| Blue Oyster Cult | 1972 |
| Tyranny & Mutation | 1973 |
| Secret Treaties | 1974 |
| On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (live) | 1975 |
| Agents Of Fortune | 1976 |
| Spectres | 1977 |
| Some Enchanted Evening (live) | 1978 |
| Mirrors | 1979 |
| Cultosaurus Erectus | 1980 |
| Fire Of Unknown Origin | 1981 |
| Extraterrestrial Live | 1982 |
| The Revolution By Night | 1983 |
| Club Ninja | 1986 |
| Imaginos | 1988 |
| Workshop Of The Telescopes (compilation) | 1995 |
| Heaven Forbid | 1998 |
| Curse Of The Hidden Mirror | 2001 |
Blue Oyster Cult are sort of a strange phenomenon in the history of hard rock. Not because their sound was particularly out there, but it's because of a wide variety of things. This was a band who built their image as some sort of dark, evil, macabre thing, and yet their lyrics featured a lot of weird imagery that wasn't exactly scary - they (including many of the songwriters and lyricists that wrote with them over the years) often made it so it was obvious they weren't exactly taking themselves seriously, almost mocking the horror mystique while still kinda reveling in it. These lyrics were always a strongpoint of the band, really, always out there, interesting and cryptic, even if the listener had no freaking clue what they were singing about. Can anyone really decipher, apart from a couple tunes, the meaning behind the stuff on their first two albums?
As great as their lyrics were, though, there was (is?) so much more to the band than that. BOC built a lot of their sound on a hard rock groove led by the guitar attack of Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma (who were also both quite distinctive vocalists when they alternated on their own compositions) along with Allen Lanier (also the band's keyboardist). In their prime, they could compete with many of the hard rock giants of the 70's and early 80's for killer riff creation at their best, and their interesting arrangements often complemented them well. Along with the riffs and lyrics, the various songwriters of the band (which, in the early days, also included lyricist Richard Meltzer, producer Sandy Pearlman and occasionally even Patti Smith) could also pen really catchy melodies.
Speaking of 'catchy melodies', though, it was Buck Dharma, already a fine guitarist, who began taking the band in a 'poppier' direction beginning with the well known hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", the song the band is often associated with. Songs in this vein did admittedly lead to a more generic sound on albums like Mirrors (though that one's actually pretty underrated because of people's aversion to 'generic pop'), and when combined with metal in the mid 80's, led to some disasterous results. But on the positive side, the poppier stuff did bring a neat little dimension to the band's sound, and it produced its' share of classics.
The main drawback to BOC, of course, is that their albums were often tremendously inconsistent, with several great songs surrounded by quite a few more unnoticeable, half-baked, or sometimes just plain annoying, filler tunes. As a result, with one or two major exceptions, they're probably best heard on compilation. If you create a mix tape of their best stuff, you can come out with quite a lot of awesome music all the way through, however. And not just from their 70's work, either. As for the completeness of the page, my brother's acquired all the studio albums but the out of print late period concept album Imaginos (which is either their quintessential album or their biggest disaster, like Mark Prindle seems to think), and I've got em all available to listen to on an MP3 CD (hooray for technology!). I'll probably work at getting all the songs from that album, too. Stay tuned.
--Nick Karn
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Then Came The Last Days Of May, She's As Beautiful As A Foot, Transmaniacon MC, Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll. LOW POINTS: Workshop Of The Telescopes, I'm On The Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep.
Apparently, Columbia envisioned these guys as their label's answer to Black Sabbath, but that assessment turned out to be not quite as accurate as they thought. Sure, the general sound Blue Oyster Cult has up for display on their debut effort is based a lot on dark riffage and similar subject matter, but they really take the darkness of their subject matter to the point where it's silly and they know it. While Sabbath bases their dark sound on Tony Iommi's guitar tone, BOC has a great three guitar attack of lead player Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser (probably the main musical 'genius' and most notable songwriter in the band), stun guitarist and distinct lead vocalist Eric Bloom and rhythm guitarist Allen Lanier. And as for the debut's sound, it's arguably the least conventional and bizarre of their entire catalog, featuring a very curious lyrical focus, and there's something not quite right about the chord progressions and melodies.
Many, in fact, think the band never got any better than the song material displayed on this album, and while it's mostly a consistently 'good' set, there aren't all that many truly ear catching, totally impressive cuts. There are two major exceptions that closest to total classics here, however - "Then Came The Last Days Of May" is the first of several truly awesome attempts at capturing that 'night vibe' these guys are so proficient at, and they nail it so well here. Bluesy and chilling with a scary lyrical twist building off travelers lost in the desert or something to that effect, it's definitely the most fantastic composition here. The bizarre "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" isn't far off that standard, though, as it's built on a haunting guitar part and groove with twisted lyrics that surely live up to that great song title. To a lesser extent, there's also the cool, uptempo countryish closer "Redeemed" that has a neat merge of acoustic and electric guitars, and it's quite catchy, even though it's not exactly a positively looked upon track for whatever reason (out of place, maybe?)
As for the rest, it's good if not too much more than that. There's a fine singalong riff rocker in "Stairway To The Stars" (which features something about asking musicians for autographs or something like that), "Screams" has this silly, mildly haunting horror movie atmosphere (and its' transition to "She's As Beautiful As A Foot" is notable), the opener "Transmaniacon MC" is an aggressive hard rocking look back at Altamont with almost stoned-sounding vocals that give it a charm, the curiously titled "Before The Kiss, A Redcap" has a neat verse melody and fun little riff (though it kinda rambles a bit) and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" is another entertainingly celebratory (and amusing) rocker.
The weak tracks on here? "Workshop Of The Telescopes" and "I'm On The Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" (where do they come up with these song titles?) aren't particularly bad or anything, but the former is definitely the least memorable tune on here and doesn't do anything particularly noteworthy while it's on, and the latter has a tendency to somewhat meander in its' guitar groove. Even these two tracks aren't that much less than 'good', though, so it's a consistently satisfying first album. The worst thing I can say about it, though, is that the production really bugs me at times - I know it's 1972 and all, but the mix is just way too bass heavy and the riffs don't come through with enough force as they probably should. It doesn't detract from the actual songs, though, and the remaster is probably better, anyway. A nice way to begin a career, though.
