Corporate America - Boston - 2002 (Artemis)
How long did we have to wait for the third Boston album? Eight years. Then another eight years for the next one, and, believe it or not, it's been eight years since 1994's
Walk On. Is he doing this on purpose? Has it been worth the wait? Well, it certainly starts off well, powerfully and with a lot more AOR to be fair than straight ahead rock, but that oh-so-missed distinctive voice is great to hear, as Brad Delp puts in a great performance, his last with Boston before tragically taking his own life five years later. I'm a little offput by the electronic/dance nature of the title track, even if Tom Scholz's instantly recognisable guitar riffs do add a bit of needed punch, but the basic tune is more like something you'd hear on a dancefloor really, and despite a pretty fine solo from Tom it's hard not to scratch your head at the composition of this song.
There's a nice change of pace then for a beautifully gentle little acoustic number, that comes on all "Starman" as it begins, and is very interestingly sung by country songstress Kimberley Dahme, who joined Boston that year. I believe this is the first time a Boston song has had female lead vocals, and it's certainly unexpected, to me at least. There's another unexpected twist in "Turn it Off", when Boston go all grunge rock, and a lovely little piece of Spanish guitar in "I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love", though the rest of the song sounds like Toto, and is somewhat drowned in keyboards. Beautiful closer in an apparently live version of "Livin' for you", off previous album
Walk On, though to be honest the only clue it's live is at the end with some basic cheers, but it's a great song anyway.
Boston will never equal or exceed their amazing debut from 1976, especially now that the “voice” of that band has passed on, but they came close with
Third Stage. This I do not place in that sort of category. It's a decent album, but in a few places quite weak and really lacking the energy and enthusiasm I'd expect not only of Boston, but of an album that bears such a title. Corporate rock? Maybe not, but as Steve Hogarth once wrote,
”The fire in your belly/ That gave you the songs/ Is suddenly gone.”
Perhaps they might have been wise to have taken the advice in the title of their previous album. I certainly could not confirm that the title of the opening track is at all appropriate. What I'm saying is, I did not have a particularly good time.
TRACK LISTING
I Had a Good Time
Stare Out Your Window
Corporate America
With You
Someone
Turn it Off
Cryin'
Didn't Mean to Fall in Love
You Gave Up On Love
Livin' for You (live)