The Blue Öyster Cult thread: The light that never warms

[Jerjo]

Giving the active thread on the old site a new home. I hope someone captured a soundboard off that reunion show.

http://www.tangento.net/Blue-Oyster-CultGuitarmy.jpg

[meimjustalawnmower]

Several vids up on YT now.

[rapidfirerob]

It is up on a site that is not a Nickel.

[progman1975]

Cultersoarus Erectus

[yogibear]

excellent band , their second and third albums are faves of mine since they mixed intense heavy rocking songs with cool arranging etal. once they started having hits to me some of their uniqueness coolness went away . still a killer band but for consistent great songs and rocking playing you can't beat tyranny and mutation and secret treaties.

[rapidfirerob]

All their albums up to Imaginos are great IMO. I never cared for that one. The last two studio albums are pretty good as well.
Harvest Moon is possibly the best song they've ever recorded.

[nosebone]

excellent band , their second and third albums are faves of mine since they mixed intense heavy rocking songs with cool arranging etal. once they started having hits to me some of their uniqueness coolness went away . still a killer band but for consistent great songs and rocking playing you can't beat tyranny and mutation and secret treaties.


Yup, I also like the first s/t, and most of Agents Of Fortune.
They lost me after that.

[Big Ears]

Agents of Fortune is consistently strong.

[SteveSly]

All their albums up to Imaginos are great IMO. I never cared for that one. The last two studio albums are pretty good as well.
Harvest Moon is possibly the best song they've ever recorded.

Agreed an all time classic IMO and should have been a big radio hit.

Steve Sly

[SteveSly]

Agents of Fortune is consistently strong.


One of my least favorite BOC albums. Even though it was the one that put them on the map commercially I think they have done much better work.

Steve Sly

[nosebone]

Agents of Fortune is consistently strong.

Except for Debbie Denise its a great album.
Buck's Sinful Love guitar solos are top notch.

[3LockBox]

Except for Debbie Denise its a great album. I kinda like the song, but yeah, way off the beaten trail. If you've heard the reissue, you'd know that wasn't even the weirdest song they recorded in those sessions:


http://youtu.be/1dA_2etL8TU

[CaffieneMan]

I really dig BOC, I have all the studio albums except Imaginos, and am missing a couple of live albums still. I love the whole vibe they have, and as much as I enjoy their early stuff, the more eartime I give the later albums the more I dig those. My dream is that they would put out another album :)

[JKL2000]

I once saw BOC open for Rush. I really knew nothing about them, and aside from that show, as far as I know Don't Fear the Reaper is the only BOC song I know.

When the drummer donned the Godzilla mask I was in tears of laughter. Now THERE'S a Spinal Tap moment!

[rapidfirerob]

I really dig BOC, I have all the studio albums except Imaginos, and am missing a couple of live albums still. I love the whole vibe they have, and as much as I enjoy their early stuff, the more eartime I give the later albums the more I dig those. My dream is that they would put out another album :)
I bet they will record another album at some point. I enjoyed the last two as well, though Heaven Forbid had some forgettable tunes amidst the gems.

[SteveSly]

I once saw BOC open for Rush. I really knew nothing about them, and aside from that show, as far as I know Don't Fear the Reaper is the only BOC song I know.

When the drummer donned the Godzilla mask I was in tears of laughter. Now THERE'S a Spinal Tap moment!

You probably know "Godzilla" and "Burnin For You" which were both big AOR radio hits. Yea, the whole Godzilla thing was a little cheesy (they used to have a big mechanical Godzilla head on stage), but these guy are one of those bands that you really have to delve into their albums to appreciate. They are not everyone's cup of tea, but in my opinion they are one of the most unique bands in the history of rock n roll and they just clicked with me on some sublimnal (Subhuman?) level. I have seen them about 15 times and own all of their studio albums. One of my all time favorites.

Steve Sly

[Jerjo]

I once saw BOC open for Rush. I really knew nothing about them, and aside from that show, as far as I know Don't Fear the Reaper is the only BOC song I know.


First time I saw Rush they were opening for B.O.C. and neither one of them had any hits. Man am I old.

Anyway, best point of entry for a prog fan would be Secret Treaties. The last four songs segue together into almost a suite and Buck Dharma's intricate guitar work is spectacular.

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

My dream is that they would put out another album :)

I'm sure they want to - I suspect they have material for it. I think the main obstacle in terms of a new album is that Eric Bloom's voice is pretty much shot. He gives it his everything in concerts, with a little help from his friends, and of course he is also indispensable on guitars and keys. But a new album would have to rely mostly on Buck's singing (which is still great). It would work, but it would be a bit of a different beast.

[JKL2000]

So I saw BÖC in Tarrytown Friday night, and thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m a fan now. I’m planning to buy the albums from secret treaty forward, cheap used CDs only, unless there’s some kind of completeish and fondleable box set.

[Vic2012]

I saw them a couple times in the early 00s. I even bought a concert T. Buck Dharma is a hell of a guitarist.

[dropforge]

Holy Thread of Unknown Origin, Batman!

This thing was buried for 7+ years??

[SteveSly]

So I saw BÖC in Tarrytown Friday night, and thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m a fan now. I’m planning to buy the albums from secret treaty forward, cheap used CDs only, unless there’s some kind of completeish and fondleable box set.

Get "The Columbia Albums Collection" box set. It contains all of the studio and live albums up through "Imaginos". It also contains two albums of live rarites. Great stuff!

[3LockBox]

Holy Thread of Unknown Origin, Batman!

This thing was buried for 7+ years??
Someone was doing some digging right? There's a more currant thread still on the first page but it's fun to read 7 year old posts... sometimes.

[Nearfest2]

So I saw BÖC in Tarrytown Friday night, and thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m a fan now. I’m planning to buy the albums from secret treaty forward, cheap used CDs only, unless there’s some kind of completeish and fondleable box set.

Why start at Secret Treaties (my fave, btw)? The first two albums are great. And grab "Heaven Forbid" as well.

[Trane]

I've only kept the expanded Enchanted Evening from the band (always found Feet/Kness a bit cringy)


One of my least favorite BOC albums. Even though it was the one that put them on the map commercially I think they have done much better work.

Absolutely.
Never understood the success of AOF. I prefer by far Spectres from that "AOR trilogy" (that's including Mirrors)
Not that I found the B&W (and redà trilogy all that great. Only really like Treaties)
the following trilogy Erectus-Fire-Night is also uneven.



Anyway, best point of entry for a prog fan would be Secret Treaties. The last four songs segue together into almost a suite and Buck Dharma's intricate guitar work is spectacular.

Absolutely. Out of my CDr compilation, Treaties' flipside is complete, plus ME262

[dropforge]

the following trilogy Erectus-Fire-Night is also uneven.

Cultosaurus Erectus is perfect. :D

[3LockBox]

Never understood the success of AOF. it's an incredible feat to have an all-time classic hit single about death, but besides that its a superb album. People vote with their wallets. It's not like some crazy pop phenomenon that sent teenaged girls into a frenzy.

[Trane]

Cultosaurus Erectus is perfect. :D

It's OK (loved Black Blade back in the days), and so is FOUO (I find it slightly stronger, but both are bearing the Birch mark), but their next one (RBN) is really very very average :p


it's an incredible feat to have an all-time classic hit single about death, but besides that its a superb album. People vote with their wallets. It's not like some crazy pop phenomenon that sent teenaged girls into a frenzy.

Yeah, DFTR was played to death over the airwaves, so if I never hear it again in my life, I'll be fine. Always preferred their next big hit Godzilla

AOF is a classic album according to the masses but it's more like some crazy AOR phenomenum that sent teenage boys into a frenzy. :p

[SteveSly]

I've only kept the expanded Enchanted Evening from the band (always found Feet/Kness a bit cringy)



Absolutely.
Never understood the success of AOF. I prefer by far Spectres from that "AOR trilogy" (that's including Mirrors)


E262

I find that "Mirrors" has grown on me a lot over the years. I did not know what to think of it when it came out, but it is an album that I keep going back to. With the exception of a couple of tracks I really like it today.

[SteveSly]

Cultosaurus Erectus is perfect. :D

For me it is the 2nd best album to "Secret Treaties". There are a couple of songs on "Cultosaurus" that are not favorites of mine, but overall it is a strong one.

[dropforge]

For me it is the 2nd best album to "Secret Treaties". There are a couple of songs on "Cultosaurus" that are not favorites of mine, but overall it is a strong one.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SpeedyUnderstatedAidi-size_restricted.gif

[ThomasKDye]

it's an incredible feat to have an all-time classic hit single about death, but besides that its a superb album. People vote with their wallets. It's not like some crazy pop phenomenon that sent teenaged girls into a frenzy.

I actually quite like ETI. The verse has a GREAT guitar riff and the chorus is sublimely otherworldly.

[Boceephus]

This thread needs “More Cowbell”!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jlneudorf]

Agents of Fortune is a masterpiece, but it's not there only one. Great, great band.

[davis]

Except for Debbie Denise its a great album.
Buck's Sinful Love guitar solos are top notch.