UPDATE: Hey, "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" is better than I remembered, especially after seeing it live during a way asskicking show recently (what power to that riff!). And the album has kinda grown on me a little bit more in quality. I dunno where BOC were trying to accomplish at this point in their career, but it's intriguing!
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COMMENTS
"Bluesy and chilling with a scary lyrical twist building off travelers lost in the desert or something to that effect"?!?! Did Nick Karn ctually listen to this song? It's about a drug deal gone bad - "They brought everything they needed, the bags and the scales to weigh the stuff; the driver said the border's just over the bluff" and "It wasn't until the car suddenly stopped, in the middle of a cold and barren plain, and the other guy turned and spilled three boys blood did they know a trap had been lain." Nothing about travelers lost in the desert or anything to that effect; all about saving up for the big score and then being blown away...
[Author's note: Note to self: never listen to Brian Burks' interpretation of a song's lyrics without actually reading into them yourself... doh. The song's subject matter should have been obvious to me, now that I think of it.]
Just a quick comment - you mention that Buck Dharma is "probably the main musical 'genius' and most notable songwriter in the band." While there is no denying that Buck is a masterful guitar player, excellent singer, and songwriter, he is by no means the main musical genius or most notable songwriter in the band. For one thing, he was only one of four main singers for the band, and I consider his voice the least distinctive of the bunch. Also, while Buck penned the band's biggest hits, '(Don't Fear) the Reaper', 'Godzilla', and 'Burnin for You', the wacky Bouchard brothers, Albert and Joe, contributed a predominate number of the band's best tunes, including a major percentage of the first four albums through Agents of Fortune, and both Eric Bloom and Allen Lanier contributed important songs. Furthermore, manager Sandy Pearlman also assisted greatly with writing and managing BOC as producer, and the band also had genuine writers contributing lyrics, which are noted as possibly the strangest and most interesting lyrics in music, certainly in metal. So it's not that Buck isn't fantastic, it's that to list him as the band's main 'genius' is to seriously undervalue the other members of what truly was a uniquely collaborative project.
Perhaps their best album far and away. The effect of mystery and suspense. The haunting melodies. The eerie travelling tunes. One of rocks all time classics. Hearing this album for the first time captivated me.
M Wass
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: O.D.'d On Life Itself, Wings Wetted Down, Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl). LOW POINTS: Baby Ice Dog, 7 Screaming Diz-Busters.
As good an album as the debut was, even the heaviest tracks there didn't particularly have that notable of an energy level. So I guess as a result the band decided to go for a more raw, energetic and loose approach to their second effort. The songs are also getting a bit longer, with increasing instances of jamming throughout on some of the longer tracks. The songwriting, however, is still somewhat inconsistent, a common theme for the band's career, and a little weaker than the debut was (though not really by much), mostly because the actual melodies of the songs aren't quite as memorable. But still, there are a couple of classics here, mostly due to some neat little riffs and interesting melodies, plus the truly bizarre lyrical approach the guys take to a few of them. Just don't expect to be that thrilled by a lot of what's on here, since not that much really stands out.
The major classic on here in my mind certainly does, though. "O.D.'d On Life Itself" might be built on a somewhat basic midtempo CCR-style riff, and there's not really all that much to the song itself, but somehow it manages to be really, really entertaining. The tempo is just a whole lot of fun, and the way the rest of the music keeps stopping for the appearance of 'the riff' (as well as the soloing over it) is great, and the chorus kicks ass. But the apocalyptic ballad "Wings Wetted Down" sure comes close to it, as the evil sounding main riff is really great, the way it's accented by piano is effective, the chorus is the most memorable hook on here, and the Spanish poetry-based lyrics are really intriguing (particularly the opening lines 'flights of black horsemen / soar over churches / pursued by an army of birds in the rain'). The other real highlight is the hilarious closing track "Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)", whose over the top lyrics and chorus ('quicklime giiiiiiirl... behind the bush') guarantee it a spot in my head.
The rest of the album isn't particularly special, but with a couple of exceptions ("Baby Ice Dog" is just a standard rocker that tries very unsuccessfully to find any sort of hook, and as cool as the opening riff of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" is and as odd as the lyrics are, it doesn't deserve to be almost 7 dull and repetitive minutes long) it isn't bad either. "The Red And The Black" is a pretty good opening speed rocker (with a riff that sounds vaguely like a fast version of The Doors' "Wild Child"), "Hot Rails To Hell" has another cool simple riff and fun melody (though it eventually wears thin near the end, and as such I'm not exactly sure why it's considered the major classic on here - still pretty exciting though) and "Teen Archer" shows a weird, quirkier side of the sound, with an unusually bouncy chorus. And there's your boring analysis of Tyranny And Mutation - more good early BOC for you. Go grab it, if only for "O.D.'d", "Wings" and the overall fun of several of the tracks.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Astronomy, Flaming Telepaths. LOW POINTS: Cagey Cretins.
BOC's third album is often considered one of their most successful by fans in defining their early sound, but I see this one in a completely different way. This is actually one of those instances where I completely agree with the critics - this almost sounds like a creative self-parody to me. The energy and drive is still there, but basically, this is a more recycled and generic-sounding version of the first two albums. At this point, the band was still using outside collaborators like producer Sandy Pearlman and lyricist Richard Meltzer and the like, so maybe they were at fault, too, who knows. What I do know is that the melodies and riffs on this album are generally uninteresting, and the tone of the overall record is just samey and completely non-distinctive. But that being said, there isn't that much in the way of bad material on this album, and there is one spectacular classic here.
A perfect example of this album's approach comes in the opening "Career Of Evil". Pretty catchy chorus, sure, but the riff is a virtual clone of "Transmaniacon MC", and the whole vibe almost seems overly cartoonish. And the weak melodies and arrangements hurt otherwise very promising tracks like "Dominance And Submission" and "ME 262" - the former one has a good opening riff and a really cool 'dominance!' chant in the middle, but nothing else to speak of, really, and other than the great driving guitar burst at the beginning, I can hardly remember anything about the latter song. There's also "Cagey Cretins", undoubtedly the most empty number on the whole album - that silly refrain at the beginning in particular is really irritatingly stupid, and the whole rest of the song is damn near melodyless.
