Boston's debut album was one of the best of its time.  Their self-titled first album was their most popular to date and sold over seventeen million copies.  The writer and producer behind the band was Tom Scholz, who also played every instrument for the band except for the drums.  He was helped by the lead singer of the band, Brad Delp.  The band went on to sell seven million copies for their second studio album 'Don't Look Back' in 1978.  Altogether, the band sold more than seventy-five million copies worldwide and made a name for themselves in the classic rock world forever.  
     All of the songs on the album were written and produced by Tom Scholz, the mastermind who essentially started the band.  Along with lead singer Brad Delp's help on a few of the songs, the pair created a masterpiece that would come to sell millions of copies.  Each song was produced in Tom's basement, which he converted into a makeshift studio.  Tom preferred to take his time on each song and do things at his own pace, which was a leading factor as to why their self-titled album did so well.  Tom didn't have the record label timing him and pushing him to get songs out in a timely manner, he took all the time he needed.  This gave him the space and clarity to come up with arguably some of the band's most famous songs, such as "More Than A Feeling" and "Peace of Mind".  Later albums did not do as well, which could have been due to the record label pushing Tom to create music in a certain amount of time.  This situation later ended up leading to a lawsuit between Tom Scholz and CBS Records, because Tom Scholz and Boston failed to deliver a record album.
     Boston's music is considered classic rock and was influenced by earlier music of that genre.  Boston had many similar elements to other classic rock bands, such as their use of the electric guitar.  Unlike other bands, however, Boston had a unique way of creating their own sounds.  Tom Scholz went to college at the Massachusetts Institution of Technology to get a mechanical engineering degree and later got a job with Polaroid before the band took off.  His engineering background came in handy when making Boston's music because he was able to use his knowledge to create any sound he wanted.  With his prior knowledge, he came up with a bunch of unique sounds which can be heard in any of the songs on Boston's album.  Tom Scholz stated that Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, James Gang, The Kinks, and The Yardbirds all had a big musical influence on him.  However, his biggest influence was Iron Butterfly, specifically their 1968 album 'Heavy'.  There is a song in that album that stood out to Tom, called "Iron Butterfly Theme".  On the track, you can hear cool psychedelic guitar lines.  The sounds from their guitar and the power that came from their music real stood out to Tom and became and huge influence on him. 
     This album was released in the 70s and is a perfect reflection of that time period.  Smoking weed, finding love, and creating your own path in life are all referenced in this album and are strong topics of the decade.  This is around the time when more people were starting to go to college and pushing to become more than the average person. "Peace of Mind" is a perfect example of that mentality, as people were just trying to do their own thing at their own pace, much like Tom when he was writing the songs for the album.  The song highlighted the fact that people were trying to rush through life instead of taking a step back and enjoying it.  We only get to be here once for all we know, so we might as well make the most of it.  "Smokin'" is another song off of the album, which talks about exactly what the title says.  The song is about weed and getting high. Other songs off of the album, like "More Than A Feeling", "Something About You", and "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" are all about trying to find the right person. "Rock & Roll Band" is a song about the life of being in a band and the reality of it all.  This song is not specifically about Boston's upbringing, but it talks about sleeping in cars and barely making ends meet.  Toward the end of the song, the mentioned band is now famous, and everyone knows their name.  It is a feel-good song that many people know and can jam out to.  "Foreplay/Long Time" is a very unique song off of the album.  Like other songs from the album, this song references trying to find love.  This song, however, is rather unique because the first few minutes of the track is solely instrumental.  Guitar solos and cool riffs are common in this type of music, but I have not found many songs of this era that made a successful track that started out with a good two and a half minute run.  Boston specifically did a great job on this track of keeping the audience's attention by making the instruments louder, quieter, and bringing in a bunch of different sounds to peak interest.  Guitar solos and other instrumental segments are pretty commonly found further into classic rock songs.  Some examples could be Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", and Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine". 
     Many people believed that this album was something new and unique that has never been heard before.  Boston and Tom Scholz specifically did a great job at creating catchy music for the decade that was very unique and was still able to top the charts.  Their idea of making unique music paved the way for classic rock thereafter.  Audiences were obviously ecstatic to hear something different because the album did a great number in sales.  Critics raved that the album was a breath of fresh air and arguably one of the best records ever.  
     One of the songs off of the album is very closely tied with the band itself.  "Hitch A Ride" is the sixth song on the album and the song is about suicide.  This topic is closely related to the band because the lead singer, Brad Delp, ended up committing suicide in March of 2007 and left behind a series of notes and some letters.  The notes were found in many different places, and one talked about Brad being a "lonely soul".  Brad Delp is not the only singer who's committed suicide, as it has happened to many other well-known musicians.  This could be because of the pressure of being in the spotlight and always having to be at your best.  Many bands of the time were heavy into drugs and drinking.  Media and Brad's ex wife were implying that Tom might have been a cause of Brad's suicide, and Tom ending up taking them to court with no success.  The court ruled in favor of Brad's ex wife and the media outlets and Tom lost $132,000. Brad left this world years ago but still lives on through his voice, which can be heard on their debut album.  Brad was also the one who sang the vocals for "Hitch A Ride", which came to be closely related to him and his choices. 
     Boston's first album set the standard and groundwork for their later albums.  This first album cover features a bunch of guitar spaceships, each with a city (presumably Boston) sitting on the top, encapsulated in a glass dome.  The colors used on the cover are very vibrant and closely resemble the 70s.  The spaceships are seen leaving a planet which is seemingly blowing up.  This vibrant space world can still be seen at their concerts, as they use the spaceship control room as a backdrop for their concerts.  I went to see Boston in concert back in July of 2017.  The stage lighting was very vibrant, with deep purples and electric blues.  The backdrop was a journey of its own, as you can see the control room of what looks like a spaceship as it moves through outer space.  The backdrop also showed guitar spaceships from the outside view, and they can be seen traveling through space.  There were lots of views of planets, asteroids, and rocks blowing up as they got to certain parts in the songs.  This spaceship and outer space theme can be seen on their later album covers, such as 'Don't Look Back' (1978), 'Third Stage' (1986), 'Walk On' (1994), 'Corporate America' (2002), and 'Life, Love & Hope' (2013).