I gave up worrying and learned to love the bomb. I even like Debbie Denise. Didn't at first, but it grew on me.

[Jerjo]

I think Tattoo Vampire is the weak track, not Debbie Denise. DD is a gentle album closer and there's nothing wrong with that.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Nobody's mentioned my favorite of their albums, Imaginos. It's a solid album, with several interesting guests (e.g., Joe Satriani), and the songwriting is as good as ever they got.

In my opinion.

[GuitarGeek]

It's OK (loved Black Blade back in the days), and so is FOUO (I find it slightly stronger, but both are bearing the Birch mark), but their next one (RBN) is really very very average :p


Fire Of Unknown had some great songs on it, particularly Joan Crawford, Veteran Of The Psychic Wars, and Burning For You. I liked Fire Of Unknown Origin itself and Don't Your Back too.

As for Revolution By Night, yeah, that was a weird record. The best song is Shooting Shark, another of their songs that had Patti Smith lyrics (though Buck says what happened was he was going through some old papers and found a couple pages of unused lyrics of hers that he had, so he wrote music to go with it). It also has the distinction of having a future American Idol judge on it (yep, from Jean-Luc Ponty to BOC to Journey to American Idol, Randy Jackson has quite the career).

Beyond that, I like Take Me Away (co-written by Aldo Nova), Veins, Shadow Of California, and Light Years Of Love. The other songs are not bad, but they're not as good as those tunes.



Yeah, DFTR was played to death over the airwaves, so if I never hear it again in my life, I'll be fine. Always preferred their next big hit Godzilla

Godzilla, (Don't Fear) The Reaper and Burnin' For You are all overplayed to death, but see, one of the nice things about not listening to commercial radio anymore is, you generaly don't hear those songs, unless they pop in a movie or a TV show somewhere, I don't hear the songs unless I put the respective album on. So I'm not bothered by hearing something "too much".


AOF is a classic album according to the masses but it's more like some crazy AOR phenomenum that sent teenage boys into a frenzy.



I happen to like Agents Of FOrtune a lot. This Ain't The Summer Of Love, Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Morning Final, Tenderloin, and Debbie Denise are all great songs. They had a habit of coming up with really great songs to end records with, stuff you know they'd probably never play live, but they were great songs to end an LP with, e.g. Redeemed, Quick Lime Girl, Astronomy, Debbie Denise, Nosferatu, etc.

As for Mirrors, that's one of the ones I never got around to getting. I borrowed it from the library when I was like 9 years old, and I think I made a cassette from it, but I have literally no memory of what was on that record, beyond Dr Music (which I know from it's appearance on Extraterrestrial Live and it was in the setlist both times I saw them in the mid 90's) and In Thee (which I've really only gotten to know in the last few years).


Nobody's mentioned my favorite of their albums, Imaginos. It's a solid album, with several interesting guests (e.g., Joe Satriani), and the songwriting is as good as ever they got.

The problem with Imaginos is, it's based on an epic piece of prose that Sandy Pearlman wrote back in the late 60's. As such, they really should have done that album in the early 70's, like as their second or third album, instead of just pulling a few pages here and there. Imaginos was apparently begun as an Albert Bouchard solo album, but it somehow got hijacked by the rest of the band. I remember a review at the time saying, "This could have been a GREAT Albert Bouchard solo album, but instead, it's a just ok BOC record". I seem to recall Sandy and Albert both continued to work on further re-imaginings of Imaginos during the 90's, but I presume they never really got anywhere with those projects.

[SteveSly]

Fi


The problem with Imaginos is, it's based on an epic piece of prose that Sandy Pearlman wrote back in the late 60's. As such, they really should have done that album in the early 70's, like as their second or third album, instead of just pulling a few pages here and there. Imaginos was apparently begun as an Albert Bouchard solo album, but it somehow got hijacked by the rest of the band. I remember a review at the time saying, "This could have been a GREAT Albert Bouchard solo album, but instead, it's a just ok BOC record". I seem to recall Sandy and Albert both continued to work on further re-imaginings of Imaginos during the 90's, but I presume they never really got anywhere with those projects.

You pretty much hit the nail on the head. The BOC “Imaginos” album is good, but it could have been so much better. The original concept was meant to be a 3-disc concept piece that incorporated all of what was eventually released as “Imaginos” along with many tracks from previous albums and a few unreleased ones. I think it could have been an epic project had it been done right. I mean, “Secret Treaties” is mostly made up of songs from the original “Imaginos” saga. As it ended up, I like the “Imaginos” album, but not sure why they mixed up the songs out of order from the storyline to make it a rather confusing mish mash.

[rapidfirerob]

I love every BOC album except Imaginos. I could only get through it once. I liked Astronomy (again). Enjoy every minute of it!

[Jerjo]

I did some checking for the 2012 reunion show. Trader's Den said the band requested that the audience recording of it be removed from circulation. Perhaps this means that they did have the tapes rolling that night but the question is, will it see the light of day?

[GuitarGeek]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head. The BOC “Imaginos” album is good, but it could have been so much better. The original concept was meant to be a 3-disc concept piece that incorporated all of what was eventually released as “Imaginos” along with many tracks from previous albums and a few unreleased ones. I think it could have been an epic project had it been done right. I mean, “Secret Treaties” is mostly made up of songs from the original “Imaginos” saga. As it ended up, I like the “Imaginos” album, but not sure why they mixed up the songs out of order from the storyline to make it a rather confusing mish mash.

I dunno what happened with the record we eventually got. But as I said, they really should have just committed to doing the full blown Imaginos project in the early 70's. Like, the first three albums should have been Imaginos. Or maybe once they were they were arena headliners and "could do whatever they wanted", they should have done it then. According to Wikipedia, the band refused to commit to doing it properly at the time, though they continued to draw from the Imaginos storyline as recently as the two albums that immediately preceded Imaginos. Apparently, Shadow Of California off The Revolution By Night and When The War Comes off Club Ninja also relate to Imaginos. If you ask me, they waited way too long to do Imaginos.

[3LockBox]

If you ask me, they waited way too long to do Imaginos. yes, especially when you consider how weak Revolution by Night and Club Ninja were. They'd put off older fans and didn't win any new ones. By the time Imaginos came out BOC was far from being a relevant concern.

[SteveSly]

I dunno what happened with the record we eventually got. But as I said, they really should have just committed to doing the full blown Imaginos project in the early 70's. Like, the first three albums should have been Imaginos. Or maybe once they were they were arena headliners and "could do whatever they wanted", they should have done it then. According to Wikipedia, the band refused to commit to doing it properly at the time, though they continued to draw from the Imaginos storyline as recently as the two albums that immediately preceded Imaginos. Apparently, Shadow Of California off The Revolution By Night and When The War Comes off Club Ninja also relate to Imaginos. If you ask me, they waited way too long to do Imaginos.

What “Imaginos” should have been according to Al:

Disc 1 Imaginos:

Les Invisibles
Imaginos
Del Rio’s Song
Blue Oyster Cult
Astronomy
I Am The One You Warned Me Of
In The Presence Of Another World
The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle At Weissiera
Magna Of Illusion

Disc 2 Bombs Over Germany :

Workshop Of The Telescopes
The Girl That Love Made Blind
ME 262
The Red And The Black
Cities On Flame
Shadow Of California
Half Life Time
Veteran Of The Psychic Wars
Career Of Evil

Disc 3: The Mutant Reformation:

Take Me Away
The Vigil
E.T.I.
R U Ready To Rock
Heavy Metal
Flaming Telepaths
Gil Blanco County
Redeemed

I have also seen another version of this somewhere on the net that included "When The War Comes" from "Club Ninja", but I don't remember where it fit in. Seems like there were one or two other songs as well.

[3LockBox]

I've seen that list before and attempted to make a compilation but there is such divergence in volume levels, mixing and production aesthetic from the '70s to '80s that I lost the drive to do so.

[SteveSly]

yes, especially when you consider how weak Revolution by Night and Club Ninja were. They'd put off older fans and didn't win any new ones. By the time Imaginos came out BOC was far from being a relevant concern.

I seem to like "Revolution By Night" better than mos fans. For me it is pretty solid for the most part. "Club Ninja" was a big disappointment, although there are a few great songs on it like "Perfect Water". I always thought the single "Dancing In The Ruins" should have been a hit.

[Jerjo]

I've seen that list before and attempted to make a compilation but there is such divergence in volume levels, mixing and production aesthetic from the '70s to '80s that I lost the drive to do so.

Yeah, I thought something similar. I guess the only perfect version exists in Albert's head.

[3LockBox]

Yeah, I thought something similar. I guess the only perfect version exists in Albert's head.If one had access to master tapes before whatever production acoutrema du jour was slapped onto it (which they do but have no real reason to do so) I guess you could make a decent comp. Otherwise you can't remove or counter affect the reverb that dominates the '80s stuff. To make every song match up you're going to wind up adding reverb to the '70s stuff. And after listening to the track list above in order, I'm not sure it's all that cohesive anyway.

