Customer Reviews

Don't Look Back (Reis) (Dig)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My review for the remastered edition of the first Boston release, Boston (1976/r. 2006) is very similar to this one. Really, most people would consider Boston (1976) and Don't Look Back (1978) as an inseperable set. When put together they barely make the capacity of a standard compact disc (80 minutes). And, they are more alike than the slightly more exploratory Third Stage (1986).

I must begin this review with the same sentiments as I did the other one: If you don't like the band, nobody's asking you to listen to them. But in the name of God show some respect for the people who do. We don't go and badmouth your music; leave ours alone.

That aside, there is no need for me to go through each of the songs. After all, when one totals the sales of the first two Boston albums, one reaches an impressive 24,000,000 copies sold. There are artists today who will never sell that many albums if they released twenty different titles! Boston's albums were among the first to be transfered to the (then new technology) compact disc format. And it was a Boston album that became the first compact disc format release to reach the Gold (500,000 copies) standard. This just stands to prove the undying legacy of this band and these albums, as well as the reason I don't need to describe the songs. If you haven't heard them yet, you have simply not been on planet Earth for the past thirty years.

Which makes the fact that these albums haven't been remastered in 21 years very hard to believe. But then, Scholz always was notorious for taking his sweet time with things (remember the lawsuits for breach of contract?). I guess he just figured he would out-do himself in that department with these remasters. Actually, Tom himself hadn't even been consulted on the matter. He was rather upset at this, but rather than throwing things at the executives, his agent (and presumably his lawyers) asked Sony records very politely if Tom could make some nice 24-bit digital transfers of the first two albums and then handle the remastering himself. Obviously they agreed, and the fine item you are considering at this moment is one half of the result.

Don't Look Back (1978) was one of the most anticipated sophomore albums ever released. In all (to date) seven million copies have flown off the shelves, and though most people consider it slightly inferior to the first release, it has still received a great deal of airplay, and it has stood the test of time. Perhaps you already own some incarnation of the album (album, eight-track, cassette tape, or the original 1985 compact disc release), or maybe this will be the first copy you will be buying. In either case, my verdict stands: BUY IT NOW! DON'T HESITATE!

The remastering is what makes this album special. The original release is well-known for its substandard sound quality, and Tom Scholz himself is on record as having said that he couldn't listen to that edition of his album. Now he was finally granted a chance to craft the audio just as he brilliantly crafted 90% of all the songs and instrumental parts of Boston's music.

And he has risen magnificently to the task. His work on this and the Boston (r. 2006) release is stunning. And yet, as I said in my other review, the word that best describes the difference in sound between this release and the original release of Don't Look Back is subtle. It doesn't jump right out at you, but there is definitely an improvement. It might be hard to put into words just what's different, so I'll try and do that for you.

Having listened to the original releases of this and the first Boston album literally a few thousand times each, I can point out the major differences. Most noticible is the increase in overall volume that all new remasters enjoy. Nonetheless, it's very welcome. Next is the clarity and presence of the vocals: Brad Delp has never sounded better. No longer does his voice sound like it's underwater, or like it's had all the midrange frequencies notched. His words are clear and understandable, yet warm and pleasant. Typically high-range male vocalists suffer from poor remastering, and Brad was no exception. On Tom's remaster, however, you hear Brad as he was meant to be heard.

Overall, the bass frequencies have been tightened and cleaned up considerably, the midranges are vibrant and mellow yet distinct, and the high ranges are nice and clear without losing the warmth of a vinyl recording. Gone is the plethora of tinny, nasty treble that plagued the original edition of this album. Tom really knows what he's doing, because normally I would have found something wrong with the audio for which I would correct. I would not change a thing about what Tom did.

The final and most welcome change is the removal of all the artifacts from the original issue. All the piercing cymbal crashes, the siblants, and the painful Hammond organ percussive attacks (most noticible at the end of "A Man I'll Never Be") are utterly gone. The entire flow is smooth and rich as maple syrup.

Overall, this is a must-have supplement to Boston (1976/r. 2006). If you own every incarnation of this album, or if you've never bought it before, this remastered edition is for you. Don't think, just buy this and the Boston (1976/r. 2006) album at the nearest outlet (or, of course, from Amazon).

What are you still reading this for?! Get out there and buy!

