Pick of the Week: Blue Oyster Cult

By Dana Wright
MuzikReviews.com
07:09AM / Sunday, April 22, 2012

The Essential Blue Oyster Cult

Blue Oyster Cult began in the late 1960s in upstate New York. For more than 40 years, the band has been rocking it with cutting-edge sound and lyrics that will stick in your mind long after the song is over.

The band itself has undergone several member changes over the years. The current lineup includes longtime members Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Bloom (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard), with Jules Radino (drums, percussion), Richie Castellano (keyboard, guitar, vocals), and Rudy Sarzo (bass guitar).

"The Essential Blue Oyster Cult" is the quintessential collection for longtime fans or new fans who want a taste of BOC. Live performances intermixed with favorite tracks through the years make this album one you don't want to miss. Unlike the 2003 release of the same title, there are twice as many songs and the live tracks are worth everything.

Taking this journey with BOC was like taking a trip back in time and reveling in the feeling of pure rock on tap. The song "Stairway to the Stars" was originally released in 1972. The percussion and full-textured guitar riffs wrap you in their spell from the first second the song begins and you don't want to go anywhere. Seemingly the song is about autographing for fans and the trip upward to stardom. The music here is epic and you can feel the passion rise as lead and rhythm guitar intertwine and scream their way into your psyche. This piece is amazing.

"O.D.'d On Life Itself" was released in 1973 on the album "Tyranny and Mutation." A rocking start with swinging guitar and percussion makes this a piece that very obviously celebrates life. Guitars flame up and carry you off into the fires of hell itself. Not that you mind going at this point. Bring on the pitchforks for some marshmallow roasting if I can listen to this song forever.

Tracks 1. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll 2. Before The Kiss, A Redcap 3. Stairway To The Stars 4. Transmaniacon MC 5. Buck's Boogie (Live Version) 6. The Red & The Black 7. O.D.'d On Life Itself 8. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters 9. Career Of Evil 10. Flaming Telepaths 11. Astronomy 12. Hot Rail to Hell (Live Version) 13. Harvester Of Eyes (Live Version) 14. M.E. 262 (Live Version) 15. Born To Be Wild (Live Version) 16. (Don't Fear) The Reaper 17. This Ain't The Summer Of Love 18. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) (Live) 19. Godzilla 20. I Love The Night 21. Goin' Through The Motions 22. In Thee 23. Black Blade 24. The Marshall Plan 25. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars 26. Joan Crawford 27. Burnin' For You 28. Roadhouse Blues (Live) 29. Shooting Shark 30. Take Me Away 31. Dancin' In The Ruins Genre: Rock                            Visit Web Site Label: Columbia/Legacy       Source Site

"Flaming Telepaths" was originally released in 1974 on their album "Secret Treaties." Suicide, poison and corruption weave tendrils of malignance through this song. Edgy guitar and percussion gash bloody ruts in the flesh of this piece. Electronic keyboards morph from techno to melodic and back to fierce guitar riffs that bring the sweet temptation of the darker side of life.

Continuing the journey in time we reach the second CD and my favorite songs of the album set. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was released in the 1976 album "Agents of Fortune." This song was written and sung by Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and has to be one of the most well known BOC songs ever made. It is on the Rolling Stone list of the top 500 songs of all time. It begins with a guitar riff that circles through the entire song, radiating out with a steady percussion and dark, soul scorching lyrics that haunted me from the first time I heard the song. Life, death and the eternal human struggle make this a song that stays with you. Although at the time of the song’s release there was some fear that it was about suicide, Roeser denounced that theory and explained it was about eternal love transcending death.

"Godzilla" was released on the 1977 album "Spectres." It was a tribute of the monster movie of the same name and is also one of the best-known songs from BOC. The onset of the song has the guitar practically growling to get out and then the classic riff we have all come to know and love. The monster story unfolds as Godzilla rampages through Tokyo. The piece is lively with guitar highlights and composition that is flawless. Phrases in Japanese filter through the song warning the public to take shelter and monitoring the monster's movement.

"Black Blade" was released on the "Cultosarus Erectus" album in 1980. Although it did not do as well in the U.S., the album had success in the U.K. Written by Bloom with lyrics by science fiction writer Michael Moorcock, the song was about the Elric saga. Bloom had also paired up with Moorcock to write "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" and "The Great Sun Jester." The song has good energy, steady guitar riffs, and an electronica element to the vocals.  It is well orchestrated, but not as high octane as some of the other pieces written by the pair.

Blue Oyster Cult has been amazing audiences for over four decades and just keeps getting better with time. Selling over 24 million albums worldwide, BOC has a unique sound with melodic textures, epic vocal elements, alluring chord progressions and some on fire guitar playing that is ground breaking in its originality.

From the epic guitar experience in "Buck's Boogie" and the extreme guitar and percussion explosion that shows just what BOC is capable of in "Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll," this album collection will take you back in time to days as a teenager spent in your room for hours listening to BOC and keeping the world away with the seductive power of their music. The gothic romance in "I Love The Night" and the edgy "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" creates whole worlds to fall into.

"The Essential Blue Oyster Cult" is a must for anyone who considers themselves a fan. Yes, there are many collections out there, but this one has a superb timeline, excellent song selection and live performances mixed in. If you have never experienced BOC, then you owe it to yourself to give this album a try.

Dana Wright is a staff writer for Muzikreviews.com, which offers a wide variety of reviews on new and classic albums.