BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

A Classy Nightcap for the Vintage Era

I have a special affinity for the mighty BOC's The Revolution by Night. Their ninth studio album was released at an exciting time in youth when friends and I were beginning to go to every concert we could afford, spending all of our time (and money) in record stores, and spending our precious minutes between classes arguing about our favorite guitarists (as opposed to the jocks who were arguing about girls, football, and cars.) While "Let Go" may have been the corniest of BOC's cheerleading anthems (following in the tradition of stuff like "Dr. Music" and "R.U. Ready 2 Rock"), we felt the message was aimed at outcast teens like us, and we appreciated the lyrical nod. We loved Rev by Night, and we were absolutely stoked to the gills for the Cult to roll into town with that show. I'll never forget that concert.

The album is often disparaged. While there are valid criticisms to be had, I would argue that Rev by Night is not only a successful follow-up to Fire of Unknown Origin, but a sibling of it, nearly Origin, part II. Both share the enigmatic album art of the late Greg Scott, and there are remarkable similarities in the pace and roster of songs. The differences come in sound presentation and production, with Fire being a bit harder-edged and grittier while the late Bruce Fairbairn's take was a glossier one, for sure. He was one of the giants of the slick 1980s terrain, working with Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and Loverboy. I would have instinctively preferred others to produce BOC, yet somehow the strange alchemy worked. Their flawless playing met beautiful construction; their little intricacies and embellishments were layered expertly.

Like Fire of Unknown Origin, more than half of the tracks are top-tier additions to the BOC canon, while a few fall into that less impressive (yet still reasonably enjoyable) rock purgatory that feels a bit like watching your team down big with five minutes on the clock. You know they're not coming back, but you're too dedicated to cut early to beat the rush to the parking lot. On Rev, there's only one or two of those lesser tracks, although, as I've admitted, I'm biased on this album for sentimental reasons. BOC were dealing with the same problem many of their peers were. Veteran bands spent the 1970s not only having the luxury of their strongest creative bursts, but their audience were their peers in age and experience. By the 1980s, all of these rockers were moving through their 30s while their audiences were trending younger, and they were being forced to appeal to kids half their age, kids who were now expecting videos and more elaborate live shows.

Meanwhile, the record companies were not sympathetic to artistic concerns, and there was increasing turmoil in the band line-up in this case. One can imagine the pressure. Despite it all, the anchors here--"Shooting Shark," a strange, dreamy, hard-to-articulate seven minutes, and "Shadow of California," some staunchly standard Cultish doom vibe--support several more solid bangers in "Take Me Away," "Veins," and "Feel the Thunder" (which could have been melded with "Shadow of California" to create a glorious mini-epic--I can hear it!) Even "Eyes on Fire" and "Light Years of Love" have their moments as luxurious melodic change-up. I usually don't appreciate electronic drumming to this degree, but, strangely, it seems to work with Rev. One could even argue that Fairbairn used the temptations of 1980s synths and e-drums more judiciously and wisely here than producers did on releases like Under Wraps, Grace Under Pressure, and 90125, all of which are more heavy-handed with now-dated sounds.

With The Revolution by Night, the Cult had found the new, stable yet still strange terrestrial landscape that began on Fire of Unknown Origin: mature and yet still wildly fun, refined and yet still growling at heart, focused in mood and artwork vision, having seemingly scaled the same transitional peak that Rush had with Signals/Grace Under Pressure, although BOC would prove less adept at sustaining it than Rush were. After all this time, I still find Revolution to be a highly enjoyable spin despite its flaws, despite lacking the teeth of a Holy Diver or Born Again, which we craved. But for my old friends and I--ignoring our teachers as we worked on D&D modules or read sci-fi in their class--we were blissfully blasting Shooting Shark, Veins, and Shadow of California on our Walkman headphones.

Cheers, guys, wherever you are.

Seeing Finnforest's review posted today reminded me that I'd never posted a review of my own of this, an album that was very important and dear to me back in the day. Having been introduced to BÖC's first three albums by my intrepid brother, I had been completely ensnared by 1974's wonderful Secret Treaties, but kind of underwhelmed and slightly turned off by Agents of Fortune. ("Don't Fear the Reaper" was/is cool but had long ago worn out its welcome.) The local radio station started playing Spectres' "Goin' Through the Motions" as its first hit and I rather liked its Grand Funk "Locomotion"-like vibe. So I bought the album. The new synth-rich lush soundscapes the band were using (a logical step forward from "Don't Fear the Reaper") were, to my ears, magical. Then factor in the teen-sexuality themes of vampires and dedication to childhood favorite of mine, Godzilla, and you had me pretty much won over. Side Two and the first two songs of Side One couldn't stop getting the needle from my turntable. As Heartland Jim said in his review, the album stands up remarkably well over these 45 years. I still LOVE to listen to "I Love the Night" and "Nosferatu" and like "Godzilla" even more than I did back in '77; I pretty much feel the same amount of disinterest in the rest of the fare: it all feels quite fitting for that year in time and music history--and, if one can be truthful, there can never be enough Buck Dharma in one's life! Therefore, four stars seem more appropriate than three.

