Blue Oyster Cult Album Ranking And Discussion
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2020
- Josh Schwartz joins me to rank the discography of the mighty Blue Oyster Cult..we also dive into some heavy discussions on why we live B.O.C.
Josh's Heavy Metal band A Sound of Thunder
/ asoundofthunder
Lair of the Alchemist Facebook Page
/ lairofthealchemist
Great BOC talk, thanks! This was even better than the BOC content on Sea of Tranquillity! I have been a BOC fan for more than 30 years, and I am always surprised how underrated they are. So many great songs.
Thanks! We had a lot of fun doing the video. I agree they are very underrated.
I got Secret Treaties in 1974 as a high school freshman,then got the first two and proceeded to buy everything as it was released. By far my favorite band, seen them live countless times. My one and two are Secret Treaties and Spectres after that it would change on my mood.
That's awesome...thanks for sharing! Secret Treaties and Spectres are both fantastic albums!
I really digging this guys, good job. I agree with a lot of your comments. I will say that Curse and Heaven Forbid have grown on me over the years, I like them more now. Probably their 2 heaviest albums to date. The Symbol Remains! What I love about them is every album is different and diverse styles.
Thanks Gary! and I agree..one of the great things about B.O.C. is their diversity..every album is different in a way.
Thanks guys, nice job! Long live the Amazing Blue Öyster Cult
Thank You!
I like them all to varying degrees but here's my rankings:
1. Imaginos
2. Secret Treaties
3. Blue Oyster Cult
4. Fire of Unknown Origin
5. Agents of Fortune
6. Cultosaurus Erectus
7. Spectres
8. Tyranny & Mutation
9. Club Ninja
10. Curse of the Hidden Mirror
11. Heaven Forbid
12. Mirrors
13. Revolution by Night
Thanks for sharing...Imaginos at number 1...
I would have a very similar list, except that for some reason I'm not a big Secret Treaties fan... don't know why. I've been listening BÖC some 40 years. My top 6:
1. Fire of Unknown Origin
2. Imaginos
3. Spectres
4. Agents of Fortune
5. Tyranny & Mutation
6. Cultosaurus Erectus
BTW. Great BÖC talk, I've been listening this several times from start to finish.
Imaginos rules
Good episode. Nice to see a show with two who are open to Blue öyster Cults music and know quite a bit about it. I am not sure how I would rank because so many of them are on similar levels like you say. Number 2 and 5 could be like 0,2 in different on a 1-5 scale.
I, like most fans it seem, do hold the most famous line-up as the best but all albums are worth a shot. I think lesser albums like Heaven Forbid or Club Ninja is far better than some claim them to be. Songs like "Harvest Moon" or "Perfect Water" could easily quality on a top 10 or 20 list!
I might rank the debut number 1. I agree that the production got better and it is more of a mishmash in order than a well thought of album but it is so groovey and fun. Not a bad track on it and so loose that it never be to predictable! "Then Came the Last Days of May" might be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
13. Curse of the Hidden Mirror
12. Heaven Forbid
11. Revolution By Night
10. Mirrors
9. Agents of Fortune
8. Blue Oyster Cult
7. Club Ninja
6. Secret Treaties
5. Tyranny and Mutation
4. Fire of Unknown Origin
3. Cultasaurus Erectus
2. Imaginos
1. Spectres
Great list!
What a captivating, Cultish conversation! I must say, "Let Go" is one of my personal guilty pleasures! There is nothing quite like listening to that just after Rocka Rolla! Great job, both of you! Though, I have the feeling that "Top 10 songs" list may need to be a Top 20!
Thanks! It was hard to rank some of these albums because they have so many good albums...and your right..narrowing it down to a top 10 favorite songs will be hard.
New to the channel and a big B.Ö.C fan! I really enjoyed this 🤘🏻
Thanks! we had a great time making it..
Subscribed because of this. Great show. Thank you.
Each BOC album has a special place in my heart. Introduced as a 13 year old to Veteran of the Psychic Wars off Heavy Metal Soundtrack in 1984 and then the journey began through their amazing discography.
They are my favorite with PF a close second.
Each album distinctly different from the other and each song eclectic.
They are hard to describe because they don't fit any genre cleanly. That was the attraction in addition to their phenomenal and quirky content of fantasy, sci fi, horror, and supernatural. Just incredible music by incredible musicians that are all underrated!
Please do more!!
Thanks for subscribing! BOC is a great band and they do so many different sounds and styles so well....and I agree, each album has it's own feel and vibe. Their lyrics are great and lots of good musicianship and singing.
@@LairoftheAlchemist by the way the first concert I ever saw was over by you at Janus Landing back in maybe 1988. I'm from the other coast and would drive anywhere in FL almost to see them. Buck got out of the car he was in with Eric and came over to me waiting out front and I reached out to put my arm around him and he accepted and put his arm around me. What a thrill from a musical hero and legend!
Some of the songs on Club Ninja were co-written by the novelist Eric Van Lustbader, a former rock journalist from Long Island who got famous for writing ninja spy novels in the 1980s. He still writes best-sellers today. Howard Stern also guests on it, as he is Eric Bloom's cousin. And, IMHO, "White Flags" is an all-time top 10 BOC song for me.
