tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post257093114722333717..comments2024-03-02T07:40:22.786+03:00Comments on Only Solitaire blog: Blue Öyster Cult: SpectresUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-49726931061457147332019-12-11T21:39:43.820+03:002019-12-11T21:39:43.820+03:00I don’t think it’s a vampire anthem, any more than...<i>I don’t think it’s a vampire anthem, any more than Joan Armatrading’s “Back to the Night” is. The woman just likes hanging out after dark, that’s all.</i><br /><br />Really?<br /><br />"No mortal was meant to know such wonder;<br /> One look in the mirror told me so."Mike Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06039663158335543317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-25884447876852937892019-05-03T17:49:56.740+03:002019-05-03T17:49:56.740+03:00I think this is a better album than the last one. ...I think this is a better album than the last one. For one thing, it’s a lot more diverse. Secondly, the band’s sense of humor comes forward. “Godzilla” is an obvious goof, but I find it hard to believe that “R. U. Ready to Rock” and the “Born to Be Wild” rewrite “Golden Age of Leather” were meant to be taken too seriously. I don’t find “Death Valley Nights” and “Fireworks” too memorable, but everything else works. My two favorites were the non-hit single, although why they didn’t score is beyond me: the proto-New Wave pop of “Going Through the Motions” and the beautiful ballad “I Love the Night”. I don’t think it’s a vampire anthem, any more than Joan Armatrading’s “Back to the Night” is. The woman just likes hanging out after dark, that’s all.<br />There are four bonus tracks on the remaster. They’re not all that interesting, except for the strange decision to cover the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby”. At least Eric Bloom sings it well enough.<br />trfesokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12631886869696528704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-50654817785325682992015-09-29T14:28:37.878+03:002015-09-29T14:28:37.878+03:00Good idea, Simplius - and given my nice collection...Good idea, Simplius - and given my nice collection of modern classical music (do <i>you</i> own Ustvolskaya?) I think I'll take your comment as a compliment as well.<br />Plus you might want to work on your reading skills. My reaction to the majority of BN's output is also meh .....MNbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-12662858540045417672015-05-11T03:39:22.369+03:002015-05-11T03:39:22.369+03:00Forget about my dumbass guestbook comment. I haven...Forget about my dumbass guestbook comment. I haven't checked this site out in quite awhile and YOU REVIEWED THE VERY BAND I WANTED YOU TO.<br /><br />Udaman<br />--EthanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-69004801193575790512014-12-31T15:09:20.016+03:002014-12-31T15:09:20.016+03:00And that riff is right out of the Iommi playbook.And that riff is right out of the Iommi playbook.JimmADerbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13331334978761537408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-30633014232236600682014-12-31T14:55:20.036+03:002014-12-31T14:55:20.036+03:00"whose braggard chorus announces ʽGodzilla!ʼ ..."whose braggard chorus announces ʽGodzilla!ʼ as if it were a bunch of male cheerleaders welcoming the world's latest heavyweight champion, stepping out of his limousine on the red carpet." Uh, exactly. If Godzilla actually did attack Knew Yawk, I'd expect the band to "raising their beers" in tribute to their impending doom.JimmADerbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13331334978761537408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-52109132781375875302014-10-12T20:14:29.474+04:002014-10-12T20:14:29.474+04:00This phase, through to Fire of Unknown Origin, was...This phase, through to Fire of Unknown Origin, was terribly uneven. But it produced some of their best work. They began to unearth some truly haunting melodies (I Love The Night on this one) that, as Simplius pointed out, were way beyond the grasp of the likes of Boston or Kansas. Not that the musicians of Kansas weren't talented from a technical perspective, but Spectres is at times PF-level atmospheric. And they achieve it without even a lot of keyboards.Madanhttp://rothrocks.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-44059531483184016102014-10-09T22:15:58.024+04:002014-10-09T22:15:58.024+04:00"The rest of the album - meh."
