Quote Originally Posted by SlumpBuster
No, it ain't you. These Guardian articles are trolly, but I love 'em because of it. Pompous use of words like Damascene are just part of it.

See also,
"The Human League - Dare (1981) Until Dare, synthesisers meant solemnity."
Really? Because ELO hadn't made any records before 81? No, only there classic sound defining synth heavy were before 81.

Or hows about,
"Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982) Pure, startling genius from beginning to end..."
Really? Okay, hum the melody from Baby be Mine and Lady in My Life. Go ahead, I'll wait. Can anyone do it? There are only 9 songs on Thriller and two are complete steaming piles. 7 out of 9 ain't "genius" it's 78% or C+.

Compare to track list of Boston's debut.

1. "More Than a Feeling" 4:45
2. "Peace of Mind" 5:02
3. "Foreplay/Long Time" 7:47
1. "Rock & Roll Band" 3:00
2. "Smokin'" (Scholz, Brad Delp) 4:22
3. "Hitch a Ride" 4:11
4. "Something About You" 3:48
5. "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" (Delp) 4:43

Regardless of anyone's feelings about Boston, each one is hum-able whether you are a fan or not. Even if you don't instantly know the melody from the title, if I hum three notes, you'll bring it home. The upshot, no Baby Be Mine or Lady in My Life on Boston, only "startling genius from beginning to end."

Without Boston, no corporate rock, no Journey, Foreigner, Styx, Speedwagon. See, it's so easy even I can do it.
Was it a good record? Yes. Influential. Not terribly so. With all the studio trickery, who else wanted to bother trying to sound like them? You can't effectively use octave splitter live, and rightly so. They sucked live for that very reason. Journey was around several years before the Boston record, and I wish, really wish, we never had Foreigner, Styx or REO Speedwagon.