Boston - Corporate America Review
Posted by Jodes Serner on 09.07.2002
After tons of Boston history we enter the new millennium for Boston’s 5th studio release.
Hey Everyone. It’s Jody Serner (just call me Jodes
though, it's easier)here from the Wilds of Northern
Alberta, and please be gentle, because this is my
first (of hopefully many) weekly reviews for 411. Yes,
some of you may be thinking Alberta, isn’t that where
that Scott Keith guy’s from on the Smarks page? Well
yes it is, small world huh?
Today’s “First Listen” is Boston’s “Corporate America”
which is supposedly going to be released this November
2002, which I you follow Boston’s career means they
are going by the break neck speed of one
CD/Album/Tape/8-Track/Reel to Reel/Brail “studio
release” every 8 years since 1978’s “Don’t Look Back”.
After a shitload of Boston history (email me if
you’d like a general run down of how Tom Scholtz runs
his little empire) we enter the new millennium for
Boston’s 5th studio release.
Fast forward to 2001/02. Boston signs with European
based Artemis (that pretty much sums it up there.. If
Boston can’t get a record deal in the US, me thinks
they’re screwed!) records, who say that Corporate
America will be out in “late 2002”. Well hopefully
someone from Artemis records is reading this, because
there is still time to save/make some drastic changes
to this cd! Now I’m not saying it’s the worst cd of
2002, but I will say that after 8 years, and getting
Brad Delp back, they could have done so much better.
It’s almost heartbreaking to hear some of the tracks
on this album and the direction of Tom’s songwriting
abilites.
The album starts off with the killer “I Had A Good
Time”. Honestly, if this is released to Rock radio, it
will take no prisoners! I just want to say that this
was the 4th song I’d listened to on the CD, since 3 of
the tracks “Someone” “Turn it off” and “Corporate
America” have been floating around for a while now
(The Someone and Turn it Off Demos since 2000 at
least) none of those songs grabbed me like this first
track did. It’s classic Boston. Could have very easily
been on 3rd Stage. It’s got the Bombastic Tom Scholtz
guitar, Brad Delp’s trademark voice, a great Chorus
and it’s an all around great rock tune. The best part
of the song though happens just as it’s fading out, a
sultry female voice pipes up and says “Wanna Do it
again?”(excuse me while I hop in the cold shower!) and
the guitar kicks in for the “outro” solo. I was so
pumped to hear the rest of the cd after this song I
must say. Then about halfway through the cd I just
wish it would end! But I soldiered on..
Next comes “Stare Out Your Window” NOT sung by Brad,
but I’m assuming Fran Cosmo, now I don’t mind his
voice on this song, but it sounds more like Oasis/Five
For Fighting/Goo Goo Dolls/Coldplay then it does
Boston. It’s very acoustically driven guitarwise and
lacks any real punch. The chorus is catchy, but not in
a good way, after hearing it twice you’re ready to hit
that next button. One of the weakest Boston songs I’ve
ever heard.
Corporate America is Tom Scholtz’s tribute to “Hey
Everybody, we’re killing the environment, and well
it’s Big Business’s fault cause I belong to 50
charities!” What’s funny about this message is that
it’s, America’s biggest 70's “Corporate” rock band
singing about the evils of Corporations! Kinda Ironic
isn’t it? It starts out with newsreaders talking
about how polluted the planet is, ozone holes, ice
sheets falling, and all that lovely stuff (if
Greenpeace had a chart, this song would be like #1)
then the drum machines kick in (hey Tom, what happened
to the NO MACHINES statement you use to have in your
previous albums?) and the trademark Boston sound of
1994’s Walk On album is all over this song. I can’t
believe I’m saying this, but it’s the Dance version of
Boston, that is until Fran starts screaming “Corporate
America, Who’s going to save us now?” in the chorus
(and yes, somewhere in the chorus, Brad Delp is
supposedly heard!) Honestly though the song does grow
on you and I’d rather hear Boston sound like this than
the previous track. It has a really good groove to it.
Remember when I mentioned that “sultry” female voice
on “I Had A Good Time”? Well that voice belongs to the
latest Boston singer, Kim Dahne. I shit you not. I am
not sure about her relationship with the Band, but I’m
pretty sure she’s either related or married to one of
the guys. Or she’s really orally talented. The Jury's
still out on that one. “With You” is hers, and hers
alone. It’s an acoustic song in the vein of
Jewel/Indigo Girls/Sheryl Crow, and other than Tom’s
brief guitar solo that pops up twice, you would think
it’s a completely different band if you didn’t know
it’s Boston. I bet you any money if you played it with
someone that was a Boston fan, they’d be like “get the
f*ck outta here! That’s NOT BOSTON!” This is the
biggest departure for Boston ever. Some bands can do
different styles and it works for them. Bands like
Styx,Queen, Genesis, Supertramp are prime examples.
