Agents of Fortune

by Blue Oeyster Cult

Overview

If ever there were a manifesto for 1970s rock, one that prefigured both the decadence of the decade's burgeoning heavy metal and prog rock excesses and the rage of punk rock, "This Ain't the Summer of Love," the opening track from Agents of Fortune, Blue Oeyster Cult's fourth album, was it. The irony was that while the cut itself came down firmly on the hard rock side of the fence, most of the rest of the album didn't. Agents of Fortune was co-produced by longtime Cult record boss Sandy Pearlman, Murray Krugman, and newcomer David Lucas, and in addition, the band's lyric writing was being done internally with help from poet-cum-rocker Patti Smith (who also sings on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"). Pearlman, a major contributor to the band's songwriting output, received a solitary credit while critic Richard Meltzer, whose words were prevalent on the Cult's previous outings, was absent. The album yielded the band's biggest single with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," a multi-textured, deeply melodic soft rock song with psychedelic overtones, written by guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. The rest of the album is ambitious in that it all but tosses aside the Cult's proto-metal stance and instead recontextualizes their entire stance. It's still dark, mysterious, and creepy, and perhaps even more so, it's still rooted in rock posturing and excess, but gone is the nihilistic biker boogie in favor of a more tempered -- indeed, nearly pop arena rock -- sound that gave Allen Lanier's keyboards parity with Dharma's guitar roar, as evidenced by "E.T.I.," "Debbie Denise," and "True Confessions." This is not to say that the Cult abandoned their adrenaline rock sound entirely. Cuts like "Tattoo Vampire" and "Sinful Love" have plenty of feral wail in them. Ultimately, Agents of Fortune is a solid record, albeit a startling one for fans of the band's earlier sound. It also sounds like one of restless inspiration, which is, in fact, what it turned out to be given the recordings that came after. It turned out to be the Cult's last consistent effort until they released Fire of Unknown Origin in 1981. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	06/26/2001
Label:	Bmg / Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music
UPC:	0886978832023
Rank:	19505

Tracks

1. This Ain't the Summer of Love
2. True Confessions
3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
4. E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)
5. The Revenge of Vera Gemini
6. Sinful Love
7. Tattoo Vampire
8. Morning Final
9. Tenderloin
10. Debbie Denise
11. Fire of Unknown Origin [Original Version]
12. Sally
13. (Don't Fear) The Reaper
14. Dance the Night Away

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Blue Oeyster Cult   Primary Artist
The Brecker Brothers   Guest Artist
Patti Smith   Guest Artist,Vocals
Joe Bouchard   Guitar,Vocals,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Bass,Piano
Donald Roeser   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion,Lead Vocals,Synthesizer
Allen Lanier   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Lead Vocals
Eric Bloom   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion,Lead Vocals
Randy Brecker   Horn
Michael Brecker   Horn
Albert Bouchard   Drums,Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Percussion,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

David Lucas   Producer
Frederick Hollander   Composer
Joe Bouchard   Composer
Helen Wheels   Composer
Donald Roeser   Composer,Producer
M. Krugman   Composer
J. Bouchard   Composer
J. Carroll   Composer
H. Robbins   Composer
Lynn Curlee   Paintings
Don Waller   Composer
John Berg   Design
Andy Engel   Design
Helen Robbins   Composer
Jim Caroll   Composer
Allen Lanier   Composer,Producer
Shelly Yakus   Engineer
Andy Abrams   Engineer
Eric Bloom   Composer
Sam Coslow   Composer
Sandy Pearlman   Composer,Producer
Jim Carroll   Composer
Murray Krugman   Composer,Producer
Thom Cadley   Mixing
Albert Bouchard   Composer
Tony Stevens   Mastering
Patti Smith   Composer