Greetings loyal masses of the cult, this is "Tales of the Psychic Warrior"; a young fan's view from the battlefield. I am here to offer you insights, opinions and reviews of all things Cult. Before we get started, let me tell you who I am and what I am about.
My full name is Jacob Paul Koehler and I am 21 years old. I reside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when I am not attending college. I am finishing up my undergraduate degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the field of Communications Media with an emphasis on Radio Production. If you have already read my first concert review then you know how I got into this amazing group and that I probably have way too much time on my hands. But if you wish, you can read all about my obsession right here in my new column.
Every few weeks I will offer you my insights on BOC albums, bootlegs, or any random thoughts and observations in general about the past, present, and future of Blue Oyster Cult. Now keep in mind, I have no credentials whatsoever that would make me a scholar on Blue Oyster Cult, I am not published anywhere else and let's face it, I am just a kid for goodness sake. This however does not make me any less of a fan and it is merely my love and passion for this group that gives me the power to write this column for this great website.
As a further disclaimer to you the readers, these writings are merely my opinions and nothing more. I greatly encourage discussion and would very much like to hear back from as many people as possible. So if you disagree with me or feel like I have a good point, please feel free to tell me. I would love to hear from you.
In conclusion, I would like to thank those who came before me; Bolle Gregmar for being the undisputed master of all things BOC, Martin Popoff for inspiration and Mr. Hotrails himself, Ralph, for putting up this great site you are now visiting. So keep it here for all things BOC and keep it here for more "Tales From The Psychic Warrior".
Welcome to another installment of Tales of the Psychic Warrior, I am your humble host Jake, here with more on the exploits of our favorite Oysterboys.
As I am writing this I am sitting in Indiana, Pennsylvania awaiting graduation and the exodus into the work field. Here it is fall and with the myriad of colors of the leaves that change day by day I know that life around me is also changing. My peers are staring a hole into the future and the vast uncertainties which lay before them. I too am one of these people, yet for as long as I can remember I have also taken a long glance at the past, be it my own or the days before my birth long since forgotten. This is the case with the lion's share of my taste in music.
Being of a different generation, I am faced with a significantly different attitude and perspective when it comes to the music. For me I have a large back catalogue to search through and can start my journey into the music at any point in time that I want whereas others who were around when the music was first made can look at the music and remember when it was new and how it stood out not as a classic, but a contemporary part of the times and how it compared to what else was going on. This leaves us with not only original LP's but another player in the game; the "Greatest Hits".
For better (unreleased material, bonus new tracks not found on any other LP, rare singles and artwork, expansive liner notes) or worse (poor song selection, poor representation of past albums and or entire career, edited versions) these can serve as a good way to introduce those who came late to the party and give them a chance to get a brief review of what is to come with whatever group you are trying to get into. Blue Oyster Cult is no exception. While checking on www.allmusic.com I counted twenty-five compilations since 1987. I counted only eighteen total albums released by the band themselves, including the live ones.
So in order to maybe help out those of you who are not sure where to start, I have offered some examples that I found helpful in getting me started in my affinity with BOC.
As previously noted in "My First BOC Experience" this was my first real introduction to the band non-radio. This was the first time I could look at the band outside of just the usual "Reaper" or "Godzilla" and get down to some lesser-known tracks.
All in all I feel that this is guilty of having too many tracks off of "Specters" and not having any tracks off of "Tyranny and Mutation". Secondly, the version of "Career Of Evil" has the alternate lyrics from the original off of "Secret Treaties". Furthermore with only ten cuts, this hardly gets you a good view of the band and that four of these tracks I had already heard on the radio. So with only six new BOC songs to this listener, this did not quench my thirst. Looking back, I think it was pretty interesting to see such a dark horse track like "Death Valley Nights" wind up here.
Now here is where it really got me. I was sixteen and going through a bad bout of depression when I came across this in my local Borders music store for only $7.99! In American dollars, this is a steal. I immediately connected with this collection of new and familiar songs to the point where I did not take this out of my stereo for about two solid weeks.
This collection introduced me to what is now my all-time favorite song in the BOC canon with "Flaming Telepaths" and got me interested in what "Tyranny..." had to offer with "The Red and the Black". I was stoked to hear the original version of "Astronomy" and was blown away at the majesty of "I Love the Night". The last half of the disc took a while to grow on me but with time, these songs have appeal. I told all my friends about this disc and even got my friend Phil Melodia to pick it up. He liked the pop stuff on the second half....not a surprise.
It is in my opinion that this is far and away the best single disc compilation on the market. Some albums are under-represented ("Tyranny...") but that would just be me being nit-picky. In the long run, the good more then outweighs the bad leaving the listener with a great start. This is highly recommended to anybody who is new to the game of BOC.
Now I know what you are thinking, you are thinking that more is better and if you got the cash, then go for whatever gets you the most bang for your buck right? Well with some groups, this is not the case... but it is here. C'mon people, there are thirty-two songs and by default this is arguably the set to own if you want an overview of BOC. To be honest, the reason I picked this up was because I thought these were all live tracks. I was stupid. I admit this.
But for once my stupidity paid off. Had I not bought this early in my collecting then I would have missed out on the unreleased versions of "Buck's Boogie" (my favorite version, even better then on "On Your Feet....."), "The Red and the Black" or "Workshop of the Telescopes" (also my favorite version). The latter tracks appeared on the infamous 1972 bootleg now resorted here for all to enjoy. Secondly, it hits you with some of the best points of their first live record "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees", but we will get into that one later.
With the exception of "Mirrors" and "Cultosaurus Erectus", all studio albums get at least two shots and with the high unavailability of "Club Ninja" in the states, the last two tracks on this two disc set are another plus.
I know its next to impossible, but this one just delivers more then the rest by far by means of sheer catalogue content alone. A lot of unreleased stuff and great live cuts make this the king of all BOC retrospectives on the market today.
After twisting his arm to buy this one evening, my friend and partner in Cult crime Dan Cummins picked this up because he was a fan of "Godzilla". That is exactly how they got me. After a while they grew on him and then he was asking me what he should buy next. Another convert for the brotherhood!
It is very sparse, but managed to find that this comp throws a lot of curves for not only the song selection, but for the fact that the version of "The Red and the Black" is the bootleg live version found off of "Workshop...." I found that to be pretty interesting that that version made it on to it and not the studio version. Not highly recommended, but worth a look if you are a newbie and want a bargain on a good CD.
Well there you have it, the story of how BOC compilation collections played in my life. I learned that for some reason that whoever out these together did not care for "Tyranny...' and seemed to acknowledge the power of BOC in concert. But my journey only began here, and it only got more complex and complicated as I went along.
Be sure to with thoughts or questions. I would be glad to hear from you.
Bonus DVD: "Some OTHER Enchanted Evening"
Recorded 1978 direct to 3/4 inch video at The Capitol Center, Landover, MD
Previously Unreleased Live Recording (Live Mix by George Geranios)
Hey cultists, here we are again for another installment of "Tales of the Psychic Warrior" with me, your humble host Jake. In this piece we will examine the second live album issued by the band in 1978 elegantly titled "Some Enchanted Evening".
Regarded by Classic Rock magazine (and some of the band members themselves) as the definitive live album from the group, this collection is also held in high regard from many fans. Most notably however for the live cut of "Astromony", which many consider to be the definitive version of that song in particular.
I remember this disc that was purchased by my older brother Aaron one summer because he wanted his own versions of "Godzilla" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and my brother mistakenly thinking this was a compilation album and not a live offering picked this up. On the way home we put it in the stereo to see how it sounded. Needless to say when he found out it was all live, he was upset but thankfully did not return it and let it collect dust in his room in our basement.
For years he let this thing sit without ever playing it. Not one single listen. So after a few months, I picked it up and put it on. I was not completely blown away at its contents right off the bat, but I remember wanting to hear more. My curiosity was peaked.
Inner contents aside, I was and still am impressed by the cover art. Any teenager might not find the grim reaper riding on a black stallion in the desert at midnight cool, but I was clearly not any teenager. Check out the intricate detail on the skull; it looks as if it is saying "Yes young man....come and follow me to worlds unknown...". I took the ride and have not regretted it one bit.
Even the liner notes were interesting with Eric and Allen on a plane going god knows where while making a phone call. The head shots of the band themselves with their own personal signatures below them were also a nice touch. The coolest thing I thought was the address to write to for the complete BOC lyrics. I wonder if that would still work?
I tried to keep all of my thoughts and writings in strict chronological order for this column, but if you read the "Compilations Of Cult" piece, I actually heard this before "Don't Fear The Reaper- The Best Of Blue Oyster Cult" and "Workshop..." so this release dates back pretty far. These versions of songs really go back a long way with me.
Anyway before I go off on an even longer tangent, here is the track by track rundown of the entire album.
R.U. Ready 2 Rock
Having already heard the studio version before, I knew pretty much to expect with this track. Personally I could go either way with this version or the "Specters" version, but it was cool to hear them break the song down in the middle to let Eric tell one of his stage raps about how the last time they played at the Fox Theatre they sold it out just like they did that night. Allen Lanier really lets loose on this one with a cool synth solo while the band segues into a few riffs from "Kick Out The Jams" (more on that later). They close this one out with a blues-type outro and some cheers before the next track.
E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
Now this was the first time I heard this song, ever. I thought the main riff was really catchy upon first audio, but I have to admit that I did not get too excited over this song. I know this might shock some people, but hey, it's the truth. Now when I heard the studio cut, I dug that one a lot better. I am not entirely sure why, I think it might be the flange guitar effect on Buck's intro to the song that might have got me, or Eric's whispered vocal delivery. Either way, it is a classic BOC song that over a period of time I was able to appreciate and love; even if its not this exact version.
Astronomy
Now this might offend some of the old guard fans, but the first time I heard this was Metallica's cover off the "Garage Inc." album. I then heard the real one off of the "Don't Fear The Reaper...." comp a few years later. I still think both versions are great, but I am clear to defend BOC's version to the death whenever the situation calls for it. Honestly, I don't really see how this version is that much better than the studio version. I am not saying its bad at all, just nothing special. I do think Buck's solos over the chorus are really inspired and worth mention. On the vocals, I stand by what I said in my review of the August 5 show in Burgettstown that Eric should not try to shout this one as much. It really loses effect when he does. It is not as bad here, but if he would just lay back, blah, blah, you get the picture.
