AGENTS OF FORTUNE

After the good (but far from excellent) Secret Treaties, came this very disappointing album. Blue Öyster Cult was never a Heavy Metal band, but even if that label was always misleading, it was at least more intelligible when applied to the band's earliest albums. Agents Of Fortune is certainly not anywhere near Heavy Metal as they go far towards Glam Rock and Pop with this album. It reminds me of the sound of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust period or Alice Cooper in their/his most poppy moments.

Blue Öyster Cult learned with their previous album to write more melodious songs compared to their melodically weak two first albums. But here they went too far in that direction. This is mostly overly accessible music and I find it to be mostly without substance. Several songs are below the three minute mark and the longest track is actually the super hit (Don't Fear) The Reaper with its modest five minutes. However, we should be happy that these songs are so short because they are not very interesting to listen to. Whatever progressive tendencies there were on the band's previous albums, they are completely abandoned here. Anyone looking for something progressive on this album will inevitably draw a blank.

The production is also radically different from the bands earliest albums. While those albums were quite rough sound wise, the production of Agent Of Fortune is glossy and seems aimed at Pop fortune. Ironically, (Don't Fear) The Reaper does not have that feel and that became their biggest hit. This song is, of course, a Rock classic and by far the best song on this album. It is admittedly a rather simple song, but I like it! But one good song doesn't make a good album.

This is not a poor album in the sense that it was badly made. It is actually a half-decent Glam Rock album. But this is just not my cup of tea. Apart from (Don't Fear) The Reaper and possibly E.T.I (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) I find no enjoyment while listening to this album. The next one, Spectres, is much better.

Worth getting only for (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

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