Corporate America

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
There's something very curious about Boston's fifth album--and the road the band has traveled from arena-rock heights to its current less-than-lofty status. Here, after all, is a band--really, guitarist-studio wunderkind Tom Scholz and company--that emerged from nowhere and set sales records with their 1976 self-titled debut. Since then, Boston's profile has shrunk with each successive, widely spaced release. Their first indie release may not be causing much of a stir, but it's a strange creation from Scholz and his crew, which includes Brad Delp, the voice behind "More Than a Feeling" and "Don't Look Back." Like the Boston of the '70s, this unit creates polished, epic-scaled rock. Scholz's inimitable icy, soaring leads and polished production (call it heavy steel) remain in the fore. But Scholz has a pretty serious agenda here. The CD jacket champions a vegetarian diet, animal rights, and environmentalism, while the title track is a screed against modern living, business misdeeds, and, well, "DVDs, SUVs, and cyberspace." Who'd have thought Boston would pick up the banner of Rage Against the Machine? --Steven Stolder

Album Description
Boston's first album of all-new material in 8 years, Corporate America has been described by Tom Scholz as 'a marriage of alternative influence with unmistakable, classic Boston style.' It features founding guitarist, keyboard player, songwriter, engineer, & producer Tom Scholz collaborating with original vocalist Brad Delp. They are joined by guitarist Gary Pihl (with Boston since 1986's Third Stage), & Fran Cosmo who contributed guitar & vocals (also with the band since Walk On in 1994). Newcomers to the line-up include his son Anthony Cosmo (guitar & songwriting) & Kimberley Dahme (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals & songwriting). Artemis Records. 2002.

Tracks:

I Had A Good Time
Stare Out Your Window
Corporate America
With You
Someone
Turn It Off
Cryin'
Didn't Mean To Fall In Love
You Gave Up On Love
Livin' For You

Amazon.com

There's something very curious about Boston's fifth album--and the road the band has traveled from arena-rock heights to its current less-than-lofty status. Here, after all, is a band--really, guitarist-studio wunderkind Tom Scholz and company--that emerged from nowhere and set sales records with their 1976 self-titled debut. Since then, Boston's profile has shrunk with each successive, widely spaced release. Their first indie release may not be causing much of a stir, but it's a strange creation from Scholz and his crew, which includes Brad Delp, the voice behind "More Than a Feeling" and "Don't Look Back." Like the Boston of the '70s, this unit creates polished, epic-scaled rock. Scholz's inimitable icy, soaring leads and polished production (call it heavy steel) remain in the fore. But Scholz has a pretty serious agenda here. The CD jacket champions a vegetarian diet, animal rights, and environmentalism, while the title track is a screed against modern living, business misdeeds, and, well, "DVDs, SUVs, and cyberspace." Who'd have thought Boston would pick up the banner of Rage Against the Machine? --Steven Stolder

Album Description

Boston's first album of all-new material in 8 years, Corporate America has been described by Tom Scholz as 'a marriage of alternative influence with unmistakable, classic Boston style.' It features founding guitarist, keyboard player, songwriter, engineer, & producer Tom Scholz collaborating with original vocalist Brad Delp. They are joined by guitarist Gary Pihl (with Boston since 1986's Third Stage), & Fran Cosmo who contributed guitar & vocals (also with the band since Walk On in 1994). Newcomers to the line-up include his son Anthony Cosmo (guitar & songwriting) & Kimberley Dahme (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals & songwriting). Artemis Records. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Good music, jarringly bad lyrics.......2007-07-03

I got this album used on a whim, just to see what they'd done. The music is mostly solid - great crunching guitars, power chords, harmonies, etc. Some of the songs are just not Boston, though - I normally salute expanding one's boundaries, but some of the songs just don't make sense to me. And the lyrics, good god, the lyrics. It's really hard to listen to them - they're so bad. Political rants mixed with the cheesiest vapid lovey dovey lyrics this side of Frampton. It's nice as a brief reminder of how great Boston used to be, and inspiration to put that on instead.

Half empty, or half full?.......2007-05-06

Corporate America was something of a departure for Tom Scholz, both in composition and recording, as well as in marketing and distribution. I didn't much care for it when first released in 2002, but having dusted it off five years later, I found myself enjoying it far more than I thought possible. Released as a 5-track EP, it might have fared better with the Boston fan base. It is doubtful, though, that anything could have made it a better seller. Time has left the Boston sound behind.