Middle Sibling of the Fun Years

BOC's first decade (roughly speaking) produced an impressive body of work in their nine studio releases. In my mind I tend to group them into three trilogies. You have your first set, the classic "Black and White" albums. The second set are the "Fun" albums, Agents through Mirrors. Finally, there was the "Black and Blue/Teenager/Hockey Barn" albums of my youth and of which I got a taste of in-person. More on those later. Spectres was the follow-up to their smash Agents of Fortune and, while it seemed to flail in comparison, the truth is that all three of the "fun" albums have aged far better than many give them credit for. The albums are filled with a sense of pop/rock adventure, breaking free from the expectation, and trying to connect musically with more fans. I enjoy returning to this trilogy more than the other two, and many of the criticisms I read about them I would argue to be strengths. There are endless examples of "70s bands" who get trashed for their late-70s releases (when compared to their earlier work.) Amongst those dismissed late-70s releases are some decent albums, and Spectres would be one of them.

Spectres begins (and ends) so well that one may think we have another masterpiece here, but like Mirrors things are just a bit less than consistent. It begins with the live fan favorite "Godzilla" and one of their finest camp moments, "The Golden Age of Leather," which combines an unintended Sons of Anarchy vibe with some Beach Boys-esque homage. It's a nearly perfect track. The album closes with two more of BOC's finest moments. "I Love the Night," tinged in ghostly elegance, takes its place among the best of BOC's moonlight mood pieces such as "Then Came the Last Days of May," "Astronomy," "Morning Final," "The Vigil," "Don't Turn Your Back," and "Shooting Shark." "Nosferatu" closes the album with another melancholic beauty that flexes the strength of every band member and highlights their collective brilliance. The middle tracks are not quite to the level of those four bookends, but overall this is another solid chapter in the BOC story. Some complain that this "fun era" was not heavy enough, but BOC were never shooting for that trophy. If I want to be aurally bludgeoned, I've any number of heavier choices to select from. BOC, I feel, were shooting for something more intellectual, the thinking man/woman's melodic rock band?

Please don't write off Spectres and Mirrors (or, frankly, The Revolution by Night) because of the critical rock media narrative--all offer some true BOC gems and much fun! Easily a 7/10 album, but it's just a tad shy of hitting four stars I'm afraid.

The fifth album of BOC expands further the run of their good albums, although it is not on the same level as the mighty first triad. Godzilla that kicks things off is probably as successful as Don't Fear the Ripper from the group's previous album but, in my book, there are much better ones here. The melancholy that the piano emanates on Death Valley Nights renders it as one of my ever favourite Cult songs, always sending chills down my spine. Golden Age of Leather is a strong and rocky number which has been included in the band's live setlist for a very good reason. Searching for Celine and Celestial the Queen maintain a commercial slant, but they are very enjoyable nonetheless. Fireworks is an interesting song with melodic guitar parts and a memorable chorus (great backing vocals). Going Through the Motions has a feel-good vibe and is a bit pop-ish at times, I might add. I Love the Night has a dark and melancholic atmosphere (some well-placed backing vocals work wonders once again) and R U Ready to Rock is the most straightforward song of the album, but the title alone puts me off a bit along with those "come on, come on". Perhaps they just wanted to throw in a rockier number, still it is not a typical one with these nice piano runs. The album's real deal in my book, though, was saved for the end and it is no other than Nosferatu, Godzilla be damned. Dark atmosphere (mellotrons, too), haunting melodies, excellent guitar work, the works. Probably BOC's most underrated track. Certainly, it belongs to their best songs, ever.

So, in conclusion I would say that a couple of pits lower the quality of the album which still is a really good one.

The First Is the Best! Yes I know ST is not the first BOC album but it is the first I ever heard by the band back when it was first released. I was an infant in the world of rock at that time having only had 2 other albums: Steppenwolf For Ladies Only which ironically was their progiest album and Deep Purple Burn. This album will always bring back memories of my teen years as a messed up kid but none the less it is the best BOC album. My second favorite is Cultosaurus Erectus.

