The Friday song (on a Sunday): ‘Rock and Roll Band’ by Boston

A lot of people on this group are as happy listening to older and more familiar tunes as they are being introduced to new releases. Some want some memory and detail about what they already know, while others are hoping to be introduced to new artists.

I listen to roughly the same amount of music that is familiar to me as I do to new music, so whether you’re listening to this on a Friday, or catching it online on a Sunday in Currency, you’re going to get old and new and a wide genre spread of both. My only hope (it’s not at the level of expectation!) is that if you read or listen in any week, you don’t take an instant view on something – particularly if it doesn’t catch your happy taste buds in 20 seconds – and at least give it a try.

I received a reminder yesterday from someone who isn’t on this group but reads and listens pretty regularly, that it is currently “Rocktober”, the celebratory month of rock music each year. At the same time, on looking through someone else’s treasured music collection, I came across Boston’s self-titled debut album. Together, those two things got me to today’s song, which otherwise would probably never have happened.

Everyone knows More Than a Feeling. That track and the other singles from that album, including Peace of Mind, became staples for rock music radio in the 1970s. The album was the painstaking creation of young MIT graduate and Polaroid employee Tom Scholz, who built a home studio and began recording his songs, complete with power chords and rock riffs. Signed by Epic after numerous rejections elsewhere, Scholz’s home demos formed the majority of Boston’s debut, which flew off the shelves and became the fastest-selling album of all time – and held that position until supplanted by Whitney Houston, many years later.

Rock and Roll Band, today’s song, is musically all Scholz. The vocal is distinctively Brad Delp (who I used to call Brad Yelp) and the drums, Jim Masdea. The lyrics – all fictional – are disarmingly simple, describing the story of a bar band from Boston who honed their craft and exploded into a sensational superstar rock band. Enthusiasts hear a good little story, some clever guitar progressions (mainstream now but novel then) and crunching lead riffs that provide for air-guitar and sky-punching ammo, and a rocking good time.

Cynics will complain that it’s twee and light and the epitome of a low denominator.  But I still love most of that album, including today’s Friday song. It could just be a function of place and time but before punk and new wave, and in the midst of prog rock, I found this uplifting, celebratory, hard rocking, fun record and listened to it over and over. Surely you get that?!

I hope you enjoy this good-times Rocktober Friday song, and wish you all a fun weekend!

I started a music WhatsApp group in 2023. I send one song a week on a Friday, with links to both Apple and Spotify, and an accompanying narrative/capsule piece. You’ll read it here on a Sunday. If you want to engage about a song, get a playlist or just get in touch, email me on markgrosin@gmail.com.

Listen to Rock and Roll Band on Spotify here and Apple Music here.

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