Luckily, for all its' weaknesses, the album does get at least a little better toward the end. "Harvester Of Eyes", while not a great song by any means, has an effective apocalyptic feeling to it to go along with an exciting, fast arrangement, while the combination of the dark main riff, overall stormy atmosphere, the great synth/piano soloing in the middle, and the ending refrain ('and the joke's on you...') make "Flaming Telepaths" sound impressively ominous. And, of course, there's "Astronomy", a gorgeously majestic night ballad that might actually be their best song of the 70's - the piano parts at the beginning are chillingly beautiful, the lyrics are great (particularly the opening lines 'the clock strikes 12 and moondrops burst / out at you from their hiding place...'), the main melody and guitar breaks rule, and the breakaway ending is just a perfect way to bring the song to a close. It's a totally phenomenal song that's probably the only one here that lives up to its' 'fan favorite' reputation, unlike the rest of this mostly disappointing album, which is easily the most overrated one in the BOC catalog.
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COMMENTS
I disagree, I think this is B.O.C.'s best 70's album next to Agents Of Fortune.
Great songs here as usual, "Me262" fucking rules, even if I had to look up the lyrics!
Another classic is "Dominance And Submission" with some of Buck Dharma's best soloing. And, of course, the masterpiece "Astronomy"! God, what a killer song...possibly the band's best ever!
The only song on this one that is kinda weak is "Career Of Evil", and it really ain't half bad.
Give this another listen, it'll grow on ya!
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: (Don't Fear) The Reaper, E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence), This Ain't The Summer Of Love, The Revenge Of Vera Gemini. LOW POINTS: Tenderloin.
A huge turning point for the band, both artistically and commercially. After the minor creative stagnation of Secret Treaties, it seems that they took a bit of time to rethink the approach to their sound. The solution seemed almost too obvious - add elements of pop to the strangeness of the atmosphere, lyrics and hard rock riffing. As a result, the album marks the emergence of Buck Dharma as a serious songwriting force in the band (he has always been the one most responsible for the poppier side of BOC, after all), and the rest of the group was starting to break away from outside songwriting a bit more. But more importantly, their newfound approach to the sound led to a lot of spectacular results, at least on side one - the rockers have really memorable riffs, the atmospheres are consistently intriguing, and the melodies on the best songs here are catchy as anything they wrote before.
Oh, and the biggest hit the band ever had is the third track on here. I'm not gonna try and be original and deny the place of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" as the best on the album, 'cause it is. This is where Buck's influence breaks through most, as he comes up with a brilliantly apocalyptic take on the guitar style of The Byrds - a blissfully ominous mood, if such a combination exists. The melody is obviously catchy as hell, with great harmonizing and exciting guitar breaks to go along with it, making it a total rock classic. But hey, almost all of side one is an utterly brilliant stretch of music, with only "True Confessions" being the slight letdown on the side, since it's a bit lightweight. It's also very close to something the Stones would write in a particularly poppy mood - the vocal intonations and melody are almost exactly Mick Jagger-ish. It's a really catchy, short piano pop tune though, so I dig it.
The other three songs other than "Reaper", however, are classics or close to that status. The opener "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" has a really powerful, hard-hitting main riff, an incredibly catchy refrain ('this ain't the garden of eeeeeeeeden, there ain't no angels above...') and lyrics that slam the door on the 60's so well. "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)", meanwhile, has a truly spectacular main riff that can easily be called one of the band's best, while the melody and guitar breaks are just about as memorable. But my favorite part of the song, though, is the highly soaring chorus - it really says something about it when the lyrics are mostly unintelligible here (unless you're reading them, that is). And finally, "The Revenge Of Vera Gemini" is a fantastic collaboration with poetess Patti Smith, with killer bass playing and a great haunting guitar line popping up in the verses and another highly memorable, wonderfully strange chorus in which her vocals make a key appearance. Great song.
Unfortunately, great songs are something the band kinda runs out of on the second side here, as the album kinda relaxes in a merely enjoyable state from this point onward. But still, every song in this portion of the album is quite nice, except for maybe "Tenderloin", mostly because the only thing I get out of it is the neat keyboard playing - I can't remember the melody for the life of me. The best of this half is probably the gorgeous panoramic night tune "Debbie Denise", whose melody really emphasizes the last line in every verse to great effect (with nice piano work) and it closes the album on a great chorus ('I was out rolling... with my baaaaaaand'). In a similar vein to that one is "Morning Final", whose best feature is the extremely pretty opening piano line leading into a very relaxed, lightly rocking vibe that really evokes the mood after the last final exam that ends a school semester.
And finally, the remaining two minor pleasures here are also the oddest ones - "Sinful Love" has a chanting chorus that might sound a bit ugly, but it is a nice hook that does nevertheless stick in your head, and "Tattooed Vampire" is the most rip-roaring rock song on here, with an almost generic riff in the verses, but the chorus is really amusing in how over the top it is (the screams of 'tattooed... VAMPIRE!!!' are the highpoint) - I can't imagine this song working with anyone but Eric Bloom singing it. And that about wraps it up. Side one is practically the ideal stretch of 70's BOC out there, and the album as a whole is perhaps their most well-represented. The second half's lack of material to match up to it doesn't allow me to give this a 9, but still, this is a great album, and one that I recommend to start with the band if you're not gonna go after a compilation.
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COMMENTS
Yeah, I'd give this an 8.5 also. It's probably the most consistent album they did, scoring a little better than Spectres and Fire of Unknown Origin. I have to comment on the lyrics. I do hope you are kidding about "Morning Final" referring to a final exam; it refers to a morning newspaper running the story about the murder. Also interesting to note in "Revenge of Vera Gemini": the "no more horses, horses" line. Patti Smith who sang in that song had a famous album called Horses, didn't she.
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Godzilla, I Love The Night, Goin' Through The Motions. LOW POINTS: Searchin' For Celine.
If it might have seemed to a few that the last album was too pop, you haven't heard this one. But unlike the haters of this album, though, I just can't seem to accept the fact that the material here is really such a decline from Agents Of Fortune. Okay, I'll be the first to admit that, in several places, the band is going for more conventional and generic territory here. I'll also say that there are a few other moments that the songwriting gets dangerously close to cheesy and boneheaded. But these are only instances that count as minor little flaws against the album that keep it from being on the same level as Agents, along with the fact, of course, that this doesn't have as many great songs. The album as a whole, though, is an unusually consistent and even listen for the band, with very few if any truly weak moments, and there are still several of them where the mood is pure BOC.