I didn't know that...thanks for sharing!
Cant wait to hear B.O.Cs new album The symbol remains, ive got there complete discography vinyl , cassettes and cds ...call it psychedelic , hard rock or metal ....greatest band on the planet and beyond IMO..... stellar video.
Thanks! I'm excited for the new album also.
A sequel to "Imaginos?" That is so awesome! I can't wait to hear it.
Yeah!
I just came upon your channel.. I LOVE BOC and thank you Both for giving "Club Ninja", some respect because it is Major under rated, and so many others diss it and hate it. This is the album that got me into them, and I LOVE most of it! I EVEN Adore the album cover :-) it was way cool for the time and kind of a retro classic SciFy thing, right?? Not my FAVE of course, but top 7 for me. I am subscribing to your channel btw... ;-) Thank you Both for the BOC discussion! Awesome!
Thanks for the comment and for subscribing! I agree that Club Ninja, although not one of my favorites, is still better then it's given credit. It often appears at the bottom of peoples lists when their ranking the BOC albums, it has some cool stuff on it and I agree, I like the cover.
I loved Club Ninja. It brings back great memories of that time in the 80's. I'd go back in a heartbeat if I could.
I think Club Ninja has some great tunes
'Fire Of Unknown Origin' is a masterpiece!
First of all I want to say how much I enjoyed this video. It's always a pleasure to compare choices with BOC fans like yourselves. I'm a massive fan and without doubt for me, the greatest band ever. I agree with most of Josh's choices, we seem to have a very similar taste of what are the best of BOC. Heaven Forbid at number 13 is a big no-no, it's much better than that! Number 1 of course is Secret Treaties, my second favourite album of all time after, UFO - Lights Out. Very difficult to put them in the right order but I'll have a go:
13. Revolution by Night.
12. Club Ninja( It does have one of my top 10 BOC tracks: Perfect Water)
11. Imaginos.
10. Mirrors( Low ranking from me but it does have my absolute favourite track of BOC, the amazing: The Vigil)
9. The Curse of the Hidden Mirror(Another big favourite of mine is the track: Stone of Love)
8. Tyranny and Mutation
7. Blue Oyster Cult
6. Heaven Forbid
5. Fire of Unknown Origin
4. Agents of Fortune( Another top 10 track for me on this album: Sinful Love)
3. Cultosaurus Erectus
2. Spectres
1. Secret Treaties
In my opinion, Montrose debut has the best 3 opening tracks in any album and BOC has the best 3 ending of all albums in Secret Treaties with Harvester of Eyes, Flaming Telepaths and Astronomy.
I look forward to you both doing the top 10 tracks of BOC, it should be very interesting.
Thanks and great list and thoughts! thanks for sharing. BOC is such a great band that they don't have any bad albums in my opinion. Ask me on any other day and my list would be different. That's what's cool about music we all have our own favorites...keep on rockin'
A Top 10 Band for me. Just love their identity from Hard Rock to Pop.
My Top 9 I have kinda figured out, but then it gets a little tough to decide.
9. Mirrors
8. The Symbol Remains
7. Agents Of Fortune
6. Coltösaurus Erectus
5. Blue Öyster Cult
4. Spectres
3. Fire Of Unknown Origins
2. Tyranny And Mutation
1. Secret Treaties
Great list, nice to see specters up that high.
Really nice job guys! I have been a fan since 1972 and have seen them live over 70 times! Yes, I am your "quintessential BOC hardcore fan" complete with the Cult Sign tattooed on my forearm. (my only tattoo!). I actually watched your entire countdown. I can't say I agree with your ranking but pretty close on a lot of them. I think every BOC fan would have a different ranking, it's such a subjective thing. Your comments are great! I probably agree with 90%+ of what you said. I think I enjoyed this because you both are knowledgable BOC fans. I've seen some other BOC ranking videos and you could tell that they weren't as knowledgeable as you guys. Thanks for taking the time to do this and rock on! BOC FOREVER!
Thanks so much for reviewing the BOC discography! I agree, virtually all are complete winners. Just picked up Club Ninja and Mirrors which I’m digging! It amazes me when their not as great albums are as great as these.
You’re welcome. I actually enjoy “mirrors“. They have a lot of great albums in their catalog.
Great vid of my fave band! Just want to add that the guitar solos on Agents of Fortune are underappreciated: Sinful Love, Morning Final, Tattoo Vampire, and even Debbie Denise. Always thematic, melodic, never overstaying their welcome.
Thanks and I agree with you about the solos, very underrated.
@@LairoftheAlchemist BTW, just subscribed
@@jimg6570 awesome...thank you!
I've seen BOC a couple of times and was surprised how great some live versions of songs were, compared to the studio version. One that really stands out in my mind is the song, Subhuman. The studio version has that little bit of a hippy-vibe to it, especially Eric's vocal, but when they played it live they absolutely cranked that tune and Buck ripped some of the coolest solo work I've ever heard. Total pros.
