Third Stage

Third Stage
Studio album by Boston
Released September 23, 1986
Recorded 1980-1986
Genre Rock
Length 36:27
Label MCA
Producer Tom Scholz
Boston chronology
Don't Look Back
(1978)		 Third Stage
(1986)		 Walk On
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Kerrang! [2]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Third Stage is the third album by American rock band Boston released September 23, 1986 on MCA Records. The album was recorded at Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio over a six-year period "between floods and power failures". This is the final album to feature Brad Delp before his return after the release of their fourth album Walk On.[3]

After winning a legal battle with Epic Records, Scholz switched his band's recording label to MCA.[4] The first track on Third Stage, "Amanda", was actually written in 1980 (when Boston began work on the album)[4] and became the band's only #1 single. The track reached and stayed at #1 for two weeks in November 1986. It was followed by the second Top 10 single from the album, "We're Ready," which reached #9 in 1987.

Third Stage went to #1 on the Billboard 200 where it stayed for four weeks. The album was the first CD-formatted album to be certified gold (500,000 copies) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also certified gold in the LP format, making what is believed to be the first album certified in both of these formats.

The album was a first in many respects: the first Boston LP to feature electronic drum samples, the first to feature songs not written by either Scholz or Delp, the first Boston LP without original members Barry Goudreau, Sib Hashian and Fran Sheehan (though Hashian and Sheehan were included in the early recording sessions and Sheehan received a writing credit), and the first (and only) Boston LP without the iconic guitar UFO dominating the cover art, though a small image of it is present. Original drummer Jim Masdea (who played on the demos that made a bulk of the first Boston album) plays drums on most of the album. This LP was also the first Boston recording to use the Scholz-invented Rockman guitar processor. No orchestral sounds or synthesizers were used on the album.

Contents

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Amanda"   Tom Scholz 4:16
2. "We're Ready"   Scholz 3:58
3. "The Launch: a) Countdown; b) Ignition; c) Third Stage Separation"   Scholz 2:55
4. "Cool the Engines"   Scholz, Brad Delp, Fran Sheehan 4:23
5. "My Destination"   Scholz 2:19
6. "A New World"   Jim Masdea 0:36
7. "To Be a Man"   Scholz 3:30
8. "I Think I Like It"   Scholz, John English 4:06
9. "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)/Still in Love"   Gerry Green, Scholz, Delp 5:13
10. "Hollyann"   Scholz 5:11

Personnel

Charts

Album

Chart (1986) Peak
position
Canadian Top Albums[5] 1
German Albums[6] 25
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[7] 15
Swedish Top 60 Albums[8] 23
Swiss Top 100 Albums[9] 13
UK Albums Chart[10] 37
US Billboard 200[11] 1

Singles

Year Single Chart[12] Position
1986 "Amanda" Billboard Hot 100 1
1987 "We're Ready" Billboard Hot 100 9
1987 "Can'tcha Say (You Believe In Me)/Still In Love" Billboard Hot 100 20

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – United States Gold November 25, 1986
Platinum November 25, 1986
3x Platinum November 25, 1986
4X Platinum February 26, 1987
CRIA – Canada Gold Dec 18, 1986
Platinum Dec 18, 1986
2x Platinum Dec 18, 1986
3X Platinum Dec 20, 1986

See also

References

  1. ^ Iyengar, Vik. "Boston Third Stage review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/third-stage-r2450/review. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 
  2. ^ Oliver, Derek (2 October 1986). "Boston 'The Third Stage'". Kerrang!. 130. London, UK: United Magazines ltd.. pp. 18–19. 
  3. ^ (1986) Album notes for Third Stage by Boston [CD liner]. MCA Records.
  4. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (1986-11-05). "The Pop Life; New Boston Hit a Throwback to 70's". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/05/arts/the-pop-life-new-boston-hit-a-throwback-to-70-s.html. Retrieved 2010-08-30. 
  5. ^ "100 Albums" (PHP). RPM 45 (9). November 22, 1986. ISSN 0315-5994. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0857&type=2&interval=50&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
  6. ^ "Album – Boston, Third Stage" (in German) (ASP). Media Control Charts. http://www.charts.de/album.asp?artist=Boston&title=Third+Stage&cat=a&country=de. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Boston – Third Stage (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Boston&titel=Third+Stage&cat=a. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
  8. ^ "Boston – Third Stage (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Boston&titel=Third+Stage&cat=a. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
  9. ^ "Boston – Third Stage (Album)" (ASP). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Boston&titel=Third+Stage&cat=a. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
  10. ^ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 18th October 11986". The Official Charts Company. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/3/1986-10-18/. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
  11. ^ "Third Stage – Boston". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/boston/third-stage/3036. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 
  12. ^ "Third Stage Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/third-stage-r2450/charts-awards/billboard-single. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 
Boston
Studio albums
Boston · Don't Look Back · Third Stage · Walk On · Corporate America
Compilations
Singles
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