Review:

on 2011-02-22 CharlesMartel Said:

At a time when rock music was in serious danger of becoming a sterile wasteland (some would say it already had) Blue Oyster Cult seemingly shifted their direction and abandoned their previous antipathy to the mainstream. From being a band which had shunned commerciality with the release of "Agents of Fortune" they suddenly found themselves being more accepted by what they had professed to despise. In a strange way it was bands like Blue Oyster Cult which enabled rock to survive and develop through the era of punk, certainly in the UK. However, the change was a marked one and I knew of many people who found the new direction the band seemed to be taking a source of regret and disappointment rather than anything else.

This is an album which in many ways has stood the test of time, and it is not often I say that on a review of a thirty year old album. The key to this lies in the smooth sound and seamless production - this was the first time Blue Oyster Cult had used a big name producer to manage the recording process and it showed. However, some might say that this had somewhat taken the edge off the hard rock sound they had utilised on former albums. The album is more mellow and accessible than anything they had done before. Some will argue that this represents a betrayal of their principles but in truth this was an album the band had to make. That they did so with such finesse and craft is a testament to their ability as a rock band.

"Don't Fear the Reaper", the single and stand out track from the album, still sounds as good today as it did when it first came out. Initially it was banned in the UK because it was felt that it encouraged suicide among young people. All that fact does is to demonstrate firstly that those in authority don't listen and secondly the stupidity of the establishment when it comes to understanding rock music, and how misguided and misled we are to place any faith in them whatsoever. The song actually tackles the question of whether love can cross the barrier of death and persist in the afterlife. And the last verse would seem to suggest a positive, even uplifting answer to that question.

"Don't Fear The Reaper" was indeed the first hit for the band - it even briefly made it into the lower reaches of the UK charts which, at the time, was something of a minor miracle. This is pretty odd since they spent their career being the very antithesis of hit makers and never aspired to chart success. While that may have received all the attention, it is worth remembering there is album of fine songs here as well.

My personal favourite on the album has always been "Debbie Denise" - a heartfelt apology for spending too much time touring and not enough time with a loved one. Other tracks, such as "The Revenge of Vera Gemini" and "Tattoo Vampire", show that the band was still able to rock and had not forgotten their roots despite the slicker sound they were now utilising. Overall, there are some strong tracks on here, and undoubtedly "Agents of Fortune" is Blue Oyster Cult's best. That statement alone is something of an oddity given that Blue Oyster Cult were an anti-chart band and yet it was this, their most commercial album which I rate the highest.
Rating: 7/10