Kick Out The Jams
It was only within the past five months that I was able to get around to hearing MC5's original version. It was pretty good, but I was surprised to find out that it was a little bit slower than the BOC version. I might be out of my mind, but that I what I thought of it. Both still rock however. Eric really makes it sound like its his own song on this one, but it would have been a lot cooler if he said "motherfuckers" instead of "brothers and sisters" at the beginning. To this day I am still impressed at how fast these guys were able to play together and for Al Bouchard for handling the quick time changes. This is a cool song altogether and good to drive fast to if you ever get the chance.
Godzilla
While driving back from Sandy Creek, PA for a hunting competition with my Uncle Steve one Saturday evening, I heard this version on the radio. On the radio mind you! Still being new to the band, I am not even sure if I had heard the version on my brothers copy before this, I was really impressed by this cut. Buck's guitar playing really floored me here. It was so damn fast yet I could pick out every note he was playing and I always dug Joe Bouchard's bass fill near the end of the song. It is also of note that this is probably the only live version of this song under five minutes. All the rest feature the obligatory drum solo with the lasers and such.
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
Right from the first time I heard this I wondered what was wrong. I noticed the song was in a different key. It seemed strange as to why they would take a song in Am and play it in B, I think. I remember seeing Buck play this one with his Rick Kresiak custom SG that I know he tunes to F#. I am not sure why they do this, but it distinguishes it from the studio version. I really dug the elongated ending with the solos and the vocals on this and Allen's keys on the live version which differ from the studio version as well. Anyone who likes the studio version should check this version out just to see the difference between the two.
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
This might sound strange, but at a young age, I was an Animals fan, and was intrigued to hear their version, yet it made me wonder why on a seven song live album they would make two of the cuts covers? So with the song itself, it's an honorable cover from a group of Animals fans most likely. They keep it true to the original albeit with more guitar solos. Eric sounded really good on this one, and its hard to do Eric Burdon well, but the other Eric did and should be congratulated for it.
(Writers note: right as I was finishing up the piece and about to submit it to Ralph, the video of The Animals performance of this song on Ed Sullivan came on...no shit!)
So there you have it, a good representation of a touring band with a strong live reputation. This is without a doubt a great record, but in my mind not the final word on this group as a live unit by a long shot. For this there are several reasons;
1. With only seven cuts, this is just simply not enough to chew on. There are too many songs and albums that were ignored. This is not by any means a fault of the members themselves, but it does give only a short answer to a long and detailed question.
2. Too many cover songs. I know that BOC put covers on their previous live release, but remember that it was a double live album upon its first pressing on vinyl. With this you only have five songs that are original and that makes it an EP for the most part. The upside to the covers is the fact that they are really good covers and worth a listen.
3. The versions of the songs here don't really stand out that much. I am not saying the versions here are bad by any means, but its just that they are short in overshadowing the originals and in some cases don't meet up with the studio versions at all. But, with BOC, I usually feel the opposite because most of the time the live versions of their work far exceeds the studio versions.
Ok, well that just about does it for me. Keep it here next time as we delve into another chapter of "Tales Of The Psychic Warrior". The next chapter will throw you the reader a bit of a curve so to speak. See you soon!
Stop the presses folks: this Valentines Day has brought us one hell of a treat in the form of the long awaited reissue of the classic "Some Enchanted Evening" from the mighty Blue Oyster Cult. Gone is the sparse seven track collection of songs and here in it's place is fourteen tracks of pure sonic fury which shows the band in it's prime according to drummer Al Bouchard who cites this tour as being the prime representation of the band at it's peak.
Now I think it would be redundant to go into each track individually and pick it apart, especially since I already did this above. I will go into some detail on each track.
I think that the version of "M.E. 262" on here really gives the version on "On Your Feet..." a real run for its money. The shorter version of the track really holds up and the vocals are a lot better here where on the earlier version they are more than a bit muddy after the 5 guitars bit. Furthermore, Al's drumming on this track is nothing short of awesome during the final verse.
"Harvester Of Eyes", one of my all-time favorites still doesn't beat the "On Your Feet..." version, but it still is an absolute powerhouse in the live setting. Joe's bass solo is, well, ok in my opinion. I feel his best work as a bassist was done as an in-the pocket player rather than a soloist.
However, his solo provides a cool build-up for the "5 Guitars" bit which is completely different from the 1975 version. This one is a bit tighter and melodically more complex and generally sounds more composed whereas the previous version seemed a bit more like a jam placed in the middle of a song..
"(This Ain't The) Summer Of Love" just seems not to be long enough. I mean I think it's one of their best riffs and I wish it provided more than just a lead-in to Joe's bass solo. As for the rest of the songs and their players, they really are on the top of their game. The live version of "Golden Age Of Leather" from the DVD shows that the boys can pull off a mighty studio creation in the live setting without missing anything that the original version had.
The DVD itself is of really good quality considering. The colors are crisp and clear and the sound is damn near perfect. I think it is such a treat getting able to see and hear the band in this context and a true testament to how far technology has come. The DVD format is really a Godsend for us rock nerds who eat this kind of stuff up. If you haven't got your hands on this by now, then what the hell are you waiting for?
Hello and welcome to another installment of "Tales Of The Psychic Warrior" and tonight we will delve into the deep, convoluted waters which is Blue Oyster Cult's disjointed masterpiece "Imaginos". Let me tell you right now, this is probably going to be the hardest piece I will ever have to write on this band. This concept, so dense and elaborate doesn't make it easy to those who choose to write about it. Unlike the others, I had to make sure I was listening to the album at the time of the submission. It was too difficult for me to just recall what the content was right off the bat. Furthermore, the stories of who played on what and what this reference means compared to that and how it all relates is enough to make even the most ardent BOC fan's head spin. This writing will mainly concern the songs themselves. If I have left anything out then either check out John Swartz's BOC FAQ or read Martin Popoff's book to get a more detailed description of events.
At the time of this writing, it is the dark, early morning hours of December 4, 2005. A gentle snow is blanketing the small town of Indiana, PA. The cold winds of winter have finally arrived and made their presence known. Visions of a seemingly endless winter are now firmly in the minds of many. But here and now, I will take you back to a hot summer some four years ago when I came upon this lost artifact seemingly lost and misunderstood to many one hot July evening.
In the summer of 2001, I was personally and mentally a wreck. Teenage depression and a whole load of other unimportant bullshit were casting me into a haze where I thought deliverance was a complete impossibility. But thank god the classes ended and the halls of my high school were miles and miles away. I was in dire need of change. My Uncle Todd was kind enough to give me a summer job helping him fix up his property. I was eager to join, and the money was good, I was going though a real spending spree when it came to music. It was around this time that I picked up the "Workshop Of The Telescopes" comp and a whole load of other music. During this time I was going on my usual route down McKnight road in Pittsburgh checking out my usual stores. NRM, Camelot, Borders and Best Buy were all located along a three to five mile strip of road that led right into the heart of Pittsburgh. That night I made another stop in a relatively new store with a somewhat deceptive name.
Half Price Books was a store that mainly specialized in, well, half-priced books, yet interestingly had used vinyl, tapes and CD's. I had made some good finds there in the past and since it was a new store, I thought I would check it out. Maybe I would get lucky. In this case, I did.
While browsing though the bins of used and discarded CD's; I came across the big red letters that would indicate a Columbia Records album. The band name was familiar, yet what was that strange word? I had never heard about this album whatsoever and had completely no idea of its existence. I picked it up and examined the case. Good shape. No cracks or heavy abrasions. Booklet was intact. Price: $5.98. Good, it was cheap too.
When I turned the case over, I was very puzzled. At this time I was wary of anything that BOC released in the eighties. I knew they "fell" from grace around '83 or something so I was not sold on it yet. It was when I looked at the songs on the disc.
What the hell???!! "Astronomy", that's off of "Secret Treaties". And they don't have a song called "Blue Oyster Cult", do they? Hey, all the original members are on this, and it's from 1988? What the Hell are Robbie Krieger and Joe Satriani doing here? These have to be the most unreadable liner notes ever, what the hell kind of story is this? Right from the beginning I was already asking questions. And I hadn't even listened to the damn thing yet!
So I picked it up and something else and headed for home. I was deep into my mix-tape phase at the time. Every new CD was transferred to a cassette tape so I could listen to it on my walkman. At this time I was up to about forty or so mix tapes in my collection. I wanted to add this, but as I said before, I was highly suspicious.
I can vividly remember passing by Ross Park Mall while inserting the CD into the stereo and saying to myself "please don't suck, please don't suck" as the first chords of "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" kicked in. I thought it was pretty good and at first digestion, I was in fact happy with my purchase. True, it reeks of bad eighties production with its thin drums and sometimes cheesy sounding synths, but the songs were good and the performances were well up to par. I was a little bit confused to see all of these guest musicians and singers on here. What was their purpose?
Basically, Al Bouchard and Sandy Pearlman put this all together after Al was booted from BOC in '81 using old ideas and long unused song and story structures. They now had the chance to put it all together. So with their own hands and a slew of guest musicians, they set about connecting the dots in the vast BOC landscape with this grandiose concept album. However, the boys at the head offices were not keen on Al's vocals and did not want to put it out without the BOC name on it. Long story short, all the other boys in the band were called up to play on the album so it could be released as a BOC record and make everybody happy.
The result is a concept album like no other. A concept album that according to mostly all involved being completely out of sequence. I did some research on this and in my opinion can pretty much support this claim. Unless it's exactly what they want us to think... Oh and if you like lots of backup vocals, and I mean LOTS of backup vocals, then this is probably the best album BOC has ever done.
But in terms of the songs, here is what we have;
I Am The One You Warned Me Of
With a catchy guitar riff and a strong vocal from Eric, this gets the album off to a strong start. Like I said before, the drums do not sound all that good. Too chambered and too tinny and overall, way too flat. The guitar work on this track is really good. Too bad nobody is sure exactly who did it. This song and the entire album in general showed a burgeoning progressive side to the band that had not really been so much at the forefront. In case you missed it (I did for about three and a half years) Jon Rogers guests on this song adding vocals to the later verses. I like this song quite a bit and it does stand out when I think about this album as one of the better on the disc.