Corporate America was Boston's first release on a minor label, previous albums having been issued by CBS, MCA and Sony. Now defunct, Artemis Records was an independent label specializing in niche marketing of recordings by bands and musicians past their prime. Boston fit the profile perfectly, having sold fewer and fewer albums with each successive release, relying for financial survival on 30 and 40 years old that grew up to Boston's music in the 70's and 80's.

The album that composer, guitarist, engineer, and producer Tom Scholz delivered to Artemis featured the largest collection of musicians yet assembled for a Boston recording. Returning were stalwart vocalist and alter-ego, Brad Delp, and his sound-alike from Walk On, Fran Cosmo, as well as guitarist Gary Phil. New members included Cosmo's son, guitarist Anthony, country/blues songwriter and bassist Kimberly Dahme and history teacher/drummer Jeff Neal. Besides recording their performances, Scholz also recorded several of their compositions, making Corporate America the least Boston-like album in the band's abbreviated discography.

Of the 10 songs, five sound like classic Boston - song structure built on melody and hooks and embellished with carefully crafted guitar and vocal harmonies. Four have memorable melodies - I Had a Good Time, With You, Someone, Didn't Mean to Fall in Love, You Gave Up on Love. The title track unfortunately relies on cheesy sounding synthesizers and synthetic percussion, and sounds suspiciously like Higher Power, one of the three original tracks on the band's 2000 Greatest Hits release. As it happens the rest of the songs were written by band members other than Tom Scholz and so sound very little like Boston. The one that comes closest is Kimberly Dahme's With You, a lovely song that begins quietly with acoustic guitar and a female voice inflected with a bit of country twang. The song is accented with perhaps the most understated electric guitar parts in any Boston recording, along with some nice overdubbed vocal harmonies. Two songs from Anthony Cosmo (Stare Out Your Window, Cryin') sound like B-sides from an Oasis recording, while a third song, Turn It Off, falls somewhere between Boston and 90's prog metal. The album finishes with a live recording of Living For You, a song from 1994's Walk On and an out-of-place addition to Corporate America.

While admittedly Boston's least satisfying album, give credit to Scholz for trying to do something different. Prior to the suicide of Brad Delp in March 2007, Scholz was working on new material and remastering some older stuff that has been lingering in his vaults. Let's hope he has a few more interesting surprises up his sleeves - and that we don't have to wait another decade to hear it.

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A little inconsistant........2007-04-22

Well, with Boston's fifth studio album, a curve ball was thrown. We've got a mix of different styles in this 10 song cd. We've got some semi-retro sounding Boston (you gave up on love), three songs that sound like they're from the band "Oasis" with Fran Cosmo's unwelcomed vocal presense, one country song from Kimberly Dahme that just doesn't fit at all, an uneeded live song from a previous album, and four songs that actually sound more like the Boston we know (I had a good time, corporate america, someone, and didn't mean to fall in love) that are the highlights of the album. There's something else about the album as well....despite Tom Sholz's technical genius, we recieve some slight volume deviation through our listening experience. But despite these songs that don't belong and the slightly uneven volume issue, this cd is still worth the buy even just for those four songs before mentioned (Don't misunderstand, the other songs are still good, but they just don't fit with Boston).

1/2 Classic Boston, 1/2 Crap.......2007-03-27

This album should be 2.5 stars. Half of the album has the classic Boston sound. The other half are tracks you won't care if you ever hear again.
The best tracks are the ones sung by the late Brad Delp one of the best rock voices ever, which are "I Had a Good Time," "Someone," and I Didn't Mean To Fall In Love." It is a shame now that he is gone that Tom Scholz did not utilize him more on his final Boston album. The title track in which Fran Cosmo and Brad share lead vocals is also good, but someone should tell Tom that talking during a song is not cool and he should leave his agenda for the liner notes. The song "You Gave Up On Love" would have been one of the best songs on the album had it been sung by Brad instead of Fran and Kimberly Dahme. Tom deserves the criticism for letting his wife sing the song "With You," I too thought someone had had slipped in a Jewel CD. This does not belong on a Boston Album! Speaking of not belonging, the same can be said for the 3 songs written by Fran's son Anthony. "Cryin" made me literally want to cry as it sounded like an Oasis song. "Turn It Off" was a truly prophetic song title choice because I wanted to turn it off soon after it started. "Stare at Your Window" was also weak. A live version of "Livin' For You" was not needed. What we needed was a full album of Brad Delp singing lead with Fran and Kimbelry singing backups and high notes and Tom creating the classic Boston guitar sound. Unfortunatley, that didn't happen and with Brad gone it never will.