[3LockBox]

I seem to like "Revolution By Night" better than mos fans. For me it is pretty solid for the most part. "Club Ninja" was a big disappointment, although there are a few great songs on it like "Perfect Water". I always thought the single "Dancing In The Ruins" should have been a hit.

I like a few songs off RbN but find the rest tedious. Club Ninja was their answer to the metal wave that dominated radio and MTV. Dancing In The Ruins was the only single I remember hearing. It was also the only video I remember seeing.

And yes, Perfect Water is a stone cold Cult classic for sure.

[dropforge]

I seem to like "Revolution By Night" better than mos fans. For me it is pretty solid for the most part. "Club Ninja" was a big disappointment, although there are a few great songs on it like "Perfect Water". I always thought the single "Dancing In The Ruins" should have been a hit.

Same. Underrated. Club Ninja isn't a bad album, either. It has to contend with what came before (kind of like Rush with Presto and Roll the Bones).

[SteveSly]

Same. Underrated. Club Ninja isn't a bad album, either. It has to contend with what came before (kind of like Rush with Presto and Roll the Bones).

"Club Ninja" has a few really bad songs on it written by outside writers. "Make Rock Not War" and "Beat Em Up" come to mind, but the rest of the album is pretty decent.

[GuitarGeek]

What “Imaginos” should have been according to Al:

Disc 1 Imaginos:

Les Invisibles
Imaginos
Del Rio’s Song
Blue Oyster Cult
Astronomy
I Am The One You Warned Me Of
In The Presence Of Another World
The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle At Weissiera
Magna Of Illusion

Disc 2 Bombs Over Germany :

Workshop Of The Telescopes
The Girl That Love Made Blind
ME 262
The Red And The Black
Cities On Flame
Shadow Of California
Half Life Time
Veteran Of The Psychic Wars
Career Of Evil

Disc 3: The Mutant Reformation:

Take Me Away
The Vigil
E.T.I.
R U Ready To Rock
Heavy Metal
Flaming Telepaths
Gil Blanco County
Redeemed

I have also seen another version of this somewhere on the net that included "When The War Comes" from "Club Ninja", but I don't remember where it fit in. Seems like there were one or two other songs as well.

I remember seeing that list (or one similar to it) on a website somewhere, as I Recall some of those songs, like Veteran Of The Psychic Wars weren't actually originally part of Imaginos, but Albert including them because "I have no intention of working with Sandy again" and he felt those songs did a good job of filling those gaps in the story line. I guess.

As for Club Ninja, I borrowed them from the library a long, long, long time ago (like more than 30 years ago). The only songs I remember from it are Dancing In The Ruins (which I've always thought was brilliant) and Make Rock Not War (which I remembe rliking then, but I can hear the chorus in my head, and now it sounds kinda stupid).

[dropforge]

"Club Ninja" has a few really bad songs on it written by outside writers. "Make Rock Not War" and "Beat Em Up" come to mind, but the rest of the album is pretty decent.

Yeah, a clunker. I skip it. But I also skip "Joan Crawford." It's never been one of my BOC faves.

[Jerjo]

"I have no intention of working with Sandy again"

So what did Sandy do, besides mix the bass and drums criminally low?

[GuitarGeek]

So what did Sandy do, besides mix the bass and drums criminally low?

I dunno, I gather he and Albert must have had a falling out at some point in the 90's, so the two of them started developing separate projects based of the Imaginos thing.

[ThomasKDye]

Random question from a casual fan (I have Cultosaurus Erectus, Fire of Unknown Origin and a greatest hits comp -- oh yeah, and Buck Dharma's Flat Out). Does "Don't Turn Your Back" remind anyone else of Signals-era Rush or is it just me?

[3LockBox]

I actually do hear it in the guitar tone and effects. Maybe also with Andy Summers guitar work on the later Police albums too.

[SteveSly]

Random question from a casual fan (I have Cultosaurus Erectus, Fire of Unknown Origin and a greatest hits comp -- oh yeah, and Buck Dharma's Flat Out). Does "Don't Turn Your Back" remind anyone else of Signals-era Rush or is it just me?

I never really thought about it, but now that you mention it, yes it does remind me of Signals era Alex.

[GuitarGeek]

Random question from a casual fan (I have Cultosaurus Erectus, Fire of Unknown Origin and a greatest hits comp -- oh yeah, and Buck Dharma's Flat Out). Does "Don't Turn Your Back" remind anyone else of Signals-era Rush or is it just me?

Well, it's worth noting that Fire Of Unknown Origin came out a full year before Signals.

[Jerjo]

This might not be available to non-subscribers but what the heck. Excellent look at the background of Imaginos.

https://medium.com/@drankf/imaginos-sandy-pearlman-blue-oyster-cult-and-me-b90d41ee7119

[Rye-Ergot]

Holy Thread of Unknown Origin, Batman!

This thing was buried for 7+ years??

HA! I was browsing through old threads and almost replied to one of the original posts from 2012 and thought “Eh, mebbe not!” Lol.

I love the first 3 albums and have a soft spot for AoF as I was a 16 yr old working in the local record store when it came out.
The early albums were pretty original and imaginative.
After “Reaper” was such a huge hit, they never were really the same entity aesthetically speaking and it seems like they followed the same failed formula that befell many interesting bands that suddenly had a big hit single and a fanbase split between the old guard who worshipped their early “classic” period and the new more mainstream listeners...
-Try to replicate the new success with more commercial leaning releases
-Have mixed/limited success in doing so.
-Hits dry up as does mainstream interest so then make subsequent albums that superficially harken back to the old sound while still harbor dreams of perhaps another commercial success. This usually satisfies neither camp and eventually get dropped by their label.
-Legacy/nostalgia act with occasional releases of new material often touted as “a return to form” based on one or two decent tracks.

[dropforge]

New album this Fall! It's titled The Symbol Remains.

14216

[SteveSly]

New album this Fall! It's titled The Symbol Remains.

14216

They just released a new live album too. I have it ordered, but don't have it yet.

[rapidfirerob]

They just released a new live album too. I have it ordered, but don't have it yet.

I preordered the latest live DVD/CD from the O2 in London. They played the entire first album. Of course I’m waiting for the new album later this year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GuitarGeek]

So what did Sandy do, besides mix the bass and drums criminally low?

Well, remember that Imaginos was supposed to be a Albert Bouchard solo album. Albert and Sandy started working on Imaginos in 1984, but the record company rejected it. Then as time went on, Sandy took the tapes of the Bouchard solo album, which was only half finished, and brought them to Eric and Buck, with the intention of it being finished as a BOC album. Albert, naturally, was pissed about this, and sued the band and Sandy over the situation. And apparently, Albert never got over what he felt was Sandy double crossing him.


Albert Bouchard had been completely excluded from the retooling of the album for contractual reasons, but hoped to have his long work rewarded with a credit as co-producer, and to be paid accordingly. After the disbandment of Blue Öyster Cult, he contacted the other band members in an attempt to organize a 1987 reunion tour, with the original line-up, to promote Imaginos. His economic and membership requests were both rejected, due to resistances within the label and within the band, so he filed a lawsuit in 1989 against the management of Blue Öyster Cult and Columbia Records to receive payment for his work. The lawsuit was settled out of court, but his resentment towards Sandy Pearlman for what he felt was a theft of his work never eased, eliminating any chance of future collaborations for the completion of the Imaginos saga.

[dropforge]

October 9!

http://www.blueoystercult.com/
http://www.blueoystercult.com/imgs/BOC_Symbol_md640.jpg

14342

[Plasmatopia]

Cool cover!

[rapidfirerob]

October 9 will be a beautiful day!

[loshammeros]

I first saw Blue Oyster Cult with Nazareth circa 1974----a year later I saw them in Germany with Kin Peng Meh--- then I believe it was 2012 with Styx---for gratis as I was a volunteer usher at our local Musikfest---They were tight each night so I know I did right

[Dan Roth]

Nobody's mentioned my favorite of their albums, Imaginos. It's a solid album, with several interesting guests (e.g., Joe Satriani), and the songwriting is as good as ever they got.

In my opinion.

One of my favorite guests on the album is vocalist Joe Cerisano, who sings "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria". Joe has such an interesting career, mainly as a very successful session guy. In the early '80s, he had a band with Earl Slick called Silver Condor and they had a big hit with "You Could Take My Heart Away". In 1984, he auditioned for and was asked to join Black Sabbath as their lead singer, which he turned down. A couple years later, he was the lead vocalist on "Hands Across America". In the early 2000's, he recorded and toured with Trans-Siberian Orchestra and later went out as a guest vocalist with The Wizards of Winter. I have had the great pleasure of meeting him a few times and seeing him perform solo. He has stories upon stories. The funny thing is, he made the most money in his career from singing jingles, many of which we probably heard (Sprite, Miller Beer, US Navy, etc). Nowadays he gives vocal lessons and works with a School of Rock in North Jersey.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eyHa2maCY8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGWhGwrSnx4


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB7TZCmT0Ao

[Plasmatopia]

I've always loved that Frankenstein tune.