Les Invisibles
Now its time for Buck to tag in and take vocals on this one. Lots of keyboard effects and muted guitars usher in the song. Once again, good guitar work from whomever! The incessant "Seven Seven Seven" spoken word background parts can get annoying, but it was the only real thing I remembered about this particular song. Once that part hit, I remembered the rest of the song. Buck does a good job vocally showing off his well-trained tenor voice to great effect.
In The Presence Of Another World
Even after four years of listening and consideration, this is still my favorite track on the record. The atmospheric piano and guitar accompaniment to Eric's haunting vocal give this song a great start. After a few bars of this, the drums kick in and it becomes a lot heavier, with a great chorus and backup singers that are not overdone. Then it slows down again and fades to a couple seconds of silence before the guitar and piano creep back in with the backup singers to a symphonic ending complete with spoken dialogue from both Eric and some females branding the "master" a "monster". Great song, and in my opinion a classic in the BOC canon.
Del Rio's Song
Once again, we have Eric taking the lead vocal with some backup from Buck with a surprisingly upbeat and melodic number. The guitar solos get pretty heavy with this one right before Al Bouchard comes in with a spoken word part complete with echo! A little bit strange, but hey it is a concept album right?
The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria
Yeah, I know, that has got to be one of the longest damn song titles in history. This track bares the vocals of Joey Cerisano, a veteran of the New Jersey music scene singing over elaborate keyboards and a heavy guitar riff with even more backup vocals from a small army of singers. This Cerisano has a high range, much higher than Eric or even Buck for that matter. It is interesting to hear a guest vocalist come into a band and completely do a full lead vocal on a song, yet Blue Oyster Cult was hardly a "band" on this album. Al comes in to add a few "Carpe Diems" near the final verse. The song fades out with a strong modulation and some great piano work and lots of multi-layered vocals which give it an operatic quality. It goes without saying that there is no other song like it in the BOC catalogue.
Astronomy
Ok, now with the "Rocky" type guitar riff ushering in the song and elaborate keyboard flourishes you might think that there is nothing left you could do to change on the original version right? Wrong, cause when Buck's voice comes in, you are just getting started. Yes, Buck takes this one over from Eric and pretty much everything but the lyrics themselves are turned upside-down. And yes, there are a ton of backup vocals on this one; the "hey, hey hey" parts really sounding cheesy. I read that on one version of this, Steven King gave a spoken word intro. I would love to hear it. The guitars are much more structured and I wonder if its true that Buck and Joe Satriani played on this one. A somewhat interesting if somewhat lame attempt at revisiting a classic.
Magna Of Illusion
Buck keeps things going, taking another lead vocal on this with some spoken word help from Al with this vocally non-linear melodic tune about the diary of Imaginos. In other words, the lyrics are sort of left-of center and seemingly hard to put together since they are not very "orthodox". No easy to follow cadence or rhyme scheme. I have to admit, the song really takes a left turn when Al's vocal parts come in. The music is pretty good, but it mainly serves only to help the storytelling-like atmosphere of the vocals. Not bad, but nothing really to write home about.
Blue Oyster Cult
You think that a song that bares the name of the band would be much better known among the fans right. Not in this case. Here the bands title song rests on a forgotten album that most have never heard. Unlike "Astronomy", this song is a massive reworking of "The Subhuman", which was originally titled "Blue Oyster Cult". Funny huh? Anyway, Buck and Al pretty much duet on this, trading lines and parts over heavy background vocals that claim to "understand". Good piano work and good guitar work once again rule this track and pretty much the rest of the album as well. I feel that some of the spoken word parts do take away a little bit from the song, yet without them the song would in fact seem lost. I do like the "chorus" where the title is finally mentioned. There are some interesting jazz-like guitar solos at the five and a half minute mark before the song's fadeout some two minutes later. Personally, I take the more subtle "Subhuman" over this one any day.
Imaginos
Any person might think that when you got to the title track of a long and elaborate concept album you would be met with a large, well written and strong cut that sums up the album seriously right? Well you are shit out of luck here. This come in with a downright sad sax line over a guitar riff and lame Las Vegas type backup vocals. I can't believe this made it on here in this condition, and this is the closer! This is without a doubt the only "bad" song on the record. Jon Rogers takes lead here and I am sorry, does not deliver, but with all the other stuff I said about the song, it can't be all his fault. It is sad that such a strong album ends with such a whimper.
Well there you have it, the opinion on the greatest concept album you will never hear. With an asking price of between 15 and thirty dollars on eBay you can bet a lot of people want to get their hands on this rare classic. I do feel its worth it, it is an important albeit obscure piece of the BOC puzzle. I am still happy that I lucked out and got it when and how I did personally! It would not be wise to start your BOC collection here, not by a long shot.
I really think the playing on this album is very good, it probably deserves more credit then it will get. If you are a guitar, keyboard, or backup vocal (!) fanatic or a fan of bad eighties drums, then here you go; your musical wet dream. Don't get me wrong, the actual drumming is good, just the sound here I feel is really below par for such a prestigious act.
That should do it for me here folks. Remember to with any comments, questions, corrections, mistakes or even general hate mail. See you next time when we go with something that you should have in your collection. See you later!
Hello again and welcome to another installment of "Tales Of The Psychic Warrior" where we get to the final album from BOC's "black and white" period, the highly acclaimed 1974 masterpiece "Secret Treaties". In all honesty, I probably shouldn't even be writing about this album at all. Gallons of ink have been spilled over its contents in the past thirty years, yet it is also for that same reason that I should go ahead and write about it anyway.
Without a doubt, this is in the top two of my all time favorite BOC studio albums, hands down. Almost all the songs on here are classic and with the 2001 reissue this was even more apparent. Seriously, I feel that sometimes reissues are not always a good thing, unless they can improve on an album and on this case it did. Even the last five tracks that got thrown on are up to par with the rest of their work.
Ass kissing aside there are still flaws mind you, yet this is the case with just about any album ever made. Many believe the concept of the perfect album doesn't exist, yet there are rare occasions where you get pretty damn close. This is one of those cases.
Lets once again go back to the summer of 2001, around late July in fact. Having taken a big step in my "cult"-ucation by purchasing "Imaginos" a few weeks before I thought I would take a chance and see what these new remasters were all about. I was out one night with my friend Phil Melodia, an old football buddy who is still to this day one of my all time best friends and partners in crime. Along with Dan Cummins whom I have known literally since "Imaginos" was released in 1988 and Todd Bebb, the four of us have been as thick as thieves since the last days of high school. Anyway, Phil and I were out one night in his '84 Pontiac Bonneville and decided to stop at Northway Mall, conveniently located at the edge of my neighborhood and stop in at Borders Books and Music. I know its not some cool independent record store, but if they have what I want then I will get it there.
Once inside, I stroll right over to the "B" section right near the back entrance of the store. There it is. And multiple copies I might add. I pick it up mainly because there were a lot of songs off this album that I had heard already so I thought I would get it and hear the rest the record had to offer. After purchasing, we headed out. Phil had to check on his sister's dog while she was away so I tagged along.
Misunderstanding the exact location of her house, we got a little bit lost. We wound up in Wildwood and needed to get to Bellevue so across McKnight road and through Perrysville with a right turn in West View, we wind up at the house. On the way we both listened to the tracks in their entirety.
Career Of Evil
As stated previously, I was not all that taken aback by this track when I first heard it. I thought the vocals were kind of lame and the riffs not heavy enough. Over time I feel this song has only gotten better by each listen. Personally if I hear a song once and don't like it then I probably will not grow to like it later. Here I was proven wrong. The riffs may not be earth shattering, yet it is catchy and makes an impression. The back-up vocals and the elaborate harmonies really sugarcoat this poisonous poetic piece of perversion. Buck Dharma also lays down some really interesting, swirling guitar lines around the middle to great effect. Allen Lanier's atmospheric keyboard work also was of note and this is one of his best studio performances in my mind. Eric Bloom's vocal delivery is nothing short of sinister in its claims of apathy towards the song's intended victim. It took me a while but I never realized how dark and sadistic and confrontational the lyrics actually were. Thanks to a woman named Patti Smith, the fact that these overtly misogynistic words are written by a woman leaves the listener wondering about the intentions of the composer. Why would she wanna do it to your daughter on a dirt road? It makes you think, and that is a good sign of a good song. It leaves you to make your own connections and assert your cognitive powers to unlock the mystery of the song itself. Lastly, my friend Todd Bebb claims this to be one of his favorite BOC songs. Good choice B.
Subhuman
I find this an interesting composition in the BOC canon; dark and mellow yet foreboding, mysterious and forward. Considering that the original title of this song was in fact "Blue Oyster Cult", this is a very crucial song in the saga of the Cult. Eric is in fine vocal form here and as usual Buck lays down some great solos which seem to give it a Doors vibe. No wonder they worked with former Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger worked with them later on. This swirling mass of aquatic and deathlike imagery gives us the listener the first if only real idea of what the real Blue Oyster Cult might be. The lyrics here are superb. The chorus and bridge verses weave tales of betrayal, isolation, and redemption at the hands of a mysterious group of men (?) who make a deal for the protagonists life in exchange for allegiance to them. This track is definitely worth a listen.
Dominance and Submission
Once again we have here another lyrical tale of perversion, resurrection and change set to the backbeat of a rock band at the dawn of a new year. As was the case with "Career of Evil", I was not that impressed by the song at first listen. Al Bouchard's vocals did not do that much for me, but I was impressed at the heaviness of the riff and the general tone of the music. But as was the case with "Career..." this song grew on me and became a favorite. I love the way how the riff keeps changing and the call and response nature of the vocals were at first well, lame but have since grown to be kind of cool, especially in the live setting. On a more personal note, I have deemed this song to be the theme song to the life and exploits of "Danger" Dan Cummins on the evening of December 31, 2004 to the early morning hours of January 1, 2005. Since thins song has a New Years theme to it, I made sure to have it in my car on that very New Years night. I was twenty at the time (if you listen to the song you will get what that means) and went to a party at Todd's apartment in Ben Avon. Let's just say Dan had "too much revolution" and submitted to the dominance of Jim Beam and Pepsi. My girlfriend Mandie Cammarata was with me. We picked him up and put him in the backseat and drove him home. Whenever I hear that song, I think of him and the events that took place. Ah drunken youth..........
