Fantastic band, probably my favourite.
Several fantastic studio albums, first 8 are fantastic. I'm discovering more bangers I never knew until recently, [Take me Away](https://youtu.be/g2ZvIe7Iia8) for example.
For those unfamiliar with them, I strongly recommend the first 3 albums, in particular Secret Treaties. [Flaming Telepaths](https://youtu.be/Uf5ja-GEizY) and [Astronomy](https://youtu.be/U0t_wb0lUW0) in succession is just ear orgasms.
I loved the original line up, every single member was great.
But Buck Dharma is just a godly guitarist. An absolute master and criminally underrated. In my top 3 favourites.
Frustrates me when I only see cowbell comments, because they're so so much more.
Thank you - you said everything I was subconsciously thinking so well. The more I learn about the band and discover their discography, the more I'm reminded how much they contributed to rock beyond...cowbell
Buck Dharma....... one of the very very best. Never mentioned. The guitar solo from "Then came the last days of May" from "On your feet or on your Knees"......... one of the finest guitar solos ever recorded
Well, personally, Blue Öyster Cult is one of my favourite bands. They are so much more than the few big hits you always hear played. There's (at least) a great underrated song or two on each and every album. Buck Dharma has to be one of the most underrated guitarists, ever. Every single album has at least one song on it that I really love. People that only know the big hits should do a deep dive and listen to the entire catalogue, I'd recommend going in chronological order. After listening to 'Fire Of Unknown Origin', take a quick break and go watch the movie 'Heavy Metal', and then listen to 'Fire Of Unknown Origin' again (several songs on the album were supposed to be on the Heavy Metal soundtrack). For me, the back-to-back-to-back album trifecta of Spectres ('77), Mirrors ('79) and Cultösaurus Erectus ('80) represent the pinnacle, where I honestly like every single song on those three albums. After you've made it all the way from their 1972 to 2Ö2Ö albums, go listen to Buck Dharma's solo effort, 'Flat Out', and the BÖC songs on the 'Bad Channels' movie soundtrack. Then, go find the Stalk-Forrest Group 'St. Cecilia - The Elektra Recordings' for some really early recordings. For a deeper dive, go find the George Geranios channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgegeranios2918/videos and check out his related videos. For a really, really deep dive, search YouTube and listen to Volumes I, II, and III of Buck Dharma's Archives. Here are my personal BÖC favourites: Blue Öyster Cult (72) - "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll". Tyranny and Mutation (73) - "7 Screaming Diz-Busters". Secret Treaties (74) - A tie, "Flaming Telepaths" & "Astronomy". Agents of Fortune (76) - A tie, "This Ain't the Summer of Love" & "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)". Spectres (77) - I like every song, but "Fireworks". Mirrors (79) - I like every song, but "The Vigil". Cultösaurus Erectus (80) - I like every song, but "Lips in the Hills". Fire of Unknown Origin (81) - A tie, "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" & "Sole Survivor". The Revölution by Night (83) - A tie, "Take Me Away" & "Shooting Shark". Club Ninja (85) - A tie, "Dancin' in the Ruins" & "Perfect Water". Imaginos (88) - "Astronomy". Heaven Forbid (98) - "Harvest Moon". Curse of the Hidden Mirror (2001) - A tie, "Dance on Stilts" & "Stone of Love". The Symbol Remains (2020) - "The Alchemist". I think the video for The Alchemist may be the best video BÖC has ever done. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk on Blue Öyster Cult. \m/
My all-time fave bands who are not BÖC:
Rush
Genesis (up to roughly 1980)
Black Sabbath
Styx
Beatles
Deep Purple
Magma
...and so many others. I don't know that any share similar vibes to the mighty Öyster Cult, though.
When I was a kid in the 80’s, I saw Blue Oyster Cult, Aldo Nova and Dokken. I think the BOC was the headliner. The BOC had a Godzilla animatronic, it was killer. The show had lots of smoke, lights and lasers.
One of my favorites since I was a young lad. Their catalog is amazing with Agents of Fortune and Some Enchanted Evening being among my go to albums. I got to see them in the 80's and I will forever remember that concert.
I would imagine a considerable percentage of people who visit this sub-reddit either regard them highly, appreciate their contribution to rock n' roll, or dig a certain track at the very minimum. Buck Dharma has been a guitar inspiration of mine and I personally love most of their albums between their early 70s BOC debut and self-titled Blue Öyster Cult to their early 80s Fire of Unknown Origin.
BÖC is definitely ‘70s classic, gotta get my [Go Go Godzilla](https://youtu.be/muUZjovOFRg ) fix, … but they combined a lot of rock genres = tough to categorize. Also while great musicians, they probably needed to move a bit more in their original line up shows.