     Anybody even remotely interested in classic rock can name many songs off of this album, as it houses many of Boston's most popular songs.  Even people who don't listen to classic rock will still be able to recognize Boston's sound, because "More Than A Feeling" is a very popular song that has been used in many different Disney movies. This band did an amazing job on their first album which shot them into the spotlight.  Tom's visions for the background sound and Brad's stellar vocals really helped separate Boston from all the other bands of their time.  

The History of Rock & Roll

     Rock and roll came about in the late 1940s to early 1950s and stems from earlier R&B and jazz music.  R&B music came from gospel and soul music, which was mainly performed by African Americans.  Many believed that R&B music was by American Americans for African Americans.  When classic rock came about, it was believed to be similar to R&B, but instead it was by white artists and for a white audience.  As rock and roll came to evolve, these statements ending up being false, as many African Americans along with white artists were writing and producing great classic rock songs.  Rock and roll was once a very dominant form of popular music.  Around the 2000s it died out and the only form of rock that was topping the charts was pop rock.
     There are many famous artists who shaped classic rock.  Included in this list are The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Bob Dylan, and Chuck Berry.  The Beatles were influential in classic rock because they are one of the best-selling rock and roll bands of all time.  They were gifted singer-songwriters and made a huge impact on the era.  Jimi Hendrix gave rock and roll a new meaning by taking his music to the next level and always putting on a show for his audience.  He was a talented guitarist and a very creative musician.  Led Zeppelin is one of the most successful bands of all time.  They were very influential during the era and still today, as they have influenced countless numbers of artists.  Arguably their most popular song, "Stairway to Heaven" was a big influence on classic rock songs to come thereafter.  Queen has shaped the classic rock genre because of their number of hit songs.  Freddie Mercury was an amazing songwriter and wrote many smash hits for the band.  Along with his amazing songwriting, he had a huge stage presence and Queen always sold out their shows.  One of their most popular songs, "Bohemian Rhapsody" gave a new sound to classic rock.  Bob Dylan was simply an amazing songwriter.  He had a unique way of expression through his songs and shaped the classic rock genre.  As for Chuck Berry, his influence is unique to classic rock.  His 1955 song "Maybellene" was considered as the first rock and roll song. Simply put, many believe that if there was no Chuck Berry, music would have been very different.
     Boston is also seen as an influential band in rock and roll.  Rock and roll all has a pretty similar sound to it, but Boston decided to push those boundaries.  Tom Scholz, the man who started the band and produced most of their music, was an engineering major in college and used that knowledge to his advantage in the music world.  With his background knowledge, Scholz created many different sounds from various instruments.  Any sound he thought of, he could recreate and bring to life.  This search for new and unique sounds separated Boston from other rock and roll artists and gave them a very fresh sound.  Their music was something unique and never really heard before, which was a quality that made them stand out. 
     Rock and roll died with the coming of the 21st century.  However, many forms of rock have stemmed from rock and roll.  Punk rock, heavy metal, glam rock and alternative rock have all been transformed from rock and roll music.  Earlier punk rock bands like the Ramones paved the way for later bands like Green Day.  punk rock is a fast-moving and rather aggressive form of rock music which became popular in the late 70s into the early 80s.  The Ramones are often referred to as one of the first punk rock groups.  Green Day is known for many hit songs, including "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "American Idiot", and "Wake Me Up When September Ends".  These songs, especially "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", are all very popular and well-known songs in the punk rock genre. 
     Heavy metal has been around since around the late 60s and early 70s.  Black Sabbath was one of the first bands to fall into this heavy metal category, with hit songs like "Paranoid" and "Iron Man".  Metallica is also a very prominent band that falls under this genre with many hit songs.  Even people who don't listen to heavy metal know Metallica from their hit song "Enter Sandman".  Along with that song, Metallica has put out many other great hits including "Nothing Else Matters" and "Master of Puppets".  Heavy metal is still a prominent genre today and bands like Metallica are still creating music for their listeners.
     Glam rock was started around the early 70s when bands started performing with glitter and makeup along with flamboyant looking outfits.  David Bowie was one of the first artists to fall under the glam rock category and is now known as "The King of Glam Rock".  He got this title because he always pushed the boundaries of rock and roll and eventually ended up creating this whole new genre which he basically invented.  Bowie had a huge stage presence and was often seen wearing very flamboyant outfits during his shows.  Artists like Bowie laid the foundation for later artists like Kiss who are known for their monochrome outfits, crazy hair, and bold makeup. Kiss had many hit songs, including "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "I Was Made For Lovin' You".  
     Alternative rock is still a very prominent genre in today's time.  This genre originated in the 80s but did not become super popular until the 90s.  The "alternative" name was given to bands who did not quite fit into the mainstream music.  One of the first bands of this genre was The Velvet Underground, who's most popular song was "Pale Blue Eyes".  Nowadays, bands like Coldplay fall under this category.  With songs like "Viva La Vida" and "Paradise", Coldplay has made a big name for themself in the music industry.  The alternative rock genre is still widely popular and houses a bunch of popular bands.
     Rock and roll has paved the way for many new genres of today's time.  Even though the rock and roll genre itself fell off at the beginning of the 21st century, pieces of it still live on in these other genres that got their inspiration from rock and roll.