M.E. 262
A favorite of both mine and recent convert to the cult Mike Errett, this song is what got BOC mistaken labeled as Nazis. It's about the German jet of the same name. That's really it. Considering that both Sandy Pearlman and Eric Bloom, the singer of the song are Jewish pretty much shoots down that misconception. Rumor and hearsay aside, this song rocks. A fast paced charging guitar line with a rapidly delivered vocal with a brief modulation in the middle right before things speed up again make this one of the strongest cuts on the album. Once again, great lyrics and a great delivery and strong backup vocals from the whole gang.
Cagey Cretins
Ok, now that I know what tracks were passed over for this one back in 1974 I wonder why this one made the cut at all. Even having read the explanation of Richard Meltzer's lyrics, I am still wondering why they went ahead with this. I will go so far as to say that this is by far the weakest point of the album. Eric and Al do a pretty good job of handling the vocals and the music is all right, but I just can't get behind this song. It moves well, has good performances, but just comes up short when compared to the rest of the album. I would have gone with another one of the cuts left off of the album in a heartbeat.
Harvester Of Eyes
Ok, here we go; getting back to the real meat of the album, here is one of the best songs BOC ever did. With a great riff and one of the best vocal deliveries from Eric ever, this song will rock your face off. Well maybe not that much, but you might want to rip it off its so good. The lyrics are so damn empowering and mighty in their structure and delivery that you could see what the character might look like in real life with such a vividly painted picture painted merely by the words. I dig the slow riff around the halfway mark and the double-stop riffing of Buck Dharma near the song's conclusion. I can't recommend this song enough. What's even better is what comes next.
Flaming Telepaths
Ladies and gentlemen, here it is. In the warped and diluted mind of I your humble narrator this is the best Blue Oyster Cult song ever. There is no doubt in my mind that this is anything but the best song they ever did. If you read my second review then you know just how crazy about this song I am. From the very first time that droning piano and drum roll came across to me from my speakers in my room I was absolutely hooked. In my various ventures in the world of recorded music I have a theory on a good song. Some songs get better the more you listen to them; this is called a "dark horse". Some songs on the other hand you absolutely love from the first second you hear them and they stay with you forever. This song is the latter. I can vividly remember lying down on my bed one February evening as this song bled out from two 22inch cabinets. As a teenager dealing with all the lovely things that high school had to offer in the way of anxiety, social pressures, conformity and all that other shit that makes some people write lame and vapid poetry on some stupid blog where they claim that nobody loves them was starting to get to me. These words and this music gave me a haven where none of that really seemed to matter; a sanctuary where they knew what I was going through and understood that my mind was on fire with all the pressures of being a teen in America. Here I could get away and get lost in the music. This music. Allen Lanier really steps it up on this one with his best performance to date. His synth sounds do so much more for this song then most people probably give him credit. They give the song an aura or atmosphere if you will that is somewhat dreamlike in a way; as if the song is just floating right outside the realm of consciousness.....or something like that. Al Bouchard's drumming and Buck's guitar work coupled with Eric's best vocal ever push this song to a stunning climax which by song's end is staring the listener down until.....
Astronomy
Ah, yes this the inevitable closer to a truly epic collection of music. As stated previously, I first heard Metallica's cover back in '98 on the "Garage Inc." album and was a fan from the beginning. I know that this song is a favorite to many of you out there and I can see why. The very structure of the song is very simple yet in its simplicity it yields great power in its ability to hit the listener with its moody shifts from distant spaciness to confrontational assaults that leave the listener still wanting more. I thought it was interesting that Al Bouchard tried singing this one and after 100 takes it kept getting worse so Eric Bloom tried it and nailed it in one take. This one definitely works better in the studio than live. Buck and Allen raise the stakes by offering some truly inspired performances when they trade lines after the last chorus before another high energy conclusion. To put it bluntly, if you are not moved by these last three songs, then have absolutely no chance whatsoever of becoming a Blue Oyster Cult fan or actually being one yourself.
Bonus Reissue Tracks:
Boorman The Chauffer
I feel that this should have made the album. Joe Bouchard is in fine vocal form and has a strong and melodic catchiness to it too boot. Good song to drive fast too I might add. Good, stable guitar work and great drumming from Al. I really wish I could read the lyrics to this one and the others in the bonus tracks series, can you help me?
Mommy
This song is so damn evil, I love it. It is funny in a way, but still manages to take itself seriously enough not to be considered a mere novelty song. Its so catchy and memorable it will make you want to sing this to your maternal figure on mother's day. Man that would be classic. The music itself really only serves to accompany the lyrical content on this, nothing too much to write home about there, but this is more than worth a listen if you want to hear an "interesting" take on the various women in the life of the singer.
Mes Dames Sarat
I wonder how Allen Lanier felt by having this song passed over from the final release of the album because it is a very good song. Similar to "The Red and the Black" in a way, almost like a backwards version with a good vocal from Eric and good trade-off solos from Allen and Buck. In fact on subsequent recorded live versions of "The Red and the Black", you can hear the intro to this song as an interplay between Allen and Buck on guitars. Once again this should have made it back in '74.
Born To Be Wild (Studio Version)
Both Phil and I agreed on it that night when we heard it coming from the car stereo that this version sucked. I feel the tempo was totally wrong and I did not like how they changed the riff structure of the song as well. I do give them some accolade for making the song their own, but it just doesn't cut it for me. It's far too slow and uninspired to really be effective. They could have left this one in the vaults as far as I am concerned.
Career Of Evil (Single Version)
There is not that much of a difference here from the original version so if you have heard that one then you know pretty much exactly what you are getting. The vocal mix is altered slightly with Eric's voice being the only one and the backup vocal of the Bouchard's having been removed. The line about "...doing it to your daughter on a dirt road" are altered. If you have the choice, take the original version. Censorship sucks.
Well there you have it. Other than my complaints about a couple of tracks there is not much else for me to say about this record. It is simply great. This would be a good place to start if you are a new BOC fan and a good one to put on if you are an old BOC fan. It is easy to find and can be picked up at any major or minor music store.
Ok, well that's it for me this time; be sure to come back later when we get to delve into Blue Oyster Cult's greatest achievement to date in my opinion. What might it be you may ask? Well just be sure to come back and see for yourself. Until next time!
Hey there Cult fans, its Jake here with another installment of "Tales Of The Psychic Warrior". Writing in my Pittsburgh home with my brightly lit up Christmas tree, we look into my favorite part of the BOC saga, the stellar live album from 1975, "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees"; the last and final part of the so called "black and white" period of the band which got the audience ready for a big change come '76. I know I have been highly critical in my writings and have looked down on a few of BOC's past achievements that many hold in high regard. Well this will be different here because I really have a hard time finding anything about this album that I do not like. I can't tell you how many times I have played this be it in the car, at home, or anywhere. Whenever I think of this band, my thoughts usually wander back to this. This truly awesome blend of sounds that I feel is too often overlooked. Here you will see at how a live album should be done and why I feel that this one in particular is worthy of being called their best.
Once again we head back to the summer of 2001. Around mid August I was out with one of my partners in crime, Phil Melodia who was with me the night I picked up "Secret Treaties". We were in separate cars as we went to the Ross Park Mall on top of McKnight road to kill some time. I actually saw this in National Record Mart (NRM) a few weeks prior. I thought I would pick it up. Formerly located underneath the escalator, this once popular chain store had taken a lot of my money. No problem. I went over and took the lone copy from the bin. I thought the packaging with the limo parked in front of the church and the song titles listed inside a book on the back were so cool. The ominous image they carried at the time was truly personified on just the cover alone. What else was there yet to be experienced inside?
I immediately put the disc in the stereo when I got to my car. From beginning to end this album just rocked. Period. From the opening chords of "The Subhuman" to the last blast of feedback of "Born To Be Wild" this was without a doubt one of the best live albums I ever heard. Even now, years later I still put this on just because its that good. It never got old or boring. It only seemed to get better. This has gone with me on road trips to see Mike Watt in Morgantown, West Virginia and spent many of nights in my car blasting from the speakers while driving the streets of Pittsburgh. Truly and honestly, this record will probably stay with me until the day I die........or until I lose it and have to buy another damn copy.
With the songs themselves I apologize now beforehand if I ramble more than I usually do. Since I know these versions so well I could probably go on even longer. But I will try to spare you.
The Subhuman
Having already heard this version off the "Workshops...." compilation, I still think its strange how this song sort of "materializes" out of a haze of cheers, random chords and a sudden uttering of the song's title from Eric Bloom(?). Usually you have some grandiose intro and a real upbeat, fast-paced song that knocks the audience a good one right from the start. Blue Oyster Cult, ever the ones to buck the trends and do something different, start out with more of a subtle whispered introduction rather than a grand and lavish greeting to you the listener. The tempo is a little bit faster than the studio version and the harmonies are a little bit more complex. Eric's voice is in fine form as usual which proves my theory that his ability to sing in the live setting is much greater than in the studio. Joe and Al Bouchard lay down a jazzy backbeat while Allen Lanier and Buck Dharma take turns with solos. Allen's keyboard part is one of his rare chances to step into the spotlight and show off his skills. This piece is a good showcase for him. Buck comes up and plays a really cool yet restrained solo that really builds the song to a harmonized end with Eric coming in to add to the conclusion. This is without a doubt the best version of this song. The studio version is too subdued to achieve maximum effect. Also of note; this is the only live version of this song that I can find. Am I wrong on this?
Harvester Of Eyes
Wow, such a great song. Whatever good things about the studio version I said are nothing in comparison to this. From the swirling synthesizers to the spoken introduction name checking the record's title to the sinister main riff, this song doesn't just start, it arrives. It arrives and is not going to take prisoners. The parts here are so well written and played that it is hard to fault its power. I think its cool that they change things up a little bit in this version. Here they add a fast part where everything but Buck's guitar stops while Al Bouchard lays down a few fills to send the song into overdrive. Almost titan in its power and scope this is still to me the best song on the record.
Hot Rails To Hell
Until I picked this up, I never heard this song before. It proved to be a good chance to hear Joe's voice alone and analyze it further. I think he has a great voice, but I feel he is more suited to the studio. The music really lives up to the title in my mind; fast, aggressive and unrelenting. As par for the course, Buck uses this song to go into a frenzy of sorts with the guitar the rest of the band lays down a good groove to ride out on. They also use pauses and stops in the song to add to the power and give it weight and not let it get boring. I really wonder why the rest of Joe's songs were not as aggressive as this. Either way, this is without a doubt a classic and recommended to anyone into good rock and roll.
