Don't Look Back

Though it was impossible for them to top the excellence of their eponymous debut, Boston expounded on their signature sound with their sophomore effort, Don’t Look Back. Group mastermind Tom Scholz later complained that Epic forced the band to release the album before it was ready, but that’s just Scholz’s inner perfectionist talking. Don’t Look Back may be a little less muscular and a little less gilded than its predecessor, but “Used to Bad News,” “It’s Easy,” and “Feelin’ Satisfied” can easily stand next to the immortal hits of the first album. Boston’s recipe fell midway between the crafted pop of Electric Light Orchestra and the snarling riffs of Aerosmith, which made them the consummate ‘70s rock outfit. Though nothing here quite tops the solid-gold standard of the debut, there is something of a sequel to “More Than a Feeling” in “Don’t Look Back,” a glorious merger of Scholz’s searing guitar and Brad Delp’s soaring vocals.