I agree, their a really good live band and many of the songs, especially the songs from the early albums take on a new life live.
Great job guys! The biggest difference is I rank curse of the hidden mirror and heaven forbid higher than revolution by night a d club ninja. I've probably seen them over 50 times beginning with revolution by night tour when I was in high school. I agree not only is secret treaties my favorite BOC album but it's my favorite album of all time. My desert island album. With black Sabbath volume 4 as a runner up.
Thanks! Secret Treatise is a great album!
Really enjoyed that guys, I can tell you are both proper fans and have a great understanding of the amazing BOC. My choices are closer to Josh's and the only albums I don't listen to much are Club Ninja and Revolution By Night (cos of the production as much as anything).
My top picks are Secret Treaties, Cultosaurus Erectus and Mirrors, CE was my gateway BOC album when I was about 16 (1981), loved it immediately and as I was just getting into NWOBHM it gave me a new understanding on how rock could sound. BOC are in my top 5 bands of all time, seen them a few times - last time in Bristol UK 2 years ago and they sounded great.
Thanks Steve!
Excellent discussion! BÖC is one of my top two favourite bands, and have been for 30 years. Cool that a song like "Light Years of Love" is appreciated, which some people dismiss a soapy ballad. What you didn't mention is the beautiful passage where Joe plays Spanish guitar. Regarding "Mirrors" I don't think it has a wrong production, it is crystal clear. Sure it is poppy, but it is a good melodic album with well-crafted songs and it is my BÖC "summer" record. I rate "Club Ninja" lowest, but I still like most of the songs. "Perfect Water" is a great Buck Dharma tune, and I like "Dancin' in the Ruins", "Madness to the Method" and "When the War Comes". Nice harmonies in the latter. The letdowns on the album are those two misplaced Halligan tunes. My favourite albums are mainly from their early period. To me "Secret Treaties" and "Tyranny and Mutation" are among the best hard rock albums of all time, but the debut, "Agents of Fortune" and "Fire of Unknown Origin" are also stone cold classics. Of course they made some great live albums too. My ranking (I could sometimes flip flop some of them):
1. Secret Treaties
2. Tyranny and Mutation
3. Blue Öyster Cult
4. Agents of Fortune
5. Fire of Unknown Origin
6. Imaginos (although I get the point of it not being a proper BÖC album)
7. Spectres
8. Cultösaurus Erectus
9. Mirrors
10. The Revölution by Night
11. Curse of the Hidden Mirror
12. Heaven Forbid
13. Club Ninja
Thanks! and "Light Years of Love" is a great song! glad you like it also.
Two guys sitting around talking about BOC for over an hour? Count me in! Great show!!!
Personally, I think it's sad that they didn't get more attention. They have so many different types of songs that they have music for just about any taste. But maybe that was part of the problem...their music was all over the place, so people didn't know what to do with them.
Thanks and I agree with you...they covered so many musical bases that I think it left some people confused, everyone sang in the band so there was also no one frontman and every album was a big different...but for me that's what makes them great.
@@LairoftheAlchemist Funny thing is that I got into them in the mid 80s and bought all their old records on cassette tape. The cassette inserts had no lyrics or band information so I just assumed they had one singer like other bands. Wasn't until years later that I learned the truth.
@@AllThingsElementor I know what you mean...I started off on cassettes also and not having any info or the internet you used your imagination..I never realized they had so many singers also...
@@LairoftheAlchemist Yeah, for some reason I don't find their voices quite as distinctive as Styx for example.
@@AllThingsElementor I know what you mean...I would say "Buck" has the voice that stands out the most but it's easy to confuse the others sometimes...I had no idea early on that Albert or Joe sang when I first started listening to them...I also think that is something that maybe prevented them from becoming bigger..then never had that one voice that really stood out like an Ozzy or Dio..or Ian Gillan for instance.
Great to see genuine love for BOC on you tube. I'll be making my BOC list soon - once the new album comes out
Thanks!! and yeah..BOC is great, we had a lot of fun making the video.
Top BOC albums:
1. Secret Treaties
2. Mirrors
3. Agents of Fortune
4. Fire of Unknown Origin
5. Tyranny and Mutation
6. Heaven Forbid
7. Curse of the Hidden Mirror
8. Cultösaurus Erectus
9. Spectres
10. Imaginos
11. Blue Öyster Cult
12. Club Ninja
13. The Revölution by Night
Great List...glad to see Mirrors ranked so High!
Thanks for the great show. I feel like I took a college course in BOC. I have been slowly getting into BOC, so a show like this helped me explore their catalog.
T and M # 6 ???? wow !! I had that at #2 . Love this discussion guys !!! Greatest American rock band !!
Thanks Greg!...Really the top 5-7 BOC albums for me are all great...talk to me on another day and my list would be different.
Enjoyed this very much. My first time watching your show. BOC fan from way back in the '70s. Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks so much!
I grew up in Cheektowaga,. NY. Our home was butted up to achers of cemeteries. So Spectres was a regular in the portable 8 track, nice and spookie. That and Sabbath 1 was always good stuff back in 1977 through 1980. Google map that shit, Pine Ridge and Gennesee, an amazing place to kill a 12 pack in the day.
awesome...thanks for sharing..I love the imagery of a cemetery and Spectres on 8-Track!...