The Red & The Black
Ok, remember what I said about the song "Mes Dames Sarat" in the "Secret Treaties" piece, well the intro to that song serves as the intro to this song here. It is kind of cool, but I honestly prefer the original version. It does however give the song an interesting twist and offer us a chance for Allen and Buck to trade guitar lines for a change. Eric and Joe Bouchard really shine as well in their roles and Al Bouchard kicks up a storm on the drums. Clearly when it was first recorded this song was probably seen as a kick-ass live piece that would floor the whole room. I think they achieved their goal. At the song's conclusion, Eric thanks the audience for his whip.....I don't know why it got on here either.
Seven Screaming Diz-Busters
Now for another shot of adrenaline, we are hit with another fast paced number that keeps the pace of the album on high. This is another track that just burns when played live. Here we see BOC really ahead of their time in terms of sheer sonic speed. There weren't that many bands playing this kind of stuff this fast at the time and here was BOC just running away with it. Near the halfway mark, Al and Buck take over and go into a great jam with only guitar and drums years before when the White Stripes were shitting their pants and NOT getting paid millions for it. The whole atmosphere of the song entirely is just stunning. The numerous crescendo's that just seem to build up and on forever until you are hit with the next part right between the eyes. It's a shame this one is not played live that often anymore. One of Eric's many infamous onstage raps make its way on to here as he talks about his close personal relationship with Lucifer whom he knows on a first name basis.
Buck's Boogie
Another showcase for Buck as the title suggests, here we have a cool instrumental piece to keep things going. Al really doesn't get too much credit on this one for his drumming on the track which is superb. This song falls into a really odd groove that doesn't follow the strict 4/4 time signature. You can tell that he has a background in jazz with his fills and cymbal work. Buck as you could guess goes wild here with his solos. I am surprised that this song isn't better known as a truly amazing piece of fretwork from Mr. Dharma himself. The melody is just so good that I wondered simply why I hadn't heard this song before.
Last Days Of May
With a moody solo from Buck we are whisked off into a lurid tale of a drug deal gone wrong. The haunting melody and the atmospheric keys of Allen, this song reels you right in from the beginning. The whole piece paints such a vivid image. As you listen to the words and hear the notes you become transfixed to what is going on. This is another cornerstone of the work, which shows you the power of this group on stage. Buck play's one his best solos ever while the vocals drop out before the last verse. When I first heard this song I felt the last verse was probably the most interesting and intriguing of the piece. When I graduated nine months later on May 31, I found those same words echoing through the back of my mind time and time again;
"They're OK the last days of May
But I'll be breathin' dry air
I'm leaving soon
The others are already there all there
Wouldn't be interested in coming along
Instead of staying here?
They say the West is nice this time of year..."
Those words meant something to me. They meant change. They resembled a breaking away from my past into my future. Call it stupid or call it delusional but that is what I felt. I was saying goodbye to many things. People and places that I would never see again and a ton of other things were about to fade away and become mere images, a hazy outline of a place I once knew, a girl's face without a name and a random memory whose events I would never be able to fully recall again. I turned away and many things were lost to the murky places in my subconscious. Its funny how you can seemingly forget years of your life but you can remember the intricate details of a simple song......
Cities On Flame
And the crowd went wild with this one as the infamous riff in F sharp(?) heralds in the first "classic" song of the band's repertoire. Al sounds good on the vocals here and Buck does his thing. I have to admit that he truly has a great and original style to him as a player. He has a great sense of melody underneath all that damn speed and technique. It's a shame that he gets little credit for being such a great player. I do feel that they still play this one too fast live, but I don't think anyone cares. Eh, oh well.
ME 2.6.2
Somehow this version also made it onto the "Workshop..." compilation and I was happy it did. This version totally eclipses the studio version in terms of vibe alone. Now here is when playing something faster can be a good thing. The sound of this track hits you like a mechanized panzer assault with its driving beat coupled with a truly great guitar riff and Eric's strong vocal. Before the drums fade out Allen and Buck trade lines back and forth while Al hits his gong. Now there is something that is lacking in music today. Then in comes the in the infamous 5 Guitars. Al picks up a guitar and the guys go to town. Some of the changes are a little sloppy and some of timing is a little off...but its just so damn cool. I mean five guitars, c'mon! How are five guitars not face-meltingly cool? If you think its stupid then I hope you die. Well not really but you probably have no business reading this at all. After the guitars fade out, the drums come back in and the song rips back into the verse riff with all of the guys repeating the "..must six Englishmen live that I might die..." line repeatedly until the incendiary "1,2,3,4" mantra is chanted that pushes the song into hyperspace. Fellow Cult fan Mike Errett claims this live version to be his favorite BOC song of all time. Good choice Mike.
Before The Kiss (A Redcap)
Much better than the studio version, this another tale sung by Buck about a fight at the infamous Conry's bar. I dig the sped up tempo and Al's cymbal work.. I also really like the jazzy tempo changes for the verses and Joe's bass fills and Buck's rhythm work really make this an interesting piece of music. It was kind of sad to see BOC tone down their jazziness in their later years. Buck truly is the best balladeer of the group when it comes to signing. I really like this track and I am happy to see that it was included on here because time has seemed to have forgotten this track and its nice to have it documented here.
Maserati GT (I Ain't Got You)
Ok, here it comes with the covers. An obscure Yardbirds track is the choice here and in interesting one at that. Before this I had never heard of this particular track until I picked this up. I thought it was cool that they put in a few lines from The Doors' "LA Woman" in there. As a big Doors fan I thought it was, well, cool. Buck lets it fly here and really lays down some tasty solos unaccompanied. A fine rave-up indeed. I think it was a good choice to use a cover that is not that particularly well known to avoid any other associations others may have with the song. On top of that you also have a fine tribute to the song itself. Then near the end the boys go back into "Buck's Boogie" for a few bars to take the song home and I think its Allen who gets to take a solo for a change. All in all I think with the addition of "LA Woman" and "Buck's Boogie" this was truly a great cover.
Born To Be Wild
With another introduction (from a woman who does a good wolf howl) we have the final track of the record. Now having heard the studio version of this cover I was more than wary about this one. I was happy that for the majority of this song they kept closer ties with the original. Allen's key work here is of note as well as Eric's vocals and as usual, Buck's guitar work. Near the end the listener gets a chance to hear Eric and Buck's infamous "Texas Chainsaw Guitar Duel" where they would scrape the fretboards of their guitars together for some howling feedback. I never really gave this track much thought until now. To me it was just another cover and I have a few versions of this song on other bootlegs. However, this does not take anything away from the song itself. Its still good; I just never really looked at it too much. My fault probably.
From beginning to end, this album never, ever lets up one iota. Even when it ebbs to less then intense, its own moodiness and darkness just takes you along even faster. To put it better, if it was all fast and aggressive it probably would in fact lose some of that aggression in the long run. The fact that it goes into "Last Days Of May", "The Subhuman" and the mellower parts of "Seven Screaming Diz-Busters" just makes what is fast and heavy like "The Red & The Black"or "Hot Rails To Hell" all that heavier.
Now here are some of the reasons as to why I feel that this is the definitive live release from this group;
1. Ok, you have a good dozen cuts here to chew on; a good number of tracks. Also working in the band's favor is the fast that it only had three albums to choose from. Therefore there isn't much left out. At twelve tracks divided by three albums that is about four songs from each album that could be on here. They did not take this route and instead had a quarter of the tracks on here from their new album alone. A move like that takes balls. To add to that, they put on a hard to find instrumental track just to make things interesting. In other words, they truly made this something special. They made it something different and gave it something new to offer the fans. A few bonus cuts and covers and you have an edge on the other live albums of the day.
2. The versions of the songs themselves outshine the originals in most cases. As previously stated above "Harvester...", "Subhuman" and others all just destroy their original incarnations while at the same time staying true to their studio nature. Take Phish for example; everybody says they are a lame duck band in the studio and the only thing that matters is their live albums. I do think that live they sound better but that does not make their studio stuff shit by a long shot. This is another reason that makes BOC truly great. It is rare for a band to be a great studio band as well as a live band no matter what you say. To be able to work so well in both aspects is truly an achievement.
In the years since purchasing this album I have gotten others into it as well. Dan Cummins and Mike Errett are two examples. Mike even went so far as to buy this on vinyl twice! He is even more of a hard rock purist than I apparently. As far as others go who talk to me about music, I always tell them about how truly great this record is and how its an essential part of any record, tape or CD collection. I am even upset that allmusic.com even gives this a bum rap. How could anyone who hears this not like it? I guess the ensuing years have made me extremely biased....and possibly crazy.
Ok, well that just about does it for me here. Next time I know I will piss some of you off because I know I am going against the grain on this one. Next time I will discuss some of the finer and not so finer points of the biggest studio album in the history of Blue Oyster Cult... for better or worse. See you later!!!
Hey there Cult fans; its time for another installment of Tales Of the Psychic Warrior and tonight we cut into the first album of the post black and white period and the beginning of a whole new and ultimately platinum chapter in the band's storied career of evil. This would ultimately bear the mark of being the album with undoubtedly the most famous BOC song in existence. Yes, the infamous (Don't Fear) The Reaper, the dark classic penned by Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser that turned the world of Cult upside-down and brought them the success they all had been fighting for...for better or worse.
It has been stated even from the band member's mouths themselves that they never saw themselves as a pop band. They thought they were too heavy or their whole stigma made them pop poison; too much for the teenyboppers to handle. Yet it happened. It happened in a major way that inadvertently created a power shift within the ranks that altered the direction of the band as a whole. So in these pages in front of you we take a look into this part of the story where everything seemed to change and the past would become just the past as the band now found themselves in a new realm surrounded by temptation and dare I say it, AM radio. For me, this started in 1999 while spending time in Mr.Geibel's seventh period study hall and some weird guy named Jesse "Albert" Cuyugan.
