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Boston: Don't look back

08/02/11 || InquisitorGeneralis

Warning: The review is a direct response to a fellow staffer’s irrational hatred of one of classic rock’s greatest albums and bands. People have complained about writers on this site putting insults and inside jokes about each other in their articles. This particular pile of shit is 100% insults towards my real-life best friend and virtual arch-enemy Daemonomania. If this offends you, go fuck yourself. It’s a metal webzine, douche bag. Get a fucking life. If you like Boston or are interested in music that helped create today’s metal and hard rock by all means read on… and enjoy.

A certain little prissy douche wipe dicksucker around here thinks that Foreigner, the band responsible for this piece of shit is better than Boston, a band whose masterpiece debut record received a 10 from me in a recent Class6(66) article. Really? “Urgent” is better than “Smokin’”? “Foreplay/Longtime” sucks compared to “Blue morning/Blue day”? That dog won’t hunt, son. Boston, even with all the cheese that came along with the band, helped define guitar heavy rock music and their impact on heavy metal music is clear. Foreigner were pop-rock lounge lizards who managed to scrape up 15 minutes of fame with a few tracks that are only seen as party novelties today.“Don’t Look Back” was Boston’s follow-up to their 17 times platinum debut. It is not as good as its monolithic predecessor but still contains some of the magic that made “Boston” such a huge success; the dual-guitar harmonies and solos, the interesting song structures, and the layered vocals.

I realize that Foreigner and Boston both emerged from the same, primordial ooze of the late 1970’s. However, there are major differences between the two. First, Foreigner fucking blows and is the stadium rock equivalent of the Backstreet Boys. Does anyone ever mention Foreigner as guitar heroes? Or as Major influences on modern rock and metal? Tell me the next time you hear a musician tell you that they were inspired by a Foreigner riff? It will be the fucken first I guarantee that. The only time people give props to Foreigner is when they discuss how “Head games” allowed them to finally break through society’s barriers and score with that hot stud from Racquetball class. Hey Ryan, what was that guy’s name again? You were so excited when you told me about it I forgot! Renee? Jamal? Smalley? The proof is in the pudding. And for people who like Foreigner the proof gets inserted into the man pudding if you get my drift.

Speaking of inserting, when I am giving Daemonomania’s momma the hot beef injection from the rear end, I am consistently saying “Don’t Look Back” because the sight of her toothless, haggard, emaciated visage would cause me to lose my boner faster than Lord K creams his pants at a Flyleaf concert. I want to you do something for me. First, listen to this gem from Foreigner called I want to know what ass-love with a dude is.

Pretty fucken awful huh? Now, bask in the stadium rock glory that is the “title track” from Don’t Look Back. Now that is how you kick 70’s style. All kidding aside, there really is no comparison between the bands. Boston dominates in all departments; style, sound, and songwriting. The breakdown and on “Don’t look back” is epic. Epic I tell you!

The problem with this record is that it is all a bit downhill from the incredible opening track. “The journey” is a decent intro/instrumental that flows into the more rocking “It’s easy”. While not a bad song, actually it’s pretty fucken good, “It’s easy” ironically tips you off to what makes this record pale in comparison to the debut; everything sounds to fucking easy. Boston only really push themselves on the opening song, everything else after is pretty good, but also sounds like it is way too deep in the Boston comfort zone. “A man I’ll never be” is pretty much a carbon copy of “Let me take you home” tonight. “Feelin’ satisfied” was the other radio hit from here and, again, is a pretty good song but on it Boston is definitely going through the motions. Just like Daemonomania goes through the lubing and rubbing motions before a rough night with his “Jukebox hero”. “Party” is the strongest track on the album’s back half.

Sure, “Don’t Look Back” is a step down from “Boston” in overall quality. However, the title track is hands-down my favorite song by the band. More importantly, even the weakest track from “Don’t Look Back” still opens up its brown hole and takes a big steaming shit on anything ever done by Foreigner except for “Feels like the first time”. However, I am sure that song was written about a dude’s first time banging…a dude. I gave Boston’s debut record a perfect 10 because it is one of the very best rock albums ever made. “Don’t Look Back” certainly is not. It’s one high point is spectacular, but the rest is a plateau of very good to decent, but uninspired, 70’s stadium hard rock.

I declare this feud settled, Boston TKO’s Foreigner with a big cockslap to the face. Nowadays, each of these bands are mere shells of their former selves due to suicide, cancer, and the general crippling effects of the 80’s. If there was a live showdown I am sure 50 year old broads would be throwing their granny-panties at the stage with blubbery fury. Also, the house would have to be fully stocked with defibrillators. Either way, “Don’t Look Back” is a good record worth owning if classic rock with early metal tendencies, and not Foreigner’s cock, is your thing.

Information
Released: 1978
Label: Epic
Website: www.bandboston.com
Band
Brad Delp: vocals
Barry Goudreau: guitars,
Tom Scholz: guitars, organs, piano
Fran Sheehan: bass
Sib Hashian: drums

Tracklist
01. Don’t look back
02. The journey
03. It’s easy
04. A man I’ll never be
05. Feelin’ satisfied
06. Party
07. Used to bad news
08. Don’t be afraid

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