[dropforge]

One of my favorite guests on the album is vocalist Joe Cerisano, who sings "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria". Joe has such an interesting career, mainly as a very successful session guy. In the early '80s, he had a band with Earl Slick called Silver Condor and they had a big hit with "You Could Take My Heart Away". In 1984, he auditioned for and was asked to join Black Sabbath as their lead singer, which he turned down. A couple years later, he was the lead vocalist on "Hands Across America". In the early 2000's, he recorded and toured with Trans-Siberian Orchestra and later went out as a guest vocalist with The Wizards of Winter. I have had the great pleasure of meeting him a few times and seeing him perform solo. He has stories upon stories. The funny thing is, he made the most money in his career from singing jingles, many of which we probably heard (Sprite, Miller Beer, US Navy, etc). Nowadays he gives vocal lessons and works with a School of Rock in North Jersey.

Joe was also a member of this psych-blues band, which released one record in 1970!

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sPlgWK_zN5Q/hqdefault.jpg
https://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/63/10/1994ef305f49c9eb50ffb9531047dd53.jpg
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzPVXg4j9Co/W_yKCxIBljI/AAAAAAAG6tc/GXjNPc_NF8o82SXCSFul7NyGVZdWTS9CwCLcBGAs/s1600/Elderberry%2BJak%2B-%2BInside3.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCOFupIuvdE

[davis]

Thanks for posting that

[Vic2012]

Been listening to Heaven Forbid. There are some heavy songs in this album. Pretty damn good....:horns

[jlneudorf]

Its an excellent album.

[SteveSly]

Been listening to Heaven Forbid. There are some heavy songs in this album. Pretty damn good....:horns

I am a big fan of that one.

[Dan Roth]

October 9!

http://www.blueoystercult.com/
http://www.blueoystercult.com/imgs/BOC_Symbol_md640.jpg

14342

First two songs released from the new album:


https://youtu.be/sIY8JFaahvA


https://youtu.be/Ggj8AI_Woo0

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Wow. Not bad at all! That was Me suffers a bit from tuning down to grunge levels, but the second tune is nice pop-metal.

[Vic2012]

Heard 'em. Not bad. I liked the first track more.

[dropforge]

Heard 'em both. "That Was Me" is exactly what I wanted from BÖC: ass-kicking 70s-flavored hard rock per their time-honored approach. I like everything about it, and that reggae break is the cherry on top. Sounds great, but the bass could be a little higher. Eric sounds great. I don't hear "grunge" at all.

"Box in My Head" is also a good song, a very "Buck" song. It could have used some nifty soloing on the outro. It sounds like it fades out too soon. But overall, this is some good sh*t.

[MudShark22]

ok gotta listen...

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[SteveSly]

Heard 'em both. "That Was Me" is exactly what I wanted from BÖC: ass-kicking 70s-flavored hard rock per their time-honored approach. I like everything about it, and that reggae break is the cherry on top. Sounds great, but the bass could be a little higher. Eric sounds great. I don't hear "grunge" at all.

"Box in My Head" is also a good song, a very "Buck" song. It could have used some nifty soloing on the outro. It sounds like it fades out too soon. But overall, this is some good sh*t.

You pretty much read my thoughts exactly, so not much to add. The Eric song sounds a lot like some of the stuff he did on "Heaven Forbid", does not really sound grunge to me either. The Buck song I liked less, and agree it could have been a bit longer. Sometimes Buck songs take longer to grow on me, so we'll see if this one does.

[dropforge]

You pretty much read my thoughts exactly, so not much to add. The Eric song sounds a lot like some of the stuff he did on "Heaven Forbid", does not really sound grunge to me either. The Buck song I liked less, and agree it could have been a bit longer. Sometimes Buck songs take longer to grow on me, so we'll see if this one does.

I played the first few songs on Heaven Forbid a while after hearing the new ones. That album kicks royal booty. It gets heavy. I know I go out of my way to publicly favor Curse of the Hidden Mirror, but I might have to reevaluate. I do love both.

[Interstellar]

I have good feelings for this long-awaited return album. Anyway it will be good to hear Eric and Buck again. Buck is one of my favorite guitar players, and I've missed hearing new material with him.
(Regarding new classic rock albums, I've noticed that my proggy orientation sometimes causes me some disappointment - I tend to expect longer songs and to think the tracks fade out too soon. That happened with the last Wishbone Ash and Deep Purple albums. It may happen with BOC too, although BOC did fewer long songs than DP and WA in the 70s.)

[Jerjo]

It would be nice to hear them play something that broke the five or six minute mark.

[dropforge]

It would be nice to hear them play something that broke the five or six minute mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkVnTlhNOow

[davis]

It would be nice to hear them play something that broke the five or six minute mark.

You could mention that idea at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TRUEBLUEOYSTERCULT

[dropforge]

Video's up.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPW7KhN_ZM4

[Interstellar]

I think I saw Albert Bouchard in that video.

[Trane]

I think I saw Albert Bouchard in that video.

which one would that have been?

I barely recognized Bloom (mostly by his voice) and I'm not even sure I knew which of the two guitarist was Dharma until one of them took the guitar solo (not Buck)

[Interstellar]

which one would that have been?

I barely recognized Bloom (mostly by his voice) and I'm not even sure I knew which of the two guitarist was Dharma until one of them took the guitar solo (not Buck)

The one playing cowbell.

[Vic2012]

The one playing cowbell.

That gave me a chuckle.:)

[dgtlman]

I think I saw Albert Bouchard in that video.

Yup!

[dropforge]

which one would that have been?

I barely recognized Bloom (mostly by his voice) and I'm not even sure I knew which of the two guitarist was Dharma until one of them took the guitar solo (not Buck)

Buck is obviously the older one. :rofl

[dropforge]

Second video just popped up!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=UQoWfQ_3txA&feature=emb_logo

[JKL2000]

I really like both of these songs! Been listening to them a lot. Thanks for posting the videos!

[Interstellar]

It's good to have some new BOC material. The band hasn't really been prolific since the late 80s, to say the least, and it's great to hear Eric and Buck again (with some additional cowbell from Al, of course).

[dropforge]

Speaking of Al, check out this clip from 2016!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06bsktUkJ1o

[Interstellar]

^ Good version of a very fine song. Their rendition of the whole Agents Of Fortune album was enjoyable and Al's presence gave it a special spark.

[ronmac]

^ Good version of a very fine song. Their rendition of the whole Agents Of Fortune album was enjoyable and Al's presence gave it a special spark.

When did they do that? I mist have missed it. Was it the entire tour?

[Interstellar]

When did they do that? I mist have missed it. Was it the entire tour?

Yes, they did a whole tour with Al playing the album in 2016. They released an official recording (40th Anniversary AOF).

[dropforge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXoi6mB6BPs&pp=QAA%3D

[Trane]

Sorry, but I haven't followed from close (or even farther away) since the Origin album, but could someone tell me how or why Lannier and the two Bouchard are out of BOC??

I know Lannier's departure is still fairly recent, and since AB returns for short appearances, it's probably that there is not bad feelings (is it the same for Joe, though?)

========================


BTW, I just made a (shaky??) parrallel between BOC and Styx:
- where brothers were holding the drums & bass and have been more or less out of the picture for ages, though one of them is still making the odd appearance.
- the respective KB player also gone (we know DDY is never returning)

[SteveSly]

Sorry, but I haven't followed from close (or even farther away) since the Origin album, but could someone tell me how or why Lannier and the two Bouchard are out of BOC??

I know Lannier's departure is still fairly recent, and since AB returns for short appearances, it's probably that there is not bad feelings (is it the same for Joe, though?)

========================


BTW, I just made a (shaky??) parrallel between BOC and Styx:
- where brothers were holding the drums & bass and have been more or less out of the picture for ages, though one of them is still making the odd appearance.
- the respective KB player also gone (we know DDY is never returning)

Lannier died in 2013 from complications from COPD. Albert was kicked out in 1981. He did a brief tour in 1985 and has not been in the band since. Joe stayed in the band until 1986 when he basically retired from B.O.C. although he still does music.

[Interstellar]

Allen Lanier and the Bouchard brothers rejoined the band for some songs during a concert in 2012.
BOC and the Bouchard brothers also played together at the Allen Lanier tribute concert in 2016 (the whole concert is on YT).

[Trane]

Lannier died in 2013 from complications from COPD. Albert was kicked out in 1981. He did a brief tour in 1985 and has not been in the band since. Joe stayed in the band until 1986 when he basically retired from B.O.C. although he still does music.

Why was Al kicked out, though?

I just checked on RYM, both Bouchard had a few "solo" albums in the last 10/15 years.


Allen Lanier and the Bouchard brothers rejoined the band for some songs during a concert in 2012.
BOC and the Bouchard brothers also played together at the Allen Lanier tribute concert in 2016 (the whole concert is on YT).

So there shouldn't be bad blood between them, right?

[SteveSly]

Why was Al kicked out, though?

I just checked on RYM, both Bouchard had a few "solo" albums in the last 10/15 years.



So there shouldn't be bad blood between them, right?

