Gotta head into the office in a minute or two. It’s gonna be a fairly busy Monday. But I gotta get something off my chest.

I’ve always kinda despised the band Boston. My reasons are both simple and complex, as is the case with a lot of music that rubs me the wrong way. There’s definitely a love/hate aspect in this instance. I remember being 16 years old and almost buying [Boston guitarist] Tom Scholz‘ Rockman Distortion Generator (he actually designed it himself, which I still respect) because I thought he had cool tone. It must’ve been the weed.

On the other hand, Boston represented everything wrong about ’70s "corporate rock" that the punk movement rightfully sought to destroy. I don’t put the blame entirely on the band — it was more a case of tighter formatting for FM radio, and the realization that super-slick, three-minute rock cuts moved more units. Either by accident or design, Boston’s arrival coincided with the end of the era of free-form, WKRP-style broadcasting.

It’s tough for me to turn against a fellow studio geek like Scholz; part of me has great admiration for a guy willing to spend eight years on an album because he was disappointed with the sound of the last one. Especially considering said LP went double-platinum. But if I have to hear "More Than a Feeling" one more time, I’m gonna take a radio station hostage like in that movie.

So why did I choose today to bitch about Boston? Because lead singer Brad Delp died last week. Frankly, my chief concern upon learning the news was that I’d have to hear them on the radio every time I got in the car. Which is the only time I listen.

But there’s more to the story. Delp, 55, was by all accounts a really sweet guy. He just wasn’t cut out for the business. And that’s likely why he took his own life via carbon monoxide poisoning in a bathroom in his New Hampshire home.

Read about it here and here.

On a brighter note, I started recording a metal-ish tune this weekend, and I’m getting married on Saturday. I guess it’s a Lion King cycle-of-life thing.

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About the author

Casey Rae-Hunter
Casey Rae-Hunter is a musician, public policy wonk and the editor/publisher of The Contrarian Media. An in-demand speaker, he gives frequent talks at conferences and campuses on issues at the intersection of creativity, technology, policy and law, and is a go-to source for major media outlets from NPR to the New York Times. Casey works alongside leaders in the music, arts and performance sectors to bolster understanding of and engagement in key policy and technology issues, and has written dozens of articles on the impact of technology on the creative community. Casey is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and the Deputy Director for Future of Music Coalition. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Media & Democracy Coalition and the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. The Contrarian does not necessarily represent the views of the organizations to which he belongs.

8 Comments for Beantown blues.

Murf

Congratulations on your wedding next weekend.

Is there a DJ we could slip $10 to so he’d play “Peace of Mind”?

casey

No DJ, but if you slip me $20, I’ll put it on my iPod.

Eva

Married? Hells yeah! Congrats you crazy kids – let’s celebrate with another snowstorm, eh??

Del

wow. Robin’s Egg is a beaut. Excellent work.

Casey many congratulations on Saturday.
Welcome to the brotherhood.

bigbad

You fool! No, congrats. I like the first two boston records myself. That shit got me a ton of mid-eighties action! Too bad about Brad Delp. Don’t wish that on anyone. Marrage on the other hand,…well let me look at my enemies list here……

casey

Oh Brad, you cad!

bigbad

Clever Boy! I like to think I was more of a Casanova than a Cad, Thank you. Or would that be a Casey-nova! Man, that’s just awful, sorry! This started with the sad story about a guy kiling himself, right? I feel like a cad, now.

Ari

Assuming everything went smoothly, you’re married now, right?! Congrats!