REVIEW: Blue Oyster Cult, Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best
Of
- Bill Holmes
To some, Blue Oyster Cult's (ahem) legacy is that of a thunderous, ponderous rock band firmly locked into the '70s. And the same people will claim that your appreciation for their dense lyrics and guitar pyrotechnics might have been proportional to just how stoned you were at the time. If you're guilty as charged, this remastered single-disc collection might surprise you.
With a tight rhythm section, two dynamic guitarists and a charismatic vocalist, BOC was already a well-oiled live band by the time they broke onto the scene in 1972. Their first three albums boasted songs with aggressive titles like "Flaming Telepaths" and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"; not quite your average love songs. Each album charted higher than the previous one, and the band toured relentlessly. Finally, with the release of their fourth record, Agents Of Fortune, "Reaper" became a top twenty hit and launched the group into the stratosphere.
Admittedly, the sinister pose was a bit of a put-on, and tracks like "Joan Crawford Has Risen From The Grave" and "Marshall Plan" prove BOC to be Black Sabbath with better chops and a sense of humor, a trick that label mates The Dictators would take a step further. But BOC could rock with anybody, especially when underrated guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser would cut loose on tracks like "Take Me Away" and "Flaming Telepaths."
This collection is the first to include material from every album; strong but lesser known cuts fit well alongside hits like "Burning For You," "(Don't Fear The) Reaper," and "In Thee." The two and a half minute garage rocker "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" is a forgotten gem, and you might be surprised to know that "Godzilla" was NOT a single, considering it is one of their best known songs. Obviously Nirvana liked it so much that Kurt ripped it off for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." And the Farfisa-driven, glam-tinged "Goin' Through The Motions" (co-written with Ian Hunter), should have been a smash hit.
The sound is crisp and clear - drums snap, bass pounds and guitars rip. If you're a fan, indulge yourself. And if you're new to BOC, well - for those about to rock, I salute you.