From what I have read there were increasing tensions between Al and the band during the "Fire Of Unknown Origin" tour in the U.S. During the following European tour Al was late (or did not show up at all) for several gigs and drum tech Rick Downey filled in. Al was eventually sacked and Rick became the drummer. There is more to it, and of course there is more than one side to the story depending on the source.

I think there has been some mending of the fences over the years. As Intersteller mentioned there have been a few re-unions in the last few years and Al appears in the new video although neither Al or Joe are a current member of the band.

[SteveSly]

New interview with Buck and Eric:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OFbTOFyRz8


Actually, it looks like the interview is from back in August. Not really a great interview either, but a little bit of information.

[Trane]

From what I have read there were increasing tensions between Al and the band during the "Fire Of Unknown Origin" tour in the U.S. During the following European tour Al was late (or did not show up at all) for several gigs and drum tech Rick Downey filled in. Al was eventually sacked and Rick became the drummer. There is more to it, and of course there is more than one side to the story depending on the source.

I think there has been some mending of the fences over the years. As Intersteller mentioned there have been a few re-unions in the last few years and Al appears in the new video although neither Al or Joe are a current member of the band.

thanks for the infos

[SteveSly]

Stumbled upon this today. I have not made it through the whole thing, but it is pretty interesting stuff for B.O.C. heads:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WprUq_gxkJg

[Trane]

^^^^

Wow, :O Thx!! ;)

Although I don't really care (at all) for the Imaginos concept and album, this rockumentary answered almost every question about the band I could've ever invented, including the Bouchard faction feud and the Pearlman implications in the band. Sandy played quite an artistic role in BOC, like Pete Sinfield in Crimson and Reid in Procol on top of being their manager/producer.

It looks like Lannier (despite his Patti Smith love connection) was the least the least active of the original five - at least outside the group.

[Interstellar]

Interesting video, thanks.

[SteveSly]

^^^^

Wow, :O Thx!! ;)

Although I don't really care (at all) for the Imaginos concept and album, this rockumentary answered almost every question about the band I could've ever invented, including the Bouchard faction feud and the Pearlman implications in the band. Sandy played quite an artistic role in BOC, like Pete Sinfield in Crimson and Reid in Procol on top of being their manager/producer.

It looks like Lannier (despite his Patti Smith love connection) was the least the least active of the original five - at least outside the group.

I have only made it through the first hour so far, but yes it is very interesting. For hard core B.O.C. fans "Imaginos" was the ultimate mythos spread throughout the band's career. The album that eventually came out proved disappointing (IMO), and should have been the band's ultimate magnum opus, but this video explains a lot of what happened.

[Interstellar]

I loved the Imaginos record when it came out. I loved the cover, the mystique surrounding it, the fact that it was less commercial than the ones before it and the fact that the original band seemed to have reunited.
I obviously didn't know the background, although I knew that I was hearing a lot of session musicians and the album didn't really sound like BOC (where was Buck's guitar ?).
In retrospect it appears as an odd product, but I still like it.

[dropforge]

This one features Richie on lead vocal!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo433OeEBgc

[rapidfirerob]

I pre ordered it yesterday! Cannot wait. I also did not enjoy Imaginos. I enjoy every other BOC album, though not every song, but not Imaginos.
Anyway, not long to wait for the new album.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

The Richie guy is a great singer, but it doesn't sound like BOC. Just generic pop metal. Oh yeah, IMHO!

[dropforge]

AAAAND here's the video!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H0iX-_Vts0

[SteveSly]

I just saw on Facebook that Albert Bouchard is releasing his own version of "Imaginos" soon called "Re-Imaginos". I believe it is the original recording that he tried to sell to Columbia which eventually became the somewhat truncated Blue Oyster Cult version.

[dropforge]

I just saw on Facebook that Albert Bouchard is releasing his own version of "Imaginos" soon called "Re-Imaginos". I believe it is the original recording that he tried to sell to Columbia which eventually became the somewhat truncated Blue Oyster Cult version.

https://media.giphy.com/media/l41lXeRdSbFnAPXr2/giphy.gif

[MudShark22]

I just saw on Facebook that Albert Bouchard is releasing his own version of "Imaginos" soon called "Re-Imaginos". I believe it is the original recording that he tried to sell to Columbia which eventually became the somewhat truncated Blue Oyster Cult version.I would be into that

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Jerjo]

I would be interested in hearing it but I would like it even better with Buck on lead guitar

[dropforge]

Here it comes, people: "The Alchemist"!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd0xQ4sLIKI

[Sean]

And there it goes....

[dropforge]

I figured that would happen. That guy's not connected to the band.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Does anyone here think that BOC will wind up like Yes, continuing when all founding members have left or died?

[Plasmatopia]

Does anyone here think that BOC will wind up like Yes, continuing when all founding members have left or died?

That's a good question. Personally, having no actual information one way or the other, I have kind of assumed they would continue on. Or at least attempt to.

[rapidfirerob]

Does anyone here think that BOC will wind up like Yes, continuing when all founding members have left or died?

Certainly not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Interstellar]

I can't imagine them continuing without Eric or Buck, but after all, they could give the rights to Richie Castellano if they want the brand to live on.

[dropforge]

Does anyone here think that BOC will wind up like Yes, continuing when all founding members have left or died?

Nope. They still have two original members: Both are the lead vocalists (and one's the lead guitarist). They'd have three original members, but Allen Lanier died. Also, everyone in the original line-up wrote songs.

[Trane]

Does anyone here think that BOC will wind up like Yes, continuing when all founding members have left or died?

I have a hard time believing anyone will lower themselves to Yes' pityful history.

At least Dr Feelgood (no original member for decades) remains entertaining.

Bloom & Roeser will probably someday call it a day in class, but Al Bouchard could try to screw things up (his latest Imaginos stunt is ridiculous, IMHO)

[dropforge]

I have a hard time believing anyone will lower themselves to Yes' pityful history.

Foreigner. Don't be surprised if Journey does.


Bloom & Roeser will probably someday call it a day in class, but Al Bouchard could try to screw things up (his latest Imaginos stunt is ridiculous, IMHO)

Al doesn't have the rights to the name. He could still do something like those two guys from Saxon, and call himself Bouchard Oyster Clan, lol.

[Interstellar]

Al re-doing Imaginos feels quite natural to me, since it was his and Sandy Pearlman's baby for the most part.

[dropforge]

No self-respecting Oyster Cultist would pass it up.

[ronmac]

Al doesn't have the rights to the name. He could still do something like those two guys from Saxon, and call himself Bouchard Oyster Clan, lol.

Or Soft White Underbelly

[Joe F.]

Or Soft White Underbelly

Or Stalk-Forrest Group

[dropforge]

Oaxaca ;)

[Plasmatopia]

Or Soft White Underbelly

Or Soft White Underbouchard?

[Plasmatopia]

The Richie guy is a great singer, but it doesn't sound like BOC. Just generic pop metal. Oh yeah, IMHO!

I have to agree. Not a bad song but I didn't hear anything in it that sounded remotely like any past BOC tune.

[Interstellar]

I think it's fair that Richie gets some lead vocal spots after all the years he's been in the band, and given the band's original habit of letting everyone sing, but I hope that Eric and Buck sing on most of the songs.

[SteveSly]

Oct 1 and a Harvest Moon out tonight. Think I am going to spin Heaven Forbid.

[dropforge]

I have to agree. Not a bad song but I didn't hear anything in it that sounded remotely like any past BOC tune.

Neither did "Siege and Investiture" off Imaginos.

[Trane]

Al doesn't have the rights to the name. He could still do something like those two guys from Saxon, and call himself Bouchard Oyster Clamshell, lol.

Ooohhhh!!!... I can't believe you flew by that one unoticed. :lol


I have to agree. Not a bad song but I didn't hear anything in it that sounded remotely like any past BOC tune.

Agreed, but then again Don't Fear The Reaper didn't sound like typical BÖC back then either.

[Plasmatopia]

I agree that it's cool to have the new guys sing, but it's nice in that case if there's at least some elements of the old BOC. Like a riff or chord progression that evokes the "BOC sound" or whatever. Or the lyrics or melody should incorporate that creepy vibe. Or talk about aliens or whatever.

The Siege and Investiture is a good point and I'm sure (now that I think about it) that there are other songs that don't fit that well in the catalog. But at least Siege was part of a larger vision that did involve songs that had the creepy BOC vibe.

I feel Reaper does have continuity when it comes to the creepy vibe.

But if some future version of BOC were to exist with no original voices, no continuity in vibe or lyrics, and sounded like this recent tune I would likely lose all interest.

[Interstellar]

I've always thought "Siege and Investiture" had a BÖC vibe, although it's technically a Bouchard/Pearlman song performed by guests and studio musicians. It has a magical, dark atmosphere and Al's voice in the choir.

[dropforge]

If you guys want an example of a song that really does NOT belong on a BÖC album, revisit the abysmal "Beat 'Em Up" on Club Ninja.

They didn't even write that song! It was previously recorded by Canadian metal songstress Lee Aaron.

