Classic Rock Album of the Day- Blue Oyster Cult- The Revolution By Night (1983) ****
Been dying to cover a more obscure album for awhile, and though this one might meet that criteria, it is just crazy how underlooked, and unapprecated it was. BOC made a few albums better than this one, but they were the huge hits in the mainstream AOR era that everyone knew. This one sadly and puzzlingly only reached #93 on the billboard album chart during its realease in '83-'84. My only explaination is that the nation was being swept into New Wave mania, and if you weren't wearing skinny ties, cheap sunglasses, and playing fancy dancy synth numbers....... you pretty much were out in the cold. But BOC with this masterpiece, basically created a comeback of monsrtrous proportions, after a lull with 2 or 3 consecutive very good, but not great albums.
BOC are an incredibly talented bunch, and legends at their instruments, Dharma, Bloom, these guys were hard rock standards. And in live performances? I can only honestly state that there were only two bands in my entire extensive concert going history that played more precise, criisp, and true to their studio albums, and those being Rush and Yes.
And point for this album, what makes it so special, is the amount of outside collaboration that came together to make this thing click on so many levels. The fact so few listened to this work, was a shame. And here is a list of those who were in that collaboration:
1. Aldo Nova- His guitar solo work in "Take Me Away"? It's never cited, but easy a top 20 rock solo of all time.
2. Larry Fast- He lives anonymity now, but back in the '70's and '80's he was one of the most proficent and innovative purveyors of synth on the planet. His technical abilities changed how the instrument was used.
3. Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople
4. Randy Jackson- Yeah that Randy Jackson, for some R/B touches
5. Neal Smith- Drummer for Alice Cooper
The album has especially grown on me through the years, as it has such a rounded, more emcompassive edge, that a lot of BOC stuff that seems to adhere to the self imposed creepy themed persona. This one was much more experimental in nature, and in most cases, was compellingly good. If you missed this one 30 years ago, I think you are in for a treat.
Fun fact: Probably most well known fun fact, but anyway......... band was intergral to one of the most infamous SNL skits of all time, with a hilarious Christopher Walken giving the term "Needs More Cow Bell" to the venacular in infamy. Haven't seen too many comedy skits, where the cast had such a tough time holding it together.
Side 1-
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Take Me Away- Blasting away at the first note, this song just clicks all the boxes as a great rock and roll song. BOC loved the topic of alien invasion, and this along ET- Extraterrestrial are both among their greatest of all. Mandatory listening is Aldo Nova's guitar solos. Nova-Dharma-Bloom? How bad ass is that. As I stated earlier, this is easy in my top 20 solos of all time. I've tried to even come to 25% of the licks to reproduce it.... No luck.
1Eyes on Fire- Good, uh, maybe so so effort to expand to a little lighter balladry, that sounds a lot a mix of Starship and Toto. I see how BOC was trying to really broaden their horizons, and in this LP, there were some hits, and misses-
6Shooting Shark- The fact that this is the second best song on the album is astounding. It is a gorgeous in ever part. The thumping repetive bass line, complimenting synth. And this IMO is the best song ever sung by Buck Dharma. The way he infuses this vocal reflections into the lyrics, gives an almost poetic jaunt to what serves as a poignant poem, that just happens to blend into context and becomes a great great rock song-
2Veins- BOC nails this jazzish-rock-ish that is so different to most anything else they've done. They were showing off, and the result was really good. And as usual, you never know which tandem of Dharma-Bloom does the solo work, but they are almost as equally damned good.
4Side 2-
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Shadow of California- Now they turn to more a funky tone, that morphs into almost mid '70's rock anthem mode. Love it. Man, are these some masterful musicans.
3Feel the Thunder- Macabre familarity for the die hard fans. Some of it kind of harkens just a tad back with BOC's early '70's musical direction. Good song, but not a good fit with the rest of the LP-
7Let's Go- Barrell House baby!!!!- Really like this, and it has that feel if you mixed AC-DC and Huey Lewis. Try that imagery on for size. Fun song, that is for sure.
5Dragon Lady- Normal BOC wizardry, but weaker on all other aspects-
8Light Years of Love- Sappy balladry is not the best look on a band this great. Weak last two song ending, and that kept it from being up there with Agents in terms of greatness -
9http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfICFoYyBgw