lambchops's Full Review: On Flame With Rock and Roll by Blue Oyster Cult
I will buy just about any disc for $5.
Or at least that was my rationalization after buying Blue Oyster Cult cheapie On Flame With Rock and Roll. It is not an official release, nor it is a particularly worthwhile greatest hits compilation. Rather, I just picked the album up because I recognized a few of the song titles. Nothing more, nothing less.
Anyway, Blue Oyster Cult formed in Long Island, New York in the late 1960s. In 1972, the hard rock band released their eponymous debut. Some albums were better than others. And, during the 1980s many of the releases were definitely subpar. Even the more recent albums have been, on the whole, rather bleak. Most recently, Blue Oyster Cult put together two new efforts. 2001?s The Curse of the Hidden Mirror was pretty well received while the newest A Long Days Night just hit shelves on September 24 of this year.
So why do people still enjoy Blue Oyster Cult? In all honesty, I have no good answer to this question. I suppose that the band has been able to hold an audience because of their large backlog of songs. The more than twenty live and studio albums (many of which are rather mediocre) provide plenty of material for people to love and discover. There even was the occasional hit Burnin For You, (Don't Fear) The Reaper and Godzilla immediately come to mind though I am sure that fans would point instead to some of the less mainstream songs as favorites.
But aside from a few tracks, I do not see the appeal of these elder rockers. I guess the fact that they make direct reference to sci-fi and horror pop fiction and culture is a draw?hey they even refer to Stephen King. But the fact remains that regardless of the entertaining allusions and occasional juicy and novel track Blue Oyster Cult does not catch my fancy. Therefore, the majority of the material presented on slapped together compilation On Flame With Rock and Roll falls of deaf ears.
On Flame With Rock and Roll was released by Sony Special Products in 1990. You know that label best for their dirt-cheap bins at Wal-Mart and various other discount retailers. The band lineup has changed so significantly throughout the years that I am not about to mention the members. Suffice it to say that they started out one way, changed frequently throughout the years, and today exist in a completely different form.
Ten tracks long, On Flame With Rock and Roll begins with the best songs and quickly dwindles down to completely lackluster crapola. No amount of songs or arrangement for greatest hits could completely appeal to me from Blue Oyster Cult. But, with that said, I do enjoy the first track. (Don't Fear) The Reaper made prominent appearances in horror films Halloween and The Stand. In fact, the latter Stephen King adaptation was the first time I connected Blue Oyster Cult with the song. It is cool, collected, spooky, and fascinating. Rather, quite brilliant and timeless.
Burnin for You was also a top 40 hit. Again, it is rather timeless and sounds as good now as it did upon the initial release. I think as a whole it is probably more universally appealing than my already mentioned favorite from the band. Godzilla also gets some airplay on classic rock radio today. But unlike other tracks, I am clueless as to why exactly it still gets attention. It iss an okay song, but doesn?t have any particular point and purpose. But Godzilla is also a bit too repetitive. Eh. Whatever.
Other decent tracks are Transmaniacon MC and Cities on Flame With Rock & Roll. Also of interest might be the cover of punk/rock Detroit native MC5 track Kick Out The Jams. I?m not keen on the fact that they decided to remake the classic track. Nor am I fond of the fact that they did not exactly remake it. Rather, Blue Oyster Cult simply added their own instruments and vocals...not really musical innovation to say the least.
Anyway, fans of Blue Oyster Cult should steer clear of this half-hearted compilation. I do not feel as though this was worth my $5. People interested in Blue Oyster Cult but not necessarily acquainted with their entire discography should probably consider purchasing significantly better (but much more expensive) Workshop of the Telescopes. Also better is 16-track disc Don't Fear The Reaper: The Best of Blue Oyster Cult on Columbia and readily available at many online outlets. The only issue with that disc is that it only covers the early years through 1983. But then again, I am not a fan of Blue Oyster Cult to speak of. A few songs are decent...most are easily forgotten.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [Agents of Fortune, 1976]
02. Transmaniacon MC [Blue Oyster Cult, 1972]
03. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll [Blue Oyster Cult, 1972]
04. Kick Out The Jams [Some Enchanted Evening, 1978]
05. R.U. Ready 2 Rock [Spectres, 1977]
06. Career of Evil [Secret Treaties, 1974]
07. Godzilla [Spectres, 1977]
08. Burnin For You [Fire of Unknown Origin, 1981]
09. Dominance And Submission [Secret Treaties, 1974]
10. Death Valley Nights [Spectres, 1977]
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