Spectres and Agents especially get a lot of play with me come October! Great spooky feeling albums. I love them.
Great job, guys. I have been a fan of theirs for more than "half of my life", anxiously awaiting the Symbol. I was nodding all the way through your commentary on Spectres, which I believe is their most underrated album. The musicianship has always been what sets them apart from most other bands, which is why they are best experienced live. The song diversity is always part of the ear candy for me, an AC/DC album sounds too homogeneous by comparison. My only complaint is that at least once they were referred to in the past tense. Since they are on tour forever, present tense is a must. In the next one, maybe you could spend a little time on the live albums and Cult Classic. Great job guys.
Thanks Doug and glad you also dig Spectres..it's a great album. Would be fun to do an episode on the live albums like you suggested.
My order would be
1. Secret Treaties
2. Blue Oyster Cult
3. Tyranny & Mutation
4. Agents Of Fortune
5. Heaven Forbid
6. Cultasaurus Erectus
7. Fire Of Unknown Origin
8. Imaginos
9. The Revolution By Night
10. Spectres
11. Mirrors
12. Club Ninja
13. Curse Of The Hidden Mirror
Cool list! Nice to see Heaven Forbid up so high.
I agree about the Flaming Telepaths into Astronomy being the greatest 1-2 punch in recorded history(Robin Trower's Day Of The Eagle into Bridge Of Sighs is 2nd). I'm more of a rocker which is why Spectres & Mirrors are so low compared to yours. If you could divide half of Cultasaurus Erectus with half of Fire Of Unknown Origin you'd have a great album. Same with Spectres & Mirrors.
@@stevemcnary4301 The way those two songs go into each other is fantastic!
Very engaging video. Thanks! My brother got me into B.O.C, and my first ever arena show was the Black and Blue tour in 1980. Good stuff!
Your welcome and very cool you saw the Black and Blue tour.
My first show too! I went to see sabbath. Didnt really know who boc was. Only songs i was familiar with was "Godzilla"&"the reaper." THEY WERE AWESOME! They blew sabbath away! I ran out next day and got "cultosaurus erectus." Ive been a hardcore fan ever since. Ive seen them over 40 times. On tour forever!
As a long time BOC fan, this discussion was extremely fun to watch. I'm glad there are others that liked Club Ninja and Mirrors. I thought both were great albums but I caught some flak back in the day for them. Mirrors did feel like a little more of a pop sound (especially with 'You're Not the One I was Looking For." on it) but then you get the Vigil and it's like man this is epic! Just about all of the songs both of you identified as excellent, I had on my top song list.
Thanks! The video was a lot of fun to make..BOC has so many great albums.
You guys are spot on
I love Blue Oyster Cult
Thanks so much
Please check out the new tracks
Especially That Was Me
Let’s request some new BOC on the radio
Thanks and I can't wait for the new BOC album! the tracks I heard so far sound really good!
@@LairoftheAlchemist A new one is available now to hear "Tainted Blood" .. co-written, sung & played on (guitar) by Richie ... a Vampire Love song & it's really good.
@@stevenwilkinson1265 awesome!!
Fire Of Unknown origin had to be my favorite B.O.C. album, although it's tough to choose.
One of my favorites also!
@@LairoftheAlchemist Thanks for the response..! I'm a huge rock music lover also. And I subscribed to your channel. I'm also gonna check out Sound Of Thunder. I love discovering new bands.
@@Buckeye_4_Life_ cool man...thanks!
Found this video because I was looking for a BÖC album ranking. Surprisingly good and entertaining. There are a couple of other videos on your list I took in my watch later playlist. My most played BÖC album is Extraterrestrial live and favourite song is See you in black. Not one bad album in the discography.
Thanks and yeah...BOC doesn't really have any bad albums and E.T. Live is a great live album..all their live albums are great actually!
I've been a huge BOC fan for 30 years. I only recently fell in love with the last track on Revolution By Night entitled Light Years Of Love. A Joe Bouchard penned ballad that has just captivated me. I can't believe it took this long to truly discover it and HEAR it for what it is.
Great discussion.
Thanks!
Really enjoyed the show guys. Huge BOC fan since the seventies. I'm also a great fan of the Bouchard Brothers, and I know in reality it will never happen, but wouldn't it be great to see Albert and Joe contribute to some new recordings, or both of them on rerecording some of their overproduced stuff like The Revolution by Night or Club Ninja. Thanks for a very enjoyable video.
Thanks a lot Grant!! and yeah..Albert and Joe are great and would be awesome to see them maybe collaborate with BOC on some level again.
Great list, guys. I'm no good at ranking things myself but my favorite BÖC album is Secret Treaties. That Flaming Telepaths/Astronomy segue is just pure track transitional art. Also, I prefer Buck's rendition of True Confessions from the 2016 Agents of Fortune live show.
Thanks! It is interesting hearing Buck sing "True Confessions"
Great discussion.. pretty close to my order too..also glad to be introduced to A Sound of Thunder..can definitely hear Buck's influence in the lead work and man can she sing!! Was curious if you guys have heard the recently released Re-imaginos that A Bouchard recorded? Its pretty cool..
Thanks...I haven't had a chance to really dive into Albert's new album but it's on my list of things to check out.
Great stuff here, guys! I’m wondering where you would rank “The Symbol Remains” among these. 🤘
Hey Lair… love your channel. How about a video of favorite Live TV appearances? Metallica at the 88 Grammys comes to mind. And plenty to choose from with SNL, American Bandstand etc
Glad I was able to find this, your guy's insight into BOC was great to hear. Personally my No. 1 is Specters, there is simply not a single song on it that I don't like.
I really like the song, Deadline.
The music during the verses has the great bass line, and the guitar, keys, drums sound beautifully, recklessly tenacious yet under control.
I like Tenderloin and Wings Wetted Down too, as you mentioned.
Regarding the Subhuman...I like the On Your Feet...live version best.
I like Allen's vocal on True Confessions...it's very soulful and sincere
Great opinion/list video by two obvious BOC fans... you got me going back and revisiting great songs that, though not forgotten, rarely get turntable time.
One small nitpick tho...
The way I remember it is that Sandy Pearlman had to convince the band to take the name "Blue Oyster Cult" (the title to some song lyrics he had already penned) which they accepted begrudgingly.
When it came to using those lyrics in a song on Secret Treaties, BOC didn't want to have there band name as a song title so they reworked the song and called it, "Subhuman".
I could be wrong, alot of rock n roll mythos tends to change over time and retellings...
I'm just a casual BOC fan. Fire of Unknown has been my favorite ever since I was in 7th grade and heard Psychic Wars in the Heavy Metal movie. And I must say I love Club Ninja. It really grew on me. Symbol Remains is amazing and my 2nd fave after Fire.
This is a great video but I hope y’all do a new one soon
You can only rank Blue Oyster Cult albums from Good .. to Great ... to even Greater (i.e. Treaties, Spectres & Fire of)
Yeah...they have a lot of great albums for sure!!
That’s So True
Great video. I can tell that you guys love BOC and really understand their music. Here are some of my thoughts; thoughts from a guy from been listening to them for decades, since their 3rd album. I do find it amazing that, despite time and space, we seem to be in agreement for the most part.
_Blue Oyster Cult_ : Someone once told that a song like "Transmaniacon MC" was to good to have been on their first album. I see the album as having a lot of good songs and also as a manifesto of what was to come. The most unique thing was the sound mix, so heavily compressed and mostly mid-range. Pearlman was ahead of his time as a producer, it was the sound of grunge years later.
_Tyranny and Mutation_ : Side One (LPs ya know!) was great, but Side 2 failed to impress me. I usually rate this one relatively low as an album.
_Secret Treaties_ : I consider it their best album, but not always my favorite.
_Agents of Fortune_ : Man, not only great songs, but one of the best sounding too. I'll never like "True Confessions" though.
_Spectres_ : Probably my favorite. Everything a BOc album should have.
_Mirrors_ : I was so disappointed in this when it came out. But I appreciate it now. In hindsight, they transcend the music scene at the time in their own way. "Mirrors" might be the most catchy song I ever heard, and there's nothing wrong with that.
_Cultosaurus Erectus_ : Again, I was disappointed at the time. I feel stupid about that now, it's a great album. "Lips In The Hills" is one of the heaviest songs ever recorded. Overall, it's like their first album as far as the range of musical styles.
_Fire Of Unknown Origin_ : Great, and the last great one. My only complaint is the mix, I don't like the way the synths have gone from atmospheric to right up-front.
_Revolution By Night_ : No matter how many times I listen to it, I'm unimpressed. Some good songs, but losing Albert changed things in a bad way.
_Club Ninja_ : I'll admit it's one of my favorites. Buck's songs are so good. I probably would rank this one higher than most fans.
_Imaginos_ : Ughh. I prefer Albert's bootleg of this. I dunno why some say it's their heaviest album...it's not BOC heavy, it's just studio fluff to me.
The last two albums: Buck is one of the best guitar players ever, and that's a good reason to listen to them. They are not the same band without the Bouchards.
Great Post!!...Thank You!...BOC is a band you can really dig deep into.
Heaven Forbid is miles ahead of all others. Great songs with unbeatable sound quality. Standouts include See You In Black, Power Underneath Despair, X-ray Eyes, Harvest Moon, Live For Me.
Just ordered the Krimson Kult on vinyl, never heard of this band but clicked on because of BOC ,thx
Thanks for the great discussion. Regarding Allen singing main vocals, True Confessions is his only vocal on the original releases but I believe he sings lead on 2 of the bonus tracks on re-releases. “Dance the night away” on Agents and “Please Hold” on Spectres. Correct me if I’m wrong. Not a big fan of any of his vocal performances. But they’re not horrible by any means. I do wish he did more. I like True Confessions. My only complaint as you rightly mentioned is it’s placement on Agents. Why is it #2? Should be in the later half.
