Boston: Beyond a Feeling
As I dreaded to the airport on a Monday morning to catch a flight that would take off at my usual wake-up time, I turned to music to change my mood. “When I am tired and thinking cold, I hide in my music, forget the day… “ is a phrase that captures the power of music to help us transform how we feel and think, and I would argue that if its power is such, it’d also transform how we act. This verse opens the song “More than A Feeling” Its simple yet powerful lyrics are accompanied by musical perfection and uplifting vocals.
In a musical landscape where bands often bear the names of their hometowns or states —Kansas, Chicago, Alabama, Europe, and Texas — Boston deserves the most pride. In the age of digital platforms like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music, I ponder whether Boston and their groundbreaking debut album capture the ears of a new generation. My hunch is that the 7 million monthly Spotify listeners, myself included, are dedicated aficionados who have cherished Boston's music for decades. If indeed this is the case, it's a poignant oversight for a band that has significantly shaped the rock music landscape.
Boston's self-titled debut is a rock masterpiece, conceived by Tom Scholz, the band's visionary founder and MIT-trained mechanical engineer. Crafted in a sonic laboratory, this album underwent meticulous production and engineering, evolving from a demo tape to the greatest-selling album of 1976. Notably, Scholz's engineered guitar sound weaves a lush and sophisticated sonic tapestry, a testament to the album's simple yet undeniable perfection.
While "More than a Feeling" takes the spotlight, my personal favorites like "Foreplay/Long Time" showcase a fusion of acoustic and electric guitars, intensifying the song progressively. "Rock and Roll Band" expresses a profound love for the transformative art of music.
Beyond their iconic debut, Boston introduced four more studio albums, with a pattern emerging every decade. As with the other albums I've shared on this blog, Boston's timeless melodies are always worth revisiting.
As I wrap up this blog, cruising at 30,000 feet, the background music on my flight happens to be Boston's tunes. It strikes me that while many may not consciously select this band on their streaming services, the influence of Boston's music may quietly shape their experience, subtly enhancing the backdrop of their journey without them even realizing it.
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