AGENTS OF FORTUNE

With Agents of Fortune Blue Oyster Cult reached their first commercial success. Obviously it had a cost, in term of music. In fact their usual aggressive appeal has been tempered a lot, even though the opener could make you think not. All the album flows very well from start to finish and there are some great classics in it as the immortal "Don't Fear the Reaper" penned by guitarist Donald Roeser and the catchy "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" with the involving riffs and choruses. Two great tracks, no doubt.

All the composition are written and thought to gain wider recognition on the US' billboard. Lanier's "True Confessions" is also a valid proof of that and is, as the other songs mentioned above, a good and enjoyable tune based, this time, on piano.

Collaboration with Patti Smith continues, now she even gives his vocals in duo with Albert Bouchard on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini". She also co-wrote the good acoustic ballad "Debbie Denise".

This is probably the most important album in their career, from a commercial point of view. After it, the band went on top of the US' scene. Unfortunately at the cost of reduce their thinking-man-hard-rock vein to a thinking-man-hard-pop vein. Very good, by the way with a more relevant role for keyboards, if you ask me. But if you want to discover the true spirit of this band you may search from their so called "black and white" period (1972-1975).