Boston: Greatest Hits

iTunes Review

By injecting AOR with the lightning charge of hard rock, Boston bridged the two dominant styles of the late ‘70s and became the era’s definitive band. Their eponymous 1976 debut was practically an eight-song single, and hits like “More Than a Feeling,” “Foreplay / Long Time,” and “Peace of Mind” appealed equally to fans of Elton John, ABBA, and Aerosmith. While the band’s subsequent efforts didn’t have the revelatory impact of Boston, “”Don’t Look Back,” “Cool the Engines” and “Feelin’ Satisfied” faithfully expounded on the formula of the first album. As guitarist, songwriter and producer, Tom Scholz was the driving creative force behind Boston, but Brad Delp’s voice was the group’s signature. Only Journey’s Steve Perry could rival Delp for total castrato passion. When Delp left Boston in 1990 the chemistry of the band was irreparably altered, as evidenced by the bland “Tell Me,” which features a replacement vocalist and is barely identifiable as a Boston track—it could easily be the work of any number of other rock bands. Delp and Scholz reunited briefly for “Higher Power” but the old magic was lost.