Published on Jan 10, 2003
It’s almost considered career suicide for any band to wait an
extended period of time between album releases. The fickle tastes
of the consumer, plus the shifting alliances of the executives in
the music industry, almost demand that groups keep material in
front of people’s faces in order to remain successful.
Tom Scholz, the brain behind Boston, looked at that rule and
said, “The hell with it.” He had rushed out Boston’s second album,
Don’t Look Back, before he was perfectly happy with it, and
the end result was indeed disappointing. So, against the demands of
his label, he took his sweet time on Boston’s third album.
Eight years – that’s how long it took for
Third Stage to hit the market. In that time, Scholz and Epic
Records sued each other, with Scholz eventually winning his freedom
from his recording contract and giving him the ability to sign with
MCA Records. The band also saw its ranks shrink; by the time
Third Stage was done, Boston was essentially only Scholz and
vocalist/guitarist Brad Delp.
So was the end result worth the wait? Uh… I’ll get back to you
on that one.
There is no doubt that Scholz still knew how to write a powerful
song. The leadoff single (and first track) “Amanda” is evidence
that a ballad can be pretty and still have some teeth to it. The
follow-up track, “We’re Ready,” is a powerful follow-up that shows
the heart of Boston was still beating strongly. Yes, you could
claim that it was a bit formulatic when compared to other Boston
hits – but, then again, that’s exactly what Boston’s sound is, no
matter how you look at it. The banshee wails and crunching guitar
are essential to the picture.
The problem with
Third Stage is that these two songs – plus “Can’tcha Say /
Still In Love” – are the only real rock-solid efforts on this disc.
And when a long-awaited album clocks in at just under 37 minutes,
you expect each and every song to be well worth the wait.
If only that were the case. “The Launch” and “A New World” both
seem like they want to continue the instrumental/rock song pattern
that was laid out on
Boston with “Foreplay / Long Time,” and to be honest, that
formula got real old real quick. I also have to wonder what Scholz
was thinking when he combined “The Launch” with “Cool The Engines,”
a song which has to rank with “Party” as one of the lamest that
Boston has ever done. And listen closely to “My Destination” – hear
shades of “Amanda” in there? I don’t know if the first side was
supposed to be somewhat conceptual – at times, it does have that
feel – but if it wasn’t, then one has to question why Scholz relied
on a key melody for two songs.
The second half of
Third Stage makes one wonder why, after eight years in the
making, things sound a little half-baked for Boston. Tracks such as
“To Be A Man” and “I Think I Like It” just don’t have any real
punch to them like one would expect. Maybe it was just that
expectations for this disc were set so high – even today, over 15
years after its initial release – that even Superman would have had
troubles clearing those hurdles. That all being said, the album’s
closer, “Hollyann,” is a beautiful piece of music which does seem
like it tries to push the envelope when it comes to Boston’s
trademark sound. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there is
something unique about this song which sets it apart from the
pack.
In the end,
Third Stage really isn’t a bad album, though it doesn’t seem
like it lives up to the hype of having to wait eight years for it.
Then again, I wonder if anything would seem like it was worth it if
you had to wait that long.