Blue Öyster Cult (album)

Blue Öyster Cult
Studio album by Blue Öyster Cult
Released	January, 1972
Recorded	July 21, 1969 - October 1971 The Warehouse, New York
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal, blues-rock, psychedelic rock
Length	36:48
Label	CBS
Producer	Murray Krugman Sandy Pearlman
Blue Öyster Cult chronology
Blue Öyster Cult (1972) Tyranny and Mutation (1973)

Blue Öyster Cult is the eponymous debut album by hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in January 1972 (see 1972 in music). The album featured songs such as "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May," all of which the band still plays regularly during its concerts. Despite positive reviews, the album failed to chart for some time before finally cracking the Billboard 200 on May 20, 1972 and peaking at #172. Blue Öyster Cult toured with artists such as the Byrds, Alice Cooper and the Mahavishnu Orchestra to support the album.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	(B+)[3]

The album was well received by critics. Lester Bangs gave the album a generally positive review in Rolling Stone stating, "with the Blue Öyster Cult, New York has produced its first authentic boogie beast, and with any luck this one should be around for awhile" telling readers that "I don't think you should miss this album."^[4] Circus wrote that "it could well be the album of the Seventies", while Robert Christgau in The Village Voice called it "the tightest and most musical hard rock record since - dare I say it - Who's Next".^[5] The record was named an honorable mention on IGN's list of "Top 25 Metal Albums"^[6] and has been called "Heavy metal for people who hate heavy metal."^[7]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Transmaniacon MC" (Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, Eric Bloom) – 3:21
2. "I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" (Pearlman, Albert Bouchard, Bloom) – 3:10
3. "Then Came the Last Days of May" (Roeser) – 3:31
4. "Stairway to the Stars" (Richard Meltzer, A. Bouchard, Roeser) – 3:43
5. "Before the Kiss, a Redcap" (Pearlman, Murray Krugman, Allen Lanier, Roeser) – 4:59

Side two

6. "Screams" (Joe Bouchard) – 3:10
7. "She's as Beautiful as a Foot" (Meltzer, A. Bouchard, Lanier) – 2:58
8. "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" (Pearlman, Roeser, A. Bouchard) – 4:03
9. "Workshop of the Telescopes" (Pearlman, A. Bouchard, Roeser, Lanier, J. Bouchard, Bloom) – 4:01
10. "Redeemed" (Pearlman, Harry Farcas, A. Bouchard, Lanier) – 3:51

2001 CD reissue Bonus Tracks

11. "Donovan's Monkey" (Meltzer, A. Bouchard) – 3:50
12. "What is Quicksand" (Meltzer, Lanier) – 3:40
13. "A Fact About Sneakers" (Meltzer, A. Bouchard) – 2:50
14. "Betty Lou's Got a New Pair of Shoes" (Bobby Freeman) – 2:34

Personnel

• Eric Bloom: lead vocals, stun guitar, keyboards
• Albert Bouchard: drums, lead vocals (track 8)
• Joe Bouchard: bass, lead vocals (track 6)
• Allen Lanier: rhythm guitar, keyboards
• Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser: lead guitar, lead vocals (tracks 3 & 5)

Track information

"I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep"

The song "I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep," about a fugitive pursued by Canadian mounties, was originally recorded in 1969 (when the band was known as Soft White Underbelly). It was again recorded at a much-faster tempo with much-heavier guitars as "The Red and the Black" for the band's next album, Tyranny and Mutation. The 1969 version was made available when Rhino released the Soft White Underbelly album on their Handmade imprint.

"Then Came The Last Days Of May"

"Then Came The Last Days Of May" was based on a true story, when three friends of Roeser's^{[citation needed]} were killed in a drug deal gone bad in California. This song is occasionally played live as a showcase for Roeser's guitar soloing skills.

"Before the Kiss, a Redcap"

Originally titled "Conry's Bar," "Before the Kiss, a Redcap" describes scenes from that real location. Guitarist Buck Dharma explains the title as originating in an event witnessed by lyricist/manager Sandy Pearlman, where redcap was supposedly slang for a type of barbiturate,^[8] which in the song is passed between partners during a kiss; however, the term redcap usually referred to the drug Dalmane.

"Redeemed"

"Redeemed" was written by singer-songwriter Harry Farcas, and sold to the band. Other band members are listed as authors, due to their input in the arrangement. "Sir Rastus Bear" was Farcas' pet Saint Bernard. Farcas is now an Iridologist in Southern California.

Covers

• A cover version of the song "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" was featured as a track in the music video game Guitar Hero 3.
• The song "Transmaniacon MC" is featured in the video game Rock Band as downloadable content that may be purchased off of the system or downloaded from the Rock Band Track Pack: Metal disc using a one-time use code.

Charts

Year	Album	Billboard 200
1972	Blue Öyster Cult	#172

References

• • Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. London: Rough Guides. ISBN 1-85828-201-2. 

Notes

1. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Allmusic review
3. ^ "Robert Christgau review". Robertchristgau.com. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Blue+Oyster+Cult. Retrieved 2011-11-13. 
4. ^ [2]^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Blue Öyster Cult (Advertisement)". Rolling Stone (Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.) (108): 11. May 11, 1972. 
6. ^ var authorId = "" by Spence D. and Ed T. (2011-09-14). "Top 25 Metal Albums - Music Feature at IGN". Music.ign.com. http://music.ign.com/articles/755/755929p7.html. Retrieved 2011-11-13. 
7. ^ Buckley 2003, p. 92, "Blue Oyster Cult (1972; CBS). Heavy metal for people who hate heavy metal; sleek, primal rock and roll music, filtered through unsettling, if thrilling, images of Altamont, drug-dealing and murder."
8. ^ "BOC FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about BLUE OYSTER CULT". http://ftp.de.postgresql.org/vms/spc/boc-l/boc_faq-1_0.txt.