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Classic Rock News And Views
August 16, 2011
New Boston Album Said To Be 85 Percent Complete
This one’s a bit hard to quantify. Hearing that a new album from Boston is 85% complete might indicate that it will be another year or three before fans get a chance to hear it. It may have a lot to do with Boston honcho Tom Scholz and his well-known penchant for perfection. Scholz himself reported in 2010 that the album was “progressing at an agonizingly slow rate – like that would be news – but it is progressing.”
I suppose a guy can’t be blamed for wanting everything just right, so as long as fans have that straight, there won’t be any unrealistic expectations about when the album will actually be completed and ready to be released. To put it plainly, be patient. Perhaps very patient.
Boston, which is one of those groups that has seen a massive change in personnel over the years has just just one original member left in the line-up, and that, is of course, Tom Scholz. Having released their last studio album, Corporate America, in 2002, with Brad Delp still singing lead, one might wonder if the new album will sound much like the Boston of the past. According to new singer Tommy DeCarlo, it will.
The fact that Delp, who died tragically in 2007, will be featured on the new album certainly lends a measure of credibility to DeCarlo’s observation. It’s not entirely clear how Delp’s voice will be included on the album, but I suppose it’s reasonable to conclude that Scholz has in his possession some recordings of Delp working on new material prior to his death. A statement from the group includes the following:
“The lead vocals for Boston’s soon-to-be-released studio album include Brad Delp’s singing on many songs, along with several excellent performances by our other three lead vocalists. The album reflects an intentional effort by principal songwriter and producer Tom Scholz to capture the recognizable sound and energy of his original releases, combined with the musical sophistication expected from exceptional players and vocalists all performing within the traditional framework of the well-known Boston sound.”
At the same time, the group announced the departure of Michael Sweet who is returning to his long-time role as part of Stryper, who are planning a new album of their own. Sweet was not involved in the making of the forthcoming Boston album.
We’ve certainly seen Boston and certain people involved with the band embroiled in controversy over the last few years, but this transitional period that marks Sweet’s departure from the band appears to be happening without any of that, with both Sweet and Boston having good things to say about the time he spent with the group.
Although it’s hard to imagine Boston recapturing that old magic – especially considering how the band has evolved through the years – I see no reason to doubt that they may come out with something quite good. Beyond the news that Brad Delp will be heard on it, part of the group’s statement gives me some hope as well.
The part about the “intentional effort by principal songwriter and producer Tom Scholz to capture the recognizable sound and energy of his original releases,” sounds promising.
As a long-time fan, I’m looking forward to hearing what they’ve come up with.
May 28, 2010
Boston Herald Ramps up Coverage of Tom Scholz Lawsuit
Suing a newspaper sounds as if it could be a rather sticky endeavor. That’s not to say that it should never be done. Especially if something was printed that isn’t factual. There are cases on the books where newspapers (particularly the ones with the sensational headlines lining supermarket checkout aisles) have paid out huge settlements after finding themselves on the losing end of a celebrity lawsuit.
Tom Scholz’s lawsuit against The Boston Herald seems to have progressed to the point where some of the statements that are contained in the suit are making their way onto the pages of the very newspaper that’s been placed in Scholz’s crosshairs.
The Boston Herald reports that they will begin “excerpting court papers relevant to the case and posting complete documents online on bostonherald.com.” The paper states that they intend to run this type of content as a series for the week.
The excerpts provide a glimpse into the details of what is alleged in the lawsuit, and some of statements that were made during a deposition with the ex-wife of Boston singer Brad Delp.
One must consider that the details of the lawsuit that are being printed by the Herald – the newspaper that is the defendant in the lawsuit. Whether or not that has any influence on what’s printed is not known to me, but it’s probably safe to assume that the Herald is treading carefully under these circumstances.
In glancing at the lawsuit coverage in the online version of The Boston Herald, I see that a number of related stories have also been printed, including stories entitled “Ex-Boston members, Scholz sparred in court” and “Scholz’s many lawsuits.”
One thing is clear to the casual observer, and that’s the appearance that Tom Scholz is not the kind of guy who takes things lying down. He’s a vigorous defender of his reputation, something that everyone is (or should be) entitled to do.
We’re bound to hear more from the Herald as this case progresses. Unfortunately, the most recent lawsuit involved the tragic death of Brad Delp, and I believe it’s safe to say that the real reason he did what he did was known beyond a shadow of a doubt only to him.
March 18, 2010
Boston’s Tom Scholz In New Legal Battle
It’s been a while since we’ve heard any Boston news, and unfortunately this latest development isn’t something for fans to be excited about, like the announcement of a new album release or something. Even so, news is news, and it is clear that founder Tom Scholz does not care much for people saying things about him that he says are not true.
In a new lawsuit that has been filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, Scholz and his legal team are accusing Beantown newspaper The Boston Herald of libel. According to court documents, Scholz is accusing Herald reporters Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa “falsely reported that Mr. Delp’s ex-wife blamed his suicide on Mr. Scholz.”
The suit goes on to say that Delp’s ex-wife stated under oath that she did not make any statements blaming Scholz for Brad Delp’s suicide.
Legal documents usually make for pretty boring reading, but often contain tidbits of information that may not have been widely disseminated before. Like all lawsuits, the content of this one is based on what the plaintiff claims is true, and it is up to the court to sort it out and and decide what the truth actually is.
The first portion of the suit lays out the evidence that Scholz and his attorneys are using to build their case upon, while the second portion describes the damage they say has been inflicted on Scholz. This is described in part as “…emotional stress, embarrassment and humiliation, the nature of which no reasonable person could be expected to endure and for which Mr. Scholz is entitled to recover.”
No specific amount is mentioned in the lawsuit, instead, it states that Scholz is asking the court to “…award him damages against the Defendants in the amount determined by the jury, plus statutory interest.” The suit does indeed state that a trial by jury is “demanded,” which I can only presume is the usual way such things are stated within the context of a lawsuit.
Perhaps the outcome of this lawsuit will signal the end of the drama that resulted from disputes among some of the original members of the group, and have dragged on for years. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but it would be nice to be able to talk about something positive regarding Boston, a group that earned its place as one of the most successful rock acts to ever emerge from the region.
The entire lawsuit can be viewed on the Boston Globe website.