Give Scholz a Little Credit.......2007-03-17

Well, as a longtime Boston fan, I was fruatrated immediately by the length of this album. There is a total of nine new songs, several of which barely feature Tom or Brad. However, the Delp songs are great (Someone, I Had a Good Time, Didn't Mean to Fall in Love) and the track "Stare out Your Window" is mesmerizing, a shocker to come off of a Boston album. So Scholz is expanding, but it would have been nice if the album had a little more meat to it. They kick major a** live, as I have seen them three times in concert. Fran Cosmo has one of the most powerful voices I've ever heard, but Delp is the one who is irreplaceable due to his range and ability to sing softer and fast-paced material. The true gem in the rough is Anthony Cosmo, son of Fran, who has a great voice himself and could be the next Delp. Check out Cosmo's debut album if you like this one. Basically Corporate America is a mix between Cosmo's sound and Third Stage. Kimberly Dahme adds something to Boston but her song sounds out of place on this CD. Scholz had assembled a great lineup, but sadly with the passing of Delp and the Cosmos' breaking away from Boston, the future of the band is up in the air. That is a shame, because a few tracks on this CD are right up there with the best of the '70's hits. Fans that whine because Boston is not making music like that anymore should realize that the band is trying to mix it up, and put forth a lasting, enduring effort that is balanced and textured, and Boston reached that goal at times on this album. Could have been more songs, though, given the fact that it came out eight years after "Walk On." As a die-hard fan, I will miss Brad dearly. He will never be forgotten, and his music will live on through the years. I hope Tom will dedicate the new album to Brad's memory, the man with the golden voice.

Average customer rating:

United Streets of America
Blade2000 the Corporate-Con
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000G8P6DC
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Tracks:

F@#cK Griff
Pimp Strut
Stiky
F.L. I/Flint-Town Anthem
What They Call Me
1,2,3,4
Do Dat
Thik Wit It
Bounce 4 Me
I'm Bad 2000
What Would U Do
Ain't Nobody 2000
Gangsta
Applause

Average customer rating:

Corporate America
Nrun
Manufacturer: NRun Wrekords
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAKW56
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Tracks:

Entrance
Corporate America (Radio)
Drop the S of Skilling (Radio)
Vendetta (Radio)
Exit
Corporate America (Club)
Drop the S off Skilling (Club)
Vendetta (Club)
Instrumental

Average customer rating:

Leaving Through the Window
Something Corporate
Manufacturer: Universal Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000066HMA
Release Date: 2006-04-24

Tracks:

I Want to Save You
Punk Rock Princess
I Woke Up in a Car
If You C Jordan
Astronaut
Hurricane
Cavanuagh Park
Straw Dog
Good News
Drunk Girl
Not What It Seems
You're Gone
Globes & Maps

Album Description

Japanese edition of 2002 album features 16 tracks including 2 bonus tracks, 'Little' & 'Bad Days'. MCA/Universal.

Average customer rating:

Leaving Through the Window
Something Corporate
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Emo | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk-Pop | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000FTW6S0
Release Date: 2006-07-31

Tracks:

I Want to Save You
Punk Rock Princess
I Woke Up in a Car
If You C Jordan
Astronaut
Hurricane
Cavanuagh Park
Straw Dog
Good News
Drunk Girl
Not What It Seems
You're Gone
Globes & Maps

Average customer rating:

Corporate America
Boston
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00006YXUJ

Tracks:

I Had a Good Time
Stare Out Your Window
Corporate America
With You
Someone
Turn It Off
Cryin'
Didn't Mean to Fall in Love
You Gave Up on Love
Livin' for You

Average customer rating:

Corporate America Rocks

Manufacturer: CELTIC FIRES(R)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002TJJFQ
Release Date: 2004-08-15

Tracks:

Shut Up and Drive
Presupposing Mirror
A Talent for Bleeding
My Friends
It's All the Wind
401(k) Blues
Interlude No. 1
Broken Things
Urban Lullabye
Heavy Metal Polka
If I Were the Night
CEO of Love
Sweet Cherrie
Anthem for a Generation
Corporate America Rocks
Reaching Higher

Album Description

Inspired by an actual competition, the film Corporate America Rocks follows a ragtag bunch of office workers who form a rock group to compete in an annual battle of the bands against other corporate musicians. The soundtrack CD covers a wide range of popular styles, from blues to rock 'n' roll, to hip hop to goth.

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