitting back and giving this a spin, I'll be sipping a Cape Codder, inspired by the group's reference to Hyannis in "Rock and Roll Band." I know when I think of hotbeds of rock music, Hyannis just leaps right to mind.

I picked up this copy some years back at a used record store in Philadelphia. The owner had a box of mostly 70's classic rock near the front door with a sign on it advertising: FREE. I asked him to be sure, and he disdainfully said, "Yes, please take that crap out of here." OKAY! I am not averse to free crap, musically speaking of course, so I snagged this, as well as a few Zeppelin albums and most likely some Foreigner or Bad Company and went on my way, happy to have relieved this poor soul from the crushing burden of possessing a handful of oft-played rock albums.

The drink is a bit on the sweet side for my taste, especially considering I'm using some "diet" cranberry juice someone left in my refrigerator. The vodka is Sobieski, because it's cheap and on-hand. There should be a lime wedge in there as well, but I'm all out. Better suited to hot-weather, outdoor day-drinking, the Cape Codder falls a little flat in the current situation.

Before we get into the music, we simply must discuss this ridiculous, (and awesome), album cover. The cartoonish drawing depicts a number of enormous and identical spaceships fleeing an exploding planet Earth. The ships carry domed cities, and the one in the foreground is labelled, "Boston." I'm a bit perturbed that not one of the buildings within the domed Boston bears any resemblance to any familiar building. Yes, I know that this dramatic rendering of the end of the world seems to be far into the future, but still... couldn't hurt to include the Custom House Tower, or even the much-maligned Pru. What any of this madness has to do with the band, the music, or any of the lyrics within, I have no clue. The back cover features a curiously apologetic blurb describing how the band came about, beneath a stoic band photo. Drummer Sib Hashian, dead center, sports some of the most amazing hair in the history of rock and roll.

And so, on an album packed with hits, (every single song on here is a staple of classic rock radio), we begin with the best-known of the lot. "More Than a Feeling" eases in with some unassuming acoustic guitar and lyrics appropriately enough about listening to an old, "familiar song." Then it kicks right in with the classic riff and super-catchy chorus, replete with glorious handclaps! The riff is undeniably similar to another well-known hit song, acknowledged here by Nirvana. All of the elements associated with the band's signature sound are evident in abundance on this first track: pristine production; soaring, layered guitar; over-saturated and impossibly high-pitched vocals. All things considered, it's an undeniably fun song, regardless of how many listens your local classic rock station, (or your drunk Uncle Charlie), have subjected you to. Next up is "Peace of Mind," a tune you may not recognize by name but you have almost certainly heard before. For such an enduring hit, it's actually fairly unremarkable. More of the same, but nowhere near as infectious as the first track. The third offering begins with an instrumental titled, "Foreplay," which guitarist and mastermind of the group, Tom Scholz, had written years earlier while a student at M.I.T. This bit is heavily laden with some serious 70's organ action. At one time it might have seemed pretty cool, but now just sounds extremely dated. At least the drummer gets to have a little fun, up to this point being relegated to laying back and letting the vocals and guitar have the spotlight. As it transitions into "Long Time," some spacey noises and futuristic sound effects can be heard, evoking the images on the album cover. It all comes together! Then the second part starts off with a short guitar solo, and we're into the final number on the side. A better song than the last, more of the same hilarious and generic rock lyrics, and another appearance of my beloved handclaps, hot times! The song carries on a bit longer than it seemingly needs to, but just as I'm ready to cut it short, the fade-out begins.

Taking the cake for worst, (and therefore possibly best), lyrics on the album is the first song of side two, "Rock and Roll Band." They say to write about what you know, and so I suppose if you're in a rock band then it would make sense to write a song about being in a rock band. Yet, there's something so hilariously stupid about that. Or maybe it's perfectly awesome. I just don't know. Oh, and the song also includes fake crowd noise, plugged in at appropriate moments. Stupid? Awesome? Yes! And there's this genius line too, "Play, play, play, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." Eat your fucking heart out, Walt Whitman! Next up is my personal favorite, "Smokin'," the song that first turned me around from hating all this schlock to actually liking it. Very derivative rock guitar riff, yet still somehow perfect and awesome. I like the song enough to forgive the long and wildly unnecessary organ/guitar break. I like the song enough to overlook its sad lack of handclaps. I like the song and I can't even begin to explain why. It just goes really well with an ice-cold can of beer. Why the heck am I drinking this fruity vodka mediocrity? Anyway, next up is "Hitch a Ride," a melancholic ode to getting the fuck out of town. Very laid-back tune, some interesting drum parts. It almost sounds like the drummer is overplaying in protest, a passive-aggressive complaint issued forth with unnecessary fills and overcomplicated snare work. Works for me. After a long instrumental outro with a nice guitar part, we get into probably the least-memorable song on the record, "Something About You." It has the same feel as everything else, but without any real hook or particular character. It's just there, and then it's over. The last song picks it back up a bit. "Let Me Take You Home Tonight," has a bit of an Allman Brothers thing going on, sort of a bluesy rave-up. The arrangement is less conventional and far more interesting than anything else on the record. It's a good choice to end with, and goes out on an energetic note.

In then end, I should have probably paired this with some cold, domestic, generic beer. Seems to be the perfect fit for all classic rock of this ilk. Live and learn, and enjoy the handclaps.