Thursday, March 27, 2008

Rock Band DLC: Boston

There's a new patch out for Rock Band that includes support for an in-game music store (well done), plus a new download pack of Boston songs: More Than a Feeling, Peace of Mind, Smokin', Rock & Roll Band, Something About You, and Hitch A Ride. That means every song on Boston's debut album, with the exception of Can I Take You Home Tonight.

Boston came out in 1976, and it still has to be regarded as one of the greatest debut albums of all time. I think everyone I knew in high school had that album, and we all played it constantly. Every song made me feel good--I don't think anyone could listen to that album and be in a bad mood.

Back in 1976, Boston had a unique sound. Actually, even today I think they sound unique, and the album has aged unbelievably well. Many bands have a signature guitar sound or a signature vocal sound, but very, very few have both.

Plus, the band had a mystique about them. Back then, we heard that one of the band members graduated from MIT (Tom Scholz--true), and then, when they disappeared after their second album, one member had designed an amp and made a fortune(again, Tom Scholz--the Rockman, which was an awesome piece of gear). For years, they were kind of an elusive legend in rock.

[As a complete tangent, I mentioned their debut album as one of the best debut album of all time. My favorite, though would be Dire Straits, which is an absolutely stunning album.]

If you're wondering about the quality of the note charts for the Boston DLC, it's excellent. I think these are, by far, my favorite DLC songs--both guitar and drums are very fun to play, and Boston's songs are extremely well constructed for Rock Band.

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