A prime example of what some might find to hate about this album is in the opening "Godzilla". At points, it actually feels like the band might be taking the comic subject matter a bit too far, and there is something to that. But everything about this song is enjoyably dumb in a great way, so I can get a kick out of it. It has one of their all time best riffs, and everything about it is so over the top and fun, from the refrain ('ohhhhh no, they say he's got to go...') to the 'Godzilla! Godzilla! Godzilla!' chant in the middle, that it's awesome. And of course, there's the keyboard driven sports arena rock of "Goin' Through The Motions", which rules - I am not kidding. I don't know about you, but I can't ever resist that great clapalong chorus and keyboard part that drives the song, and that even makes up for the slightly overblown bridge. Heck, even "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" (I can't believe they'd go that low to come up with a title that dumb), as obvious as it might be, has a few really catchy melodies, and it rocks pretty convincingly live, but that's for the next review.
The ballads, though, don't really have as much a connection to the more commercial aspects of this album. Well, "I Love The Night" pretty blatantly steals the guitar line from the instrumental breaks of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" in the intro, but the rest of the song - wow. This is a great example of the magic of the magical 'night world' that this band so skillfully creates sometimes, with a dreamy atmosphere and lyrics, plus a gorgeous pop chorus where the harmonies rule. Likewise, "Nosferatu" not only has an neat lyrical perspective on vampires and such, but the melody has kind of an eerie, unresolved feeling over nice piano, and the final refrain is a haunting and unsettling way to end the album. And "Death Valley Nights" really works in taking the listener to some empty place in the middle of nowhere where nothing is happening, and the striking chorus ('what I need / is a kiss from you babe') works as a plea for this sort of atmosphere.
As for the rest of the album, only "Searchin' For Celine" is a real low point, since it's a bit too naggingly obvious of a piano pop song, with a slightly grating melody, but the other three songs are fine. Though its' various sections aren't really all that memorable, and part of it is dangerously close to ripping off "Won't Get Fooled Again", the biker anthem "The Golden Age Of Leather" sounds exciting while it's on, while "Celestial The Queen" is fairly powerful synth pop done BOC style (which means it's lyrically not quite your ordinary synth pop) and "Fireworks", while very unmemorable in most parts, has a weird contrast between the unusually upbeat chorus and the nice guitar lines over darker lyrics in the verses. It's a song that pretty much sums up the album well - it's very conventional and generic in places (which is what keeps this from a higher rating than low 8), but at the same time there's still something not quite conventional about it.
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COMMENTS
You summed this one up quite well, particularly the main points about this album being: only slightly inferior to the excellent Agents of Fortune, more pop and commercial yet still 'unconventional'. So I'll just add some additional points. "Golden Age of Leather" is an interesting tune that has some cool twists, like with the switch to the chorus at the end of the song. The rather soaring chiming guitar lines (especially at the intro) to "Fireworks" is reminiscent of "Morning Final".
I love the closing haunting sequence of "I Love the Night" and "Nosferatu", the latter of course, concerning vampires. The middle part in "Godzilla" is, I believe, an emergency notification in Japanese. Overall, a good effort. I give Spectres an 8 also.
I don't understand why so many folks think Spectres compares unfavorably with Agents. The first four songs on Agents are awesome, but the album peters out after that. Vera Gemini, Sinful Love, and Tattoo Vampire are just not very good. Things get better with Morning Final, really good with Tenderloin, and end horribly with Debbie Denise. Spectres continues the breakthrough represented on Agent's best material with more consistency. Everyone in this band was a good song-writer, such a rare thing even in the 70's! Buck Dharma is at an absolute apex here. "Golden Age Of Leather", and "I Love The Night" alone are worth the price of admission.
Granted, there are a few problems. Albert Bouchard is writing pop songs (Death Valley Nights, Fireworks), but his voice is not right for this kind of material (he was much more effective grunting "SUBMISSION!" over and over like an ejaculating mental patient!). Some criticize "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" as being generic hard rock, but this was the mid 70's and BOC were among the best at it. Heartbreaker by Zep and the first Montrose album were kinda generic hard rock, too. But they were also incredible, right?
Amendfully,
Shaun Damon
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: R.U. Ready 2 Rock, E.T.I. (Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). LOW POINTS: Kick Out The Jams.
It seems strange to me that the band would release another live album so soon after the double length On Your Feet Or On Your Knees from just three years ago, but I don't really want to figure out the reasoning behind these things. What I do know is that judging by this effort, BOC certainly sounds reasonably energetic in a live setting, and the sound quality is reasonably good as well. The flaws of this album, however, are glaringly obvious. First of all, at just 38 minutes, it's very short for a live outing, and the track listing is mostly Agents and Spectres live with only "Astronomy" represented pre '76, and two cover versions. Plus, with one major exception, I can't really see how these versions really make the purchase of this thing essential, and this is coming from someone whose first full-length exposure to the band was through this album through a very odd misunderstanding.
Perhaps their two best songs of the 70's ("Astronomy" and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"), are predictably given extended jams towards the end, and it kinda says something about those in that they're overlong enough that I wish those songs were over after awhile. Not that the actual main parts of those songs don't rule mercilessly, of course. There's also their cover of "Kick Out The Jams", another overcovered song that just doesn't excite me all that much, and BOC's version is no exception - standard, slightly punkish hard rock. "Godzilla", though, unsurprisingly goes off pretty well in a concert setting, since that song seems made for the arenas.
As for the stronger points of this album, "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" is the one improvement over the original version, as it rocks much more convincingly (and is less cheesy) than before. And as for the other two songs, "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" actually works with the soloing added on at the end, and the band made a good choice for a show closer in covering the Animals on "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", an appropriate finale if there ever was, mostly for the good refrain at the end. But otherwise, I'm not too thrilled by this album. It's hardly bad at all, and it's well-performed, but it doesn't reveal anything particularly thrilling that can't be experienced from the studio versions of these songs, making it a bit unnecessary.
OVERALL RATING: 6
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: In Thee, Mirrors, Moon Crazy. LOW POINTS: Dr. Music, You're Not The One (I Was Looking For).
