BOC FAQ: Part 4 of 7, Ver. 2.0

[John A Swartz]

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BOC FAQ -- Part 4 (Questions - Part 2)
      Version:  2.0     Date of Latest Revision:  September 5, 1995
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NOTE:  The file for this FAQ has been split into 7 parts for portability
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this FAQ may only be distributed in its entirety, including the
copyright and disclaimer.  Thanks for your cooperation,
John
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What is the "best" BOC album?
-----------------------------

     Perhaps this question should be:  "What BOC album should I buy?",
which gets asked every now and then, usually by people who have only
heard BOC on the radio (i.e., "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' For
You", and maybe "Godzilla"), and are looking to buy one BOC album.  Or
it gets answered when someone voices their dislike for a particular
album (Editor's note:  *Club Ninja*, and sometimes *Mirrors* or *The
Revolution By Night*, most often get this abuse, and then several
individuals will rush to the albums' defense).  There is no definitive
answer - it's obviously a matter of personal choice, but the following
might provide some guidance:

1.  Some people recommend live albums, and BOC has 3 to choose from.
*Extraterrestrial Live* is the most recent, and captures the band near
the peak of its commercial success.  *On Your Feet Or On Your Knees* is
the earliest, capturing much of the older material.  *Some Enchanted
Evening*, although only a single album (the other 2 are double albums),
is considered by many to have the best sound and song selection.

2.  Compilation albums might be recommended for those who don't plan on
purchasing more than a few albums.  BOC, like other bands that have been
around for years, have more than one to choose from.  The upcoming Sony
compilation, *Workshop Of The Telescopes*, scheduled for release in the
fall of 1995, may stand head and shoulders above all the others as the
definitive "best of and rest of" package.  Not only are the hits planned
to be included, but all of the singles (both A and B sides) are there,
including the studio version of "Born To Be Wild", which was previously
only available as a vinyl single.  In addition, the four songs on the
*Live Bootleg* release, previously only available on rare vinyl or as an
"import live recording", may be included.  As for the other compilation
albums to choose from, *Cult Classic* is the most representative of what
songs the band is playing live these days, and how they are playing them
(the songs have been re-recorded).  Some have complained that these re-
recordings lack the energy of the original versions, while others really
like the new versions.  The bulk of *Career Of Evil - The Metal Years*
is from live albums, particularly *Extraterrestrial Live*, but also has
a few tracks from various studio albums.  *On Flame With Rock And Roll*,
which can often be found at a bargain price in many record store's cut-
out sections, contains mostly studio versions of some of BOC's more
popular songs (such as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' For You",
"Godzilla", and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"), along with a few
other tracks that, for the most part, are now rarely performed by BOC.
Finally, the European release, *The Reaper - Best*, is a good
compilation, for those who can obtain it -- 77 minutes of songs from
most of the band's albums (some of which are slightly enhanced in sound
quality over the original versions), and an interesting booklet on the
band (if you can read German).

3.  While the band no longer performs songs from this album (see next
question for more information), many of BOC's current fans cite the
album, *Imaginos* as the best work the band every put out (both from a
musical and conceptual standpoint).  Others, however, point out that BOC
as a group are not completely responsible for this album (again, see
next question for more information).  Some of the concepts alluded to in
*Imaginos* (as well as versions of two of the songs) are present on the
*Secret Treaties* album, and many fans cite this album as their favorite
(the band still regularly plays 2 or 3 of the songs off that album).

4.  Due mostly to the benefit of a hit single on them, *Agents Of
Fortune* (containing "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"), *Spectres* (containing
"Godzilla"), and *Fire Of Unknown Origin* (containing "Burnin' For You")
are probably BOC's most successful albums commercially, and some fans
would cite one of them as their favorites.

5.  Since he is the head of the BOC fan club, it is appropriate to
consider Bolle Gregmar's favorite album, *Cultosaurus Erectus*.  This
album, released after *Mirrors*, marked a return to the "heavier" BOC
sound, due in part to the production talents of Martin Birch (who had
produced albums for Black Sabbath and Deep Purple).  According to Bolle,
the album is very energetic, and contains some of the band's best song-
writing.