Boston though, they aren't so lucky. They completely
missed the boat on this one. They could have done so
much more with it. It’s a shame really.
Track five is an updated version of one of the Demo’s
I mentioned earlier. This is another one that sounds
like it could have belonged on Walk On. It starts with
the really cool Hammond Organ intro, big guitar to
follow and then it gets into the trademark “guitar
vamping” and the beautiful voice of Brad Delp flows
through it that is until the harmony/chorus. I must
say that it’s fairly weak, Brad Delp tries, but he
can’t save it completely. But it’s still better than
the majority tracks on the cd.
Track six is the other demo “Turn it Off” I still
can’t get into this song. It’s very dark and heavy.
It’s like Tom Scholtz’s “teenage angst” song. Another
departure to the Boston we all know that flops
miserably. Hands Down ladies and gentlemen that if
this song is played live it would kill the crowd,
leaving people going “umm WTF are we listening too?”
and heading to the Bathroom and for more beer to try
and forget such a horrid tune. Basically it bites the
big Chimichanga.
Cryin is the next track. Again it’s Boston trying to
be Oasis/Coldplay. It even sounds a bit like
Wonderwall/Champaign Supernova in places. The chorus
is a very nasally/whiny ie. “and if you take a chance,
would you like to dance, because my heart is cryin”
then of course the typical guitar solo is Boston via
3rd Stage which is trying to make it sound cool, but
too little to late to save this abomination.
Track 8 “Didn’t mean to fall in love” has Delp/Cosmo
teaming up on co lead vocals again and it has some
cool “floating” Spanish guitar in places, but for the
most part, it sounds like a track that didn’t make
Walk On. It’s been heard on before. It might take me
a few more listens to fully grasp it, but until then,
It’s Filler.
Track 9 “You Gave Up On Love” This starts out very
similar to "The Launch/My Desination" and then goes
into a very nice acoustic guitar and flute mix.
What’s cool when the lyrics kick in is that Fran and
Brad trade off the first lines of the song, then the
chorus is very “Can’tcha Sayish” which kicks the song
into overdrive. Big Time! I wish there were more tunes
like this one on the album. What also really works in
the chorus and in this song is the inclusion of Kim
Dahne again. Her voice works on this track her
performance reminds me of Ronnie Spector’s vocals on
Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight”. This would have
been a great way to end the cd off. But no!
Finally, it’s the “Live” version of “Livin For You”
rounds this album off. Well I’ve heard a lot of live
recordings, and well maybe it was recorded live. IN
THE STUDIO! (Insert a generic crowd sample here). It’s
an old trick that a lot of bands whos live
performances aren’t up to par do. It just doesn’t
sound like a live recording. Another one I pass by.
If I was Artemis records, I’d be scrambling to try and
improve this cd (like Journey did with the US released
of Arrival). What would I do? Well I’d definitely drop
the two Oasis wannabe songs, have Brad re-record “With
You” or at least have him do a duet with Kim on it,
include the rumoured “bonus” track “Sandra” (it can’t
be as bad as Cryin or Stare), Drop Turn It Off and see
if Tom and the boys have some other tunes floating
around (you would think that after EIGHT FARGIN YEARS
they’d have something else) if you’re going to include
a live track, why don’t you clean up the live version
of “Television Politician” which Boston’s done live a
lot but have never put on a cd.. This CD needs some
major fixing!
So much potential for this cd and well sorry to say
they’ve dropped the ball. There is no real excuse for
such a lack luster bunch of songs especially from a
band who is known for not going outside the bounds and
giving the fans what they want to hear. Fans of Boston
want the bombastic guitars, amazing vocals, real drums
and catchy melodies/chorus’s. They don’t want to hear
alternative angst, Jewel or Oasis as done by Boston.
They don’t want to hear blended lead vocals on songs.
They don’t want to hear drum machine fills.I think I
speak for the people that have heard this cd.. WE WANT
OUR OLD BOSTON BACK!
If you love old Boston, my I recommend Barry
Goudreau’s Self Titled CD, (with Brad Delp and Fran
Cosmo singing on it) and the two Barry Goudrea/Brad
Delp RTZ cd’s “Return to Zero” and “Lost” it’s not
exactly Boston, but it sounds a lot more to them then
Corporate America does!
The 411: The Only saving grace are two things: 1) “I had A good Time” and “You Gave Up”. 2) Hearing Brad Delp singing for Boston again! This cd is only for the die hards or for someone that might hear the more diverse songs not knowing the history behind Boston. Again, it could have been so much more. But hey, just think the next release will be in 2010!