Uh oh. They're getting ever increasingly commercial and generic here. For this reason, it isn't a surprise at all that this is probably the most hated album in their catalog by fans. It's not just the actual songwriting that's more conventional than before, though - this time around, Sandy Pearlman isn't in the producer's chair, being instead replaced by Tom Werman, who gives a slicker and way more radio friendly edge to the sound. Occasionally that makes things bothersome, especially when the material isn't up to par, but in terms of sound, the mix is the most clear and professional of their career thus far, and it often gives the album a really warm and alive feeling that's perfect for playing in the summertime evening. And there are a few truly great pop tunes in the mix that bring the rating of the album up enough to call it the most underrated effort of their career. Of course, there's also a bit of total crap here, too. Oh well.
But let's forget about the crap for a moment and concentrate on the great stuff. The minor hit single "In Thee" is the best of the lot - it's also probably the best thing Allen Lanier has ever contributed to the band. It boasts a fabulous acoustic guitar part driving the song, a totally gorgeous melody and beautifully written lyrics about long distance love. The chorus is totally catchy, too, and while the song rocks out, the production really works to the its' advantage. The title track's lyrics are also brilliant, with well-written insight on the idea of 'beauty on the outside', but the music and melody here is awesome, too, with a nice hard rock riff and a really snappy and addictive melody, with the female chorus chants of 'pretty girls can't look away' being another effective addition. And "Moon Crazy" is the most musically adventurous of the lot, with a fun bouncy little groove in the verses (and occasional great soloing over it) shifting into a faster bass-heavy refrain, and the manner in which it breaks away at the end... totally breathtaking.
Elsewhere, there's even an extended epic that takes advantage of the production style - "The Vigil" is quite an excellent and effective use of a heavy main riff (one of the most distinct and powerful on the album) interplaying with acoustic guitars, and the bridge is quite a haunting diversion from the rest of the album. "The Great Sun Jester" also has a beautiful and longing main melody, though musically, it's a bit too derivative, sounding like something straight out of Quadrophenia (I guess they liked to use The Who as a sort of ripoff inspiration at this point in their career). Unfortunately, the remainder of the album is the much more undistinguished and occasionally annoying part. The opening track "Dr. Music" is by far the worst of the lot, as it takes in the most generic and obnoxious part of the 'summer rock' sound here, and the chorus, with the backing female singers and all, is really annoying.
The stretch of the last three songs here, meanwhile, isn't a very good one - a generic fast rocker that sounds exciting but doesn't do anything ("I Am The Storm"), completely generic FM radio a la Boston ("You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)" - now that one hits the pop side of the album a bit too hard) and generic funk ("Lonely Teardrops", which at least sounds nice ending things). I think you see the common theme here. But fortunately, the band wouldn't stay on this path on the next album - my guess is that there was creative turmoil between those responsible for the 'poppier' sound and the more 'classic' sophisticated one. The former side (probably Tom Werman and Buck Dharma for the most part) might have won out here, but the latter one was about to take control, resulting in something very special.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Black Blade, Monsters, The Marshall Plan, Divine Wind. LOW POINTS: None.
Now this is a shock. After two albums that were undeniably generic in spots, even though still quite fine, the guys return with what I consider to be the peak of the BOC experience. The band was always capable of writing a few classic tracks per album, but it's only on here that there's this high a percentage of them. Everything here is melodically solid, even the weaker cuts, with the arrangements and overall mood here being simply awesome. There are 80's style synths here, but unlike the following albums, they never ever get in the way of the sound (something that would become bothersome later on), only enhancing the mood. There's also a lot of clever humor apparent in the lyrics, but more importantly, quite a few of the songs here seem to set a conceptual vibe (particularly within side one), and the atmosphere is very much unlike anything else I've heard in their catalog, or heck, anywhere. Unfortunately, this effort often gets average reviews, but that just presents me with the opportunity to call Cultosaurus one of the most underrated records of the early 80's.
The first five songs here, however, are what really make the album a fascinating experience, and I won't hesitate to call it their best stretch of songs ever, even better than side one of Agents Of Fortune. Heck, the opening "Black Blade" just may be my favorite track in their entire catalog - it gets the album off to its' conceptual start in setting a creepy mood throughout its' verse melody and lyrics, and the chorus is just an awesome as hell rush ('BLA-BLADEBLADEBLADE'). The synth-led middle is an effective transition that works well, but the real treat is the finale. The combination of that 'dancing' synth part with the heavy guitars and eerie robotic voices is just astounding. Holy crap, this part floors me every time, and even if the rest of the song sucked, I would still would give it major respect just for its' finish, one of the greatest endings to a song I've ever heard, without a doubt.
"Monsters" completes the amazing 1-2 punch of the album as probably one of the more creative songs they've ever attempted. It has a fantastic combination of a thoroughly addictive verse melody, a great fast main riff, and a groovy jazz-like break with a fantastic bassline. I also really appreciate that chant of 'monsters... monsters...' over the furious energy toward the end. "Divine Wind" then shifts into slow groove mode, and while it could easily be called plodding, I think it's just a captivating experience all the way through, since it really hits the atmosphere of its' title, boasts a nice vocal melody, a very clever and catchy chorus ('if he really thinks we're the devil, then let's send him to Hell!') and effective guitar breaks. "Deadline" does a good job of ending side one on a poppier note, with good interplay between the synths and bassline, and they really do a good job of making that same one note that opens the song stop and start at the right times to give it a haunting effect at the end.
The second side opener "The Marshall Plan" could be viewed as seriously out of place - I do feel it's a little conceptually awkward, and it is an unabashedly cheesy celebration of rock and roll, but it's just so downright fun. Great bombastic chord progression, strong melody, and even the Don Kirschner spoken section chronicling the 'next big thing' in the middle has haunting musical backing. If anything can really be called somewhat stupid on the album, though, it's the rocking "Hungry Boys", which feels a little bit substanceless and empty in its' slightly cock-rockish feel, but luckily it isn't awful; just an okayish filler. The tasteful hard rock/synth pop of "Fallen Angel" compensates for it at least somewhat, with a fine anthemic hook, even if it still sounds a little ordinary in comparison to what came before. Very, very strong chorus, however.
"Lips In The Hills" adds delightfully silly anthemic bombast once again on a powerful start off riff (another classic song title to add to their canon, too). And the closing tune "Unknown Tongue", while not the most memorable tune on the album, does provide a solid closure to the mood of it all, with a haunting refrain, and the yells of 'reveal to me... reveal to me... REVEAL TO ME' really work. Hmm... I'm torn between an extremely high 8.5 and extremely low 9 on this one, but I'm gonna go for the higher rating here, simply because those first five songs are such a rewarding stretch, and there aren't really any stinkers for once. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from here, but hey, what a rather tasty peak this is. And that album cover (with the dinosaur fossil chewing gum!) is just a hilarious sight.