Thanks...Allen didn't sing much but I like the ones he did sing on.
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Let's do this, Legion of Thunder!
Check out Mirror Queen’s cover of Wings Wetted Down
Cool...thanks...love that song!
Great BöC talk by two guys that really and obviously know the band thoroughly, I enjoyed it a lot. I've followed the band for decades now and I'm always surprised that unlike most other bands , I can always at any time get hooked again and get fascinated by different aspects of the band. The only things that made me shake my head were the "praises" for the few totally embarassing, awfully phoney "no go" songs like "True confessions", "Debbie Denise", " Fireworks", "Celestial the queen",Going through the motion " "Mirrors", "Lonely teardrops", "Let go" (okay that was singled out), "Light years of love" . "Make rock not war" and "beat them up". In the 35 years since i've changed opinions for a lot of the songs, but hese were and are "alltime atrocities" and lowered the pleasure listening to the respective albums quite a bit. Apart from that i might be the only one who never really like "Don't fear the reaper"...My personal ranking is 1. Cultösaurus Erectus 2. Fire of Unknown Origin 3. Tyranny and Mutation 4. Secret Treaties 5. Heaven Forbid 6. Imaginos 7. Revölution by night 8. Curse of....9. Böc 10. Mirrors 11. Spectres 12. Agents of fortune 13. Club Ninja Eventually though, I do agree, there is no real bad album of Böc at all.
Thanks Mike! I agree, BOC is a great band that you can return to often and find/hear something new each time. I'm kind of a sucker for melodic stuff so that 's why something like "True Confessions" appeals to me...but that's what's cool about music and BOC, everyone has their own likes and dislikes.
Heaven forbid! One of my favorite.
There's some good stuff on it for sure.
Fireworks was a really adventurous song. So many changes, and they are all catchy. I think Vera Gemini influenced Stop Dragging My Heart Around
My albums ranked:
1. Fire of Unknown Origin
2. Agents of Fortune
3. Spectres
4. Cultosaurus Erectus
5. Secret Treaties
6. Blue Oyster Cult
7. Club Ninja
8. Imaginos
9. Revolution By Night
10. Tyranny and Mutation
11. Heaven Forbid
12. Mirrors
13. Curse of the Hidden Mirror
Now granted I don't think they have one terrible album. Some of these have more influence on me by timing as I discovered them as a kid starting in the 80's.
Their albums are all so distinct and different thanks to the varied musical talent, writing and singing influencing each song. One album could have 10 distinctively different sounding tracks but that all fit a creepy or dark element. The next album totally different. Their vibe has yet to be repeated by any other band.
That's what made this band so different and cool!
There's only 1 BOC!
Great list! and I agree that what makes BOC great is that every album sounded different and none of them are bad. Thanks
Bump!
Been listening to lots of BOC lately. The debut album still sounds amazing. It was the album that hooked me in. Obviously the next 2 albums are landmarks there’s no need to examine those again. It’s all in my DNA. It’s the next 2 set of albums that are taking on a new life for. Agents and Spectres. Agents, besides the sub standard Gene Simmons of True Confessions is still perfection. Morning Final Tenderloin Vera Gemeni are so kickass in their various moods. What an album. Then Godamn holy shit, Spectres is kick ass from beginning to end. No duffers. Mirrors was a huge step down. And probably remains one of my least favorite albums by the band. On to the 80’s. No needs to rummage over the next 2. They are obviously classics. It’s onto the next set of 2. Revolution and Club Ninja. If anyone has written these off, then they badly mistaken. Go back to them if you’re undecided or even negatively decided. The rest of them are varying qualities. None are bad. Yet none are on the level of the seventies and early-mid eighties.
I agree with you, so much great stuff. Spectres is kinda' a dark horse favorite as most people would pick Agents or Fire for the hits.
Thanks brother! I just got my feelings hurt that’s all lol! Great videos your doing keep it up!
Thanks a lot Jas...and keep commenting..I like talking rock and metal with people...:) \m/
Will do I appreciate what you do and one other song on revolution by night wasn’t mentioned sorry brother it was eyes on fire with Eric singing I think that was going to go on his solo album but Didn’t. Anyways you’re a wealth of information I’ll keep watching if you keep posting. Cheers!
@@jascatt3341 Eyes on Fire is a great one!! I should have mentioned it because i do love that song...a really great Eric song. Thanks again for watching and commenting!
For sure I will keep watching! And I know you can’t name every song! Cheers!
1. Cultosaurus Erectus
2. Fire of Unknown Origin
3. Tyranny and Mutation
4. Spectres
5. Secret Treaties
6. Heaven Forbid
7. Imaginos
8. The Symbol Remains
9. Blue Oyster Cult
10. Agents of Fortune
11. Mirrors
12. Club Ninja
13. The Revolution by Night
14. Curse of The Hidden Mirror
Great list! suprised to see Agents of Fortune so low..and cool that you liked "Heaven Forbid"..they have so many great albums it hard to rank them.
