Boston/Third Stage:Last Night At The Centrum(1986)

Boston is one of those bands that has never released an actual live recording. There is one floating around out there that is worth the catch if you come across it recorded live in Worcester Massachusetts at the Worcester Centrum during a 9 night stand in which Boston played to 12,000 people per night back in August of 1987!

Boston was out promoting their latest opus Third Stage and for myself it was a mixed bag of music as I couldn’t believe when you have the guitar firepower of Boston leader Tom Scholz you open your long-awaited new album with a ballad!(Amanda).

Gripes aside this is the closest thing to an actual Boston live album you will ever hear as it features the late great Brad Delp. The sound on this live show is brilliant. It blows me away why these guys never pounced and put this album out officially. Actually this is one of the best ever non officially released live albums I have ever heard! Play the tracks posted included below! Soooooo Goooooood!

25 Boston classics including of course More Than A Feeling/Rock N Roll Band/Piece of Mind/Don’t Look Back/Feelin Satisfied are featured. What’s even more cool is that after a 13 minute version of More Than A Feeling(which considering its length is quite good) which is the 6th track of the show Delp announces to the crowd that Boston is going to play Third Stage in its entirety!  Who the hell was doing this back in 1987?

Imagine for a second if back in 1987 Motley Crue played the entire Girls/Girls/Girls album front to back!! HAHAHA…there would be a mass exodus to the exits  when Vince Neil would begin singing Your All I Need!

Anyways back to the task at hand….

Lots of artists  are doing front to back albums but give Tommy and Delp credit. The Third Stage songs cut through a lot better live than the studio versions. Man you gotta love Scholz’s playing as the dude never gets his due but along with Gary Pihl they  ramp up at certain times with dual leads and Tom  even at times does that wacky sound effect with his guitar that makes it sound like  a spaceship is landing!

 

This is a great unofficial live album that by the sound of it is official as an live album you will hear from  Boston!

Must own… Brad Delp you are missed!