“The Journey” is the title of the second song on the second album from Boston. As epigrams go, it’s as good as any to sum up the epic career of the band and their musically and technically brilliant founder, Tom Scholz. The group’s journey to fame has included all the ups, downs and impossible-to-believe intrigue of a literary potboiler. You’ll find the highlights, and a whole lot more, in this special tribute magazine. If you’re new to the Boston story, or perhaps just know the band through their first couple albums or most enduring hit, “More Than a Feeling,” there’s a whole universe here to discover. You might not believe all of it, but it’s true. Scholz’s ascent to rock stardom is the most unique in rock history.
NOT JUST ANOTHER BAND • Boston owns one of the most improbable survival stories in rock history. And they’re still smokin’.
Boston - The Ultimate Fan Guide
BEFORE BOSTON • From childhood, band founder and mastermind Tom Scholz always did things his own way.
THE DEMO • No demo recording in rock history is as legendary as the one that led to Boston’s debut album.
THE ORIGINAL: Jim Masdea • He played drums on every demo recorded in Scholz’s basement, then lost his gig.
INSTANT EXPLOSION: BOSTON • With the greatest debut album in rock history, Boston takes over the world in record time.
ORIGINAL LINEUP • The power five that fueled early Boston shows and image remain at the core of the band’s success.
Tom Scholz • Boston’s main man has always been a study of contrasts.
Brad Delp • One of rock’s greatest singers was also one of its nicest guys.
Barry Goudreau • Boston’s “second guitarist” was integral to the band’s early live sound.
Sib Hashian • From the Vietnam War to rock stardom, Hashian always seemed larger than life.
Fran Sheehan • The band’s resident live wire kept things moving onstage.
BOSTON • The greatest debut album of all time still sounds like a gift from an advanced civilization.
DON’T LOOK BACK • Boston’s second album is a classic. Even if it took a while to figure it out.
THIRD STAGE • Boston cranked out an underappreciated gem while shooting itself in both feet.
WALK ON • Reminiscent of the ’80s, the ’90s album flew Boston into new frontiers.
GREATEST HITS • Three new songs, but this was mostly a chance to take a victory lap.
CORPORATE AMERICA • Scholz’s radical reinvention of Boston was bold but baffling.
LIFE, LOVE & HOPE • The band’s comeback proved no one singer could replace Brad Delp.
MORE THAN A COVER • Boston’s debut came wrapped in one of the most iconic covers of all time, even if its designer disagrees.
ORIGINAL LINEUP • 1976–79
THIRD STAGE • 1987–88
WALKING ON • 1995–2007
FUTURE REIMAGINED • 2008–present
SEE YOU IN COURT! • Legal battles have become an unhappy part of Boston’s legacy.
ESSENTIAL BOSTON • Want a peek inside the guitar-spaceship? These 15 tracks get you a tour of the full Boston experience.
5 UNDERAPPRECIATED TRACKS • Stopping at the ubiquitous radio hits means missing some of the best of Boston.
BRAD DELP • 1951–2007
BOSTON TODAY • It’s been a decade since the last album and six years since the last tour but the band is still together, at least officially.