6.  The one that started it all, *Blue Oyster Cult*, is cited by many as
their favorite.  The band's roots can be most clearly seen on this
album, and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To The
Stars" are still regularly performed by the band.  For those that like
the songs on the first album, *Tyranny and Mutation* and *Secret
Treaties* also get high marks.

Editor's Note:  The only "real" way to enjoy BOC is to get *all* of
their albums.


What is the story behind the recording of the album, *Imaginos*?
----------------------------------------------------------------

     The Imaginos story actually pre-dates BOC, and started within the
mind of Sandy Pearlman, who, back in about 1967, wrote a collection of
poems called "The Soft Doctrines of Imaginos".  It was Pearlman's desire
that BOC be the embodiment of the Imaginos concept.  Around that time,
two songs were written around this concept -- "Gil Blanco County" (which
would appear on the Stalk-Forrest Group demo for Elektra), and a Buck
Dharma tune called "Port Jefferson".  While the band decided against
doing the concept, Albert Bouchard began working on music for it.  By
1974, the songs "Imaginos", "Astronomy" (which appeared on *Secret
Treaties*), and "The Subhuman" (which also appeared on *Secret
Treaties*, and would later be changed to "Blue Oyster Cult" on the
*Imaginos* album) were written.  At the *Spectres* sessions, Joe
Bouchard demoed "In The Presence Of Another World", while Albert
Bouchard demoed "Del Rio's Song", "I Am The One You Warned Me Of", "The
Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria",
and a song entitled, "The Girl That Love Made Blind" -- however, the
band was still not interested in doing the whole project.  Albert
continued to write and demo songs for the project, and by *Cultosaurus
Erectus*, really wanted to see the band do the concept.  After Albert
left BOC in 1981, he began working with Sandy Pearlman on the project,
recording all the basic tracks in 1982.  By 1984, the Imaginos work was
essentially completed.

     Sandy Pearlman first approached CBS about putting the album
together around 1981, and CBS was initially interested in the project.
According to Eric Bloom, CBS was not happy with the final result (in
which Albert sang much of the lead vocals), and was not interested in
releasing the album unless it was released as a "BOC" album with Eric
Bloom and Buck Dharma singing lead vocals.  After BOC had broken up in
1986, the idea of the band getting together to release *Imaginos* was
discussed.  Albert, hoping to get the original line-up back together for
the recording (and a subsequent tour), spent time getting in contact
with all the original members of the band.  Apparently Albert had a
difficult time convincing Joe Bouchard, who was the last of the original
5 members to quit the band, to do the project.  However, the rest of the
band (Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Jon Rogers, joined by Ron
Riddle on drums) had reformed as Blue Oyster Cult by the time Joe
Bouchard had agreed to do the project.  In addition, the financial
obligations had to be worked out as Albert wanted to be co-producer of
the album, having played such a large role in the project.  With the
band re-forming in mid-1987 without Albert and Joe Bouchard, Albert
abandoned the project.  However, Sandy Pearlman and the band did go
forward with the project, re-doing some of the tracks by early 1988, and
releasing *Imaginos* as a BOC album later that year.  The original 5
members of the band are credited as performing on the album, along with
several other musicians (see album credits in Discography section).
However, it is not clear how much of a "BOC" album this is, beyond
Eric/Buck's lead vocals, and their hand in the writing of some of the
songs.  According to Albert Bouchard, the bulk of the instrumentation
credits should go to Tommy Morrongiello (guitars), Jack Rigg (guitars),
and Tommy Mandel (keyboards - uncredited on the album).  In addition,
Albert says the following were not credited on the album:  Jon Rogers
(additional lead vocal on "I Am The One You Warned Me Of"), Phil Grandee
(guitar).  Between the *Imaginos* credits, the reworking of the songs,
and the fact that the band apparently did not want Albert back as their
drummer after the release of *Imaginos*, there are considerable hard
feelings between Albert and BOC/Sandy Pearlman.

