AGENTS OF FORTUNE

The appeal of this album is the legendary track "(Don't Fear)The Reaper". It is in my opinion one of the best tracks i've ever heard in my life.The crazy thing is that you wouldn't even know this was BLUE OYSTER CULT performing it. It sounds nothing like them, in fact they've never made a song that sounded like this again. Maybe it's because it was the first track that Donald Roeser had recorded with his then new in home reel-to-reel four-track recorder. He spent 6 to 8 weeks on it and he knew he had created something very special. It was a song about the after-life which was brought on after Donald had some health problems and he started to think about his own mortality. He claims it's about a romance that could endure beyond the death of lovers. It sounds like a song encouraging people to committ suicide which just adds to the intrigue. I remember hearing this song first back in 1976 or it might have been 1977, I just remember I was still in High School. We actually didn't get an FM Rock station in Toronto until 1977 so it could have been that year. I always thought it was a late sixties song, in fact it wasn't until many, many years later I found out it was released in 1976. I've heard people call this the best song that THE BYRDS never wrote.The guitar sounds so good especially when he lets it rip after 2 1/2 minutes during the instrumental section.

The rest of the album is average at best. "This Ain't Summer Love" sounds like a shot at a hit single. It's less than 2 1/2 minutes and quite energetic, it's just not that good. "True Confessions" is the worst song on here in my opinion.The Brecker brothers help out on horns at one point. "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" isn't too bad. My favourite part is the guitar that comes in before 3 minutes and continues right to the end. "The Revenge Of Vera Gemini" is really the only other track besides the one I went on and on about that does anything for me. Patti Smith adds some vocals to this one. "Sinful Love" opens with piano as guitar and drums join in.Vocals follow and there are female backing vocals on the chorus. "Tatoo Vampire" has a punk flavour to it. Not a fan. "Morning Final" is catchy with piano, drums and vocals standing out. I like the guitar after 2 minutes. "Tenderloin" sounds good but I don't like the chorus at all. "Debbie Denise" is a catchy mid-paced tune. I like it.

3 stars only becaue of "(Don't Fear)The Reaper".