[rapidfirerob]

If you guys want an example of a song that really does NOT belong on a BÖC album, revisit the abysmal "Beat 'Em Up" on Club Ninja.

They didn't even write that song! It was previously recorded by Canadian metal songstress Lee Aaron.

Agreed. Possibly the worst tune they ever recorded. The Imaginos album did nothing for me as well. Again, it's all taste. Seven days until the new album is released!!!

[SteveSly]

I agree that it's cool to have the new guys sing, but it's nice in that case if there's at least some elements of the old BOC. Like a riff or chord progression that evokes the "BOC sound" or whatever. Or the lyrics or melody should incorporate that creepy vibe. Or talk about aliens or whatever.

The Siege and Investiture is a good point and I'm sure (now that I think about it) that there are other songs that don't fit that well in the catalog. But at least Siege was part of a larger vision that did involve songs that had the creepy BOC vibe.

I feel Reaper does have continuity when it comes to the creepy vibe.

But if some future version of BOC were to exist with no original voices, no continuity in vibe or lyrics, and sounded like this recent tune I would likely lose all interest.

There are quite a few examples of non-BOC like songs. The title track from "Mirrors" comes to mind. Not very BOC like at all (although I have always dug the song). I like the Richie song, but agree that it is very generic.

[SteveSly]

If you guys want an example of a song that really does NOT belong on a BÖC album, revisit the abysmal "Beat 'Em Up" on Club Ninja.

They didn't even write that song! It was previously recorded by Canadian metal songstress Lee Aaron.

Agree, an absolutely horrible song.

[Plasmatopia]

There are quite a few examples of non-BOC like songs. The title track from "Mirrors" comes to mind. Not very BOC like at all (although I have always dug the song). I like the Richie song, but agree that it is very generic.

Yeah, that's true.

I've only heard Club Ninja once or twice so can't speak to how those songs fit into the BOC ethos. Seems like a lot of the songs that don't fit the BOC blueprint aren't usually their stronger or more well-loved tunes.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Been revisiting BOC recently as a result of this thread. I'm surprised how much I love Mirrors. The album and the song are great.

[dropforge]

Been revisiting BOC recently as a result of this thread. I'm surprised how much I love Mirrors. The album and the song are great.

I love Mirrors, too. "The Great Sun Jester," "The Vigil" and the snappy "Lonely Teardrops" are just three reasons why I love this band.

[SteveSly]

Been revisiting BOC recently as a result of this thread. I'm surprised how much I love Mirrors. The album and the song are great.

"Mirrors" has grown on me a lot over the years. When it came out I was not all that impressed, but today I think it is a great album.

[dropforge]

Today is release day. Here's the video for "The Alchemist."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4TFfTSUbto

[SteveSly]

Best new track so far IMO! Buck and Richie trading guitar licks!

[Jimmy Giant]

Yeah, that was great. Thanks.
Tuned into the Newsday Live release party last night with Buck and Eric and the interview was a bust. No volume! They played a couple videos (not that new one) and they came through ok. At the end I got an email (had to register to watch) that said they were sorry for the tech difficulties and would send a link when they had it fixed. Still no link :(

[Trane]

Best new track so far IMO! Buck and Richie trading guitar licks!

of the ones I heard, this is the tops indeed...

But it sounds quite a bit like something from way back then.

[Vic2012]

The Alchemist is kick ass. Sounds kinda Maiden.

[SteveSly]

of the ones I heard, this is the tops indeed...

But it sounds quite a bit like something from way back then.

Is that a bad thing?

[dropforge]

Best new track so far IMO! Buck and Richie trading guitar licks!

That was beautiful. Call-and-response and unison lines. My gosh. So tasty! So glad the new album is finally here. My CD's on the way. I'm trying to hold off listening to the whole thing online.

[dropforge]

of the ones I heard, this is the tops indeed...

But it sounds quite a bit like something from way back then.

That's what we want, buddy!

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

MMmmmm. Tasty. I've read the story that was based on ... I think it was by M.R.James, from "Ghost Stories of an Antiquary", but I'm too lazy to go look it up...

[rapidfirerob]

That was beautiful. Call-and-response and unison lines. My gosh. So tasty! So glad the new album is finally here. My CD's on the way. I'm trying to hold off listening to the whole thing online.

Me too. Mine is coming today or Monday. I'm waiting to hear all of it until the CD arrives.

[dropforge]

Just got my CD!

[SteveSly]

Got mine today too.

[Jimmy Giant]

My CD didn't show yet. Thanks Amazon! Vinyl is delayed.

[zeprogmeister]

Been revisiting BOC recently as a result of this thread. I'm surprised how much I love Mirrors. The album and the song are great.

One of my favorite albums of theirs.

[dropforge]

This album is kicking my ass. I love "Nightmare Epiphany"!

[SteveSly]

I finally had a chance to give it a good listen yesterday. As I posted on my Facebook page, I had a smile on my face the whole time. My first impression is this album is better than I ever hoped it would be. I need to give it some more listens, but first impressions are that this will be up for one of the best alums of 2020. The old gods return indeed....

[dropforge]

14478

[dropforge]

I finally had a chance to give it a good listen yesterday. As I posted on my Facebook page, I had a smile on my face the whole time. My first impression is this album is better than I ever hoped it would be. I need to give it some more listens, but first impressions are that this will be up for one of the best alums of 2020. The old gods return indeed....

Unless something shows up out of the aether and blows us away, it probably will be the year's best. Probably TSR, Wakeman's The Red Planet and the new Ozrics, in that order.

[ronmac]

I just listened to the whole thing. Not bad overall. Some really good tunes. A couple I can very easily do without. I also don't get the 80s-style shouting choruses on some tracks, which makes it sound dated in spots.

I cannot see this being the best album of 2020. I can, however, see rock radio eating up a few tracks. The Alchemist is the strongest to these ears. I'll give it another listen, but I don't think it's anything I would listen to regularly.

Granted, I'm not a die-hard BOC fan. But I did see them back in the day in early '78 and in 2019. And I have my share of live recordings. Both shows were great, of course. And I can see a lot of these tracks playing well on stage.

[rapidfirerob]

14478

There's hope for the world of music!

[spacefreak]

Very dated AOR stuff for the more part.

Next.

[DarthVander]

Very dated AOR stuff for the more part.

One man's "outdated" is another man's "timeless". Nothing earth-shattering here of course, but it's a pretty fun album with some really good songs, good playing and good production. At this point in their career I'm more than happy to take this.

[Plasmatopia]

Yeah, what I'm hearing is a pretty respectable offering at this late stage. I saw some somewhat recent live clips that were rather cringeworthy.

[SteveSly]

Although I listened to several tracks online before I got the physical CD, this is an album that really comes to life on a good stereo system. I had it cranked in my car over the past weekend and one thing that really stands out is the rhythm section. There is some really fantastic drum and bass work on this album.

[dropforge]

Although I listened to several tracks online before I got the physical CD, this is an album that really comes to life on a good stereo system. I had it cranked in my car over the past weekend and one thing that really stands out is the rhythm section. There is some really fantastic drum and bass work on this album.

It's very well-recorded. I think "That Was Me" might be one of the coolest songs they've ever done. I know that sounds funny but I love that song! :lol

[Sean]

Albert Bouchard is guesting on my talk show tomorrow. I will be sure to share the vid here asap.

[dropforge]

Albert Bouchard is guesting on my talk show tomorrow. I will be sure to share the vid here asap.

Awesome!

[Plasmatopia]

It's very well-recorded. I think "That Was Me" might be one of the coolest songs they've ever done. I know that sounds funny but I love that song! :lol

Kind of in the mold of "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" or "Career Of Evil".

[SteveSly]

It's very well-recorded. I think "That Was Me" might be one of the coolest songs they've ever done. I know that sounds funny but I love that song! :lol

I can totally see them opening their shows with that one when they get back to touring. I love it too.

[SteveSly]

Kind of in the mold of "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" or "Career Of Evil".

Agree, it is another song that could fit right into the "Imaginos" storyline.

[JKL2000]

It's very well-recorded. I think "That Was Me" might be one of the coolest songs they've ever done. I know that sounds funny but I love that song! :lol

I love this song too! “When you see a broken bottle of real fine wine...that was me!”

[Sean]

Here's my chat with Albert Bouchard today. Enjoy!


https://youtu.be/dYEfMDMQztI

Got MORE Cowbell? We do! For Episode #42 we chat with Albert Bouchard, original drummer for Blue Öyster Cult. He's got a new album called ReImaginos, which is a reworking/recording of the legendary BOC album Imaginos. We dig into the making of that and it's vids and how it differs from the original BOC version. Also, we chat about early influences, concerts, the evolution of drum micing at concerts, and of course, how cowbell wound up on their classic "Don't Fear The Reaper". A cowbell that spawned a pop culture catch phrase that will live FOREVER. Would you believe it almost was....triangle instead?! Also, Albert guests on the new BOC album The Symbol Remains. We'll discuss how that came to be. My co-host this week is my friend Rob Dwyer.

