Sunday, January 10, 2010

I Understand About Indecision

click for enlarged view

This is the compilation that proved once and for all that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a rip-off of "More Than a Feeling" (actually, I may end up siding with John Beers on this one). "Bostonot" is nine different Northwest bands deconstructing all nine songs from the first Boston album, spread out over two 7"-ers, and while half of this is just plain goofy, a couple of tracks are pretty choice. I think Cog came up with something good with their version of "Smokin'", and Treepeople's take on "More Than a Feeling" might be my second-favorite Treepeople 7" side of all time, after "Important Things".

In a nice touch, the center label on each of the four sides features a different hand-drawn portrait of one of the original guys in Boston; you can pick your own favorite, though the blownout poodle doo's on the Brad and Sib ones make them the front-runners, I think.


click for enlarged view

Treepeople -

"More Than a Feeling"

Karp -

"Let Me Take You Home Tonight"

Cog -

"Smokin'"

Fitz of Depression -

"Rock & Roll Band"

(these files are now all listen-only)


click for enlarged view





L to R: Sib Hashian, Tom Scholz, Brad Delp, the two guys nobody remembers

9 comments:

Brushback said...

Here's a .zip file I made of all the other tracks (even though I said they
sucked), which I'll leave up for a limited time:

Bostonot compilation - leftover songs .zip

Bruce said...

oh my. Boston...phew. just saying it aloud kinda farts up your blog a bit.

Brushback said...

I fucken LOVED the first Boston record.

Of course, I was in the 5th grade or something, but whatever.

Bruce Cassidy said...

I liked the partridge family and alice cooper. just do the math on that one!

Brushback said...

One thing about the first Boston record was that the record label tried to hide the fact that it was home-recorded in a basement-- like, they felt it would discourage people from buying it. That's how much things were different back then...

I remember, I think it was Mike Watt, telling how when he first made a record for a major label (which must've been fIREHOSE in 1991), he walked in and handed them the finished tapes already recorded and mixed and at first the label didn't know what to do. Like, even then it wasn't expected that a band would make their own record outside of the standard major label studio system.

ib said...

Well. If it comes to choosing between "Smell's Like..." and "More Than a Feeling", I'm going for the tea party every time.

That Treepeople version is pretty damned good Ha! Ha! I'm just listening to the fade to burn as I type this.

Almost as nice as Mascis' take on "Show Me The Way".

The Cog might be a grower. If somebody were to tie me me down and blindfold me. Don't ever let Quentin Tarantino hear it.

Brushback said...

Yeah, I love the handclaps on the Treepeople track. Also on the Cog track, when the deadpan guy goes "i'm smokin."

Brushback said...

The "leftover files" link has now been deleted.

Brushback said...

The mp3 files on this post are now listen-only (non-downloadable) files. For those of you who missed the boat, I will do my best to respond to any e-mailed requests for the original Treepeople file, maybe not any of the other ones though. They're kinda not worth it.