     The original *Imaginos* project contained over 90 minutes of music,
and budgets wouldn't allow for the complete package.  The "complete"
Imaginos story spans 200 years from the beginning of the 19 Century to
the end of the 20th.  At the time the album was recorded, two other
parts were anticipated, entitled (according to Sandy Pearlman) "Germany
Minus Zero And Counting" and "The Mutant Reformation".  Albert Bouchard
has indicated that possible titles for "Germany Minus Zero And Counting"
were "Half-Life Time", and "Bombs Over Germany".  According to Albert
Bouchard, the following songs were left off of *Imaginos*: "Gil Blanco
County", "The Girl That Love Made Blind", "Blue Oyster Cult Reprise",
"Imaginos Overture", and an acapella reprise of the first verse of
"Magna Of Illusion".  Also, the song "Shadow Of California" (from the
album, *The Revolution By Night*) was partially re-worked from an Albert
Bouchard song, "Half-Life Time", which was to appear on the second
"Imaginos" album.  With the past problems and current tensions between
the various parties associated the recording of *Imaginos*, it is
probably unlikely that the full Imaginos saga will ever be completed.
Sandy Pearlman is apparently working on an Imaginos comic book and
multi-media (video game) project, but this project is also likely to
remain unfinished.

     Recently, Albert Bouchard provided a list of songs which might be
applicable to the rest of the Imaginos trilogy.  They appear, with his
comments, as follows:

Act One: The Imaginos album we're familiar with.
Act Two: Bombs over Germany
               Workshop Of The Telescopes
               The Girl That Love Made Blind *
               ME 262
               The Red And The Black
               Cities On Flame **
               Shadow Of California
               Half Life Time +
               Veteran Of The Psychic Wars ++
               Career Of Evil ++
Act Three: The Mutant Reformation
               Take Me Away ++
               The Vigil ++
               ETI
               R. U. Ready 2 Rock
               Heavy Metal
               Flaming Telepaths
               Gil Blanco County *
               Redeemed
* Left off the original Imaginos album
** "Motor City is Burning" version -- based somewhat on the MC5 song
+ Very few have heard this one
++ Non-Pearlman songs because I never plan to write another with him and
these tunes kind of fit into the story


What is the story told by the album, *Imaginos*?
------------------------------------------------

     Sandy Pearlman, in an interview with Kerrang magazine (September
1988) says, "Basically, it's an interpretation of history - an
explanation for the onset of World War 1, or a revelation of the occult
origins of it.  Imaginos is the main character, and is what I call 'an
actor in history'.  He plays different roles in history and was born as
a modified child, modified by an alien influence, and his mission is to
present the human race with the challenge of evil.  The aliens are
playing with our history as if it's a game, and he motivates the game
and presents the choices to the human race.  They react as they will."
Sandy Pearlman also says that the story explains what the "Blue Oyster
Cult" is.  "They are aliens.  When Imaginos is dying on a beach (in the
song 'Blue Oyster Cult'), they announce their presence to him and give
him a choice - side with them or die as a human.  He chooses the former
and realizes he was one of them after all.  In 'Astronomy' he realizes
he is descended from the stars."

     Of course, the above statements leave much left untold, and subject
to interpretation.  Such discussion went on between various individuals
on BOC-L, and this discussion was captured, distilled, and condensed
into a sort of mini-thesis by BOC-L member Bryce "The Subhuman" Baker.
His complete work may be available (either now or soon) in the BOC-L
archives.  An edited version of his work is presented here (note:
quotes that go unreferenced are either from the liner notes or song
lyrics):

The Saga of Imaginos begins with the discovery of the New World by
the Spanish.  "Out beyond the Europe's rim the Spaniards met the
Indians."  The Indians:  the natives of the New World, the Aztecs,
Haitians, and others.  "To the Spanish, agents of a Catholic Sovereign,
the New World was no place of grace ... anti-genesis, anti-Eden, seat of
evil, pit of darkness ... the priests in the expeditions could imagine
no place worse than this place ... visibly in the thrall of invisible
spirits."  These spirits: Les Invisibles - The Invisible Ones.

It is assumed that the Indians of the New World (in particular, the
Aztecs and the Haitians) worshipped Les Invisibles (which we also assume
to number seven).  Les Invisibles' seat of power is Haiti, "... still a
dream world, seat of Les Invisibles ...", suggesting a connection
between their world and our world.  This is not taken to be a physical
connection (as a portal, for example), but a religious connection, as
The Vatican is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church.

Haitian Voodoo references are indeed present in Imaginos, Baron
Samedi (see the lyrics to 'Les Invisibles') is reportedly the Voodoo
lord of graveyards, and Les Mesteres (also in "Les Invisibles") is
reportedly another name for the Loa, the seven African spirits
worshipped in Voodoo.  Regarding the dance of Don Pedro, ghost-dancing
(a group dance for communication with the dead) plays a large part in
Haitian religious beliefs, and apparently played a similarly large role
in Aztec religious customs; drums seem to have been the instrument of
choice (see lyrics in 'Les Invisibles' and 'Del Rio's Song').  As to the
identity of Don Pedro, the emperor Montezuma supposedly had a Spanish-
sympathizing son named Don Pedro who helped rebuild the Mexican capital
after its destruction by the Spanish.  How this could tie in is unclear,
and may simply be a coincidence.

If rich in its evil, the New World was also rich in its gold.  At first,
to the Spaniards, the gold was "no luminous mirror of delight, but
rather, a mirror of blackness."  But as fear turned to greed, in this
gold, this mirror of blackness, "the Spaniards discovered for themselves
an image of self without limit ... the invention of all new things, the
invention of genocide."  Greed overcame fear.  Civilizations were wiped
out (under the guise of religious purification), and Spanish power in
Europe rose, fueled by the gold from the New  World.  "For hundreds of
years, all the gold ... came from the New World ... the seduction of the
Old World by the New World - innocence corrupts experience."

Ultimately, the Spain/Portugal monopoly on the New World was broken by
England, under the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603).  "Her occult
advisor was a Dr. John Dee.  He spoke, he said, with invisible spirits
and in his possession was a magic mirror of black volcanic glass ... it
was fashioned in Mexico."  Dee's associate, Edward Kelly, looked into
the stone, and Dee recorded his visions (this mirror and some of Dee's
other paraphernalia are on display in London in the British Museum).
The interpretation relative to the Imaginos story is that Les Invisibles
somehow made this mirror available to Dee, and information gained from
using it was used in the destruction of Spanish power.  It has been
suggested that this was a form of 'retaliatory strike' at Spain by Les
Invisibles for invading Mexico and eradicating much of the religion
devoted to them.  However, it is seems more likely that this wasn't a
'retaliatory strike' at all, but part of a larger, centuries-spanning
scheme by Les Invisibles to cause strife and bloodshed in Europe,
continuing all the way to World War I, and perhaps beyond.  It should be
noted that in contrast to the relative black mirror of New World gold
mentioned in the first paragraph, here we have the first appearance of
an actual, physical black mirror.