[SteveSly]

Really enjoyed the show today Sean. Speaking of Albert here is the first single from "Re-Imaginos". A re-imagined version of "Workshop Of The Telescopes" as a sea shanty:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkeqjOoNeVM

[rapidfirerob]

I just finished listening to the entire CD. It's fantastic (except for Stand and Fight). Buck's songs are best, as usual. Great playing from everyone.

[Rael]

Finally got The Symbol Remains this weekend. Man, it is awesome. I still haven't heard Curse of the Hidden Mirror or Heaven Forbid (sorry Elias! :lol) so I can't really say if it's their best since Imaginos. But there is a ton of variety on this album. Bits of metal and hard rock, bits of prog and blues. "The Alchemist" sounds like BOC doing Ghost doing BOC. Or something like that. :lol I concur with the criticisms that there are a few spots that get a bit 80s corporate metal-ish, but not enough to ruin the album for me at all. I still need to spend more time but I'm thinking this will be my album of the year...in a very strange year indeed.

[dropforge]

Finally got The Symbol Remains this weekend. Man, it is awesome. I still haven't heard Curse of the Hidden Mirror or Heaven Forbid (sorry Elias! :lol) so I can't really say if it's their best since Imaginos. But there is a ton of variety on this album. Bits of metal and hard rock, bits of prog and blues. "The Alchemist" sounds like BOC doing Ghost doing BOC. Or something like that. :lol I concur with the criticisms that there are a few spots that get a bit 80s corporate metal-ish, but not enough to ruin the album for me at all. I still need to spend more time but I'm thinking this will be my album of the year...in a very strange year indeed.

https://media.giphy.com/media/yT4znaQTqEdq0/giphy.gif

[Plasmatopia]

Edge Of The World and The Machine would almost be at home on a Glen Burtnik-era Styx album.

[SteveSly]

Edge Of The World and The Machine would almost be at home on a Glen Burtnik-era Styx album.

I can see that.

[Interstellar]

I like the new album. It has that diversity that any good BÖC album should have, and the right ingredients are here : Eric's voice, Buck's voice and guitar, and Richie Castellano brings a lot of things to the mix. Richie has provided a new Cult classic with "The Alchemist".

On the minus side, there's a 80s AOR tendency that I could live without (and let's not speak of the "Stand and Fight" chorus), but it does not drown the album. Sound-wise, there's a bit too much reverb and compression for my taste, but once again it does not go too far.
Like Plasmatopia wrote, I think it's a pretty respectable offering, and I'm glad to hear some fine BÖC material in 2020. I had lost hope years ago.

[DarthVander]

let's not speak of the "Stand and Fight" chorus

I enjoy the heaviness and groove of the song, but yeah, that chorus is pretty dumb.

[rapidfirerob]

This album keeps getting better and better with every listen, Stand And Fight not withstanding. I wish Buck would make another solo album. His songs are the best in BOC, for me. I love his voice too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SteveSly]

I enjoy the heaviness and groove of the song, but yeah, that chorus is pretty dumb.

I would tend to agree, probably the weakest lyrically on the album, but like you I like the music.

[SteveSly]

This album keeps getting better and better with every listen, Stand And Fight not withstanding. I wish Buck would make another solo album. His songs are the best in BOC, for me. I love his voice too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Buck songs on this album remind me a lot of his solo album "Flat Out". I am kind of surprised he has never done another one over the years.

[moecurlythanu]

The Buck songs on this album remind me a lot of his solo album "Flat Out". I am kind of surprised he has never done another one over the years.

Maybe he's flat out of songs?

[SteveSly]

Maybe he's flat out of songs?

I see what you did there! :D

[Jerjo]

Albert Bouchard's new video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axSESBoHC9A

[SteveSly]

I got the Albert CD the other day, but have not had the chance to give it a listen yet.

[Plasmatopia]

I haven't heard all of Reimaginos yet, maybe about 75%, but I like these versions. Some songs could have benefitted from getting some different singers in, but I like the vibe.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Does Bouchard sing on all of them? Because his voice seems really weak on what I've heard...

[Interstellar]

I like what I've heard from Re-imaginos so far, but Al has never been a great singer IMHO. I think he knows his limitations, and worked the songs around them, but I was wondering if he had invited other singers, at least for harmonies.

[dropforge]

I got the Albert CD the other day, but have not had the chance to give it a listen yet.

Looking forward to your remarks. I like the song that was posted.

[dropforge]

I like what I've heard from Re-imaginos so far, but Al has never been a great singer IMHO. I think he knows his limitations, and worked the songs around them, but I was wondering if he had invited other singers, at least for harmonies.

Who else plays on it?

[SteveSly]

Looking forward to your remarks. I like the song that was posted.

I finally got the chance to give this a good listen today. Let’s address the elephant in the room first…….Albert’s voice. Even back when he was in B.O.C. his voice was the weakest of the 4 guys who sang most of the leads. His voice has not gotten any better. I noticed it right off the bat with this album, but I have to say that I kind of got used to it after a while, so it did not bother me that much. Albert’s concept for Imaginos changes around the song order to what he originally intended and adds a few songs that were not on the B.O.C. version. Some of the songs are completely re-worked and some are similar to what were on the B.O.C. album. I think most of the re-worked songs work well. I think this is an album that I am going to have multiple listens for it to really grow on me, but my first impression is good, and I am definitely going to give it additional listens.

[SteveSly]

I finally got the chance to give this a good listen today. Let’s address the elephant in the room first…….Albert’s voice. Even back when he was in B.O.C. his voice was the weakest of the 4 guys who sang most of the leads. His voice has not gotten any better. I noticed it right off the bat with this album, but I have to say that I kind of got used to it after a while, so it did not bother me that much. Albert’s concept for Imaginos changes around the song order to what he originally intended and adds a few songs that were not on the B.O.C. version. Some of the songs are completely re-worked and some are similar to what were on the B.O.C. album. I think most of the re-worked songs work well. I think this is an album that I am going to have multiple listens for it to really grow on me, but my first impression is good, and I am definitely going to give it additional listens.

One quick addition to this. Last night after I had written the above, my wife and I were in the car and I had the Albert album playing. She is listening and goes "don't you think this guy sings off key a lot?" So.......there ya go....

[Interstellar]

When I first heard BOC's Imaginos album in 88, I thought Albert sang on "The Siege and Investiture..." and I said to myself "Wow, he has grown into a good singer !"

I somehow like his voice for what it is, but the idea of a whole album with him singing... well, a bit off key, makes me hesitate.

[Jerjo]

Listening to Symbol on the big rig in the living room while working on the laptop. Boy, I wish the old black and white trilogy were produced with this much muscle and sinew. The bottom end is substantial and the guitars have some truly heavy tones. "Stand and Fight" has that goofy chorus but the thick chords are just so fucking metal.

[JKL2000]

Right now my favorite song is The Alchemist. I also like Secret Road. They’re all good!

[SteveSly]

Right now my favorite song is The Alchemist. I also like Secret Road. They’re all good!

Like both of those a lot too. Richie's "The Return Of St. Cecelia" is a good one too. Very clever to do a sequel to the old Stalk Forest Group song.

[Interstellar]

There are a lot of little nods to the past on the album, especially from Ritchie Castellano. I think it's clever indeed and it helps to meld the new and the old components.

[dropforge]

Right now my favorite song is The Alchemist. I also like Secret Road. They’re all good!

Three faves, if I can even narrow them down (not easy), are "That Was Me," "The Alchemist" and "Nightmare Epiphany." Just a rad album, all around.

[SteveSly]

New video from Albert;


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2pntE1LCZQ

[ronmac]

New video from Albert;


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2pntE1LCZQ

He could use a little auto-tuning, huh?

[SteveSly]

He could use a little auto-tuning, huh?

His voice is........yea, not so good. As I think I mentioned earlier when I listen to the album as a whole, I kind of get used to it, but his voice has some issues.

[dropforge]

He could use a little auto-tuning, huh?

:lol

[dropforge]

Eric Bloom is 76 today!

[rapidfirerob]

Eric Bloom is 76 today!

Time for some stun guitar!

[SteveSly]

Just got the new DVD / CD set recorded at Rock Of Ages festival in Germany. Really good stuff!

[Jimmy Giant]

The video was ok. I didn't think he sounded so bad. These guys are still doing it after all these years.

I ordered the Rock of Ages bluray, but couldn't find the Long Days Night bluray release except from UK. Guess it'll show up on Amazon at some point.

I did score the record day sale of BOC Live '83, which has a very nice set list.

[SteveSly]

The video was ok. I didn't think he sounded so bad. These guys are still doing it after all these years.

I ordered the Rock of Ages bluray, but couldn't find the Long Days Night bluray release except from UK. Guess it'll show up on Amazon at some point.

I did score the record day sale of BOC Live '83, which has a very nice set list.

When you say "he" who are you talking about? I thought Eric sounded quite good on this one. Buck had some vocal issues. The "Rock Of Ages" blue ray is the one I just got.

[Jimmy Giant]

I meant the Albert video. Responding to the comment above, which I though was for the video here.
The Rock of Ages should arrive today or so. Haven't seen that one yet.