P.S. I've heard quibbling about the lack of bonus tracks. While most new remasters include them, I wouldn't worry too much with this one. According to Tom, the live cuts Sony had on hand were very poor recordings. Tom has all the good ones, and he plans on releasing an entire live disc, complete with his signature remastering prowess. Just take heart in this and you'll be fine!

P.P.S. Since this review appears as a Spotlight review, it will be more visible than my other reviews for various albums. Therefore, I have to say the following out of respect:

R.I.P. Brad Delp, lead and harmony vocalist of one of the greatest classic rock bands ever. NOBODY will ever forget your talent or your contributions to music in general. You were one of my absolute favorite vocalists, and I consider you an inspiration. Many people do. More than you will ever know.

Boston's classic sophmore album has finally been remastered.

Boston became an overnight sensation with their self-titled debut album (1976) which was one of the best selling albums of 1976 (as of this writing, it has sold over fifteen million copies and remains the best selling debut album of all-time). Needless to say, Epic wanted an immediate follow-up album to capitalize on the band's momentum. Not wasting any time, Tom Scholz, (guitar) Brad Delp, (vocals) Barry Goudreau, (guitar) Sib Hashian, (drums) and Fran Sheehan (bass) started work on their new album.

Released in 1978, the two year gap between the debut and the follow-up was considered a long wait. Despite working on the follow-up for two years, Scholz, always the perfectionists, was unhappy with the final result, especially the second half. He considered the album rushed and incomplete. Be that as it may, it was still a strong seller, debuting at number one on the billboard chart and yielding three hit singles, the title track, "Feelin' Satisfied", and "A Man I'll Never Be."

While "Don't Look Back" is overshadowed by the debut, it's still a fine album. It's essentially cut from the same cloth as the debut. The title track is more-or-less this album's "More than a Feeling," "The Journey" is this album's "Foreplay," "Party" is this albums "Smokin'" and so on. The downdraught semi-epic "A Man I'll Never Be" is probably the album's most ambitious song and the one track that separates this album with its predecessor. While "Don't Look Back" is more or less a carbon copy of the debut, it's not quite as strong. There isn't anything wrong with the album; the songs are catchy, the album is well-paced, there isn't any filler, the production is top-notch, it's just that compared to the debut, "Don't Look Back" plays second fiddle, in terms of memorable, great songs. Boston's debut is such a classic; it would be a hard, almost an impossible task, to try to top.

While "Don't Look Back" isn't the classic that the debut is, it's still a great collection of songs. And while Boston's music hasn't aged as well as some of their peers and is definitely dated, their good-time classic 70s brand of rock n' roll is certainly worth a spin now and again.

Although Tom Scholz himself was in charge of the remastering of both this album and Boston's self-titled debut, he has stated that he is less-than-thrilled with the results. He has gone so far as to call both remasters "abortions." I honestly have no idea what Mr. Scholz is talking about or if I am listening to the same remasters as him. Both remasters sound superb. It's the same music that people have known and loved for three decades, but now with a crisp, fresh sound.

Listening to Boston: Boston and Boston: Don't Look Back is like taking a trip back in time. As a teenager in the late 1970's, Boston was the background music of our lives - along with Genesis, Kansas, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Bob Seger, Alan Parsons Project...

But just listening to any of the songs from Boston's two defining albums takes me back. Boston's sound was distinctive, all their own. Brad Delp was the voice behind the band, and what a voice it was! Coupled with the soaring harmonies from the guitars of Tom Scholz, Boston had a sound all its own, a sound that will instantly transport you back to your teen years.

If you're getting to know Boston for the first time around, I recommend Boston and Don't Look Back. Beyond that, though, Boston's trademark classic rock sound is watered down by the intermittent usage of lesser lead vocalists and weaker material.

Boston and Don't Look Back are both perfect examples of what rock and roll used to be, before disco and rap. Boston is the definition of classic rock.

there's no sophmore slump with this album.only in the world of BOSTON could an album that sold 7 million copies be considered a slump. their debut has sold 17 million plus.buy both of BOSTON'S first two albums.

