Boston Essentials

Boston deal in meticulously fabricated hard rock that one would expect from musicians with degrees from MIT. The brainchild of mechanical engineer Tom Scholz, the sonic perfectionists achieved stardom in the late '70s thanks to colossal, energetic jams like “More Than a Feeling” and “Rock & Roll Band,” which nestle Brad Delp's high-altitude cry in endless layers of guitars that sound like rocket thrusters and laser guns. The outfit also bust a mean power ballad—check out the glorious, soaring “Amanda,” which sounds like a transmission from the cosmos.