[rapidfirerob]

I cannot get enough of The Symbol Remains. It sounded great upon first listen and I enjoy it more
each time. My favorite currently is Secret Road.

[SteveSly]

I meant the Albert video. Responding to the comment above, which I though was for the video here.
The Rock of Ages should arrive today or so. Haven't seen that one yet.

Ah ok, that makes sense.

[SteveSly]

I cannot get enough of The Symbol Remains. It sounded great upon first listen and I enjoy it more
each time. My favorite currently is Secret Road.

I still love it too. It still exceeds all of my expectations. Just hope we eventually get to hear some of these songs live.

[rapidfirerob]

I still love it too. It still exceeds all of my expectations. Just hope we eventually get to hear some of these songs live.

I’m sure they will be back touring as soon as they can.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Interstellar]

I also enjoy The Symbol Remains. Secret Roads is probably my favourite too. I've waited a long time to hear some of those Buck Dharma songs again !
And those evil Eric Bloom vocals are fine too.
Thanks to Richie Castellano for his hard work on the album. I may not always love his AOR tendencies, but he really brought a lot to the table and put his own stamp on the BOC legacy.

[SteveSly]

I also enjoy The Symbol Remains. Secret Roads is probably my favourite too. I've waited a long time to hear some of those Buck Dharma songs again !
And those evil Eric Bloom vocals are fine too.
Thanks to Richie Castellano for his hard work on the album. I may not always love his AOR tendencies, but he really brought a lot to the table and put his own stamp on the BOC legacy.

I love Richie's "Return Of St Cecilia" especially since it is a sequel to an old pre B.O.C. Stalk Forrest Group song.

[dgtlman]

So far my favs are The Alchemist & That Was Me. CLassic BOC style!

[dropforge]

So far my favs are The Alchemist & That Was Me. CLassic BOC style!

:horns :cool :horns

[JKL2000]

Been taking a deep and first time or near first-time dive into the BÖC catalog recently, reading Jacob Holm-Lupo’s book as I go along. Really enjoying most of it! Since I don’t have preformed expectations about each album, I’m finding I like almost all of it so far. They can sure write hooks!

Listening to Cultosaurus Erectus right now. Fun to finally get to know it after being familiar with the cool album cover forever! To my ears, the song Fallen Angel sounds a lot like The Who - anyone else think that?

[dropforge]

What do you think of Mirrors? Underrated album in their discography. "The Great Sun Jester" (lyrics by Moorcock), "The Vigil" and "Lonely Teardrops" are superb.

[Interstellar]

To my ears, the song Fallen Angel sounds a lot like The Who - anyone else think that?

Yes, I have always found some kind of Who resonance in this one.
I love that album, especially the first half. One of my favorite BOC LP sides at the time.

[JKL2000]

What do you think of Mirrors? Underrated album in their discography. "The Great Sun Jester" (lyrics by Moorcock), "The Vigil" and "Lonely Teardrops" are superb.

I think Mirrors is great! I stopped reading the chapters in Jacob’s book before listening to the albums because I didn’t want to be swayed by the “overriding” opinion. So far they have a very good “hit ratio” for me (i.e., I like most of the songs). Haven’t gone beyond Cultosaurus yet, aside from The Symbol Remains, which is great!

Great Sun Jester is right up there with Heep’s The Wizard for fantasy/rock/Prog/awesomeness/hilarity! Love it!

[JKL2000]

Yes, I have always found some kind of Who resonance in this one.
I love that album, especially the first half. One of my favorite BOC LP sides at the time.

The songs have great hooks but are so unusual/addictive. They really have a gift.

[polmico]

Been taking a deep and first time or near first-time dive into the BÖC catalog recently.

I just picked them up, too. Needed something heavy and catchy, so I dove in.

Coincidentally, I started getting into Hawkwind at the same time.

[moecurlythanu]

"The Great Sun Jester" (lyrics by Moorcock),

This was one of our "crank it up" party tunes back in the day.

[SteveSly]

Listening to Cultosaurus Erectus right now. Fun to finally get to know it after being familiar with the cool album cover forever! To my ears, the song Fallen Angel sounds a lot like The Who - anyone else think that?

I would agree there is some Who in that one.

[SteveSly]

I think Mirrors is great! I stopped reading the chapters in Jacob’s book before listening to the albums because I didn’t want to be swayed by the “overriding” opinion. So far they have a very good “hit ratio” for me (i.e., I like most of the songs). Haven’t gone beyond Cultosaurus yet, aside from The Symbol Remains, which is great!

Great Sun Jester is right up there with Heep’s The Wizard for fantasy/rock/Prog/awesomeness/hilarity! Love it!

When "Mirrors" first came out I did not think it was all that good, but I kept going back to it and over the years it has become one of my favorite B.O.C. albums. There are still a couple of songs that I don't care for that much, but overall it is a gem.

[jlneudorf]

What do you think of Mirrors? Underrated album in their discography. "The Great Sun Jester" (lyrics by Moorcock), "The Vigil" and "Lonely Teardrops" are superb.

I love Mirrors. Have listened to it alot lately, along with Symbol. I agree, vastly underrated. In Thee, Sun Jester, and yes The Vigil are superb. No weak tracks to my ears.

[dropforge]

I think Mirrors is great! I stopped reading the chapters in Jacob’s book before listening to the albums because I didn’t want to be swayed by the “overriding” opinion. So far they have a very good “hit ratio” for me (i.e., I like most of the songs). Haven’t gone beyond Cultosaurus yet, aside from The Symbol Remains, which is great!

Great Sun Jester is right up there with Heep’s The Wizard for fantasy/rock/Prog/awesomeness/hilarity! Love it!


This was one of our "crank it up" party tunes back in the day.


I love Mirrors. Have listened to it alot lately, along with Symbol. I agree, vastly underrated. In Thee, Sun Jester, and yes The Vigil are superb. No weak tracks to my ears.

:horns :cool :horns


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM-0Kni9dEA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aam1SoSZ7qo

[JKL2000]

Secret Treaties, Mirrors, Cultosaurus, and The Symbol are my faves now. Nothing between Fire of Unknown Origin and The Symbol... seems any good...

[dropforge]

Secret Treaties, Mirrors, Cultosaurus, and The Symbol are my faves now. Nothing between Fire of Unknown Origin and The Symbol... seems any good...

Revisit Imaginos. While it's got a lot of additional players, that's a winner. Some fantastic material on that!

Don't give up on The Revolution by Night. Except for one song, I think that's a darned underrated record in their discography.

Club Ninja is really uneven. But there are songs on that one not penned by the band. The last song, "Madness to the Method," is good. At 7.5 minutes, it's the longest one they've recorded, too.

[jlneudorf]

Secret Treaties, Mirrors, Cultosaurus, and The Symbol are my faves now. Nothing between Fire of Unknown Origin and The Symbol... seems any good...

Jed, did you listen to Heaven Forbid and Curse of the Hidden Mirror? A couple of underrated gems IMO.

[Interstellar]

Yes, like previous posters I think it's worth taking the time to explore the albums after Fire of Unknown Origin.
The 80s albums suffer from being of their time sonically and songwriting-wise, but they all have some great material.

I would be interested in hearing a proper BÖC version of Imaginos, featuring all the guitar parts Buck reportedly recorded, but it most certainly won't happen. I still like the original album, as frustrating as it is (a 80s sounding studio thing built with session musicians, not really a BOC album or the Albert Bouchard solo album it was meant to be).

[SteveSly]

Revisit Imaginos. While it's got a lot of additional players, that's a winner. Some fantastic material on that!

Don't give up on The Revolution by Night. Except for one song, I think that's a darned underrated record in their discography.

Club Ninja is really uneven. But there are songs on that one not penned by the band. The last song, "Madness to the Method," is good. At 7.5 minutes, it's the longest one they've recorded, too.

I pretty much agree exactly with what you said. "Imaginos" is not as good as it could have been, but there is still a lot of great stuff on it. "Revolution" and "Club Ninja" both have their moments. I would also highly recommend "Heaven Forbid" which is a great album for the most part.

[SteveSly]

Yes, like previous posters I think it's worth taking the time to explore the albums after Fire of Unknown Origin.
The 80s albums suffer from being of their time sonically and songwriting-wise, but they all have some great material.

I would be interested in hearing a proper BÖC version of Imaginos, featuring all the guitar parts Buck reportedly recorded, but it most certainly won't happen. I still like the original album, as frustrating as it is (a 80s sounding studio thing built with session musicians, not really a BOC album or the Albert Bouchard solo album it was meant to be).

Of course their is also Albert's version of the album "Re-Imaginos" which is more his original vision of what he wanted. His voice is not the greatest these days, but I still think the album is well worth owning.

[dropforge]

Jed, did you listen to Heaven Forbid and Curse of the Hidden Mirror? A couple of underrated gems IMO.

Essential BÖC, IMO. :up

[JKL2000]

Jed, did you listen to Heaven Forbid and Curse of the Hidden Mirror? A couple of underrated gems IMO.

Doh! Those albums aren’t on Spotify! Have to check them out!