"Lead singer of the band Boston dead at the age of 55"
To me, it just feels like the official straw that breaks the camels back.
I never knew Brad Delp, but I sure knew his voice.
In the summer of 1976 a five year old Steve Knight walked in to the old "Two Guys" department store in Lancaster anxious to buy his first rock and roll record.
I had helped out a little around the house to earn a few dollars, and I finally had my Dad's blessing to buy my first rock albums. This was to be a big step up from my usual purchase of Spiderman records.
Back in those days, actual vinyl records were a big deal. Oh how I miss flipping through the stacks and stacks of shrink wrapped records that used to be neatly organized in large bins inside the "record section" of a department store. While my Mom would be off shopping for things like sheets and shoes, I spent countless hours in the record department. As a kid, I lived for those hours.
On that summer day in 1976, I walked out of Two Guys with the first two rock albums that I ever owned. In one hand I held a copy of Kiss, "Destroyer" and in the other a copy of the self titled debut album from a band called Boston.
I had a little record player in my room. It folded up in to a little case and had small speaker built in. Have records.... will travel..... Usually to my best friend's house were we would sit around and listen to our rock music. Two first graders jamming out, and I never went anywhere without my beloved Boston record.
Times have changed, and for the most part I have adapted. While I love a lot of new bands and new music, I still keep a copy of that Boston album with me at all times... except now it's on my Ipod. It's extremely convenient to have it in Ipod form, but trust me, it lacks a lot of the charm that went with lugging around your record collection.
I have long maintained that Boston's song "More than a Feeling" is one of the top 10 rock songs ever. Even though I have literally heard it thousands of times, it never comes on the radio without me reaching down to turn it way up. It always leaves me in a better mood then I was in before I heard it's signature opening guitar strains.
I will certainly miss the voice and talent of Brad Delp, and so will his millions of fans.
I guess it's just that lately death and I have been having a good go around in my head.
This past week brought the sad news that lifetime Philadelphia Phillies player and coach John Vukovich lost his battle with brain cancer. "Vuk" was a member of my beloved 1980 World Champion Phillies and is gone way too early at age 59.
Today brings news that one of the greatest voices in rock and roll history has been silenced.
Death has also been hitting too close to home. In the past year I have mourned the loss of friends, and unfortunately, somene that I was very close to.
I know that it is all a part of life, and it is probably just a sign of my own age that some of my childhood heros are dying.
At some point today I plan on listening to that first Boston album.
To paraphrase, "I'll lose myself in a familiar song, close my eyes and slip away."
Today more then ever, it's More Than a Feeling when I hear that old song that they used to play.
