Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
True Classic, July 25, 2001
This is the fourth studio album from Blue Öyster Cult which was remastered and reissued on the Columbia/Legacy label. As with the other three reissues there are lyrics, photos, and liner notes by Lenny Kaye. In addition, there are four bonus tracks, none of which were previously released. "Agents of Fortune" was recorded in 1975 and 1976, and released in May of 1976. Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman were joined by David Lucas as producers of this album. This remastered CD was released on June 26th of 2001, and Bruce Dickinson produced the remastered version.
"Agents of Fortune" was the start of a new period for the group. The first three albums are often called their "black-and-white" period, and the live album "On Your Feet or On Your Knees" marked the end of that period. This album has a number of memorable songs, such as "This Ain't The Summer of Love", "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)", "The Revenge of Vera Gemini", and the too often overlooked "Morning Final". Of course, it is best known for "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" which is one of the greatest Rock songs of all time.
The four bonus tracks consist of songs which were considered for the album. "Fire of Unknown Origin" was an outtake which would appear on an album of the same name five years later, although this is a significantly different version of the song than the one which would eventually be released. "Sally" was demoed for the album, but not used. It later was used by Albert Bouchard on "Trepanation", which was the 1995 release from his band "The Brain Surgeons". The third bonus track is the original demo for "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". "Dance the Night Away" is another demo which was eventually used by Jim Carroll (who co-wrote the song with Allen Lanier) on his "I Write Your Name" album.
The band credits for this album are: Eric Bloom (vocals, guitar, percussion), Albert Bouchard (drums, vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, and harmonica), Joe Bouchard (bass, vocals, piano), Allen Lanier (keyboards, vocals, guitar and bass), and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (guitar, vocals, synthesizer, percussion). Guest artists on this album include Patti Smith (vocal on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini", and Michael and Randy Brecker (horns). This is another solid release from BÖC, but it is a bit uneven so despite the great moments I can only give it four stars.
It is unfortunate that as of yet there are no additional remastered releases of the Blue Öyster Cult catalog available. It would be wonderful to see what other hidden gems could be added to such albums as "Spectres", "Fire of Unknown Origin", or even their live albums. Until that happens, we will just have to be satisfied with the remastered versions of their first four albums.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An all-time classic, March 24, 2002
By A Customer
On their first three albums, Blue Oyster Cult perfected a brand of thinking man's riff-rock that stood out against the typical heavy metal fare of the early 70s. One thing they hadn't done was to write a song that would attract mainstream attention. This was accomplished with 'Don't Fear the Reaper' from AGENTS OF FORTUNE. With its timeless riff, sublime vocals and effortless energy, 'Reaper' is probably the band's greatest hit. The problem with having such a song on your record is that it tends to make the rest of the songs sound mediocre. But there is more to like about this album than just that one track. On songs like 'This Ain't the Summer of Love', 'E.T.I.' and 'Tattoo Vampire' they added more solid heavy rock to their collection, while 'True Confessions', 'Morning Final' and 'Debbie Denise' float along a more subtle, melodic vein. Patti Smith's vocals on the haunting 'Revenge of Vera Gemini' are another album highlight. The album as a whole sounds a little lighter and more "pop" than the first three, but in general it's faithful to the BOC aesthetic established to that point. Suffice to say, AGENTS OF FORTUNE is one of the essential BOC albums.
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TRUE CONFESSIONS, March 14, 2002
To start with, let me say this is more a review of the original release, with the extra tracks being considered a bonus. This is one of my favorite releases of all-time. There are no weak songs out of any of the original tracks[1-10], although "Tenderloin" is my least favorite. The four bonus tracks are interesting looks at songs I definitely loved the previous released versions. Up to this point BOC had several good releases, but this was the first time they put it all together on one disc. "Don't Fear the Reaper" certainly put them into the spotlight. They even enjoyed airplay on AM stations. AOR stations went nuts and played almost every song. I don't want to have you think that BOC peaked here, but this was the begining of the years that saw them at the fore-front of hard rock. Some of the best songs here are "Tattoo Vampire", "Revenge of Vera Gemini", "Sinful Love", and, of course, "Don't Fear the Reaper". My favorite of the original songs is "This Ain't the Summer of Love". I have to confess, I really enjoyed three of the bonus tracks with the exception being "Sally". I tend to like what I haven't had pounded into my head over and over and these bonus tracks are very fresh. The quality of this disc is top notch. The recording and pressing are excellent quality. This is a very good package for those of you that already enjoy BOC, or, those of you that are looking for a special package, beyond a greatest hits release, this is a great place to start. I also suggest FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN.
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