Jesse was a weird guy...to say the least. It was not uncommon for him to show up for school dressed as a pimp on any random Tuesday or grow out his fingernails and sharpen them to razor-like points (that bastard actually cut me with those damn things once) or other things of that nature. One afternoon, we somehow got on to the topic of music and out of the blue (forgive the pun), we got on to the subject of BOC. I can't remember what else we said but I do remember that we were talking about (Don't Fear) The Reaper. He said that he liked that song a whole lot but the album that it was on sucked for the most part. Them he rambled on about Megadeth's Cryptic Writings and I lost interest in the conversation.
Cut ahead to the summer of 2001 (notice a pattern here?), when I was downtown with my mother. It was August, the last day of summer and I wanted to stroll the city streets and pick up something to cap off the last few months. I had just the right place in mind. We went to lunch at Pirmanti Brothers in Pittsburgh's Strip District. If you ever get the chance and the weather is good, take a trip and walk the streets and take in the sights. Its full of a bunch of cool little shops and restaurants that serve really interesting cuisine to say the least. At the far end of the Strip closest to the city is a place called Eide's. If I had to choose a perfect store, it would be this one. It literally has everything I love all under one roof and three stories. Needless to say, the music selection here is amazing. Anyway, I walked out of there with Pantera's Vulgar Display Of Power and Blue Oyster Cult's Agents Of Fortune. I was anxious to hear what this record had to say and see if it was any good. I really liked tracks 1,3 and 4 quite a bit and they were the only tracks I heard at the time so I had high hopes. When I put it on......I think Jesse was not too far off.
To put it bluntly, I was let down by this when I first heard it and I am still to this day not that big of a fan of it. It starts out really strong and then it falls flat on its face by the middle and just sort of stays there. I have to want to listen to this and that rarely happens. It is in my mind the most over-rated album in their entire career. Here it is track by track:
This Ain't The Summer Of Love
Ok, things start off pretty good here a solid and enjoyable song with a snarling vocal from Eric and a simple yet strong guitar riff. To be honest with you the only real fault of this song is the fact that it is not longer. Let's face it, nobody wrote a biker song quite like Blue Oyster Cult. An extra verse would have only made it better. I really dig the rhythm guitar sound on this and I have to give credit to the production team of Pearlman, Krugman and Lucas.
True Confessions
Here it is; the first major curveball of the record and the first and only lead vocal from Allen Lanier and a damn sax solo. This is a very stripped down, piano driven track that is quite different from the rest of the songs in the BOC catalogue. In other words it doesn't really sound that much like a BOC song at all. The guitar takes a backseat and let's face it, this is not a common thing for BOC especially at the time of the release of this record. Not that great of a track, but gets notoriety for simply being the only one in existence with an Allen Lanier lead vocal.
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
What else can be said about this one folks? Not much? Probably true with this being the most highly recognizable BOC song in the world. I can't remember where I was or what I was doing when I first heard this with its swirling atmospheric aura. I did know that I liked what I heard and it stuck with me. From a musician's standpoint, this song is highly simplistic on paper; three chords with the solo section modulating to another key. Not that much to it. Then again they always say that some of the greatest songs are simple songs. The performances are stellar to say the least; Buck with his greatest (?) vocal ever and the now classic guitar riff that heralds in the cowbell which we all will forever associate with SNL's Will Ferrell. More on that later. I have always liked the solo breakdown before the last verse when the guitars seem to form a veritable wall of sound. I counted at least three guitar parts stacked together in that small piece of music with each one playing a different part. As truly over-played as this song is I still like it when it comes over on the radio. I guess that is what makes it so good; even if you hear it a million times you can still find something else new to like about it. But then again you don't need me to tell you that right?
E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
Another classic; this version actually trumps the live versions I have. I am not sure why, maybe Eric's hushed vocal delivery or the flanged guitar line, I just gravitate to this version. The riff when combined with the piano and rhythm section really creates a groove that sticks and stays in your head. Buck also lays down a great solo as usual and the chorus-like atmosphere of the vocals on the chorus really adds dimension and atmosphere to the track. I really like having this song just as the sun goes down and the first stars start showing up. Great song to say the least but then it is right about here when things all change.
The Revenge Of Vera Gemini
Ok, here is another shift in the scheme of things. I was not that impressed by this song that much when I first heard it and it took a lot of time to grow on me. I like Patti Smith's backup vocals and introduction but I was not that big a fan of Al Bouchard's vocals. I feel that this song is out of place and too heavy to be pop and too pop to be heavy, if that makes sense. I just was not that taken aback. I will admit that this song has an interesting vibe and is a great song to screw to. Moreover, it does have a cool title and BOC always had cool titles. Buck's solo is interesting and I really like Joe Bouchard's bass work here. Not a classic but still an interesting song nonetheless.
Sinful Love
Another piece of Al Bouchard pop with some strange falsetto-backup vocals. Still not a big fan of this one either. I am still not that big on Al's vocal's here, they just really don't do it for me. And with the previous song you now have a total shift from the beginning of the album in terms of pace and mood. In itself this song does possess the sinister and perverse slant about sin and evil relationships in the lyrics yet the music is so straightforward that it loses the subtle edge their music once had. The music is just that; straightforward with no surprises to speak of. The music hits on a pattern and stays with it 'til the fadeout. Other than that there is not much else here to talk about. To me it's just a so-so song.
Tattoo Vampire
Here's Martin Popoff's favorite track from the Cultsters that he describes as an "early metal masterpiece". I think not. This one never really seems to fall together, when one part of the song starts another one begins before that other part can get good and the sound effects near the halfway mark are downright funny. Ever suck helium and try to laugh sinisterly? It doesn't work unless you find the Munchkins scary which I don't....not anymore at least. Eric doesn't really fit this track and based on what I have read about the recording of this song I can understand why. He disagreed quite a bit over the lyrics and had a few changed here and there and even Helen Wheels herself said that she did a better version of the song than Blue Oyster Cult did. I wonder what her version sounds like. Anyway, the music itself is nothing to write home about. I admit the main riff is strong and lasting and downright catchy but as a whole the song suffers from too many rapid changes and the use of silly sound effects.
Morning Final
An interesting track from Joe Bouchard. I am a fan of this song and it is one of my favorites on the album. A tale of a killing in a New York subway is the topic and it is set up well. Joe always seems to write cool piano parts to his songs. This lurid tale of subterranean urban murder paints a vivid picture of life on the street and Joe's mournful vocal delivery adds a lot to the piece. It is not a heavy rocker at all to say the least but it is still truly a great song. Now here is how multiple parts to a song can be used well. The various pieces of this musical puzzle shift and swirl to create such a powerful musical image that really makes it seem as if you were in that subway when it all went down. You get a feel of the dirt on the steps of the subway and the trash and the faceless hordes walking the streets of Old New York and the evil and malice that lurks just below the surface. Even better is the fact that he doesn't explain or give a motive for the crime; it just simply happened. You can tell that Joe has a certain fear of the city based on some of his other songs, which seem to dwell on the dark side of human nature within those types of places. It's a shame this one didn't get played live too often.
Tenderloin
An interesting piece to say the least, Allen Lanier was on to something here as we hit on the dark horse track of the album. I was not that impressed when I first heard it but over time this has become one of the cornerstones of the collection that really remind me of what this album is about. Whenever I think of this record my thoughts often wander to this track for some reason. It is truly unique and a shame that they don't have more songs like them out there. I remember being in an apartment in Bellevue with blue walls that instantly reminded me of this song. I wish I was smarter and was able to figure out what the lyrics were trying to say but I can't seem to find the meaning if any such meaning exists. I just love the beauty that this song conveys both in the lyrics and the music. The synths and keyboards are the musical stars of this song which create an ambiance that makes this one of the all-time great night songs. The guitar work from Buck and Eric and the latter's vocal delivery cap it all off. The jazzy structure of the music makes this song different from the rest of the songs in the BOC catalogue. Apparently the boys were trying to be different here on this album in a major way. The cascading nature of the song's conclusion really put a bow on the track that leaves the listener with a beautiful musical package.
Debbie Denise
The final piece of the BOC pop puzzle is an Al Bouchard number with more lyrics from Patti Smith that tell the tale of a lovelorn woman in love with a musician. Not exactly a new type of theme but lyrically an effective one. The music itself straight up pop, if I haven't used that word up yet already. I am still not that big of a fan of the song as a whole yet I really like the words to it. I especially think its interesting that they were written by a woman mind you. I wonder if the rumor is true that she wrote it about a lesbian affair she once had. All in all the song as a whole is not that great but over time I have learned not to hate it I guess. This might have sounded pretty good live but I am not surprised that this did not make it into the live set, only once did it sneak in back in '76.
Fire Of Unknown Origin (Original Version)
Good song, I could really go wither way on which version is better, this or the 1981 version. I think Al did a really good job on the vocals here and I like the key this one is in; F# I think. Great piano work from Allen and bass work from Joe. I think this should have made the album upon its original release. Great lyrics and just an overall great song that finally has made the light of day.
Sally (Demo)
Umm, ok, this one is a little weird. The music sounds like it's out of an old cheesy western and it's about a girl with a fetish for briar patches and torn pants. Al Bouchard sings another one of the leftover tracks but this one was not chosen for the album thank god. I just don't really like this song at all. It's just lame to be honest with you. The song has no real hook, the lyrics are left-of-center to say the least and the vocals are uninspired. I can't really think of anything good to say about this song whatsoever.
Don't Fear The Reaper (Demo)
A nice novelty song; an interesting piece of history that would eventually beget the classic song that would make BOC millions. It was cool to hear how the song was created and what parts were changed and what remained. I think it is interesting that most of this song stayed together and little was changed or added to the final song come recording.
Dance The Night Away
Another Lanier track that didn't make the cut. This song with a lot of work could be pretty good with a few different arrangements and a full band behind it. It is kind of interesting to hear a Lanier track with his lead vocal and no band behind him. Is it great, no. Should it have made the album back in '76, no, but I think it is cool it made it on here. Allen Lanier has without a doubt the most low-key role in the group and its good to see him in the spotlight for a change.
Let's get down to it; I was let down by this album when I first heard it and I think that without a doubt that it's the most overrated album Blue Oyster Cult has ever done. It took me a long time to appreciate it and when compared to the rest of their stuff both before and after it still doesn't match up. Here are some of my reasons why:
So there you have it. I am sorry if anybody cried into their keyboard over this but remember that this is what I think and nothing more. So be sure to come back next week where we hit up my favorite studio creation BOC has offered to date. See you later!!!
