Third Stage

Third Stage
Studio album by Boston
Released September 23, 1986
Recorded 1980–1986
Genre Hard rock
Length 36:27
Label MCA
Producer Tom Scholz
Boston chronology
Don't Look Back
(1978)		 Third Stage
(1986)		 Walk On
(1994)
Singles from Third Stage
  1. "Amanda"
    Released: September 26, 1986
  2. "Cool the Engines"
    Released: 1986
  3. "We're Ready"
    Released: December 1986
  4. "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)"
    Released: April 1987
  5. "Hollyann"
    Released: 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Kerrang![2]
SputnikMusic
RateYourMusic

Third Stage is the third album by American hard rock band Boston released September 23, 1986 on MCA Records. It was recorded at Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio over a long, strained six-year period "between floods and power failures".[3]

After winning a legal battle with Epic Records, Scholz switched his band's recording label to MCA.[4] The album's first track, "Amanda", was actually written in 1980 (when Boston began work on the album)[4] and became the band's only #1 single. It 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. The songs "Cool the Engines" and "Can'tcha Say/Still in Love" also got substantial airplay, with the "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)/Still in Love" peaking at #20 in 1987 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains Boston's last Top 40 hit to date.

Third Stage went to #1 on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for four weeks. It was the first CD-formatted album to be certified gold (500,000 copies) by the RIAA. It was also certified gold in the LP format, making it what is believed to be the first album certified in both of these formats. In all, the album was certified 4x platinum.

The album is the first Boston LP to feature electronic drum samples, the first to feature songs not written by either Scholz or Brad 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). 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. Critics have noted that the album has a much darker, more somber tone than Boston's previous work.

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(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, Fran Sheehan, Brad Delp 4:23
5. "My Destination"  Scholz 2:19
6. "A New World" (Instrumental)Jim Masdea 0:36
7. "To Be a Man"  Scholz 3:30
8. "I Think I Like It" (DeBrigard credited as Jon English)Scholz, Jon DeBrigard 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
1987 "Hollyann" Billboard Hot 100 DNC

Certifications

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ Iyengar, Vik. "Boston Third Stage review". AllMusic. All Media Network. 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. ↑ Third Stage (CD liner). Boston. MCA Records. 1986.
  4. 1 2 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). Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  5. ↑ "100 Albums" (PHP). RPM 45 (9). November 22, 1986. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Album – Boston, Third Stage" (ASP). Media Control Charts (in German). Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Boston – Third Stage (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Boston – Third Stage (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Boston – Third Stage (Album)" (ASP). Schweizer Hitparade. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 18th October 11986". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Third Stage – Boston". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Third Stage Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
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