Album: Boston
Artist: Boston
Genre: Hard Rock
Suggested by: Trollheart
Familiarity: I've heard the entirety of side one, and I'll probably recognize parts from the second side.
1. More Than a Feeling - Ah, the classic acoustic guitar intro to this song. The songwriting is just so good. The guitar solo is awesome. The length is perfect. I mean, how could you not like this song. Everything about it is great.
2. Peace of Mind - Acoustic guitar intro like the last one, and it's of similar length. This one is pure hard rock fun. Itis incredibly easy to slide right into this song. Just like the last one, it utilizes the pop song structure to its greatest potential. The dynamics are awesome in this song. As usual, the guitar solo is also great. So far, best record I've listened to for this thread. These songs just never get old.
3. Foreplay/Long Time - The intro is one of my favorite moments in all music history. It's a testament to the awesomeness of the 70s. The intro is probably the heaviest thing about this album. This song is probably the most progressive on the album, at 7 minutes. But yeah, it's great. After the intro, the rest of the song comes in on the perfect note. Just the keys and the vocals at the start are awesome, but then the guitars come in. Dynamics are awesome, transitions are awesome, lyrics are awesome, and everything comes together perfectly. This song is incredibly awesome. The guitar solo is one of the greatest of all time. Verging on prog metal, this song is one of the all-time greats. I love it.
4. Rock & Roll Band - The songwriting is still very good, but some of the awesomeness is missing. The lyrics aren't quite as good. Of course, that's all compared to the first side. It's still an incredibly awesome song.
5. Smokin' - Got some southern rock going on here. This one's a bit faster than the other tracks. It's an interesting diversion from the sound of the rest of the album. Definitely better than the last song. This one has a keyboard solo. It's actually really good. The darker middle section is really cool. A bit of orchestral composition never hurts a hard rock song in my opinion. Yeah, the progness really shines through here. I expected the awesomeness to not flow as freely on the second side, but I've been proven wrong. It's still just as awesome as before.
6. Hitch a Ride - Never heard this one. This one sounds like The Who. It's a bit lighter than the others, focusing a lot on guitar interplay. Every part of the song works with every other. Wow, I'm surprised I haven't ever heard this song. I'd say that this is as good as the stuff on the first side. The song has a happy ending guitar solo which takes up the last minute of the song. The solo seems very educated and well thought-out. It's a bit abnormal for the time, but it's also very transfixing. I really like this one.
7. Something About You - Oh wow. This one isn't traditional at all. Very quiet and gloomy at the start. The guitars doubled over each other are great in this one. The vocals and lyrics really elevate this one to the level of the others. This one's the same style as the others, but like the others, it has it's subtle differences that combine to make the entire song very unique. Like the others, it also has a guitar solo. Pretty basic structure, but the flairs are what count with this album anyways. Another amazing track.
8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight - Same as the last one. Basic structure, but the carefully crafted tunes are what really count. Excellent through and through. I love the bridge.
Favorite Song: Foreplay/Long Time
This album is a representation of the best parts of hard rock. The songwriting is creative and original, and the band never stoops to plain, old rock and roll. Each song has practically the same structure, but as I said multiple times, the creativity of the songwriting and lyricism really elevate the album to a whole nother level. For its outstanding songwriting, and endless creativity, it's getting an awesome rating from me.
OVERALL RATING: 12/10