bostone

If you won't fess up to peccadillos on your blog, where will you? So, as a matter of full disclosure I'll let everyone know that I stopped by my local used CD seller-cum-headshop (CD Cellar) and pilfered Boston's self-titled and their second masterwork, Don't Look Back. Imagine my embarassment when Brad Delp (lead singer) died last week and I had no Boston to crank-up on either my home stereo (read iMac and remote speakers), or my Trans Am's 8-track. My wicked cool friend Buzz was down in Texas mourning the loss of Brad by working the upright arcade games that line his living room, pawing as his girlfriend's designer jean pockets (read: ass), and despairing the end of Boston. If I could've, I'd have strapped on the rollerskates, headed over to Skateland, found the stone-cold fox that could skate backwards (own skates and pom-poms on the laces required), and we would have skated through the moonlight dance with the disco ball ablazin'. Afterwards, over to the Foosball table for a game against Skip and Todd (the other Todd), a plate of nachos, a huge Mt. Dew, and some commiserating about the untimely passing.

I know what your saying, his musical tastes must be much more refined in his 40s than they were in high school - but it's not true - Boston will make you get on the Interstate and take a good long roadtrip across America. A compilation of Slobberbone (90s-00s) will do the same thing. In fact, that is the test of the music I love...can I drive to it? The debut album was so great, the follow-up nearly as good, and then the fates sealed their immortality. I doubt we listened to any band more than Boston during those three intense years of high school that developed us as people. Add in the ping-pong, Foosball, air guitar, and chasing of drawers, and you've nailed the early 1980s. I think that even today the four of us would fall right back into place once the first chords of Peace of Mind blazed through the JCPenney stereo speakers as I line up the quarter on the sweet spot of that crap round table in Skip's basement...and make someone drink.

Here's to Bodycast Johnson.

I am cleansed.

RIP Brad.

Peace.

T.