Each song has a kick to it and its own strengths. Dominance & Submission is the best largely due to its prog elements and Buck's blazing solo and the vocals get rather intense. Harvester Of Eyes has a beat that just sucks you in. Flaming Telepaths works well and explodes into Astronomy which is a fitting way to end such an incredible album with fresh and innovative songs.

This was their 3rd offering and I see the first 2 as a warm up to this one after they had honed their musicianship and if you are going to invest in BOC, start here; everything else is measured by this album.

I feel a certain sense of guilt in reviewing this compilation. The reason I put it in the foreground: in the creation of US Power Metal BOC are one of the fundamental bands. And among my favorites. But as a Progressive band... I don't understand where Progressive is to be found in their music, if not in seeking, as mentioned, the innovation from Hard Rock to US Power Metal which, however, I find much more in bands such as Dust, Mountain or Grand Funk Railroad.

Having said that, how to judge "Collections"? Like one of many... Too many compilations from the last few years... Last 30 years. That is, this compilation is useless. It's not enough "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Godzilla", "Burnin 'For You" or a "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" to change my mind. Moreover, without a biography or other liner-notes. Only the price could push us to buy it. Unfortunately, in recent years, the proliferation of compilations like this one has been one of the real problems that have led to today's comatose state of the recording industry. At least in the previous decades they were used to promote the bands or to take stock of the production or, like live albums, to sanction the end of an evolutionary period and the opening of another evolutionary period or, again, to thank the fans for the success achieved. But the music contained here is really good. It just doesn't make me change my mind about this compilation (and this kind of compilation).

'Twas early 1986, me barely 15 years old, and a new Blue Oyster Cult release with a silly title and a goofy cover. I had only one BOC album, "The Revolution By Night", which I had been somewhat duped into buying because a friend said they were really heavy and the song "Take Me Away" seemed to affirm that. So I was hoping that a second attempt to hear heavy BOC would prove fruitful with this album. It was not. But was I disappointed? Baffled at first is more like it.

I wasn't sure what to make of this album. There were the hard rocking and heavy guitars but there were also bright, eighties pop synth sounds which I still cringe at to this day. There was dramatic music with really catchy vocal melodies but there were also electronic drums which I have never cared for much. I found certain songs intriguing as they offered something new or at least rare in my cassette collection. That jangly eighties guitar sound I didn't like actually sounded pretty good on "Perfect Water", and in spite of the keyboard sounds, I felt the song drawing me back for repeated listens, eventually becoming one of my favourite tracks on the album. It had a mysterious and also beautifully serene atmosphere to it. Not one band in my music collection at the time had a song like this.

Then there was "White Flags". A song packed with tension and moments of release sometimes simply through a keyboard effect but more so with the break into the chorus. One of my favourite parts was the organ bit that follows the, "Take me away! Yeeeaaahhh!" part. When I finally heard the original version recorded by the Leggatt Brothers, I was disappointed that there was no organ part.

"Shadow Warrior" was a wonderfully ominous and dark track with lyrical imagery typical of the band's works - a kind of future, science fiction / fantasy tale. And "Madness to the Method" had this dynamic piano solo in the song's dramatic conclusion. "Spy in the House of Night" also was not my usual cup of tea but somehow strangely attracted my ears. In fact, the only songs that I thought were a little silly were "Make Rock Not War" and "Beat 'Em Up", mostly for their atrocious meathead rock band-sounding titles. Musically, they were actually not so bad except for the keyboard sounds.

In truth, "Club Ninja" was to me an unfamiliar concoction of hard and heavy rock with pop sounds and at times an epic feel while at others very emotive and strong. Even songs that had goofy parts (are they really singing "Ooh-ga chaka" in "When The War Comes"?) were also interesting for their other aspects. Chorus voices. Slap bass. Longer tracks with meticulous attention to the details in the music. From a certain sonic point of view, this album would be most similar to Queensryche's "Rage for Order", though the two bands are quite different from one another.

I finally bought this album on CD and listened to it for the first time in about 30 years. I was surprised how much I remembered of the songs. I must have listened to this album more than I thought because I felt like I was listening to an old classic or an old favourite. True, I still flinch at some keyboards parts and "Beat 'Em Up" is still a goofy title. But I found that I actually really like this album! In fact, I think one of the things I appreciate about it now more than before is the prog element. In the mid-eighites, prog was carefully concealed beneath the pop flash of former prog kings or in the more complex music of some metal bands. "Club Ninja" on the other hand grasps hard and heavy rock, pop sounds and melodies, classic rock, and progressive flare (heavy organ and dramatic piano solos plus seven-minute songs with sci-fi and fantasy concepts) and sets them all out on the table.

