Rock and Roll Band

Performer: Boston
Producer: Doug Wygal (Compilation)
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: For many years, there were only the official Boston albums in the group's catalog. Unlike many bands, they held out recycling their work in a series of budget-line collections, granting only a two-fer release of their first two albums in 1983. Things changed once Greatest Hits was released in 1997, since its release guaranteed the eventual appearance of records like Sony Music Special Products' Rock and Roll Band, a budget-line compilation of highlights from the first two albums. Since it's a budget-line collection, it does not contain all of the hits. In fact, it has only one big hit in "More Than a Feeling," which may well satisfy the needs of most casual fans. The remainder of the disc features one minor hit from Don't Look Back ("A Man I'll Never Be"), plus four tracks apiece from the first two albums. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine For many years, there were only the official Boston albums in the group's catalog. Unlike many bands, they held out recycling their work in a series of budget-line collections, granting only a two-fer release of their first two albums in 1983. Things changed once Greatest Hits was released in 1997, since its release guaranteed the eventual appearance of records like Sony Music Special Products' Rock and Roll Band, a budget-line compilation of highlights from the first two albums. Since it's a budget-line collection, it does not contain all of the hits. In fact, it has only one big hit in "More Than a Feeling," which may well satisfy the needs of most casual fans. The remainder of the disc features one minor hit from Don't Look Back ("A Man I'll Never Be"), plus four tracks apiece from the first two albums. Some of these may be fan favorites, but to the uninitiated, they may sound a bit weedy. Some may argue that this unevenness is actually more representative of the actual Boston albums than a hits collection would be, but no matter how you look at it, Rock and Roll Band doesn't really give casual fans what they want or need. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Masterminded by songwriter/guitarist Tom Scholz, Boston became one of the biggest bands of the 1970s with their immaculately produced brand of classic rock. By combining the epic scale of prog-rock with the immediate impact of killer pop hooks, Boston's debut immediately rocketed up the charts and made the band an arena-headliner, but it would take them years to issue follow-up recordings. In 2007, the emotionally troubled lead vocalist of the band, Brad Delp, died of a reported suicide at his home in New Hampshire.

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