UPDATE: Okay, maybe it's not QUITE a 9, as none of the songs on the second half are quite that good except for "The Marshall Plan", but still an excellent, excellent album nonetheless, and definitely my favorite BOC album. Why doesn't this one get more respect in their catalog???
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COMMENTS
You pretty much said everything that needs to be said about this one, one of the very best albums of the 80's! God, I love "Black Blade", "Monsters", "Divine Wind", and all the others too. Even "Hungry Boys" is great (although it took me a couple listens to appreciate that one)..the lyrics are just awesome!
This album should have been every bit as huge as Back In Black, which also came out the same year...I personally would have gave this album a 10, there is no filler, every track is amazing in it's own right.
Anybody who reads this, trust me...you should own this!!!
I found this site: http://www.geocities.com/mjareviews/blueoyst.html looking for some lyrics...thought I'd browse real quick, and was shocked at what I found.
A 9 For CE? Their best album? This must be a typo.
I think it is their absolute worst. Black Blade, Monsters and Fallen Angel are the only songs worth listening to, everything else is skippable. Revolution by Night and CLub Ninja are even better than this bomb.
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Don't Turn Your Back, Burnin' For You, Fire Of Unknown Origin. LOW POINTS: Joan Crawford, After Dark, Veteran Of The Psychic Wars.
As great as Cultosaurus Erectus was, it was a very unusual album for the band - a mostly conceptual album with all sorts of interesting musical twists and ideas wasn't exactly the usual route that the band had taken to this point. This album, though, has a lot more to do with the public perception of what a Blue Oyster Cult record should sound like, with more of a focus on over the top hard rock, lyrically focusing on dark, cultish subject matter and imagery like fire and war prominent in them. Curiously, however, it also might be the lightest album in their catalog, mostly because keyboards have all of a sudden become really prominent in the sound, but they're mostly the dated-sounding early 80's kind that contribute to the overproduced sound but don't actually add anything worthwhile to the songs. The actual song material in many cases is really weak, too, enough for me to call it their worst album so far.
But, of course, it's also the second most commercially successful album in their catalog for one reason - "Burnin' For You", another one of Buck Dharma's pop classics. It might have a slightly generic and AOR-ish flavor to it, but it's a great song, anyway - the main riff is one of the more distinctive in their catalog, the melody is of course fully catchy, but my favorite parts of it have to be the harmonic buildup to each verse. Don't think just because the big hit is great means the rest of the album lives up to it, though - the more overproduced sound more often than not really mars things. This is particularly true on the slow and introspective "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" where the synths make the song more overdramatic and plodding than it should be, and what's with the really cheesy organ sound on the already too ridiculous speedster "After Dark"? Plus, their hard rocking attempts are either way too repetitive and clumsy ("Soul Survivor") or uncomfortably over the top ("Heavy Metal: The Black And The Silver").
But none of those low points compares to the extremely stupid "Joan Crawford", a song just about as bad as this band gets with taking their silly subject matter to the extreme - a fast Hollywood-ish piano line, campy lyrics, and a laughably dumb chorus of 'JOAN CRAWFORD HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE!' Yikes. At least that's the only obvious stinker, however, and the bookend tracks also help salvage the album somewhat - the title track and "Don't Turn Your Back" are highly successful attempts at dark synth funk, the former creating a great bombastic horror movie mood and the latter a fine example of the BOC 'night world' I've talked about before, with a great bassline driving the song and a beautifully smooth chorus. As far as "Vengeance (The Pact)", the remaining song I haven't mentioned, it starts out like the same unspectacular keyboard rock as most of this album, but it does get its' act together when it breaks away with nice high speed riffing. In all, though, this is a rather patchy effort that continues the band's slow decline, and things would get even worse from here.
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COMMENTS
Big disagreement here. Fire of Unknown Origin gets a solid 8 from me. I like 'Joan Crawford'; the opening piano intro is neato-ominous and I dig the lyrics. I want to hear about the Catholic schoolgirls throwing away their mascara and chaining themselves to big Mack trucks. And how about the cops? They're hiding behind the skirts of little girls. And then the "Christina....mother's home part" is cool. I do agree that the chant of "Joan Crawford has risen from the grave" gets repeated maybe a couple too many times, but itsa gouda cheesy, fun line that fits right in with Mommie Dearest. Good stuff.
'Don't Turn Your Back' is a song that at first may have seem like a bit of a tossof but its become one of my faves. Slightly odd groove going there. 'Veteran of the Psychic Wars' is a good tune, though I do agree the sound of the drums and other instruments put it over the top, instead of just hovering ominously. For the most part though, I think the 'new wave' sound and elements do work well with the strong, YES, strong songwriting on this album. Kinda like BOC meets The Cars and it works. Much like the Buggles meet Yes for Drama. All the songs have something to offer. Anyway, this is one great album to listen to on or around Halloween.
(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Take Me Away. LOW POINTS: Let Go, Light Years Of Love, Dragon Lady, Feel The Thunder.
File this one in the 'what the heck happened to this band?' pile of records. This particular album was released during a time when BOC were falling apart, and the end result of this inner band turmoil is a combination of generic synth pop and generic heavy metal, with the really bothersome and dated 80's production becoming an even worse problem than it was on the last album. In fact, the production here is just atrocious - the sound is just so stiff, lifeless, and commercial-sounding, with booming drums, generic metal riffs, and completely undistinctive synths. The supporting material isn't much better, though. There are attempts at interesting musical and lyrical ideas within these songs, but they mostly fall flat on their face, whether it be the lack of melody, laughable arena rock choruses, or poor execution in the arrangement. In a huge amount of cases, it also sounds like they were trying for a hit, but they're just trying too hard. What made this band special in their first place was their mysterious aura, spontaneous ideas, and sense of pop hooks, and this album has a serious lack of any of that.