The Place: A crowded bar or dining hall in any average sized College town.
The Characters: Various males and females from the ages of 18 to 23 from various parts of the tri-state area and yours truly.
The Scene: Casually chatting about each other's interests, social lives and ultimately music.
Random Guy: "Dude, like what kind of bands are you into?"
Me: "A lot of stuff, a ton of Classic Rock like Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy to name a few."
Random Guy: "Cool, I've like heard of some of those bands".
Me: "Yeah, I am a huge fan of things from those eras. Right now I am still really big into Blue Oyster Cult..."
Random Guy: "Oh those guys from that SNL sketch, I need more cowbell!"
Me: "Yeah, those guys, they have a lot of cool songs..."
Random Guy: "HAHAHAHA that is like so funny. Did that actually happen, was that guy Will Ferrell played like really in the band?"
Me: "Um, no not really, they made it up and.."
Random Guy: "I have a fever...and like I need more cowbell....HAHA"
Me: (Starts beating random guy with fists and random blunt objects)
Yeah, this is something I have to put up with every time I mention the words "Blue Oyster Cult" among my peers. Hi, and welcome to another installment of "Tales of The Psychic Warrior". Today I have a major bone to pick with the other members of my "generation".
Now I consider myself a patient man when it comes to many things that face me in my daily life. When something like this arises however I have about as much patience as a spastic nine year old with ADD on a three day sugar and Meth binge. It just infuriates me to think that this is the sole thing this great band is known for; a sketch on a damn comedy show!
Now don't get me wrong; this is a very funny sketch. No question about it. The combined antics of Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken (who if you notice actually loses his cool and laughs when he goes back to the booth while Ferrell is dancing) are enough to crack a smile on the face of anyone with a sense of humor. Many of my peers have also gone on to say that it is the greatest sketch of all time in the thirty year history of Saturday Night Live and when you have past members with the names of Belushi, Aykroyd, Radner, Hartman, Lovitz and Murray, well that's saying a whole hell of a lot.
But to have such a great band be only known as fodder for television laughs is really fucking lame if you ask me. This goes to further prove my theory that there is not much hope for my generation when it comes to music. Yeah they catch on if its on a commercial or covered by another band which they insist the newer version is better but I can honestly say that not one person has come up to me from my generation and told me that the infamous cowbell sketch made them a BOC fan. Please somebody prove me wrong. Even now when I am with someone who is not totally into the band and the song comes up on the radio they say that damn line about the fucking cowbell. A man can only take so much.
Level with me here; Blue Oyster Cult is a good band right? Of course, then you wouldn't be reading this on a BOC fan site right? So if you are reading this you understand that these guys deserve better than this. As time goes on I just get the feeling that these guys are getting laughed at over this. That is not cool. It truly is a great piece of comedy and it will be one of the most memorable parts of Mr. Ferrell's career but to have THIS be the most memorable thing about BOC's career is a travesty to all things good and rock
I am not mad at SNL or anyone involved in the sketch, well Jimmy Fallon is a tool but anyway as a fan this situation is really getting to me. I can only hope that you can forgive my generation for just being too dumb to realize the genius that is this band. Maybe time will remember BOC for who they really are, not just material for the youth of the nation to laugh at. Need more cowbell........that is pretty funny.
Greetings all, its time again for another installment of "Tales of The Psychic Warrior" and tonight we will dig in to another chapter in the BOC legacy of sorts. It's true that too often the word "masterpiece" is thrown around when describing many different albums and works of various artists. Many times the punishment does fit the crime (i.e; "Electric Ladyland", "Billion Dollar Babies", "At San Quentin", etc) and there are sometimes where it is attached to a, how do I say it, a piece of shit that should have never been released in the first place (ex: "Rumors").
Then again there are the so called "lost" classics that time has overlooked or god forbid forgotten. In my musical journey's I have uncovered many of this caliber and upon discovery do my best to share it with all around me. In the case of this album, this is the very personification of the word "masterpiece". Albeit a lost one this album is a joy to listen to even after repeated listening. For the time this was a true prognostication of what was going to come in terms of hard rock and heavy metal. Eschewing some of the lighter stuff from the debut album the previous year, Eric, Joe, Al, Buck and Allen up the ante and live up to the tag of "The American Black Sabbath". The speed, the heaviness, the layering of parts and the sheer progressiveness should have this album on the list as at least one of the best hard rock albums of the decade, if not all time.
My story once again goes back to 2001, where all things BOC really began. It was around mid-October when I picked this up at the Borders at the edge of my neighborhood some Friday night; I think. As I stated in my "Compilations Of Cult" piece I noticed that this album seemed to be much underrepresented in the greatest hits that were released and after putting this album on I wondered why.
Without a doubt this is my favorite Blue Oyster Cult studio album; bar none. The only way I can really begin to tell you is by getting down to it track by track;
The Red & The Black
Re working the music from "I'm On The Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" off the debut album the boys give us what might arguably be the first speed metal song ever. Taking a cue from the Blues Project who started out their shows usually with a fast number the album hits you right between the ears from the first bars and doesn't quit. The song starts with a sloppy and almost punky bit of drum rolls and heavy guitars before the beat picks up and the song takes off at a brisk pace. Al Bouchard really rips on this and Eric Bloom's vocals, snarling and mean as ever, do not disappoint. Buck Dharma keeps things going with some of his fastest (and some say his best) solos and riffs of his career; seamlessly combining country, jazz and blues licks to help forge something completely unheard of at the time. The harmony vocals where the music drops out gives the song an even greater weight and just adds to the furious tension of the song. Later on as the song starts to wind down into the last bit of pyrotechnics, Joe Bouchard steps in with a great bass solo that manages to just keep on reeling you in and wonder what else is going to happen next. As the song does start to wrap up, Allen Lanier comes in to trade licks (although his parts sound very down in the mix) before he and Buck share some harmony runs and bring this one to a close. With its speed and sheer sonic fury it's no wonder that Mice Watt of the Minutemen and fIREHOSE calls this one of his favorite songs and still plays it live in his set to this very day.
O.D'd On Life Itself
Like T-Rex's "Get It On (Bang A Gong)" but better this one starts out with a real fifties type rock riff in E as a counterpoint to the speed of the first track. This one is all about groove baby. Eric's detached vocals and cryptic words from Sandy Pearlman makes the listener wonder what the hell he is talking about; drugs, demons, spaceships, we might never know, but its still a damn good song with more great solo work from Mr. Dharma pushing the overdrive on his Marshall head to the limit with his SG. The Brothers Bouchard play really well and create a great pocket while Allen Lanier's organ work rests well on the cushion created by the rest of the music. His playing on this song really shows how well a few understated organ licks can add to a song in terms of dimension.
Hot Rails To Hell
Joe Bouchard's songwriting and singing make a sonic leap forward with this track, arguable the best on the whole album. This is one of the few times where these guys sounded better in the studio than live. On this take they just NAIL it. Al's drums create such a great backbeat that gives the rest of the band a solid foundation to ride the song out. Eric and Buck's guitar riffs seem to rumble with intensity and Allen's super distorted fills just give this song such a menacing vibe. As for Joe's vocals; stunning, absolutely stunning. His delivery and timing are a perfect fit for this song. I would have to say that Joe had probably the most dynamic voice; with the ability to come off as very soft and warm or mean and nasty at the turn of a verse. As a whole this song is without a doubt one the best they ever did and is the personification of the band as a whole; heavy riffs merged with virtuosic playing and strong melodies and vocal harmonies that stay with you long after the record stops playing.
Seven Screaming Diz-Busters
I will not go into what the hell the lyrics are about on this one; if you really need to know just go to the F.A.Q. I am not gonna touch it. As for the song, this epic piece of early speed metal is years ahead of its time. Even the Boss Bruce Springsteen was amazed at just how fast and intricate this song is. Its odd time shifts and angular riffs definitely give it a strong prog-rock vibe. I know that a lot of people gave the guys a lot of guff for making the main section sound a little like the Allman Brothers "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" but hey, I love that song, I love the Allman Brothers and when a band that I like makes a song that sounds like another band that I like I tend to see it as a win-win situation. I think that the real star on this song is Allen Lanier; his playing just fits this song so well. Like a glove. Buck's playing is nothing short of superb on this cut as he drifts from gentle and soothing to fast and furious as the tempo's and riffs shift like the waters on a raging sea. Later on at the four minute mark Joe and Al take over the song as Eric begins a call and response for each of the other instruments to mimic the words of the song from "the rigid arms" and "the laughs of pain". Also the sheer fact that the word Lucifer is said in this song dozens of times just adds to the sheer sinister sheen of the track. Outside of Black Sabbath there were not a lot of groups that had such daring to sing about such macabre subject matters during the reign of Nixon.
Baby Ice Dog
Here we finally get some room to breathe; a comedown from the intensity of the previous tracks is the first offering from future legend Patti Smith about a "bitch that made lies to me". Staring off with a howl from some wolves we have piano driven song with "lycanic" undertones and guitars that mimic the howl of wolves in the night. Al gets downright jazzy with his various fills over Allen's piano and organ parts which really dominate the track. Not as heavy or intense as the rest on the album, it is a welcome change offering a different angle; not too intense but still intriguing track with a great vocal from Eric. It seems to add to the album my not being too heavy while at the same time making the other songs heavier in comparison.....if that makes any sense at all.
Wings Wetted Down
By far the true dark horse track on the album, this song should get so much more credit as a BOC classic. Time has just made this song another title on another album but man this song is majestic in its forgotten glory. With some great piano work from Allen and a truly great melodic guitar part from Buck underneath another inspired Joe Bouchard vocal. With his voice double tracked it is almost out of key with itself which gives it an aura of uncertainty and an unnerving edge as if his voice is rain soaked from watching the black horsemen in the rain. Buck's solo is run through I think it's a phase shifter to give it that "wet" feeling as if the sound is coming out of an amp exposed to the elements. In other words, the music itself seems to live up to the words as if the music is wetted down as well; the music being part of the all-encompassing song as well as the title and the words. It paints such a vivid sonic picture with the music adding to the canvas as well as the words for a change. A truly vivid and descriptive musical artwork. A song one must hear to believe.