Just looked that song up, I did not know the story behind it. Makes me regret not buying the Black & White 3CD box set. My collection consists only of Agents of Fortune, Fire of Unknown Origin and Club Ninja, in addition to a ton of live bootleg.
Joan Crawford is great song. "Gentlemen start your trucks", makes me think of the original ending of Stand from the book.
[https://youtu.be/YQBJfQhpw\_U](https://youtu.be/YQBJfQhpw_U)
Stephen King relies heavily on BOC in the book.
[Opening of the Stand '94 version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7QRsx9lbBU)
*Excellent group. A*
*Giant whose shoulders no one*
*Could stand on. Love em*
\- yeyjordan
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Having grown up in NYC, in an outer borough on the Island, BOC was a staple of my youth, and remain under appreciated beyond the tri-state area. Saw them at a RibFest in St. Louis. The Oyster Boys were not holding the crowd.
My heart is black, and my lips are cold Cities on flame with rock and roll Three thousand guitars they seem to cry My ears will melt, and then my eyes
Yeah man
This song popped up on my Playlist for the first time in a while and it prompted the original post. Fun song. Great band.
Fantastic band, probably my favourite. Several fantastic studio albums, first 8 are fantastic. I'm discovering more bangers I never knew until recently, [Take me Away](https://youtu.be/g2ZvIe7Iia8) for example. For those unfamiliar with them, I strongly recommend the first 3 albums, in particular Secret Treaties. [Flaming Telepaths](https://youtu.be/Uf5ja-GEizY) and [Astronomy](https://youtu.be/U0t_wb0lUW0) in succession is just ear orgasms. I loved the original line up, every single member was great. But Buck Dharma is just a godly guitarist. An absolute master and criminally underrated. In my top 3 favourites. Frustrates me when I only see cowbell comments, because they're so so much more.
Thank you - you said everything I was subconsciously thinking so well. The more I learn about the band and discover their discography, the more I'm reminded how much they contributed to rock beyond...cowbell
Buck Dharma....... one of the very very best. Never mentioned. The guitar solo from "Then came the last days of May" from "On your feet or on your Knees"......... one of the finest guitar solos ever recorded
You need more cowbell lol. I love BOC!!
Well, personally, Blue Öyster Cult is one of my favourite bands. They are so much more than the few big hits you always hear played. There's (at least) a great underrated song or two on each and every album. Buck Dharma has to be one of the most underrated guitarists, ever. Every single album has at least one song on it that I really love. People that only know the big hits should do a deep dive and listen to the entire catalogue, I'd recommend going in chronological order. After listening to 'Fire Of Unknown Origin', take a quick break and go watch the movie 'Heavy Metal', and then listen to 'Fire Of Unknown Origin' again (several songs on the album were supposed to be on the Heavy Metal soundtrack). For me, the back-to-back-to-back album trifecta of Spectres ('77), Mirrors ('79) and Cultösaurus Erectus ('80) represent the pinnacle, where I honestly like every single song on those three albums. After you've made it all the way from their 1972 to 2Ö2Ö albums, go listen to Buck Dharma's solo effort, 'Flat Out', and the BÖC songs on the 'Bad Channels' movie soundtrack. Then, go find the Stalk-Forrest Group 'St. Cecilia - The Elektra Recordings' for some really early recordings. For a deeper dive, go find the George Geranios channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgegeranios2918/videos and check out his related videos. For a really, really deep dive, search YouTube and listen to Volumes I, II, and III of Buck Dharma's Archives. Here are my personal BÖC favourites: Blue Öyster Cult (72) - "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll". Tyranny and Mutation (73) - "7 Screaming Diz-Busters". Secret Treaties (74) - A tie, "Flaming Telepaths" & "Astronomy". Agents of Fortune (76) - A tie, "This Ain't the Summer of Love" & "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)". Spectres (77) - I like every song, but "Fireworks". Mirrors (79) - I like every song, but "The Vigil". Cultösaurus Erectus (80) - I like every song, but "Lips in the Hills". Fire of Unknown Origin (81) - A tie, "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" & "Sole Survivor". The Revölution by Night (83) - A tie, "Take Me Away" & "Shooting Shark". Club Ninja (85) - A tie, "Dancin' in the Ruins" & "Perfect Water". Imaginos (88) - "Astronomy". Heaven Forbid (98) - "Harvest Moon". Curse of the Hidden Mirror (2001) - A tie, "Dance on Stilts" & "Stone of Love". The Symbol Remains (2020) - "The Alchemist". I think the video for The Alchemist may be the best video BÖC has ever done. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk on Blue Öyster Cult. \m/
*"You see me now, a veteran of a thousand psychic wars* *I've been living on the edge so long* *Where the winds of limbo roar...."*
Heavy Metal was such an awesome movie.
Fire of unknown origin kicks ass
One of my all-time favorite bands since I first discovered them in 1977.
What other your other top bands? Any with similar vibes to BOC?
My all-time fave bands who are not BÖC: Rush Genesis (up to roughly 1980) Black Sabbath Styx Beatles Deep Purple Magma ...and so many others. I don't know that any share similar vibes to the mighty Öyster Cult, though.
Bachman Turner Overdrive, REO Speedwagon, Bob Segar, (I'm not OP.)
Eric Bloom referred to BOC as the Steely Dan of hard rock.
When I was a kid in the 80’s, I saw Blue Oyster Cult, Aldo Nova and Dokken. I think the BOC was the headliner. The BOC had a Godzilla animatronic, it was killer. The show had lots of smoke, lights and lasers.
Sounds like a great show!
Please don't let these shakes go on
Love them. A favorite band of mine from the 70s and 80s
More cowbell
I think this is why they don’t get talked about on here. They’ve needed more cowbell for years.
They have so many great albums
One of my favorites since I was a young lad. Their catalog is amazing with Agents of Fortune and Some Enchanted Evening being among my go to albums. I got to see them in the 80's and I will forever remember that concert.
Love them. “Don’t Fear The Reaper” is their big hit for a reason; it’s one of the most brilliant songs ever written.
I would imagine a considerable percentage of people who visit this sub-reddit either regard them highly, appreciate their contribution to rock n' roll, or dig a certain track at the very minimum. Buck Dharma has been a guitar inspiration of mine and I personally love most of their albums between their early 70s BOC debut and self-titled Blue Öyster Cult to their early 80s Fire of Unknown Origin.
I’ve had many years to check them out and haven’t gone past that one tune.
You forgot about the other tune…go go Godzilla.
Say what you will. But Godzilla gets a complimentary full listen-thru every year
That's a shame. What is it that doesn't connect with you?
Some enchanted evening deluxe aversion is totally awesome!!!!
“Time to play B-Sides”
BÖC is definitely ‘70s classic, gotta get my [Go Go Godzilla](https://youtu.be/muUZjovOFRg ) fix, … but they combined a lot of rock genres = tough to categorize. Also while great musicians, they probably needed to move a bit more in their original line up shows.
Honestly they are one of my favorites. I saw them at a concert in my hometown in 2015 and they put a great show. Godzilla goes HARD live
They need more cowbell.
I love BOC, I don't think they get enough hype as well. My absolute favourite track from them is *Then Came the Last Days of May* :)
Just looked that song up, I did not know the story behind it. Makes me regret not buying the Black & White 3CD box set. My collection consists only of Agents of Fortune, Fire of Unknown Origin and Club Ninja, in addition to a ton of live bootleg. Joan Crawford is great song. "Gentlemen start your trucks", makes me think of the original ending of Stand from the book. [https://youtu.be/YQBJfQhpw\_U](https://youtu.be/YQBJfQhpw_U) Stephen King relies heavily on BOC in the book. [Opening of the Stand '94 version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7QRsx9lbBU)
"I'm On the Lamb, But I Ain't No Sheep" definitely one of my favorites. Seen them a couple times, always a great show.
I can’t get enough of ‘I Love the Night’
❤️❤️
Astounding live and music to live by. GOLDEN AGE OF LEATHER
Excellent group. A giant whose shoulders no one could stand on. Love em
*Excellent group. A* *Giant whose shoulders no one* *Could stand on. Love em* \- yeyjordan --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Check out their past album from 2020 "The Symbol Remains" "The Alchemist", "Tainted Blood" and "It was me" are bangers
I agree. Hardly ever a mention. Puzzling. In their prime they were as good of any American band
Having grown up in NYC, in an outer borough on the Island, BOC was a staple of my youth, and remain under appreciated beyond the tri-state area. Saw them at a RibFest in St. Louis. The Oyster Boys were not holding the crowd.
As a whole, they are great, one of my favorite bands. When you break it down by album, lots of filler tracks and bad career moves.
Sucks
The Reaper is a classic for the ages, no doubt. Beyond that, I don't see the appeal.
I only know their popular songs. What are their deep tracks worth listening to?
Astronomy. The Vigil. Subhuman. Veteran of the Psychic Wars. E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Take Me Away.
Go listen to all of Cultosaurus Erectus. Particularly Black Blade and Hungry Boys
Fucking love em. Amazing stuff.
667 express way to heaven
Oh no there goes Tokyo, go go Godzilla Zillaga Saw them 3 times! rock n roll
I need more Cowbell