BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT
SPECTRES (1977)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

After the success of `Don't Fear the Reaper,' it had been proven that even a complex band like Blue Oyster Cult had the potential to score huge FM radio hits; the musical pioneers earned a strong following among the nation's metal fan base with their dark, cryptic, heavy brand of rock, but the aforementioned single and album "Agents of Fortune" propelled them to Top 20 status. Perhaps sensing that their mysterious heavy metal could still make a hit single, BOC recorded "Spectres," a record which Rolling Stone described as "Hard as nails but sweet as cream...proves Blue Oyster Cult to be the Fleetwood Mac of heavy metal." It embraces the menace and grim hauntings of earlier records, but the tracks here have been sculpted slightly to allow for FM radio station accessibility (for instance, a previous example `This Ain't the Summer Of Love'). BOC were still one studio album away from letting loose with a deliberate attempt at pop-metal (1979's "Mirrors"), but this was the layout for their plan for heavy metal domination.
Most of the material on this album and its predecessor is much more direct and slightly shorter than earlier classics like `7 Screaming Diz-Busters' or `Astronomy.' But the mystique is always present, and the Cult delivers a careful, meticulous assault. The gorgeous `I Love the Night' and the irresistible `Goin' Through the Motions' are, in hindsight, obvious preludes to what BOC were aiming for with "Mirrors." `Nosferatu' and the concert crowd-pleaser `Godzilla' perfectly embrace the sci-fi/horror flick themes that have always been identified with the group, neatly woven into blistering tapestries. Blue Oyster Cult's view of romance has to be one of the most interesting, odd, and alluring perspectives of any metal band before or after them; `Fireworks' and `Death Valley Nights' (the title of which says it all) rank as some of their finest overlooked songs, while `The Golden Age of Leather' is one of the band's most articulate, elaborate anthems of the 70s.
BOC rightfully earned their title of "the thinking man's heavy metal band" and these songs are certainly no exception. "Spectres" is actually more essential than many may think; it is the dark, often haunting bridge between two musical phases in the fascinating career of the Blue Oyster Cult.

1. Godzilla
2. Golden Age Of Leather
3. Death Valley Nights
4. Searchin' For Celine
5. Fireworks
6. R. U. Ready 2 Rock
7. Celestial The Queen
8. Goin' Through The Motions
9. I Love The Night
10. Nosferatu
Bonus Tracks
11. Night Flyer
12. Dial M for Murder
13. Please Hold
14. Be My Baby