In the early 1800's, (perhaps in the month of August) Les Invisibles
cause the birth of a 'modified' child - Imaginos - in New Hampshire.
His powers include the ability to see the future to some degree
("singing songs nobody knew and stories left undone") and to change his
shape ("actually this Buzzardo was Imaginos in disguise").  Ignorant of
his future role and billing himself as somewhat of an adventurer, he
travels North America (at least Vermont and Texas) before winding up in
New Orleans in 1829.  Still acting as an "adventurer", he heads up an
"expedition", sailing the Mississippi south towards Mexico.  Realizing
that there may be more of a reason behind his powers than he previously
believed, and perhaps having visions or some other drive, he has goals
for the expedition he isn't telling his crew.  He is heading south to
the Yucatan, to a place "just between the verse and me" where he will
find something "lost, last and luminous, scored to sky yet never found".
Somewhere along the trip, the boat is shipwrecked near land.  As
Imaginos lies on the shore, seriously injured and dying, his friends,
the survivors of the shipwreck, leave him alone to die "on a shore where
oyster beds seem plush as down".  The morning tide washes in and he
drowns.  As can be seen here, Imaginos' ability to see into the future
is limited to some degree, or he would have been able to foretell of his
upcoming shipwreck.

This shipwreck, however, was no accident.  As he drowns, Les Invisibles
come to Imaginos and show him everything:  "the Invisible [Ones] visible
at last and manifest; no mere hints or traces".  Knowing who and what he
is and the role carved for him in future events, he agrees to become the
Invisible Ones' agent on earth; he becomes one of the "Blue Oyster
Cult", the servants of Les Invisibles.  Les Invisibles, acting through
the "oyster boys" (some kind of fish-like creature) resurrect Imaginos
from the dead.  He is now their agent, "unleashed to forge a new
destiny; he is Imaginos called Desdinova."

After the shipwreck, it is clearly stated in the liner notes that
Imaginos dies.  The song "Blue Oyster Cult" contains a bit about "The
Dream of Luxor", which is an Egyptian reference to rebirth:  "Luxor,
site of the southern Temple of Amun, built essentially by Amenophis III
and Ramesses II.  The image of Amun from the temple at Karnak spent the
flood season here ... at Luxor, Amun took the form of Min, a mummiform,
ithyphallic fertility god ... fertility gods in Egyptian religion were
associated with rebirth and immortality." (Jean Lansford)

"We understand, and so do I" and "One deal is what we made" from "Blue
Oyster Cult", taken along with the liner notes for "Astronomy" point to
the "all is made clear" inference (and also to the 'I didn't know what
the hell's going on with me' inference mentioned above).  It isn't
really very clear just who or what the Oyster Boys are, just that they
somehow are connected with The Invisible Ones.

The next songs in the cycle are mainly descriptive, rather than playing
out the story.  "I Am the One You Warned Me Of" - Imaginos, reborn,
fully aware of who and what he is.  "Fresh from zones of moisture":  on
that "shore where oyster beds seemed plush as down" to a drowning young
Imaginos.  We almost get a sense of 'excitement' from this song.  Albert
Bouchard had an interesting comment on the song and the lyric "and
afterwards the meat":  "This song was influenced by "Memo from Turner"
and was supposed to be about Imaginos getting down and lascivious."

"In the Presence of Another World" - Imaginos, the earthly agent of Les
Invisibles, still aware of his former self, but now so much more, and
forebodings of the evil to come.  "The Siege and Investiture of Baron
Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" - the continuation of Les
Invisibles' influence on earth - earlier, through corruption by gold,
now through corruption by technology.

The liner notes have a lot to say on the reborn Imaginos:

     "This then is Imaginos of whom it will be said, between what he can
realize and what he can imagine, there is to be nothing and no distance.
His will be the perfect sight. 'Behind closed eyes realize your sight.'
Through the powers of perfect vision and Imaginos, vested in him by Les
Invisibles, he will bring the world to a rendezvous with its own
destiny, to change the world's course, to -write- history, to tilt the
axis of destiny - Imaginos becomes the world's greatest actor, a
transcendent role player, an actor in history."

It can only be assumed that between his rebirth (~1829) and the next
song in the story (Magna of Illusion, ~1892), Imaginos is somehow living
up to this role, involving himself in key events that will lead up to
the grand conclusion.

