What do you think?
Rate this book
Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound
What if the engineer who created one of rock’s biggest sounds had to go to war with the most powerful record executive in America to keep control of his music?
Power Soak is a nonfiction book about Tom Scholz, the founder of the rock band Boston, and his decade-long legal fight with CBS Records. In the 1970s, Scholz built the sound of Boston in his basement, fusing engineering precision with soaring melody to create the clean, explosive style that made “More Than a Feeling” a hit. His studio inventions spread to Journey, Def Leppard, and The Cars, bringing his signature guitar tone to many of the defining albums of the time.
But when Scholz refused to hand over his own record, Third Stage, until it met his exacting standards, CBS Records chief Walter Yetnikoff declared war. Royalties were cut off. Lawsuits piled up. The band splintered. And Scholz sank further into isolation. Then two rival power brokers—Irving Azoff and David Geffen—entered the fray, racing to pry loose Boston’s long-awaited album, which would become one of the last blockbusters of the classic-rock era.
Drawing on thousands of pages of court filings, internal CBS documents, and new interviews, journalist Brendan Borrell traces how Scholz pushed back against the major-label power structure and helped arm artists with new tools in their struggle for creative control.
“Forget the autobiographies, forget most of the writing about this business. Power Soak is the real story.” — Bob Lefsetz
Power Soak is a nonfiction book about Tom Scholz, the founder of the rock band Boston, and his decade-long legal fight with CBS Records. In the 1970s, Scholz built the sound of Boston in his basement, fusing engineering precision with soaring melody to create the clean, explosive style that made “More Than a Feeling” a hit. His studio inventions spread to Journey, Def Leppard, and The Cars, bringing his signature guitar tone to many of the defining albums of the time.
But when Scholz refused to hand over his own record, Third Stage, until it met his exacting standards, CBS Records chief Walter Yetnikoff declared war. Royalties were cut off. Lawsuits piled up. The band splintered. And Scholz sank further into isolation. Then two rival power brokers—Irving Azoff and David Geffen—entered the fray, racing to pry loose Boston’s long-awaited album, which would become one of the last blockbusters of the classic-rock era.
Drawing on thousands of pages of court filings, internal CBS documents, and new interviews, journalist Brendan Borrell traces how Scholz pushed back against the major-label power structure and helped arm artists with new tools in their struggle for creative control.
“Forget the autobiographies, forget most of the writing about this business. Power Soak is the real story.” — Bob Lefsetz
- GenresMusic
115 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2025
17 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Borrell
6 books22 followersBrendan Borrell is an award-winning journalist and the author of The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and the Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine, which tells the inside story of Operation Warp Speed.
Over the last fifteen years, Brendan's essays and reporting have appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including The Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, National Geographic, and the New York Times. He has tracked down the Canadian maple syrup thieves, penetrated the secretive world of British mole catchers, and come face-to-face with the most powerful man in parrot-collecting. As a correspondent for Outside magazine, he searched for a whimsical French adventurer who went missing in Alaska and participated in a survival competition for gun enthusiasts.
Brendan grew up in Texas and received a Ph.D. in biology from UC Berkeley in 2006 before turning full-time to journalism. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
Over the last fifteen years, Brendan's essays and reporting have appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including The Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, National Geographic, and the New York Times. He has tracked down the Canadian maple syrup thieves, penetrated the secretive world of British mole catchers, and come face-to-face with the most powerful man in parrot-collecting. As a correspondent for Outside magazine, he searched for a whimsical French adventurer who went missing in Alaska and participated in a survival competition for gun enthusiasts.
Brendan grew up in Texas and received a Ph.D. in biology from UC Berkeley in 2006 before turning full-time to journalism. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 24, 2025
I was able to read an advance copy of this book and I really enjoyed it. While I can't say I'm a big fan of Boston the band, this book offers an incredible view into the way the music industry functioned behind the scenes during the album era of American rock music, and that story alone was shocking and illuminating: The drama, the lawsuits, and the debauchery surrounding musicians and execs at large record labels was even worse than I'd have imagined.
December 28, 2025
Brilliant, lively, tight account of Tom Scholz’ struggles & triumphs
Fascinating story brought to life with impeccable attention to detail and a sense of empathy for all parties, no matter how duplicitous some of them may have been. Thoroughly enjoyable writing style; devoured in one sitting. Highest recommendation.
Fascinating story brought to life with impeccable attention to detail and a sense of empathy for all parties, no matter how duplicitous some of them may have been. Thoroughly enjoyable writing style; devoured in one sitting. Highest recommendation.
December 13, 2025
Audiophile or Wooden ear listen up! Power Soak: Invention, Obsession, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Sound brings the reader into a fascinating investigative inquiry straight from the vault of the 1970s. The writing has the same genius as the BOSTON Rock Band musicians’ true story. The best documentaries allow us to see the world with fresh new eyes, so author Borrell unfolds a refreshing human story of obsession and intensity, about discovering the sensual purity of sound that emerges from real life intrigue of creative personalities. Power Soak is beyond any convergent-divergent reporting efforts. Power Soak makes the quest for music mined by hand before digitalization something to care about, to cherish, to enjoy. as entertaining and relatable. It is a 2025 Holiday FIND for all to enjoy
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews