ALBUM REVIEW: Blue Öyster Cult - Blue Öyster Cult

    Hard rock found itself as one of rock music's new golden children by the early 1970s - it's easy when you have groups like The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple as your face. Nevertheless, a whole host of hard rock groups emerged in the late 60s that eventually bled into the early 70s. Blue Öyster Cult, a group that has since unfortunately had their legacy reduced down to only a handful of songs, was one of these groups, and you can find their earliest iterations dating back to 1967 in Long Island, New York under the name "Soft White Underbelly". The next few years are a bit messy, filled with continuously changing band names, a failed contract with Elektra Records (including an entire album that wouldn't see the light of day until 2001), and the eventual settling on the Blue Öyster Cult name, along with finding a proper home to house the group with Columbia Records. Such a complicated history clearly did not affect the quality of the group's ability, though - while it's not a groundbreaking release, Blue Öyster Cult is distinguished by its more playful nature, unique vocalist and lyricism, and a general proficiency throughout the album that shows them up nicely next to their more popular contemporaries. It's a confident debut, and one that I imagine the band was itching to get out given the complicated path they took to get here; the energy shows, through and through.

    One of the things Blue Öyster Cult does remarkably well on their debut is establish themselves perfectly in the realms of hard rock, and even more effectively, they set up their own niche. They don't have the epic fantasy tales of Led Zeppelin, nor do they have the conceptual backing of The Who's releases from the time (keep in mind, this was just a few years after Tommy and the aborted Lifehouse project), and they aren't quite as heavy as Deep Purple ever were at their peak; no, B.Ö.C.'s niche is in its attitude and writing. They key pieces here are Eric Bloom and band manager Sandy Pearlman, although realistically calling Pearlman simply their "manager" does him little justice, given his importance to the group. Bloom's vocal style is slightly snarky, and while he can't belt out like Roger Daltrey or Ian Gillan, his delivery is one of the key factors in B.Ö.C.'s unique style, coupled with Pearlman's strange poetry, which was often used as a base for lyrics. Indeed, Pearlman's name dots the credits all over this album, from the dark opening track "Transmaniacon MC" that details the infamous 1969 Altamont Free Concert disaster to the drug usage of "Before the Kiss, a Redcap" to the decisively less dark ode to rock music on "Cities on Flames With Rock and Roll", the latter of which serves as a late album highlight on the back end of the record. Drummer Albert Bouchard takes the lead vocals on that song, and has cited Black Sabbath, King Crimson, and MC5 as influences behind that song - indeed, those three serve as great indicators as to where B.Ö.C. got their sound. This creative attitude doubles over with the band, particularly in the lead guitar work of Donald Roeser (or "Buck Dharma") - if this album has taught me anything, it's that Roeser is a severely undersold guitar genius from the 70s, and his work on moments like the fast-paced "I’m On the Lamb but I Ain’t No Sheep" or his switch from ghostly to driving on "Screams" showcase his versatility and technicality wonderful.

    It helps that Blue Öyster Cult demonstrate a remarkable versatility throughout most of this album, ranging from mysterious psychedelic rock leaning numbers to driving hard rock, and they do it all with confidence and efficiency. The previously mentioned "Cities of Flames With Rock and Roll" served as the group's debut single, and when hearing the immediacy of the riff, the driving rhythm, and the effective chorus, it's immediately obvious as to why. This song is a brilliant hard rock number, catchy and driving and plenty fun all at once. On the other side of the coin is the mysterious "Then Came the Last Days of May", whose more downbeat and spacey instrumentation serves as a great view of the other side of the Cult's musical ability, and one that seems to signal their more recognizable material in the future. There's also the slightly out of the blue folk-y closing track "Redeemed", which is another brilliant display of the group's versatility - they wear this coat rather well. Moments like "She's as Beautiful as a Foot" also have undertones of progressive rock in their composition, and although that song is one of the weaker moments on the album, the instrumentation of the track is certainly commendable, and is mostly sold by more creative guitar work from Roeser. The same can partially be said for the similarly lowkey penultimate track that is "Workshop of the Telescopes", which also works to showcase elements of the group's earlier psychedelic roots. You also have "Stairway to the Stars", which is also a bit of a flat moment on the album, but one that showcases some blues influence in the John Lee Hooker-esque riff. It's these moments of diversity that loosen the album's stiffness towards one genre, and it gives B.Ö.C. breathing room to showcase their skill.

    Never ones for major commercial success, Blue Öyster Cult would eventually find themselves gaining a cult status (pun slightly intended) over the 70s and 80s. When listening to their debut, it's not exactly hard to see why. It may not be Who's Next or Machine Head, but on their eponymous debut, B.Ö.C. demonstrates their mysterious attitude, musical exceptionalism, and their malleable playing that can fit in anything from country to psychedelia to full-blown rockers. The first of the "black and white" trilogy would be the first piece of the puzzle that would cement B.Ö.C.'s cult standing as a deeply beloved hard rock group of the early and mid 70s - it certainly seems warranted.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

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