The album was costly to produce and took nearly a year to put together under the strict guidance of visionary Sandy Pearlman. In the end, the results were probably more baffling to most people who couldn't make sense of what the band was trying to do. My opinion is that Blue Oyster Cult created an album of intelligent lyrical content, music of atmosphere, drama, energy, and dark and light, and many modern sounds that captured both the light, popular side and the harder-edged rock side.

Having this album back again, I appreciate it even more now after decades of exploring heavy and progressive music much, much further. Forget the pop elements. Songs like "White Flags", "Perfect Water", "Shadow Warrior", and "Madness to the Method" show a band who are not afraid to be serious and heavy, melodic, and more musically daring than a lot of bands in the eighties.

Note: I wrote my review first for the MetalMusicArchives, so I did not mention any of the prog factor on this album. Actually, there is not very much that would get ticked for prog if anything. My opinion is that for a Blue Oyster Cult album, this is a surprisingly good release at this stage in their career. But for this site, I'm lowering the score by one star because this is after all the "prog" archives.

So here we have a classic band of the seventies whose fortunes declined in the eighties, who were in disarray throughout most of the nineties, tried to get back in gear in at the turn of the century and who then carried on mostly as a classic rock band playing their classic tunes. Then after 19 years of silence from the recording studio, Blue Oyster Cult drop a new release. The title, "The Symbol Remains" seems less like a victory shout and more like confident statement made through weathered and grim lips with a knife edge of a smile. "It's 2020. BOC is still here."

I was curious. I had never been a huge fan, but my musical travels brought me to BOC Base on a few occasions, allowing one or two more albums to nestle into my collection. My recent reacquaintance with the much-derided "Club Ninja" exposed me to the new album's cover. Somehow, I felt it had to be good.

Of the original line-up, only the two guitarists and principal singers, Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom remain. That's something important though as what defines a band's sound is mostly in the vocals and lead instruments, as well as the songwriting. And to my delight, I feel that this is very much a Blue Oyster Cult album!

The band's familiar heavy side opens the album with "That Was Me", a song that I thought was a reflection back on a "career of evil". At this age, I think this song is very suitable and it is executed in the familiar style of Blue Oyster Cult.

The next two, "Box In My Head" (about his brain), and "Tainted Blood" (a vampire song) continue that familiar sound and style. Obviously, the two legendary members are that much older and the sounds of the instruments and recording is very modern, but they deliver songs worthy of the legendary band name.

I'll confess, though, that partway through the album, it begins to sound more like a generic old dudes' rock album. While at the start I felt it was without a doubt a BOC album, by the middle I thought had I heard this without knowing who it was, I don't think I would have even suspected that I knew what band it was.

Fortunately, once we reach "Stand and Fight" we know who put out this platter. It is actually a heavy tune, perhaps in the sense of classic heavy metal of the seventies but again with a modern sound. "Florida Man" is pretty good, but "The Alchemist" is totally a Blue Oyster Cult track with the heavy guitars, some piano, and an epic tale of fantasy and a quest. Had the album ended here (and I expected that it would as I was listening while walking and not looking at the track list), I would have applauded the band.

However, there is yet another track, and another, and another. It became a game to guess if I had heard the final track yet. I would think, "Now there's a great conclusion to a song and a great way to finish up the album." But then another track would begin. Not that the last five tracks were bad or dull. There are still some very good ones there and some even better than those in the middle of the album where I was wondering if I would recognize the band. I suppose after 19 years, the band had enough material for a 60-minute album. But I personally feel the album could have been more cohesive and more like a BOC album if some of the songs - three or four - had been relegated to CD/download bonus tracks that were separate from the rest of the songs.

My impression is that Blue Oyster Cult have released a surprisingly good album for a mature band. They keep the BOC flame burning for us with songs that both musically and lyrically are congruent with the classic sound of the band.

Any disappointments would be in two or three tracks that could have been either left off or come after the main album track list. I think the album would have had more of a wow impact at somewhere around 10 or 11 tracks.

Overall though, it's a solid release!

I've openly admitted several times that I am a big Blue Oyster Cult fan, and I still am. Even though they may not be the most progressive of bands, their music has always been appealing to me, mostly because they have found this line between popular metal and original style that has way too often eluded artists. They never really caved to the pressures of being another hair metal band even though they were around long before that craze, lived throuhg it and survived long after. There is just that certain something about them that has intrigued me, whether it's the appealing sound of heavy guitar mixed equally to cool keyboard riffs and solos, or their crazy and original lyrics, or the feeling of the mystic surrounding them. Maybe it's a combination of everything. But they've always been a favorite.

I'm not saying that they've always made perfect choices though. Though I don't hate "Mirrors" as much as some, I still find that there are some great songs on it and "Club Ninja" also has enough redeeming qualities to keep it on rotation for me, they are admittedly their weakest moments. Add "Heaven Forbid" to their weaker efforts, though, again, it still has it's redeeming qualities nonetheless.

"Heaven Forbid" came along during after a long hiatus where we hardly heard anything from the band, a period of time that started after the underrated and amazing progressive album "Imaginos", so it was a nice surprise when it came out. The band was considered to be a thing of the past because it had become one of those revolving door bands that see members come and go, changing as often as you'd change a pair of socks. They had resorted to playing 2nd rate outdoor concerts in fairs and such. When they got together to make this album, at least they had somewhat solidified their membership again with the amazing Buck Dharma, Eric Bloom, Alan Lanier and (for the most part) Danny Miranda returning. The only "stranger" was drummer Chuck Burgi, who had played for just about everyone from Michael Bolton's band to "Rainbow" to Enrique Iglesias, however, he held his own here. They also recruited the help of sci-fi/horror writer John Shirley to help on most of the lyrics. They had used lyrical guests in the past, like Patti Smith and critic Richard Meltzer, so this was something to help bring back the original feel of the band. Well, for some reason, it didn't work out quite as well as it should have.

The album starts off sounding very promising with the 1-2-3 punch of excellent tracks; the heavy metal rocker "See You in Black" that will make you sit up and listen thinking, wow they are back with a vengeance. This is followed by the excellent "Harvest Moon" which reminds one of the complex lyrics and sound of the band that once was, and if that's not enough, "Power Underneath Despair" is solid, dark and mysterious. At this point, you might be wondering, how is it that this is such a bad album. You'll be convinced that this is one of their best albums, like I was. But following this, the music gets a bit lighter and poppier, the lyrics get repetitive and even corny sometimes and the music less interesting. It's not all a loss at this point as Dharma gets to play more of his excellent solos, and there is a bit of variety, but the lyrical content suffers along with some boring and repetitive choruses. After this point, the only salvageable songs are "Damaged" which is a fast rolling track that speeds up even more on the coda, somewhat similar to "Moon Crazy" from "Mirrors" album, and "Live for Me" which returns to better lyrics and even reminds one of the excellent song "Perfect Water", the best track on the "Club Ninja" album. It's not enough to bring back the excitement of the first part of the album after the remaining so-so tracks in between it all. The album tries to bring back the glory days with a sequel to "Burnin' for You" and a live version of "In Thee" that sounds rushed, but neither one of these are that great.

Overall, this was a disappointment, but it still has enough on it for the true fans of the classic band to be happy about. Just the first 3 songs are almost enough of a reason to pick it up. When weighing out its value, it still manages to come out with 3 stars as the great songs are really great, even though most of the songs are definitely not their best effort. There is probably less prog than normal with this album too. Most of their albums usually have some progressive songs on them, but in this one, the prog seems to be missing. Yet, the great songs are still great, so overall, it's an average album.

Yeah, if you had Blue Oyster Cult putting out one of the best albums in their entire catalog after nearly 20 years of silence and at 50 years(!) past their original album on your 2020 bingo card congratulations! I had no idea these guys were even making music, let along releasing a full-length album. More importantly the "band" features original key member Eric Bloom and Donadl Roeser and long-time member Richie Castellano.

Everything that has made BOC is here:

1. riff-heavy proto-metal 2. groovy pop-laden, mid-tempo rockers 3. bizarro sci-fi-tinged lyrics that somehow make no sense but also make cogent commentary on society today

Honestly, it's shocking how good this album is. Favorites include conspiracy-rocker Edge of the World, mega-shuffle Train True, sinister The Aldhemist and classic BOC rocker The Return of St. Cecilia.

But it's Stand and Fight that truly shines. A no-holds-barred, heavy metal rocker (think Cities on Flame heavy riffs) combined with an anthemic chorus and cool instrumental section that bludgeons the listener while simultaneously making us stand and raise our fist. Seriously, no band 50+ years into their career has a right to be making music this heavy.

A truly shocking and surprisingly enjoyable release that fits proudly amongst the band's best in their mammoth catalog.