Search - Boston :: Don't Look Back

Boston is back for an encore--this album brings back memorie

Squonk | The dark forests of Pennsylvania, where hunters fo | 10/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I did this in my 'Third Stage' (1986) review as well: Judging by the title, you'll probably assume I was alive (and old enough to know what living was) when this release came out, and that the memories to which I am refering happened circa 1978.



Nope. Not even close.



My first exposure to this album was in January 2005, when I finally took the plunge and started expanding my Boston collection (I already had the debut, which I had bought in 2003). I was 16 years old, which is of course a very impressionable age. And, unlike most of my peers, I listened (and still listen) to classic and progressive rock music. So, on a blusteringly cold January evening, I bought 'Don't Look Back' (1978). And I haven't looked back. The memories I forged during that period of my life (I listened to this and 'Third Stage' incessantly for about a month or so) will stay with me forever. That's why I love this album so much.



As I said in my review of the debut, there are those who seem to have a taboo against Boston (I dated one once--it didn't last long). I really can't see where that comes from, considering Boston is not like any of the other AOR bands with which it is usually lumped. The band, the brainchild of MIT graduate and instrumentalist extraordinaire Tom Scholz, pioneered some completely new ground with its eponymous debut album. 'Boston' (1976) has sold, to date, over 17 million copies, which at one time was a record for a debut album (which has since been broken). I feel like I would be repeating myself to recount the whole story of the band (I gave a detailed account of this in my review of the debut), so I'm just going to jump right into the song-by-song breakdown.



A track listing, along with my comments on each song:





1. "Don't Look Back' - This anthemic, majestic rocker has been a staple on classic rock stations ever since it was released. This was the only song from the album I had ever heard prior to buying it. What can I really say? Through and through, this is classic Boston: soaring guitars, operatic layered vocals, and that unique Boston sound that has never been and can never be imitated. It's a strong opening song, which segues into the next track.



2. "The Journey" - This is a very short instrumental work, played mainly on organ, with Scholz's cosmic guitar sound effects in the background. It segues into the next track.



3. "It's Easy" - This is a pretty standard rock song, albeit very well done because it's Boston. The usual elements of Boston-esque excellence are all here, and in just the right amounts in order that they not cheapen the franchise through overzealous pretension.



4. "A Man I'll Never Be" - This is a departure for Boston. Most of the songs up to this point were clearly rock songs. "A Man..." is actually a ballad, penned long before the myriad such ballads in the 1980s. As such, it's somewhat different in style than the cheesy 80s interpretation--different and better by far. This is how the band "Boston-izes" a rather dull artform and makes it something really special. I have always liked this track: the gradual buildup, the lyrics, the melody, and the rocking organ at the end are just awesome. Oh, and this is the first time Boston ever used a piano as accompaniment (according to the liner notes, it's a Steinway, though it sounds somewhat thin--I suppose Tom didn't know how to record a piano properly).



5. "Feelin' Satisfied" - Some people say this is a throw-away song. I honestly don't know why they would think that; "Feelin' Satisfied" is one of my favorite songs from the album. Boston really hit on something special with their unique style because, as I'm writing this review, I find that I would be repeating myself quite a bit were I to describe each song in full detail. And yet, somehow Boston never gets boring, even if the band does use the same formula time and again. Boston's is a timeless recipie for success, I suppose.



6. "Party" - As I pointed out in my review of the debut, I don't particularly care for party songs. This song's counterpart on the debut is the infamous "Smokin'", and I don't like that one much, either. As I said in the other review, if you like this sort of thing, Boston does it at least as well as anyone else.



7. "Used To Bad News" - Again, many people say this is filler. I couldn't disagree more. This is another of my favorite songs from the album, and is an instance in which the timing is perfect. The song is placed perfectly between two rockier, more hard-hitting songs. In addition, "Used..." is short, yet perfect in length. Any longer and it would have lost some of its effect. Structurally, this song reminds somewhat of "Hitch A Ride" on the debut album, except that "Used..." does not include the instrumental fadeout. Other than that, the two follow similar song formats, both have call-and-answer melodic structures, and both are smooth, flowing songs. Regardless of what others think, I enjoy this song very much.



8. "Don't Be Afraid" - If the previous song was an example of exploiting a musical idea to the correct duration, then "Don't..." is an example of stretching it too far. The song is just too long and repetitive. It's not a bad song, but there are several instances where cadences are struck, only for a jarring reprise to begin the theme anew. It's a weaker closer than "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" on the debut.





It is prudent to note that this particular edition of the album is the original 1990 digital transfer. Its sound quality is notoriously poor. However, you're in luck because earlier this year Tom Scholz personally remastered both this album and the debut. So if you're shopping for Boston albums, make sure you get the remastered editions of the first two releases (they're in digipaks and should have stickers proclaiming the involvement of Tom Scholz in the remastering project). Also, Amazon carries the remasters of both 'Don't Look Back' and 'Boston'. And right now they're being offered for a very reasonable price.



All in all, I can't say anything bad about this release. There are those who say it's not as good as the debut, and perhaps they might have a point. But it's still an impressive effort, and it's not nearly as far behind 'Boston' as most people seem to think. I believe the fact that everybody knows Tom Scholz wasn't satisfied with this album (he wanted to add one more song, as well as work on the other selections a bit more) has affected their judgement somewhat. But, regardless, this is a classic album that has stood the test of time. If you don't have it yet, what are you waiting for? Get out there and buy it!"

Not As Good As The First Album

Steven Sly | Kalamazoo, MI United States | 10/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Don't Look Back" came out two years after the first one and although it maintains all of the familiar elements that made the first album so good, it does not measure up to said album. I am not sure what it is, since in many ways "Don't Look Back" is very similar to the first one, but it just is not as good. The title track got tons of airplay back in the day (and still gets a lot on classic rock stations today), and is a cool tune. "A Man I'll Never Be" is another really strong ballad full of buildup and bombast, but the rest of the album somewhat leaves me cold. The songs are not bad, they just aren't great either. The music is mostly a re-hash of things done before, and the lyrics are very, very average 70's rock n roll good time party stuff. The album is also a bit on the short side, even for 70's vinyl standards. All in all "Don't Look Back" is a bit of a letdown from the band's debut, but probably better than everything that came after it."