Regardless of the production, though, the album does start off very good with the rocking "Take Me Away", which has a fine, kickass riff and a nicely catchy and engaging chorus melody that actually works with this production style. "Veins", despite the at times annoyingly repetitive synths, has more of a hint of melodical conviction than anything else here, with an almost uplifting chorus. "Eyes On Fire", while far from great, is at least an okay synth pop number, with a hint of energy (though it's very unmemorable). And as for the lead single "Shooting Shark", I like the musical idea its' based on - the engaging, almost dance-like and pulsing bass groove and screeching guitar with occasional saxophone accompaniment, but it goes on for way too long (over 7 minutes) without ever changing its' tempo, so it gets annoying and boring after awhile, not to mention the chorus just reeks of soulless corporate rock (actually, I recently figured out that it rips off Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart", one of the signature dumb stadium rock songs, so there you go!).
The album hardly gets better after these first four songs. "Shadow Of California" is overly mechanical and bothersomely heavy on the rhythm, with a serious lack of melody and annoying chants of 'into the darkness', and "Feel The Thunder" is a boring and overdramatic attempt at some sort of 'epic' that doesn't do anything. And then there's the last three songs on here, which all really suck. "Let Go" is really, really, really laughable generic arena rock (with an actual chorus of 'B-O-C'... you can be whatever you wanna be', though it did spawn Mark Prindle's brilliant line dealing with the song being about eating corn backwards), "Dragon Lady" is awful generic metal with horribly cheezy lyrics ('dragon lady takes you by the heart'? whatever) and Joe Bouchard's "Light Years Of Love" tries to be an uplifting mystical ballad, but the attempt fails miserably. You just have to hear that overwrought chorus, man - 'liiiiiiiight years... light years of lovvvvvve...' Genius. The stuff at the beginning saves the album from a 3 (even if it's still not impressive), but regardless, this album is a sad, unrecommendable glimpse of what BOC had become.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: White Flags, Dancing In The Ruins. LOW POINTS: Beat 'Em Up, Make Rock Not War, Shadow Warrior, When The War Comes, Madness To The Method.
It was only appropriate that Blue Oyster Cult, a band in turmoil with their 'we suck at heavy metal' phase, would release an album in the worst year for rock veterans, and not only that, it's a concept album. As you can imagine, the result is in fact one heck of a mess. They're still in that mode where they're trying so hard to have a hit song commercially, but are also trying to be artistically intelligent by lyrically filling all the songs with tough war imagery and the like. This is very often regarded as the absolute nadir of the band, though predictably, there does seem to be a bit of a cult following around it. What exactly is my take on it? Well, it's not the worst album ever made or as much of a dismal failure as I thought it to be at first, and the overall results are actually better than the previous effort. The reason for this is simple - there's actually more than one really good song here! Of course, a good amount of side two is horrendous, but hey, what do you expect in 1986?
As for the good moments on here, most of them are contained within the first two tracks "White Flags" and "Dancing In The Ruins", which both work because they have very catchy and non-obnoxious hooks. The former succeeds on an exciting tempo and dramatic 'can't you feel my love...' chorus, and the latter, while a bit of a "Burnin' For You" rewrite, is a heck of a lot of fun to sing along to despite the utterly dated middle section and overall production. Though it turns a bit lifeless as it goes on, I can't really deny the beautiful guitar touches and nice melody of "Perfect Water", both factors of which make it very enjoyable. Then there's the album closing "Madness To The Method", which might have an awful, overlong arrangement, but that chorus is so exciting with the chanting and everything, it almost makes the rest of the melodyless journey worth it. Too bad it has to be 7-1/2 minutes long, which hardly saves it from being kinda ehhh.
The rest of the tracks here, though, I am not going to be so generous with. "Make Rock Not War" and "Beat 'Em Up" are so pedestrian and cheesy they might as well have been done by Kiss, with the macho repetition of the title in the latter in particular creating a nauseating effect. And what about "When The War Comes"? All I've got to say about this one is that it's a sign of doom for a song when its' only remotely attractive feature is the overdramatic spoken intro by Howard Stern. Of course, I can't tell you anything much about "Spy In The House Of The Night" (which is at least pleasant while it's on) or the extremely directionless and melody deprived "Shadow Warrior", but who needs to know about em? Maybe the guy in the remastered liner notes who apparently thinks this thing is great. Has he ever heard Agents Of Fortune?
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: In The Presence Of Another World, I Am The One You Warned Me Of. LOW POINTS: Magna Of Illusion, Astronomy, The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria.
Without a doubt, this has to be the most controversial 'love it or hate it' album in BOC's history. The basic story behind it is that after the band basically disintegrated, Albert Bouchard decided to cut a solo album, but it eventually was released with the BOC name at the request of the record company, with parts from other musicians (including those in the band) added against his wishes. The end result is actually a combination of that and a series of conceptual songs that Sandy Pearlman apparently had in the works since the Secret Treaties period, with a full story, and a lot of overblown arrangements and lyrcs to boot. Many fans claim this one to be the great lost album of their career, one of their masterpieces (if not their best record ever), and that "it's criminal that this is out of print!" Just as many, however, think it's the biggest pile of shit this side of Club Ninja. Where do I stand? Well, let's see...
The good news is that the songwriting in general is a step up from the last two albums in quality. The songs may still have an air of overcommercialism in them, but they do have artistic merit do to conceptual flow. Plus I will say the first four songs here don't bother me in the least. Heck, "In The Presence Of Another World" is a lost minor classic in my mind, with a creepy, slow-building guitar line and well constructed arrangement, which in the end leads to a really powerful chant ('yooooooour maaaaaster... he's a monster!') that serves as its' main hook. The opening track "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" is a powerful arena rocker with hard hitting intensity and a memorable chorus, "Del Rio's Song" is really catchy, even if generic, snappy pop metal with more easily singable melodies, and "Les Invisibles" is a strange, synth dominated thing that occasionally repeats 'seven, seven, seven...' to a neat effect.
It's at this point, however, where things start to take a nosedive (sound familiar?). "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" (all 11 words of its' long, pretentious title) is probably what Mark Prindle was referring to most in describing this album as "overblown cornball metal", as the song's ridiculously over the top lyrics are sung by an awful Ronnie James Dio/Brian Johnson impersonator from outside the band. But "Magna Of Illusion" is even worse, surely a candidate for the cheesiest song ever written by mortal man. Honestly, guys, we don't need all that pointless historical crap in the lyrics that attempt to make the song sound important, or that really really stupid 'grandmother...' spoken bridge, or that beyond laughable chorus ('August the first... eighteen ninety twooooooooo').