1892, Imaginos, now in the role of an old sea captain:

     "Out beyond the Europe's rim and further by far, beyond the sphere
of light, into a place where darkness is omnipotent and never from
hungry.  In Mayaland in the Yucatan he will discover an unheard-of
temple or pyramid.  At the core of the pyramid, with only one way in and
no way out, is a chamber of jade, curiously sculpted with impossible
angles, itself surrounding something hardly there, a new germ, made from
'pieces of the perfect black.'

[jumping down a paragraph in the notes...]

     "In the chamber of jade is a mirror carved of blackest obsidian,
black volcanic glass, tempered with blood: 'the sugar of sacrifice.'
Obviously a magic mirror, it is nothing less than the Magna of Illusion:
the last song in the cycle.  In it Imaginos, now playing the of an old
English sea captain in the 1890s, takes the mirror from Mexico (which is
nowhere) to Europe.  He takes it by crime and blood from the jungle to
give to his granddaughter on her birthday.  It sits in her family's
attic in misty Cornwall for ten years or more.  Poisoning Europe ..."

[moving back up a paragraph in the notes...]

     "When thrust in vivo into Europe's all too fertile soil, this new
germ will - having grown ever more powerful and mature, having in fact
become an organism - beam ridding voices direct to the brains of the
(European) multitudes.  The voices call in hunger for absolute darkness
and absolute light.  They are ready.  We are ready.  It is ready"

[moving back down...]

     "And then World War I breaks out.  A disease with a long
incubation."

Some random general reflections:

1.  If you follow the story, it is obvious that the songs on the album
are in the wrong order. There is, however, this 'random access history'
disclaimer.  It has been speculated that the record company screwed up
the order of the songs and the random access bit was added afterwards.
That is completely unsubstantiated, and probably not true, but who
knows?  In the liner notes, an order is listed, but my interpretation of
the real order (substantiated by Albert Bouchard) is:

Les Invisibles
Imaginos
Del Rio's Song
Blue Oyster Cult
Astronomy
I Am The One You Warned Me Of      } these two could flip flop
In The Presence Of Another World   }
The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At
Weisseria
Magna Of Illusion

2.  An issue that has not been explored is the origin or the location of
Les Invisibles. From the liner notes and overall feel of the album, you
get the impression of another, mystical world, beyond our time and
space, and that is how the story has been interpreted above. But to
throw in a wrench, I quote Albert Bouchard in Morning Final #10:

     "Basically, what it is that this guy comes down from a spaceship,
and he lands in New Hampshire.  I don't know if he has a son or not, but
there's a young Immaginos (note:  "Immaginos" was Albert's intended
spelling) that is hatched from the spaceship in New Hampshire.  He
drifts down towards Texas.  When he's in Texas he discovers that he has
all sorts of powers that regular people don't have.  I guess that he's
probably not completely aware that he's an extra-terrestrial."

Note that his interview was in 1982 (and done for some metal magazine,
it was never published), a lot could have changed in the time between
the interview and when the final version(s?) of the story was settled
on.  But if you look at some of the lyrics out of context, we have:

"the rhyme of the star clock"                   [Les Invisibles]
"this starry wisdom"                            [I Am the One ...]
"how even space can modulate"                   [In the Presence ...]
"the milky way abyss inclines"
"the buried city in the stars"
"from the glare of stars, the starry wisdom"    [The Siege And ...]

Again, the above quotes are -completely- out of context and are meant
just to provide a (weak) counterview to the mystical, almost religious
viewpoint.  Also, a mystical location and an outerspace location are by
no means mutually exclusive.  But, to tighten that wrench:

"and don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent" [Astronomy]
"Astronomy...a star!"                           [Astronomy]
"approached the sun, in August"                 [Imaginos]

Sirius: The Dog Star, a star of the constellation Canis Major, the
brightest star in the heavens.  Used for navigational purposes because
it usually remains fixed in the sky.  The Dog Days ... the period of in
late summer (between early July and late August) when Sirius rises and
sets with the sun.