1. Secret Treaties
2. BOC/ Tyranny and Mutations
3. Mirrors
4. The Revolution by Night
5. Agents of Fortune
6. FIRE of Unknown Origin
7. Imaginos
8. Heaven Forbid
9. On Your Feet or on Your Knees
10. Extra Terrestrial Live
Closer to Classic Rock
Very interesting to listen to. I kept arguing and discussing with both of them my list and preferences. I like the statement of not understanding how come that there are no dozen or more BOC songs playing on radio ...agree completely with that, makes me wonder how some completely mediocre songs get play as opposed to the quality of music from BOC. One thing I would be interested to understand more about appeal of their music to me...I would like to hear some musical analysis of the "style" of BOC, since I'm not a musician I don't understand about the meters of the songs, scales and similar things. Can anyone point me to the analysis like that if it exists? It was a pleasure guys to listen to you.
Thanks for the comment. I do want to do a broader analysis of bands like BOC where I can discuss "what makes them great". BOC covers so many different styles it's worth a closer look for sure.
@@LairoftheAlchemist Really one of the greatest rock bands with such a variety of songs and ideas. A friend of mine said that BOC can put in one song so much that the average band would make one LP side out of that .
My number 1 is Secret Treaties and number 13 would be Revolution by Night, all the other ones are moving around in the list and frankly even in the worst moments they do manage to have something good.
ODd On Life sounds like Long Cool Woman , combined with Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Mirrors was the first Blue Oyster Cult album that I ever heard and bought. It definitely made the other albums sound much better to me. Other than the Vigil , and Dr Music ,Mirrors was pretty lightweight
B.O.C great band
I agree!!
Where would you rank "The Symbol Remains" from 1-14 today?
Good Question...off the top of my head it would probably land around 10
The B&W era!!!
Those albums are great for sure.
@@LairoftheAlchemist All great bands progress and B.O.C.did just that!There later stuff is just as good if not better!Good show my friend!
No one ever brings up, or notices that Eric Bloom says ' I know you want to make it with my Big Black Dog, but you just don't know how to ask ?? ' . Baby Ice Dog has some of the strangest Blue Oyster Cult lyrics. To me you can't listen to Wings Wetted Down without also hearing Teen Archer ( talk about a way out there song title). The way those 2 songs go together is similar to how Metal Church - Beyond the Black leads into the song Metal Church.
Patti Smith wrote the lyrics. I think she also did Career of Evil, parts of Vera Gemini, and Debbie Denise.
Mirrors is one of BOCs best and Tom Wermans production gets knocked but I love it
I like the album a lot!
You guys know you’re BOC
Well done
Thanks!
I think its a little lame to say Heaven Forbid doesn't rank higher because its not BOC enough sounding. Interestingly enough it is as BOC sounding as any of their other albums because of all the variety throughout their catalog. Also, this record beats the pants off of so many of their albums, including Cultosaurus, Revolution, Ninja, Imaginos, etc. And then you say a few cuts don't do it for you. There are so many more cuts on the other albums I reference that don't do it for me compared to Heaven Forbid.
All the BOC albums are good but Heaven Forbid doesn't have enough of the classic BOC sound on it for me...still like and Buck has some great playing but some album had to come in last..haha...that's what's cool is that everyone has their own takes and opinions on things..no correct answer.
@@LairoftheAlchemist I understand your point of view. Thanks for the great segment.
Agree totally about "Heaven Forbid".... Heaven Forbid they continue to knock this awesome album! LOL
Yeah BÖC!!!!
yes!!
Great discussion. I hope you plan to review the new one?
1. Secret Treaties
2. Fire of Unknown Origin
3. Tyranny and Mutation
4. Agents of Fortune
5. Spectres
6. Blue Oyster Cult
7. Mirrors
8. Cultosaurus Erectus
9. Revolution by Night
10. Imaginos
11. Curse of the Hidden Mirror
12. Heaven Forbid
13. Club Ninja
Thanks and great list! not to far off from mine..
Being a BOC fan since the 70s, and having seen them too many times to count, I really appreciate the idea of discussing their albums, BUT…
I was shocked at the rankings. “Heaven Forbid” last!!? Really? “Damaged” is ass-kicking with humorous lyrics. “Live for Me” has a great catchy riff and the lyrics are chilling- a perfect representation of classic BOC. “Real World” at first seems odd, country-like, but soon dives into Buck’s mystical guitar work with a gorgeous solo that ranks up there with his best. “Hammer Back” is simple head-banging fun, and the others, minus the last 2 duds, are also great BOC tunes.
I can go on and on about other off-the-mark rankings here, but suffice it to say, it seems you both are too pigeon-holed in your concepts of what BOC is “supposed to sound like.” They’re a diverse band, have been from day one. Expect the unexpected.
And “Too much Buck vocals.” Really? Can never get enough. And “Buck & Eric don’t have enough ideas on their own?” Come on! Not so. Even Buck’s solo album “Flat Out” was classic, and also diverse. I can appreciate the lack of Bouchard brothers in later albums just as much as I love the earlier albums with their awesome contributions. BOC is very versatile and heavily underrated, but at least you guys started some dialogue. Enough said. Good luck and happy listening.
