"We're Ready" is a song by American rock band Boston written by founder, lead guitarist and primary songwriter Tom Scholz. It was first released on the band's third studio album ''

Third Stage ''Third Stage'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Boston, released on September 26, 1986, on MCA Records. It was recorded at Boston co-founder Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio over a long, strained, six-year period "between floods ...

'' (1986). It was released on 30 November 1986 as the second single from the album, following up on the #1 hit "

Amanda Amanda is a Latin feminine gerundive (i.e. verbal adjective) name meaning, literally, “she who must (or is fit to) be loved”. Other translations, with similar meaning, could be "deserving to be loved," "worthy of love," or "loved very much b ...

." "We're Ready" itself was their last Top 10 hit, reaching #9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and also reached #2 on the Billboard's

Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

chart. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' also named it as the #24 "Top Rock Track" for 1987, one position ahead of another song from ''Third Stage'', " Cool the Engines." It also reached #12 on the '' Cashbox'' chart. In Canada, it reached the Top 25 in '' RPM'' magazine's Top Singles chart.

Lyrics and music

Described by '' New York Times'' critic Jon Pareles as a " rock ballad," "We're Ready" was written as early as 1981, earlier than the other songs on ''Third Stage'' except "Amanda." The song begins softly, with

acoustic guitars An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

and lead singer Brad Delp sounding like a choir boy, but the song develops into a hard rocker. The song ends with the sound of church bells, which are played by Scholz on electric guitar.

Critical reception

Allmusic critic Vik Iyengar retrospectively claimed that "We're Ready" is one of the songs on which ''Third Stage'' "works on all cylinders" and "sounds great." ''

'' said that "the band's fluid and forceful style remains a hard rock staple." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' praised the "layered guitars, spatial background vocals and Brad Delp’s stratospheric tenor" and the song's abundance of hooks. Critic Mark Madden of the '' Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' noted that it is a "radio favorite" and one of the "highlights from ''Third Stage'', and described it as "a slightly harder rocker han "Amanda"with an exhilarating vocal hook." '' Daily Press'' contributor Billy Warden states that the song "introduces the band's whomp to children's choir-styled vocal harmonies, making for good, catchy pop fun." '' Lakeland Ledger'' critic Phillip Booth praises the impact of the dual lead guitar work on the song by Scholz and Gary Pihl. Peter B. King of '' The Pittsburgh Press'' calls "We're Ready" ''Third Stages best tune and praises the song as "a classic example of the invigorating, rocking but melodic music that is Boston's forte." Melissa Ruggieri of the ''

Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...

'' described it as one of Boston's "classic tunes." Jerry Spangler of '' The Deseret News'' regards "We're Ready" as one of the best songs in Boston's rock 'n' roll style. "We're Ready" later appeared on a number of multi-artist

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

s, such as Time-Life's ''Sounds of the Eighties: 1987'' and Madacy's ''Best of the 80's''. It was also covered on the tribute album ''Smokin': A Bluegrass Tribute to Boston''. However, despite its success "We're Ready" was omitted from Boston's 1997 '' Greatest Hits'' album, for which the '' San Antonio Express'' criticized the package.

Charts

References

{{Authority control Boston (band) songs 1981 songs 1986 singles Songs written by Tom Scholz Song recordings produced by Tom Scholz MCA Records singles