And according to Dr. Paul Mather:

     "Okay, here's another Sirius connection.  I remember R.A. Wilson
making much about the connection between the "Dog Days" and Sirius.
There is a "primitive" African tribe - the Dogon tribe - who, it seems,
accurately detected the companion to Sirius and mapped its relationship
to Sirius.  This companion is invisible to the naked eye, and can only
be detected by x-rays (I seem to recall).  The tribe detected its
presence long before modern radio astronomy."

The plot thickens ...

     "The Dogon tribe worship a half-man, half-fish god, who is said to
come from the companion star, and who is said to have come down to
Earth."

This account was later shown to the bogus result of the tribe mixing
modern astronomy with their mythology, or something like that [from
FoFP].  But it was still widespread and certainly available to influence
a young Sandy Pearlman ...

In any event, as mentioned above, "outer space" and "beyond time and
space" are certainly not mutually exclusive.


Is there a BOC/H.P. Lovecraft connection?
-----------------------------------------

     Not directly, however, some of the concepts in BOC's lyrics,
particularly *Imaginos* seem to be inspired by some of Lovecraft's work.
For those not familiar, Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an early 20th-
century writer of horror and science fiction stories.  Although some of
Lovecraft's contemporaries often did not appreciate his work (labeling
it "bad taste" and "sick"), Stephen King has acknowledged Lovecraft as
the 20th-century's "greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale".
He is best known for several short stories often referred to
collectively as the "Cthulhu Mythos" -- these stories refer to "The
Great Old Ones", creatures from other worlds and dimensions which once
ruled the earth, and have since been defeated, expelled, or imprisoned
by various cosmic forces.  These creatures may rise again ("when the
stars are right"), often aided by human cults performing ceremonies with
various blasphemous incantations.

     Looking at the lyrics and liner notes of *Imaginos*, it's obvious
that there are many similarities.  The story told by *Imaginos* explores
alot of the same concepts as the "Cthulhu Mythos", close enough for some
to claim that the two are one and the same (For example, Desdinova or
Imaginos is "an actor playing roles in history, challenging man against
evil".  He could be considered as an agent of evil -- Lovecraft's
Nyarlathotep.).  However, general opinion (on the BOC discussion group)
is that *Imaginos*, while no doubt inspired by some of Lovecraft's work
(Al Bouchard also indicates that Sandy Pearlman and he had read some of
Lovecraft's work), is not meant to be a re-telling of Lovecraft's
"Cthulhu Mythos".  Having said that, the following are some literary
references between *Imaginos* and Lovecraft's work:

     The song "Les Invisibles" contains the line "beneath the polar
mountain".  Lovecraft's tale, "At the Mountains of Madness" discusses
Antarctica as being a location where some of the Great Old Ones either
arrived, ruled, or lay waiting.

     The songs "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" and "The Siege And
Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" both
contain references to "Starry Wisdom".  Lovecraft's story, "The Haunter
of the Dark" refers to "the Church of the Starry Wisdom", a cult
organization in which "the Shining Trapazohedron shows them heaven &
other worlds, & that the Haunter of the Dark tells them secrets in some
way."  Also, the Shining Trapazohedron appears to be similar in function
to the Magna of Illusion of *Imaginos*.

     The song, "Les Invisibles" talks about "the empress lay sleeping to
the rhyme of the star clock", which may refer to the Great Old One's
return "when the stars are right".  The song "In The Presence Of Another
World" contains the spoken words, "when the stars are right".  This same
line is used in Lovecraft's, "The Call of Cthulhu".  In addition, the
"Oyster Boys", as water beings can be likened to agents of Cthulhu.

     A few other BOC songs (not from *Imaginos*) have, either by title
or lyric, a similar sort of feel to them:  Harvester of Eyes, Flaming
Telepaths, Stairway to the Stars, Workshop of the Telescopes ("by those
who see with their eyes closed, they'll know me by my black telescope",
"the power that was undine" - see discussion later on the term,
"undine"), ME-262 ("watch me in mirrors", and "Captain Von Ondine" - see
discussion later on the term, "undine").

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End of Section 4 out of 7