BLUE OYSTER CULT
“40TH ANNIVERSARY – AGENTS OF FORTUNE”
Album Review by Piers Renfree

9/10

Well girls and boys, here we are, in a currently more relaxed lockdown (but still lockdown none the less) with some nicer weather at the moment (it’s been bucketing it down, on and off all week here), but at the moment it’s nice and sunny. So who do we have to listen to in our slightly relaxed lockdown today? Ah, here is Blue Oyster Cult’s “40th Anniversary – Agents Of Fortune”. 

Blue Oyster Cult, a band that I’ve heard the name of for many years, but never really paid much attention to. I’ve only ever heard one song of theirs, the classic “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and I know that they toured with the immortal Black Sabbath in 1981, on the “Mob Rules” tour (when they still had Ronnie James Dio doing his first tenure with that band).

So when this, the 40th anniversary live show of the band’s fourth album 1976’s “Agents Of Fortune” (the one with the aforementioned “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” on), I jumped at the chance to learn a bit more about the band – formed in Stoney Brook, New York, in the USA in 1967. To date they have released fourteen studio albums, beginning with their self-titled debut in 1972 and sold 25 million albums over the course of their career.

 The band, consisting of Eric Bloom – guitar, keyboards & vocals, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser – guitar, keyboards and vocals, Richie Castellano – guitar, keyboards & vocals, Jules Radino – drums & percussion, Kasim Sulton – bass & vocals along with special guest Albert Bouchard – guitar, percussion & vocals, performed the concert, where they played the album in its entirety, at the Red Studios in front of an audience of invited guests, on Monday April 18th, 2016.

The ten songs last thirty-seven minutes (and four seconds) the sound is clear, yet retaining the live feel. The music is melodic, yet nice and rocky and easy going as well. I found myself singing along to the songs – they are that catchy and memorable and the audience is appreciative of the music and musicians.  This is a fantastic introduction to the band and I shall be checking out some more of their music. 

TRACKLIST

This Ain’t The Summer Of Love
True Confessions
(Don’t Fear) The Reaper
E.T.I. Extraterrestrial Intelligence
The Revenge Of Vera Gemini
Sinful Love
Tattoo Vampire
Morning Final
Tenderloin
Debbie Denise

http://www.blueoystercult.com
https://www.facebook.com/blueoystercult/

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