The biggest crime, though, is what they do to the mega-classic "Astronomy" here - somehow, they manage to make it sound exactly like a lifeless Club Ninja song, with a steady 4/4 rhythm that never changes, a dull reworking of the melody, and really stupid 'hey! hey hey!' chants, all of which obscure the lyrical greatness of the original. Thankfully, the last two songs are at least OK to salvage the album a bit (along with the highlights). They're not great, but "Blue Oyster Cult" (yes, they named a song after themselves - cool, huh?) has nice vocal tradeoffs between Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma and an addictive "Stayin' Alive" soundalike anthemic chorus, and the title track is a decent funk number with a good guitar part and a memorability courtesy of the title of the song being repeated about 4000 times. As for the end result... yet again I'm caught in the middle of a love/hate album here, but I still insist that this neither awful or genius. It's just a mediocre album with its' share of fine, quite enjoyable material amongst a bit of crap.
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: Harvest Moon, See You In Black. LOW POINTS: Hammer Back, Damaged.
Blue Oyster Cult, like so many other older contemporaries, hardly escaped the 80's unscathed, so apparently the best way for them to regroup was to hide for most of the 90's. Which brings us to this reunion album, coming ten years after their last studio effort Imaginos. Would they continue on to the vapid generic metal of their down period, or maybe try to pull off a recreation of their old classic style? While they haven't gotten generic metal out of their system, they have turned a couple factors in the sound, heavyness and overall melody, up a notch. Several songs on Heaven Forbid, in fact, represent perhaps the heaviest BOC ever got, with impressive (though sometimes pedestrian) guitar crunch throughout and occasionally, even nice power riffs, and on the lighter tracks, good poppy melodies. Although it may not be the greatest comeback album in the world, it's still fully acceptable after what came before this.
Especially since the album starts off so impressively with its' first three tracks. "See You In Black" may be the heaviest song in the BOC canon, and it certainly makes good use at that position in being a fast and exciting thrasher with an aggressive chorus and cool time-changing instrumental breaks. And the first ballad on here, "Harvest Moon", is actually a genuine classic, since its' combination of a killer guitar tone, reflective melody and lyrics (with grandma ultimately passing away at the end), and general atmosphere really give off the feel of autumn extremely well, plus the heavier guitar solo is impressively constructed and fits in perfectly. And finally, "Power Underneath Despair" may be a bit repetitive, but it still has excellent intensity, especially when you're singing along to the pummeling chorus.
After this stretch, the album dies down considerably, though. Many of the other tracks fall into the category of hard rock songs with decent and even memorable pop hooks, but are really nothing all that special (even if still enjoyable). The really catchy "X-Ray Eyes" would be a pop gem if it didn't repeat the same lines 8 million times, "Real World" wastes a nice acoustic groove with an overlong arrangement, "Live For Me" never really lives up to its' great guitar in its' intro (though it does have really, really beautiful moments that guarantee it respect from me), "Cold Gray Light Of Dawn" is unmemorable in the verses, etc. We also have a few painfully obvious and obnoxious tracks ("Hammer Back", "Damaged", "Still Burnin'") and a beautiful live acoustic remake of the Mirrors classic "In Thee" to close out the disc. Final verdict? A rather decent comeback album marred a bit by repetitiveness and slight genericism throughout the songs, but still at least a bit recommendable due to its' aforementioned highlights (and they are there!)
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(reviewed by Nick Karn)
HIGH POINTS: The Old Gods Return, Here Comes That Feeling, Pocket. LOW POINTS: One Step Ahead Of The Devil.
For the first time in quite a long while, after dabbling in generic metal and synth pop, they finally decide to dive head first into going back to writing in their classic sound here, and the result is a surprisingly solid and consistent effort (and one of their best albums, in fact!) With the core members Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma and Allan Lanier still in the picture, the material on Curse Of The Hidden Mirror is dominated by the trademark atmosphere and riffing of their old style, with no bad over-the-top metal or laughable material. The sound may feel as if it's missing something (which is probably correct) and it does sound a bit weird hearing the classic BOC sound in modern production style, but still, the songs are all catchy and the riffs solid, and there isn't a single truly weak song on here. A couple are overly silly, and there's really not much earthshattering material here either, but it's more than acceptable for a late period.
As far as the highlights of the album go, the opening "Dance On Stilts" has a painfully simple, but effective, AC/DC style riff driving it, and the main melody is very good, with the refrain of 'you... elevate me' playing throughout the song, including in its' powerful credit-rolling end. "The Old Gods Return", meanwhile, is certainly an appropriate title, as it may be the most top-notch tune on the whole album, with a real drive that kinda lets you know BOC is back - what a fine bassline and real ominousness throughout, plus Eric Bloom's vocals sound really energetic, particularly the chorus of 'FOREVER!!!' that really enhancing things to powerful effect. The poppier "Here Comes That Feeling" reminds of more uplifting songs in that vein from them (with vintage vocals from Buck), and although it's a bit short, the vocal hook is wonderful, and it's great to hear such catchiness on an album like this.
"Pocket", meanwhile, is definitely the most effectively straightforward rocker on the album, with a simple, but extremely catchy riff and melody, with a moving refrain ('are you in the pocket of the moment / in this particular second') that's hard to beat for memorability and directness. "Showtime" might be repeating the 'prisoners in jail' theme from the last album's "Power Underneath Despair", but this song is ultimately more convincing, mostly because the music is more substantial - it's less bludgeoningly 'generic' and it features the rumbling bass sound in its' most prominent role. Catchy chorus, too. And in the anthemic sphere of things, "Eye Of The Hurricane" features a great pounding yell of the song's title in its' chorus, with dramatic orchestral keyboard backing it that works quite well.
Rounding out the rest of the album (which is unusually long by this band's standards at 51 minutes) is another good forceful rocker in "Stone Of Love", with particularly clear-sounding production on the acoustic and electric guitars and effective slower chorus, the most epic number here, "Out Of The Darkness" (a good memorable slow build and nice drive throughout it) and the hard funk of "Good To Feel Hungry". As for the weakest tracks here, the Deep Purple-ish fast rocker "One Step Ahead Of The Devil" and the catchy though slightly dumb "I Just Like To Be Bad" qualify for that position, but still, they're somewhat enjoyable if less thrilling and substantial than the other tracks. While this may not be all the way together as an excellent album (though really, it's probably in their top five as a whole), I have to give props to BOC for returning to what made them good in the first place and not falling flat.
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