Popular opinion is that this is the weak followup to Boston's classic debut album. The truth is that half of this album represents Boston's BEST work of all time, while the other half is filler. The first half of this album is terrific, from the opening chords of the title track to "Man I'll Never Be", this is ace stuff. The trouble lies entirely on side two, which is generally sub-mediocre. The hidden treat on this side is "Used to Bad News", which is a great sonic pop bon-bon. Tom Scholz' record label rushed him to release the record, and it's painfully obvious on the remainder of the second "side" (second half for you CD fans). Nonetheless, the good stuff is so good, I'm inclined to give the whole album 4 stars. Make your own compilation by jettisoning the remainder of side two and adding most of the first LP, and you have one for the guitar gods' time capsule.

dap

So what DO you do after you've just establshed the record for the best-selling debut album of all time? You either make a new record, or retire. Being that the guys were still pretty young to retire, they made this altogether decent follow-up. When you sell as many albums as "Boston" did, you know the fans - which were numerous - would want more of the same. And Boston delivered what their fans wanted. "Don't Look Back" and "Feelin' Satisfied" are fun, rocking romps that channelled the buoyant nature of "Peace Of Mind" and "Rock n Roll Band". And Boston did progress a little bit - "A Man I'll Never Be" was the power ballad that didn't appear in any form on the debut album, and "Used To Bad News" - a personal favorite - had a slightly different style to it. All in all, Boston doesn't take any steps forward with this release, but they didn't fall backwards either.

Although Boston's debut album is by far their best seller, and seems to be the favorite Boston record of everyone I know, it's not mine. In my oppinion, "Don't Look Back" is Boston's best. I played this baby constantly in college, and it still sounds fresh today. Every song is so good, it's difficult to say which one is my favorite. Objectively, I would say "A Man I'll Never Be" and "Feelin' Satisfied" may be the best written songs, but "Don't Be Afraid" is the song I can't listen to sitting down. I'm not sure if I've heard that song in a long time without my voice screeching along with it.
All in all, "Don't Look Back" is THE classic Boston album for me!

(Just as a note, this review concerns the remastered sound).

Boston has always had a great sound on CD, at least in my opinion, but Tom Scholtz decided to take it one step further and remaster the sound.

And because of that, Don't Look Back has a great sound on CD. It's sound quality is comparable to any CD released this year. I must admit that Tom Scholtz did an excellent job, and I would definately recommend buying the remastered edition, even if one already has Don't Look Back on CD.

Boston avoided the dreaded sophomore slump on Don't Look Back. Although not a classic like their self-titled debut, there's a lot to love on Don't Look Back and there is no filler to be found. The title track is magic. The drama and guitar hook along with vocalist Brad Delp's soaring performance make this is a classic that you still hear everyday on classic rock stations. "A Man I'll Never Be" is a melancholy ballad that was also a chart single and this is strong as well. You still hear the hard rocking "Feelin' Satisfied" on occasion and this is another great tune. The remaining songs are all good even if they don't have the electricity of the album tracks of the debut as "Party", "It's Easy", and "Don't Be Afraid" elicit a strong vibe with their catchy choruses and multi-tracked guitars while "Used to Bad News" is more somber both lyrically and musically and Tom Scholz has a great melodic guitar solo on this one. All told, Don't Look Back is a very good album and if you love the debut, you'll at least like this one a lot.

...it sounds like leftovers from the 1st album (Which is EXACTLY what it IS!!!) It's not bad but I think that it's not as good as it could be...There are a few gems on here but there are a few songs that definitely would have been better off either not released or put on the 1st album. This is the last album that Boston would record with the original lineup: Tom Scholz on Guitar, Barry Goudreau on Guitar, Brad Delp on Vocals, Sib Hashian on Drums, and Fran Sheehan on Bass.

The Music:

Don't Look Back- A nice melodic rocker to open the album. I like the guitar opening a lot

The Journey- A nice relaxing instrumental.

It's Easy- This is one of the tracks that could have been better unreleased or on the 1st album. Not that good IMO

A Man I'll Never Be- Best song on the album! This is Boston at their most passionate. I think that this may be one of their best songs overall!

Feelin' Satisfied- This song is similar to Rock n' Roll Band from the debut album, but I think this one's much better!

Party- Just like "It's Easy"...a harder song that just fills the disc's space...

Used to Bad News- The last good song on the album. I love this one!

Don't Be Afraid- sounds like tracks 3 & 6...

Verdict: If you enjoyed the 1st album and don't mind more of that sound, then get this. If you liked the first on but want something different from Boston, then get Walk On or Corporate America. If you're new to Boston, get the debut album or Walk On...both are better than this one.