AllMusic

Barry Goudreau

Barry Goudreau

1980

After the band's rocket to fame in the late '70s, Boston mastermind Tom Scholtz became inevitably tied up in legal battles with his manager and label, leaving the rest of his band idle. During the downtime, guitarist Barry Goudreau enlisted almost the entire band to record nine very Boston-sounding tracks. It feels almost as if Scholtz left every amp and microphone as-is after Boston's second record, and Goudreau and company just stepped in and recorded the band's third record while Scholtz wasn't looking. The album's clear highlight is the minor hit "Dreams" which channels a familiar guitar tone and anthemic chorus.

- Zac Johnson

Jeru the Damaja

Wrath of the Math

October 15, 1996

East Coast Rap

Often overlooked in favor of his instant-classic debut The Sun Rises In The East, the second album from Gang Starr's gifted protege is nearly as satisfying, a smart, streetwise collection of incisive rhymes well served by DJ Premiere's production. He cleverly skewers the excesses of commercial rap on "One Day" and "The Bullshit," while celebrating his own outsized skills on "Black Cowboy" and "Physical Stamina." And he proves it's not bragging if you can do it.

- Mark Deming