BOC: Songs that Set the Hook

[John A. Swartz]

Allright, I suppose it's high time I de-lurk and weigh in on this one.

>
> In 1980, as an 11-year-old Godzilla fan, I first heard
> the BOC tune about my favorite film star.  Rushed out
> and purchased the Spectres LP. . . and loved it.

My BOC inititiation was similar.  Around 1979, after a steady 2-3-year
diet of KISS in my early teens, I heard that this band called "Blue
Oyster Cult" had a song called "Godzilla" - having been (and continue to
be) a huge Godzilla fan, I decided to check it out - and found a used
copy of "Some Enchanted Evening" at my local record store (one that sold
lots of bootlegs - I remember in the BOC section some album called "In
My Mouth or On the Ground" - which of course I later found out was the
4-song live recording from '72 - I just wished I had bought a copy back
then).  And I was blown away by BOC - I had previously heard "The
Reaper" on the radio, as when that track came on it sounded familiar -
but besides "Godzilla", at the time "Kick Out the Jams" (not even a BOC
tune!) may have been my favorite track (maybe it's because it sounded
the most like KISS?).  Anyway, I started picking up a few other albums -
I remember getting "On Your Feet..." and this is where I was really
"hooked" - I could listen to "The Subhuman", "Harvest of Eyes", "The Red
& The Black", and "Seven Screaming Diz-Busters" in particular over and
over again...

I never got to see BOC live until 1982 when I went off to college, and I
played lots of BOC in those years (and got to see BOC 2 more times in
Boston while there), and sometime after "Imaginos" came out, lost track
of the band.  Then, somewhere around 1993 or so, I found out about this
email list called "BOC-L" . . .

>
> I consider ST to be ground breaking and classic but BOC has never surpassed
> it. Imaginos is another classic IMO but as I discovered (much to my
> disappointment), you can call it a BOC album only in the broadest sense. I
> remember hearing it the first time and being so blown away and thinking,
> "wow! They're back!"

Yep.  At the time I thought Imaginos was just the most kick-ass BOC I'd
ever heard -- I found out much later how little "BOC" it was.

>
> I'm afraid BOC has become a nostalgia act for me as well. It seems to me
> that if you look at what they're doing live these days (er, its been about 3
> years since I last caught them), thats about what they want to be.

It is, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad.  I still wish they
would continue to add some variety to the set, especially focussing more
on some new material, but it's hard to get tired of hearing those "Cult Classics"...


> Sorry to say, I didn't care for HF much at all. With the exception of 1
> song, I find the lyrics hackneyed, awkward and cliche` and the music, while
> *OK* is largely not what I consider BOC style, its more like they're trying
> to emulate the younger bands out there that have replaced them. If it wasn't
> for the familiar voices of EB & BD, I think I'd not even recognize it as BOC
> (well, except that BD's guitar work is always distinctive and recognizable).


I like it.  Maybe I just waited in anticipation for so long that ANY new
BOC would be appreciated by me.  Still, while it will never be "Secret
Treaties, Part II", there's some good stuff on there - the thing has a
bit too many Buck songs on it (I still say they should have put the 2
"Bad Channels" songs, plus a live version of "Wings of Mercury" on
there) to sound like "classic BOC" - gives it more of a "Flat Out, Part
II" feel.  Still, I guess I didn't expect a band who's last real studio
album (i.e., Club Ninja, not Imaginos) was 12 years previous to sound a
particular way.  And "See You in Black" is a kick-ass way to start an
album... ;-)

Will be interesting to see what their next album will sound like...


John