I've never started one of these threads and they aren't even my favorite band, but, besides having one of the coolest names in rock history and being the benefactor of perhaps the best skit in SNL history ("You know what? I've got a fever...."), this is also one of the most underrated rock bands of all-time. In their heyday Eric Bloom was the quintessential rock frontman and I still haven't heard anyone better than Buck Dharma. "Godzilla" and "Don't Fear The Reaper" have two of the most easily recognizable opening riffs of any song out there. "Fire Of Unknown Origin" is my favorite BOC album and it would be nice if Sony would quit embarrassing themselves and issue the last 4 remasters they started nearly a freaking DECADE ago instead of issuing lame compilation after compilation.

Four?.......

I'd like the other live discs and Imaginos remastered as well!

Not sure what brought THIS on but I'm in the zone on BOC these days. I haven't yet listened to every cut but they've been my go-to band for almost a week. I used AllMusic reviews to start cherry-picking songs after I wrote up the ones all connected to a late 70's Marvel Comics story cycle.

While "Joan Crawford" is growing on me, too, I seem most absorbed by these tracks, so far:

1 Don’t Fear the Reaper 2 Flaming Telepaths 3 Veteran of the Psychic Wars 4 Dominance and Submission 5 Burnin’ For You
6 I Love the Night 7 E.T.I. 8 Astronomy 9 Harvester of Eyes 10 Godzilla 11 Cities Aflame With Rock and Roll 12 Hot Rails to Hell 13 The Revenge of Vera Gemini

...with anything Patti Smith did with the band coming up behind that...

If you've found "Richard Rory's Citrusville FM" on here, I gave BOC a generous amount of attention.

They were one of my favorites for a few years in the early 80's. I saw them live a few times with the classic band lineup and had all of their records up through when The Revolution By Night came out....thought it was lousy and lost interest (as I was already liking 60's music and punk better).

I guess like other appreciation threads, I can start doing the albums chronologically and see if anyone has opinions of them. I only had their on vinyl and haven't listened in years, so no detailed reviews.

Sadly they'll probably best be known as the "more cowbell" band.

Blue Oyster Cult (1st album) - (1972)



1. Transmaniacon MC
2. I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep
3. Then Came the Last Days of May
4. Stairway to the Stars
5. Before the Kiss, a Redcap
6. Screams
7. She's as Beautiful as a Foot
8. Cities on Flame With Rock & Roll
9. Workshop of the Telescopes
10. Redeemed
(bonus tracks)
11. Donovan's Monkey
12. What Is Quicksand
13. A Fact About Sneakers
14. Betty Lou's Got a New Pair of Shoes

One of my favorite BOC records at the time (their 1st three albums are my favorites). I still listen to this sometimes as it's closest to my music interests. It's raw, and not really heavy metal yet...more heavy blues, some garage/phychedelic 60's influences (Screams, She's as Beautiful as a Foot), and folk rock (Redeemed). Cities on Flame is the most well-known song here. I'm on the Lamb was redone on the next album as The Red and the Black....kind of like the more 60's feel of this one better. The strange lyrics are already in place from the get go. I can't comment on the bonus tracks as I don't have the remaster...or CD at all. It's on my short list of things to get soon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012GMWFW/?tag=imwan-20

As Long Islanders, Blue Oyster Cult were our hometown heroes when I was in high school. Their heavy riffs and slightly sinister presence went over big with us teenagers. Saw them a bunch of times back in the day--they were one of the first acts to feature lasers in their light show.

Secret Treaties is still my favorite BOC album. But it was with a mix of bemusement and gratification that I watched "Don't Fear the Reaper" become a bona fide hit single.

Oh, and the Patti Smith connection is a big plus, too.

I love BOC. Saw the current version of the band play Vegas on Super Bowl Eve.

Eric Bloom: "Who's rooting for the Steelers?"
Crowd cheers.
Eric Bloom: "Who's for the Packers?"
More cheers.
Eric Bloom: "Well, we're from New York and the Jets aren't playing so we really don't give a fuck."
I cheer.

Anyway, for the past year or so, I've been completely (re)obsessed with "The Vigil" and "Joan Crawford".

I dearly love the 1st, Secret Treaties & On Your Feet. Also like ET Live, some of the various UK semi legal live releases (i.e. Tales Of The Psychic Wars), Agents Of Fortune (really like about 1/2 of it, could live w/o the rest), Tyrany & Mutations & Fire of Unknown Origins. For the odd other track I also own the 2 disc workshops of the Telescopes set.

No argument from me. When I was in high/secondary school they were one of my favorite bands. Still love Don't Fear The Reaper.

I love this band to death for all their weirdness and uniqueness. Every album has some merit, but it started to go downhil with the too-techy Revolution By Night.
They were so many different things and had a warped sense of humor. Plus, what other rock band has always collaborated with other musicians, managers, sci-fi authors and even critics on lyrics???
Nobody sounds like BOC, though I highly recommend checking out the new band Ghost who come pretty damn close.

They were also one of the first bands I interviewed as an 18 yo college dj. Buck Dharma struck me as a really nice guy; he was very tolerant of 18 yo me.

Buck is one of the most unique guitarists out there. I discussed it with him a few times, and I know he chalks some of it up to playing accordion when he was younger as well as th influence of a relative who was a horn player (I think it was his father).

