Warpage In The Figures
Posted on | December 16, 2007 at 10:20 pm | 6 Comments
In an e-mail exchange with The Jestaplero, we got to talking about Blue Öyster Cult, as we often do. He ran down his list of favorite BÖC albums in order, and his reasons for such:
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The Jestaplero’s favorite BÖC albums
1. SECRET TREATIES – AMG recently replaced their lukewarm review with a rave that really gets it right
2. TYRANNY AND MUTATION – the birth of speedmetal!
3. AGENTS OF FORTUNE – a little thin on side two but still a classic. “Don’t report this!!”
4. BLUE OYSTER CULT (debut) impressive how fully-formed they were from the start
5. CULTOSAURUS ERECTUS – their most underrated, I think
6. SOME ENCHANTED EVENING – the expanded version. The MC5 cover might be the hardest rocking thing they ever did.
7. FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN – Joan Crawford has risen from the grave!
8. SPECTRES – a fan favorite but it’s never really clicked for me
9. ON YOUR FEET OR ON YOUR KNEES (live) “Bombers at twelve o’clock high…..yeah!”
10. MIRRORS – generally reviled but I think it has its moments
11. EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIVE – essential for the scorching live “Dominance” but points off for original drummer Albert’s absence on most tracks.
I’ve never heard IMAGINOS or any of the other post-Albert albums so I can’t offer an opinion.
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I was really surprised he had never heard any of the post-Albert stuff. Rather than reply to him about mine over e-mail, I’ve decided to make a blog entry out of it. So here’s my list.
Flasshe’s BÖC album ranking
1. SECRET TREATIES – I don’t think any real fan would disagree that this is #1 in the BÖC catalog. A revelation, even now.
2. IMAGINOS – It really started out as an Albert Bouchard solo album, and the participation of some of the other band members is somewhat suspect, and “The Seige And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle At Weissria” has way too much screaming heavy metal vocals on it for a BÖC album, and it’s too ambitious and doesn’t make much sense (even with the liner notes), but damn it sounds good. Brings back memories of the BÖC of old.
3. FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN – Just a really solid set of songs, and contains BÖC’s second biggest hit, “Burnin’ For You”. Kind of a comeback album that no one really expected at that point in their careers.
4. AGENTS OF FORTUNE – The best example of thinking-man’s pop metal ever committed to vinyl. Catchy as all hell.
5. SPECTRES – The followup to AGENTS was much in the same vein as that classic, though not as good. Showed the Oyster boys could follow through.
6. MIRRORS – I know, I know, a lot of people hate this because of the dated songs and dated production, but it was the current album when I first started getting into the Cult, and I have a soft spot in my heart for it. I like the over-the-top SciFi of “The Great Sun Jester” and “The Vigil”. “In Thee” (a should’ve-been hit) and “Lonely Teardrops” make me cry. And the faux-Cars new wave of “You’re Not The One (I Was Looking For)” cracks me up. Moon Crazy, Summer of Madness!
7. TYRANNY AND MUTATION – I hated this album at first, especially after hearing SECRET TREATIES and expecting something similar from its predecessor. But it really grew on me quickly. “Hot Rails To Hell” and “7 Screaming Diz-Busters” are what it’s all about. That’s life, baby. OD on it.
8. BLUE ÖYSTER CULT (debut) – A little unformed (obviously I disagree with the Jestaplero on this point), but has a lot of classics. And the closing track “Redeemed” hints at how the Cult would explore and encompass many different musical worlds in the albums to come.
9. CURSE OF THE HIDDEN MIRROR – The latest Cult album, from 2001. Kind of a hidden gem. Actually has some pretty decent tunes on it and reminds me a bit of their older stuff. “Pocket” deserves to be a BÖC classic. “The Old Gods Return” is pretty good, and prophetic.
10. THE REVOLUTION BY NIGHT – First album without drummer Albert Bouchard, and it really shows. Plus it has that really dated synth drum sounds which totally grate on me. But there’s some decent tunes – “Shooting Shark” is a Cult Classic. But oh boy, does it sound dated!
11. CULTOSAURUS ERECTUS – Never really did much for me, though it has grown on me throughout the years. “The Marshall Plan” really brings things down (and, along with “Divine Wind” is too much a product of its time), but “Deadline”, “Hungry Boys” and “Unknown Tongue” are Ãœber-cool.
12. HEAVEN FORBID – From 1998, their first studio album in 10 years, and not exactly a return to form. Tries to be a bit too metal/dangerous, I think. “Harvest Moon” is cool though. Has a neat acoustic live version of “In Thee”.
13. CLUB NINJA – Sandy Pearlman returns to produce again, but I don’t know whether to blame him or not. A really lackluster set of songs, including some written outside the band by heavy metal “hit factory” scribes. But since it has “Perfect Water” and “Spy In The House Of The Night”, I could potentially forgive its many sins. But then side 2 kicks in, which is the most muddled mess (especially the last three “epic” songs) that the band has ever recorded. When half the album is practically unlistenable, I have to put it at the bottom.
I didn’t include the live albums, because I don’t think they should be compared against the studio ones. But here’s how I rate them:
1. ON YOUR FEET OR ON YOUR KNEES
2. SOME ENCHANTED EVENING
3. EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIVE
4. LONG DAY’S NIGHT
So there you have it! The cool thing about being a BÖC fan is that they have such a diverse catalog that any fan can have a different list and it’s valid. Although if you don’t have SECRET TREATIES at the top, something’s wrong with you!
Hey, Mr Summervillain, what’s your list? You’re tagged!
Jogged Today: No, still icy on the ground.
Today’s Weight: 163.8 lbs
Lunch Yesterday: California Dreamin’ wrap from Safeway (really been getting into those lately).
Pet Peeve of the Day: Why do they make it so friggin’ hard to change windshield wiper blade inserts? You’ve got those two metal rib spines, and you have to get them in just right, and it’s hard and bad on the back to lean over the car, and… oh! It gets me.
Latre.
Comments
6 Responses to “Warpage In The Figures”
December 17th, 2007 @ 11:18 am
Replacing the blade inserts only is too evil. I replace the entire blade assembly. Granted it costs more, but oh, the grief it saves me.
I never got beyond being a dabbler in the Cult, but I often find myself humming or subvocalizing “Go go Godzilla.”
and…Merry Christmas
December 17th, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
You gotta love a band that can make a chorus out of “history shows again and again how nature points up the folly of men”…
Also, I think you should change the “Submit” button so it says “on your feet or on your knees.”
December 18th, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
Geez – Their debut ranks right up with ‘Love It To Death” as THE album that defines an era for me. Like Wilco, BOC’s first album was their best and it’s been all downhill from there. Then along comes “Sky Blue Sky” and ruins that analogy. Damn…
December 19th, 2007 @ 1:04 pm
I don’t know how anyone can put the first album above SECRET TREATIES!
I’ve never really dove into the Alice Cooper catalog. One of my neighbors growing up was really into that band, and it kind of soured me on them.
Wilco has always bored me.
December 20th, 2007 @ 10:40 am
tag accepted. tackling it kinda verbosely, in installments, starting with Heaven Forbid
December 20th, 2007 @ 11:57 am
Sheesh, SV, just how many blogs do you have? I’m always discovering new ones!