Triple Jeopardy

I just missed this. We had Jeopardy! on last night but I had to leave the room before Final and got distracted and missed the ending. All three contestants ended up tied. I saw this happen once before, and I've seen several two-person ties, including one in a tournament. Tune in Monday...

Hitch a Ride cont'd

We have now learned that Mr. Delp's death was at his own hand. Somewhat contradictory to his outward personality, but a tragedy for his family nonetheless.

Hitch a Ride

Brad Delp has died. He was the lead singer for Boston on four of their five studio albums and had one of the best rock music voices I've ever heard. Only Greg X. Volz (formerly of Petra) had similar range to my untrained ear.

I saw him in concert with Boston twice -- in 1995 and 1997. By then he'd turned over the tougher parts to younger singers including Fran Cosmo, but on both occasions I was floored when he performed flawlessly on Mort Than a Feeling, including -- specifically -- the final note, which was no mean feat for any vocalist, in his prime or otherwise.

I was also impressed -- from a distance -- by his humility. Although Tom Scholz was the lead musician and creative force being Boston, Brad was clearly the glue that held them together, at least on the stage. At the first concert (1995), I wasn't sure who the players were, other than Tom who was easy to recognize. Since Brad hadn't appeared on their most recent album (Walk On), I was somewhat surprised when I figured out (by process of elimination) that he was touring with them. They didn't introduce themselves until the end of the show, and Brad refused to introduce himself. Tom eventually did it, and Brad got a standing O.

While Brad had multiple opportunities -- with and without Boston -- to showcase his talent, it's a shame that Tom Scholz wasn't a little more prolific at producing albums. Although Brad returned to Boston for their last (ie most recent and also, in all likelihood, final) album, Corporate America, the same energy wasn't there as it was for their earlier work together. Five albums in 26 years strikes me as a disappointment, but that's what comes of being a perfectionist.

In any case, a tragedy for his friends, family, and the music world, but he leaves some great material behind. Tributes & news articles include:

Official Boston site
Un-Official Boston site
Barry Goudreau
Boston Globe also here