Teen Archer
With the help of Richard Meltzer's lyrics Buck sings his lone song on the album; a strong rocker with a great riff and some great work from Allen Lanier's keys. The highly repetitive nature of the lyrics does leave an impact on the listener with its description of the unknown girl who its about. The apathy that is conveyed by the words paint a less than stunning picture of the supposed subject. An angry letter to an ex-girlfriend might be the inspiration for this track, but don't quote me on that. This song is not that popular among a lot of BOC fans; I am not sure why. The playing on this track alone should merit more fans. Its groove, albeit an angular one is still a groove and the work of Mr. Dharma on this one in particular is of note. Great solos and interesting twists to the music make this song one that deserves a little bit more respect.
Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)
One of Eric's best vocals this song tells of the Gardner who takes care of her gardens by using dead bodies that she kills(?) to feed her plants. A female reaper if you will. The music with its harmonies and dark instrumental accompaniment with its time shifts make this song stand out from the rest of what the seventies had to offer. The music has a beautiful dark tone to it, a dark purple hue if you could match it to a color on the spectrum. Allen gets more room to shine on this with a half-way interlude before Buck takes control with a short solo before Eric comes back in with the last verse. To put it bluntly, these guys are singing about death, murder and deception and they make it sound almost pretty. Only BOC could seem to pull that off. A great closer to the original album and is still played live every once in a while.
Cities On Flame (Live)
Here comes the bonus tracks; a live cut from either 74 or 75 (there is still debate as to which year) sees Al having trouble hitting some of the notes. Well if you toured as much as these guys did you might get a little burnt out as well. Buck really lets rip on this one and even though his voice was lacking, Al's drums were huge and damn fast with some great fills after the guitar solo. This track, still a classic by any standard holds up well here. I thought it was cool that this one got a lot of live cuts added to it because you know my love for BOC live and in the raw (!)
Buck's Boogie (Studio)
Not as good as the live versions by far, it is still interesting to hear this one in a different setting. The song does take on a different tone and seems compressed a bit in the studio setting. On this one Allen gets a little bit more room to shine for a change while Buck takes it easy a bit. All in all it has a much mellower feel to it than the ripping live versions. I can see why this did not make it on to the original albums, this has no commercial potential. But its still a great track.
Seven Screaming Diz-Busters (Live)
William Lindsey agrees with me, this is much better than the studio version. I will even go so far as to claim that this is the best version ever. I love Buck's overdriven tone on this one in particular and Eric truly lives up to being one of the best live singers ever. Also of note, this track is TWICE as long as the original seven minute studio version. Fourteen minutes about Diz-Busters, sounds like fun to me!! Other than the famous rap about Eric Bloom selling his soul to the devil in exchange for fame, the most notable thing about this version is the extended solo from Buck and Al during the middle part of the piece. It drops out so that only Al and Buck are playing and let me tell you, the interplay between these two instruments is amazing. Buck just flies up and down the neck incorporating some really cool Indian-like scales and runs while Al's jazzy backbeat provides a stable foundation. I say it again, this is the best version of this song I have ever heard; you should hear it too.
O.D.'d On Life Itself (Live)
Not that much else to report here other than it being a great live version of a great song. It is a good representation if not one of the only times BOC has done a song live without making a major change to the structure of the piece. Eric does sound a lot less constrained in the live setting, yet I am being redundant. Buck lets loose a little and plays his solos with greater speed, but there I go again being redundant. You know that live Eric will usually sound better and Buck will play faster and here is no exception.
Well that is about it, I can't really say anything else on this album. It is a masterpiece; hands down, no question about it. If you are into this band and do not have this record by all means drop whatever you are doing right now and go get it. Trust me its worth it. This work deserves more than what little credit it gets.
So next time we are going to get into the stunning debut of the band on the next installment of "Tales of The Psychic Warrior"!
They say that you only get one chance to make a first impression and here it is folks; the first chapter in the ongoing saga of The Blue Oyster Cult. It's your pal Jake again and here we get to analyze the auspicious debut from our famous oyster boys which we so know and love.
After years of slogging it out in the Ithaca and Long Island music scenes under various names and incarnations, the group finally got a legitimate recording deal with Columbia and set about their way with this now infamous slab of vinyl which hit stores in January of 1972.
My connection to this album came about in December of 2001. This was a present wrapped and carefully placed under a Christmas tree lit up to the nines. This would not be the only piece of the Cult that I would receive during that week (more on that later). I must say that I was not expecting what I would eventually get from this work. Then again with BOC one usually gets a whole lot of the unexpected.
Transmaniacon MC
Having familiarity with this track from the "On Flame..." comp that my brother picked up, I knew this song and liked it quite a bit. From the immediate descending chromatic riff to the dark, iconic lyrics and vocal delivery of Eric Bloom, this song is every bit the BOC classic. The lyrical concept of the piece, a secret sect of "Hell's Angels" who used the Altamont incident to give rock 'n roll the aura of evil to bring about the end of the world, is ambitious to say the least. The music itself is a whirling blend of bluesy piano riffs, pulsating bass lines, angular percussive measures and jagged guitar solos that will leave an impact. It's good to hear that they are playing this one live again because the power of this song in undeniable.
I'm On The Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep
Ok, now here is where it starts to get a little weird. To most, this song is the murky genesis that spawned "The Red And The Black" off 1973's "Tyranny And Mutation". This much is true. The lyrical content and basic structure is the same, but all in all this is a totally different song. Having been weaned on the later incarnation of this song I was happy and interested to play this song for others who had heard the later version prior. My colleague Todd Bebb was quite shocked to hear this version when I played it for him in his truck one night. As a whole, this song has a country-blues feel to it and a much more laid-back vibe than what came later. Vocally there is more help from the Bouchard brothers Al and Joe who supplement Eric's lead vocal quite well. On top of this, the percussion has a somewhat jazzier feel to it during the verse changes. The intricate rolls that Al Bouchard does give this song great dimension. After a few verses of this, we head back into familiar territory with the emergence of what would be the main riff for "The Red And The Black". I think it is cool to have two songs that are the same but different. This song is the brightest example of how much the band would change in the span of just one year. It is very rare to see any group make progress so fast.
Then Came The Last Days Of May
A story about a drug deal gone wrong. Without a doubt, the live version of this song blows this one away. Period. This does not make this version any less memorable. Once again this shows the amount of risk the band would take in the live setting. The studio version of this song has Buck Dharma playing the intro guitar melody in the upper octave instead of the lower one which he did in the live version off of "On Your Feet..." Another thing that is different here is the presence of background vocals and a ton of echo on Buck's lead vocal which comes off as kind of cheesy. Still the song oscillates with sonic and lyrical intensity. The dark minor-keyed feel still presents the listener with something that is worth holding on to. Furthermore, I guess I am still a sucker for a song that tells a story; happy ending or not.
Stairway To The Stars
I love that riff! I have many pleasant memories of this song playing while driving back from my brother's school in California, Pa. According to my resident guitar tone expert Bill Lindsey, that is one mean fuzz pedal that Buck is using in the intro. Allen Lanier's piano once again provides such great background to one of BOC's classic rock anthems about the jaded nature of rock stars and the apathy for other people around them. This still sounds great live or in the studio and is a strong live opener as well. This is definitely one of the stronger points of the album by far. The groove of this song is just damn near perfect. For what I do not know, it just is!!
Before The Kiss, A Redcap
Another ballad, this time it's about a biker riot at the infamous Conry's Bar where drugs and gasoline are in abundance. Buck takes lead vocal once again and we are faced with what is probably the closest thing that the group ever played to straight up jazz. Jazz that still however does rock. Musically this is one of the best songs they ever did. I can honestly say that in the realm of hard rock that there is no other song like it that I can think of. With swinging bass lines and truly inventive guitar riffs this song should be more than a dark horse. To put it to you straight, this is another classic in the BOC canon. I do think that it works a bit better at a faster pace live, yet the studio version has great charm and panache to its fine credit. With a building crescendo that culminates with some fine organ fills from Allen Lanier we segue into....
Screams
Here once again, the focus of the record shifts to a darker tone with Joe Bouchard's tale of a small town kid coping with the madness of the big city. Once again, Joe Bouchard uses all parts of the song to paint a sound picture that places the listener right in those seedy downtown scenes which lure you in and never let go. Musically this is a rather subdued piece with Allen hitting some eerie tones with his organ while Joe's paranoid and somewhat manic vocal delivery adds the final layer to the piece. While hardly the epic anthem that some of the other songs on the record are, this still stands as a transitional rock piece which echoes the strains of late sixties psychedelic, electric rock with the hard edged, mammoth riffage which would eventually surface in the later years to come.
She's As Beautiful As A Foot
With a drum roll we launch into the most esoteric and downright unsettling song the band ever did. Most would dismiss it as just weird, but there is a whole lot here to forgive the pun, "sink their teeth into". Todd Bebb pointed out the similarity of this song to the work of Sonic Youth. I very much agree that the dulcet and unnerving tones of the guitar lines when coupled with the subtle key work of Allen Lanier do give off a Sonic Youth-type feel. Was Thurston Moore a BOC fan, maybe so. To be more direct, the music of this song is truly beautiful. Every part of this piece is seemingly and rather meticulously crafted to make this dark and sinister song about fetish eroticism an elegant musical statement. The harmony vocals and the repeated chorus line at the song's conclusion end it on a great note so to speak. I know the title is weird, but this song is very much worth checking out if you haven't already.
Cities On Flame With Rock 'N Roll
It was in mid June when I first heard this song played on the radio going on the overpass from West View to Bellevue over Interstate 79. From the first few notes of "the riff" I was hooked. I was not that big of a fan of Al Bouchard's vocal at the time, but it grew on me. This song is definitely underrated as an all-time classic in anything related to rock. Buck Dharma just goes wild and the rest of the boys lay down the best groove in BOC history. My main complaint about this song live is that they simply play it too fast. If you listen to this song you can see why I feel this way. Here, they nailed it. The anchor of the album and the strongest sign of things to come for BOC in the ensuing years, this song just rips from start to finish. You will be a better person if you listen to this song. Trust me.
Workshop Of The Telescopes
As stated previously, I feel the live version of this song off the "Workshop...." compilation far outscores this less superior version. It sounds as if this was recorded under water and Eric does not come off all that well. I think that this son