And all ..."The rest of the album - meh."<br /><br />And all this coming from a man who digs the godawful kitschy pablum like Blackmore's Night (I couldn't find more decent words)... Well, I'll take this as a compliment for my taste in music. ;-)Simpliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13125893204327162588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-21404225692627160942014-10-09T21:26:03.666+04:002014-10-09T21:26:03.666+04:00A lot of Queen's stuff is novelty.A lot of Queen's stuff is novelty.Simpliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13125893204327162588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-1574198154466257292014-10-09T15:40:10.543+04:002014-10-09T15:40:10.543+04:00D'oh! How could I miss that one?!D'oh! How could I miss that one?!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-17278485488545128122014-10-09T14:29:42.441+04:002014-10-09T14:29:42.441+04:00Hocus Pocus by Focus, Earache My Eye by Cheech &am...Hocus Pocus by Focus, Earache My Eye by Cheech & Chong also referred to as ( Alice Bowie ). Although Focus released this song as probably a fun one off, it was unrepresentative of their sound and they never returned to that well which is to bad, had they released a few more tracks similar to HP on their future records they might have been remembered as that Classically styled Progish band that cranked out a handful fun rock'n songs instead of the One Hit Wonders they became. And unlike Cheech & Chong who were being funny I think BOC were having fun making Godzilla.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-90653641167185539542014-10-09T14:18:41.832+04:002014-10-09T14:18:41.832+04:00"Sure it's a novelty song - but as far as..."Sure it's a novelty song - but as far as I know it's the only novelty hardrock/metal song!"<br /><br />Two words: Spinal Tap.<br /><br />Also, what Anonymous above me said.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-79729959959415849522014-10-09T05:52:56.426+04:002014-10-09T05:52:56.426+04:00"Sure it's a novelty song - but as far as..."Sure it's a novelty song - but as far as I know it's the only novelty hardrock/heavy metal song!"<br /><br />Huh? There are entire novelty hard rock and metal <i>bands</i> - GWAR, Tenacious D, and Green Jelly are three that I can name offhand, and there are doubtlessly many more out there. Not to mention individual metal songs by general novelty acts like They Might Be Giants and Weird Al. The genre invites parody like few others; I'm amazed that anyone could be unaware of this stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-8560629563298353852014-10-09T04:43:37.462+04:002014-10-09T04:43:37.462+04:00While I usually care little about lyrics the last ...While I usually care little about lyrics the last line is great: "History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man". How true! Except that Godzilla is nonsense, hence it's false at the same time.MNbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-55290774939401615782014-10-09T04:41:49.565+04:002014-10-09T04:41:49.565+04:00After Astronomy I find the second BOC song I think...After Astronomy I find the second BOC song I think really great - yup, Godzilla. That riff, no matter how funny its vibrato is, kicks major ass. The melody is catchy, there is some great guitar play. Sure it's a novelty song - but as far as I know it's the only novelty hardrock/heavy metal song! So it's unique as well.<br />The rest of the album - meh.MNbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-32791527769787619072014-10-09T02:28:59.887+04:002014-10-09T02:28:59.887+04:00And also this:
Spectres is the most atmospheric a...And also this:<br /><br />Spectres is the most atmospheric and introspective BOC album. Disregard the arena-rock leanings, such was the zeitgeist. BOC had to have some answer to Queen, Boston, and buffoons like Styx or Kansas and their offer, and to show that they are a much better band. <br /><br />And they showed that they are more refined band than their assumed counterparts, but this attempt failed. Although this is such a great failure, if you ask me.<br /><br />There are some rumors that the title Spectres refers to the Phil Spector-like production, that shows on some tunes, like the before mentioned 'Motions'.Simpliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13125893204327162588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-78742149382161732062014-10-08T23:30:13.876+04:002014-10-08T23:30:13.876+04:00A beautiful album. Second in quality after Secret ...A beautiful album. Second in quality after Secret Treaties. <br /><br />Interestingly (and maybe expected), metalheads don't like Spectres too much, but people who are into more introspective music, like singer-songwriter music, or the better side of adult rock, like it very much.<br /><br />I disagree with you about 'Death Valley Nights'. It is great, eery and haunting like the other two vampire song that bookend Spectres. Though I agree about 'Celine' - the only skipper for me here.<br /><br />'Going Through The Motions' is co-penned with Bloom's good buddy Ian Hunter. And it was later covered not by Bonnie Raitt, but (shudder) by Bonnie Tyler. The same Bloom/Hunter collaboration is responsible later with another one unsuccessful 'We Will Rock You' attempt, but later about that.Simpliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13125893204327162588noreply@blogger.com