He's a hell of a nice guy too. I used to chat with him at shows and swapped t-shirts with him when I was deployed (he sent me some shirts and a hat, so I sent him some OEF stuff). Al Bouchard on the other hand, is a bit of a dick.

Speaking of the group itself, I'm more of a fan of the middle years (Spectres through FOUO), but having said that, Secret Treaties and Imaginos are among my favorite albums.

"Veteran" hooked me when they performed it on the Fire tour. The presentation was awesome - they had roadies or someone in hooded robes helping pound out that drum beat. The other thing I remember most about that show is the drummer playing a drum solo in "Godzilla" in a Godzilla mask.

I'll have to check out Ghost - I've rarely been let down by a recommendation here!

Alan

Alan:
I'll try to find a You Tube clip and hook it up to the Ghost post (did I say that?) about the album. Not sure how well the live clips will come across because they're boots (albeit good ones).
But if you check out the Amazon clips of the songs from the album-wow, does it sound like creepy BOC at their finest.
Check the new releases thread in a few minutes or later on and let me know your thoughts-they're not amazing but they're cool and evil (or are they?)!

I know them as Soft White Underbelly.

Soft White Underbelly 1967-1968


Pearlman named the combo “Soft White Underbelly” and began finding them gigs around New York. The music was mostly improvised jamming, with singing provided by Albert and Donald. Through Pearlman’s contacts, they started getting “real” gigs, opening shows for people like Muddy Waters and the Grateful Dead. Playing these gigs made the band realize that they needed a lead singer. The vacant position was soon to be filled.

Les Braunstein had been active in bands during his college days at Hobart College, playing in a popular jug band, and thanks to his friendship with Andy Yarrow (brother of Peter, Paul & Mary’s Peter Yarrow) Braunstein landed one of his songs on a Peter, Paul & Mary album, and that guaranteed him a steady income. With that lucky stroke, he hit the road in search of interesting experiences, and ended up on Long Island — more specifically, Stony Brook.

Braunstein eventually crossed paths with the future Mrs. Sandy Pearlman, and she introduced Braunstein to the formative band. He began to hang out at the band house, and eventually joined in, singing his lyrics to their music, or just improvising free form to the music. Braunstein was very dramatic and outgoing - a definite persona - and that was something the band was in need of.

Soft White Underbelly began to perform around New York, and began to get a “buzz.” In the autumn of 1968, the president of Elektra Records, Jac Holzman, turned up at one of their gigs, and recognizing the potential of the group, signed the band on the spot.

When the advance check arrived from Elektra, the band happily spent some of the money on upgrading their equipment. That is where Eric Bloom came into the picture.

A Long Island native, Eric had spent his college days (like Braunstein, at Hobart. The two were acquainted with each other, but weren’t close friends) playing in several successful bands, including “Lost and Found” with John Trivers (who later would co-write several songs with Eric). Eric also promoted gigs in the area, so he was the owner of a large van and a PA, which made him a popular guy.

After college, Eric returned to Long Island, and accepted a job selling gear at Sam Ash Music, while working on getting involved in the music scene there. One day, the Underbelly walked in to buy their new gear, and spotted a picture of Lost and Found on the wall, and they struck up a conversation with Eric. It turns out that Les had worked with the Lost and Found musicians, too, and had spoken of Eric to the band.

As fate would have it, SWU had a gig at which was discovered a less-than-adequate PA. Braunstein called Eric and asked him to come down with his PA, and he ended up doing sound for them that night. They discovered they had a lot in common, and a friendship was formed. Soon after, Eric moved in to the band house, and became the band’s sound man.

In early 1969, SWU went into the studio to begin working on their debut LP for Elektra. It was there that it became clear that Braunstein wasn’t working out. The band was moving in one direction, and Braunstein was moving in a different one. There was a rift opening between the band and Braunstein, and the band wasn’t happy with his performance on the recording. Things came to a head, and Braunstein decided to leave SWU, and the album went unfinished.

When Braunstein abruptly quit, it caused a major crisis with the band. They had come so far, had a record mostly finished, and all that was now in jeopardy. As they desperately searched for a new singer, Allen recalled that he’d heard a tape of Eric singing with Lost and Found. He thought that Eric’s voice would be a great asset to the band, and suggested he take over as singer. In April of ’69, Eric was asked to join SWU.

A new singer, though, didn’t fix the problem with Elektra. The record company had signed SWU on the belief that Braunstein was the East Coast answer to Jim Morrison, and his voice and presence would be the selling point of the band. Convincing the record execs that the band was still saleable without Braunstein’s persona up front was not easy, but after an additional “audition” with Eric in front, the company relented, and took a chance on another record.

I SAW them as Soft White Underbelly! They played a secret club gig under that name in Philly in 1986 and I saw them open for Rush at the Spectrum that year too.

yep, on LI they often appear as SWU over the years.

I have a soft white underbelly!

Alan

Checked out the clips a bit - need to check them out again, but I liked what I heard. I thank you. My local store may thank you. My wife is shooting dirty looks in your direction.

Alan

Beisdes Soft White Underbelly, they also recorded as the Stalk-Forrest Group for Elektra. The material was never released commercially until Rhino Handmade issued them as St Cecelia: The Elektra Recordings. Still available at Amazon:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DJZ8F/?tag=imwan-20

Stalk-Forrest Group anyone?

Edit: Oops - Jimbo beat me by 2 minutes