Any love for Mirrors? I know many people don't rate that one high, but I like it. A more melodic BOC.
Any love for Mirrors? I know many people don't rate that one high, but I like it. A more melodic BOC.
Here is a review I wrote quite a few years ago. I still feel pretty much the same today:Originally Posted by JIF
"Mirrors" seems to be considered one of the band's lesser works by most fans and indeed it certainly does not rank up with the band's top albums. Gone was longtime producer Sandy Perlman for this one, and the band tried what can only be described as a more pop friendly commercial sound with mixed results. I have always had a bit of a soft spot for this one though. Back in 1979 when this album came out I was a freshman in college and it got a lot of airplay around the dorm I lived in, especially side 1 (this is back in the days of vinyl). "Mirrors" was the only album left in the B.O.C. catalogue that I did not own on CD, so I finally picked it up. I think about half of this album is really good. "The Great Sun Jester" and "The Vigil" could fit on just about any Cult album and both hark back to the more experimental sci-fi side of the band found on earlier albums. The title track "Mirrors" is pure pop, but the chorus of "pretty girls can't look away", sung by female background singers is great and will stick in your brain long after the song is finished. "In Thee" is one of Alan Lanier's finest compositions and proof that a simple 3 chord song can be effective as hell when done right. The rest of the album is more hit and miss. "Dr. Music" and "I Am The Storm" are both ok with "Moon Crazy", "Lonely Teardrops", and the Cars clone "Your Not The One" being mostly throwaway stuff. In the end "Mirrors" is far from a B.O.C. classic, but has enough good material on it to make it worth owning. It does not deserve the moniker "Errors" that some B.O.C. fans have bestowed upon it."
Steve Sly
^^^^^^^^^^^
Sums up my feelings pretty much exactly. Mirrors itself is kind of a slight song but for some reason it's just really damn catchy. I'm surprised it wasn't a hit.
Mirrors
I am not ashamed to say that I just love this fucking album. I don't think it get's the credit that it deserves for a band who's worst stuff ain't all that bad, and this is not even close to being the worst. OK, so maybe it's KISS meets MeatLoaf, but it still has all the BOC trademarks, as well as some of the most badass mutherfuckin' guitar on any of their albums. Besides, Buck Dharma is closer to Billy Joel than you might think.
When you see the clouds blacken, remember you've been warned.
Last edited by Banquo; 12-30-2013 at 02:01 AM.
Agreed! I also think 'Spectres' is similar. In fact 'Going through the Motions' was the first BOC i ever bought after hearing it on the radio, a song written in collaboration with Ian Hunter!
Ian also co-wrote Let Go from The Revolution By Night.
I generally love Ian Hunter, and “Going Through The Motions” was a great little pop tune, but “Let Go” was pretty bad IMO and the 2nd weakest track on that album. I remember seeing B.O.C. on the “Revolution By Night” tour and they tried to make “Let Go” into a crowd participation thing and it pretty much went over like a led balloon. I don’t think I ever saw them play it again.
Steve Sly
I keep going back to Mirrors. Love the chord changes in Moon Crazy.
Moon Crazy- Joe! Excellent!
Mirrors is just typical cheesy late 70s soft rock imo.
the only good song from spectres is Nosferatu imo.An absolute beast of a track.
I think it might be the only BOC song i have any time for after Agents.
Wrap your heads around this.
How far would you travel to attend a BOC gig?
Downtown
The one cool thing about B.O.C. is they tend to play my area on a fairly regular basis (although it now has been a couple of years). I have seen them sometime between 15 to 20 times (lost count) and the furthest I have ever travelled was about an hour.
Steve Sly
So go downtownDowntown
Things will be great when you're downtown
No finer place for sure, downtown
Everything's waiting for you
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
saw BOC open for Rainbow just after Dio left (around late 79 or early 1980) as Rainbow was Touring to support their lastest release at the time " Down to Earth "..
Not sure which record BOC was touring for but most of what they played were the more popular songs like Godzilla and reaper, cities a flame with rock and roll
They were very entertaining with a cool stage show!
one of the better opening acts for sure.
I liked paying to see one great act and got to see two headliner actsl.....
Always wish they would have done a follow up to 'Curse of the Hidden Mirror' as I found that album to be in very good. I wonder if they have another album in them.
Regards,
Jon
I also dig 'Mirrors' and consider it to be very under rated. One of the catchiest in their catalogue.
Regards,
Jon
When Buck appeared on That Metal Show, he stated that BOC were working on an acoustic record(featuring acoustic versions of their songs).
I agree. Can't seem to get Dr. Music and the title track out of my head. "Pretty girls can't look away."
According to Recird Collector there's a Live Box Set due!
BOC at Slim's San Francisco tonight, 2/1!
That could be very interesting!
I hope it's not simply the live stuff that was downloadable if you bought the previous BOC Complete Columbia box.
Though I guess I'd rather have that on cd than simply download.
What are the differences between the three versions of Fire Of Unknown Origin? I'm talking about the original version on the Agents Of Fortune reissue, the version on the remaster of Patti Smith Group's Wave, and the title track to BOC's 1981 album.
I don't know about the Patti Smith version, but there is different music on the 2 BOC versions. I can't recall if the lyrics are slightly different.
Holy shit!! I am in the middle of listening to Fire Of Unknown Origin. Damn, Eric reaches a high note at the end of After Dark.
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