Thanks for the comment...even though I/we might have put an album last that doesn't mean we don't like it...it was a hard list to make because B.O.C. don't have any terrible albums...but everyone has their own tastes and likes. My list would probably change if I did the video again today.
@@LairoftheAlchemist I get it, all forms of art are subjective, no problem. But as I pointed out, “Heaven Forbid” has a great amount to offer. Having provided art & new media for countless musicians with my studio Digital Vista, my one regret is never having the honor of working on any of their albums. But it's great they finally released a new album. Best wishes!
@@richdisilvio4591 I do agree that there is some really cool stuff on "Heaven Forbid", they have such a strong catalog it's hard to make a list, I'm looking forward to the new album..thanks for the comment!
I can't believe that no one has a problem with the Disco? version of Astronomy that appeared on Imaginos. The pointless Blue Oyster Cult song, that is just Subhuman from Secret Treaties
You forgot the album Bad channels Blue Oyster Cult
We talked about that at the beginning of the video I believe...or maybe we didn't I don't remember..but we decided not to cover that one as it's a soundtrack and really only had a few full BOC songs..although those songs are pretty good.
Great ranking. I will say that I mirrored Josh’s ranking fairly closely, and also his choice for favorite tracks on many of the albums. Nice to hear the insight from a couple of true fans that know the catalog A to Z. Not sure how you came up with your rankings, but when I did mine I actually ranked all of the songs on the studio albums 121-1 and then transferred those rankings back to get an average for each album. It’s so subjective, so I tried to add a little science to it. Because I ranked per song, Imaginos did get a better slot from me. I was a little surprised by the end, as I always felt my top 3 were Secret Treaties, Spectres, and Cultosaurus, but after ranking the songs, Spectres fell to #3 and Cultosaurus to #5.
Thanks and wow! that's awesome that you ranked all the songs!! you had a great formula. I just spent a few weeks listening to everything and going with my gut, I would think.."if I could only have 13 albums what would I take"...then I would think the same but with 12 albums etc.
The Weirdest Blue Oyster Cult Song Titles
Mistress of the Salmon Salt ( Quicklime Girl)
Lips in the Hills
7 Screaming Diz Busters
She's As Beautiful as a Foot
Unknown Tongue
Transmanaicon MC
I'm On the Lamb But I Ain't No 🐑 Sheep
Wings Wetted Down
Teen Archer
Tattoo Vampire
Always loved Alberts drumming,Rick D...no thanks
Albert is a good drummer..fit the band really well.
I was disappointed with the newer album. Still doesn’t taint my feelings about BOC. A list would be tough for me. However I can say even the lesser albums like Club Ninja or Heaven Forbid or Curse of the Hidden Mirror are still pretty damn good. MIrrors has some forgettable tracks too. Other than that the first 3 albums are perfect. Agents is almost perfect never cared for True Confessions. Spectres I could live without I Love the Night. Cultosaurus,Fire and Revolution are perfect albums in my opinion. Imaginos is perfection as well. A pretty dammed good track record for my tastes!
The disrespect for Imaginos is disturbing. Imaginos is BÖC.
Are you guys kidding imagine those didn’t even mention blue oyster colt boys
Not sure what you mean? are you talking about the Imaginos album? that is listed as BOC record even though it started as a solo album for Albert Bouchard.
Thanks for Replying a lot of the times I speak I’m not clear sorry what I mean is you Guys didn’t mention the song Blue Öyster Cult which is the best one on the Imaginos album for me, again thanks for replying cheers!
@@jascatt3341 no worries...that is a good song...I should have mentioned it! thanks for writing.
The flushing toilet into Teen Archer!! Epic!!!
For sure!
1. Tyranny and Mutation ,
2. Secret Treaties ,
3. Spectres ,
4. Blue Oyster Cult,
5. Fire of Unknown Origin,
6. Cultosaurus Erectus ,
7. Agents of Fortune,
8. Revolution By Night,
9. Mirrors,
10. Imaginos,
11. Club Ninja,
Never heard the rest of their albums ,even though they are one of my favorite bands. There was way too many Power and Death Metal bands to donate my money to as opposed to following the Blue Oyster Cult later career. After Imaginos which was their latest effort to my knowledge was awful. After the disappointing follow up to the incredible Fire of Unknown Origin I could tell that they were headed in a direction I didn't care for. I hate the Disco beat version of Astronomy, and morphing Subhuman into a song called Blue Oyster Cult.
I don't consider BOC Heavy Metal, for the most part
IMHO CULTÖSAURUS ERECTUS IS THE BEST ALBUM DE BÖC.
I guess I just don’t get it. BOC to me is average at best.
They are not a band like Kiss or REO Speedwagon etc, they require a level of work & investment that is then paid back 10 fold. Just unique AF.
Best thinking man bands are definitely BOC and Golden Earring.
NO BOUCHARD;S NO BOC !!!!!!!!!!
Albert and Joe were big parts of the band for sure, when Albert left they definitely lost something...but they still put out some cool albums in their later years..
@@LairoftheAlchemist NOT !!!!!!!!! ALBERT WAS FIRED !!!!!!!!!