Agents of Fortune

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Pulled it out this morning. I'm leaving out "Don't Fear the Reaper" to keep it interesting and because I don't think there's a bad song here.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) 6
Morning Final 2
Debbie Denise 2
This Ain't the Summer of Love 1
Tenderloin 1
True Confessions 0
The Revenge of Vera Gemini 0
Sinful Love 0
Tattoo Vampire 0


treat the gelignite tenderly for me (Sund4r), Monday, 22 November 2021 17:08 (two years ago) link

Books by blameless and by the dead
The king in yellow, the queen in red

...gets my vote, but near enough classic from beginning to end. Spectres just about edges it though, they were really into vampires around this time.

foley track out of sync (Matt #2), Monday, 22 November 2021 17:49 (two years ago) link

Final 3 songs are unimpeachable. Going with Debbie Denise, which along with True Confessions (the only Allen Lanier vocal in their catalogue) reveal a latent love of doo-wop.

henry s, Monday, 22 November 2021 18:05 (two years ago) link

don't think there's a bad song here

I could do without "Tattoo Vampire" and (the impeachable) "Debbie Denise", I prefer the CD bonus tracks "Fire of Unknown Origin" and "Sally".

"Tenderloin" is great, but "Morning Final" gets my vote because it manages to be psychedelic, ominous and funny all at once.

Halfway there but for you, Monday, 22 November 2021 18:56 (two years ago) link

ETI
ETI
ETI

The chorus into guitar solo is for celebrating the departure of your last shreds of sanity as you line dance into the maw of some terrible cthulhu mythos being.

hocus pocus, alakazam (PBKR), Monday, 22 November 2021 19:15 (two years ago) link

I agree with henry s about the last three. Grooves and melodies on "Morning Final" and "Tenderloin" are fantastic and I find "Debbie Denise" affecting. But "Revenge" also has a lot to recommend it. The more straightforward boogie hard rock songs are the ones I like a little less but I do still like them all. Leaning towards "Morning Final" atm but it's tough.

treat the gelignite tenderly for me (Sund4r), Monday, 22 November 2021 19:23 (two years ago) link

It's the reverb on "Morning Final" that paints the entire picture.

Halfway there but for you, Monday, 22 November 2021 19:24 (two years ago) link

something like a five way tie between the last three songs + eti and vera gemini

STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Monday, 22 November 2021 20:55 (two years ago) link

yeah, i don't know if i have a single favorite song but the last 3 songs have always been my favorite part of the album.

yeah, they're all great songs.

i expect ETI will get the most votes.

The 25 Best Songs Ever Ranked In Order (Deflatormouse), Monday, 22 November 2021 21:04 (two years ago) link

Anybody know anything about Helen Wheels, who is credited (along with Albert Bouchard) as the co-writer of "Sinful Love" and "Tattoo Vampire?" I've always assumed some kind of NY scenester, this being the era when BOC sat at the cool kids table (Patti Smith, Jim Carroll, etc.) Can't find much about her on the 'nets.

henry s, Monday, 22 November 2021 21:11 (two years ago) link

There's a fair bit of information about her under the name Helen Robbins.

Halfway there but for you, Monday, 22 November 2021 21:20 (two years ago) link

Wow - seems like she was very instrumental in developing the band's identity. It's a long way from "Arthur Comics" to "Dominance and Submission."

henry s, Monday, 22 November 2021 21:31 (two years ago) link

I find their relationships with collaborators outside the band one of the most interesting things about them, like Blue Oyster Cult is the concept and you bring in people to help realize it

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 22 November 2021 21:48 (two years ago) link

One of my all-time BOC faves is "Goin' Through The Motions", which Eric Bloom co-wrote with Ian Hunter and could have easily been a late-period Mott classic.

henry s, Monday, 22 November 2021 22:17 (two years ago) link

I don't know a lot about their history, but wasn't there some sort of tension or conflict at one point against being seen as puppets of their producer/lyricists?

Halfway there but for you, Monday, 22 November 2021 22:26 (two years ago) link

Well, they were one of the bigger touring acts of the 70's, so burnout probably set in. I'm guessing any conflict/tension re: lyricists/producers was spearheaded by Bloom, who seemed like he just wanted to rawk while the Bouchards were all over that sci-fi shit. Probably why they booked when they did.

henry s, Monday, 22 November 2021 23:57 (two years ago) link

I wouldn’t say they ever strongly rebelled against that way of working; it’s still their model with John Shirley now

covidsbundlertanze op. 6 (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 00:29 (two years ago) link

xp Bloom was only the illiteratus by default. As Albert Bouchard put it "Eric Bloom was the one with his nose closest to the street but he went to college, too."

The 25 Best Songs Ever Ranked In Order (Deflatormouse), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 21:33 (two years ago) link

i couldn't conceive of a better frontman tbh

The 25 Best Songs Ever Ranked In Order (Deflatormouse), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 21:37 (two years ago) link

For them, or for anyone?

Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 23 November 2021 21:42 (two years ago) link

I don't know a lot about their history, but wasn't there some sort of tension or conflict at one point against being seen as puppets of their producer/lyricists?

― Halfway there but for you, Monday, November 22, 2021 4:26 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

they definitely had some kind of falling out with Pearlman after Spectres, they used other producers until he returned to the fold for Club Ninja, but I'm not sure of the specifics. Pearlman definitely positioned himself as the svengali/mastermind behind the BOC mythos

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 21:47 (two years ago) link

Pearlman only had one co-writing credit apiece on Agents of Fortune and Spectres, maybe they felt they'd outgrown him? Also they were unlikely to get hit singles with songs about...well, whatever his lyrics are about. Nazis, Mounties, telescopes, telepaths, all the rest of it.

procter and gamble and huff (Matt #2), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 22:34 (two years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Sunday, 5 December 2021 00:01 (two years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Monday, 6 December 2021 00:01 (two years ago) link

Wow, had no idea that one was so well-liked.

treat the gelignite tenderly for me (Sund4r), Monday, 6 December 2021 00:06 (two years ago) link

We all found the saucer news.

Elvis Telecom, Monday, 6 December 2021 00:12 (two years ago) link

All praise Balthazar!

hocus pocus, alakazam (PBKR), Monday, 6 December 2021 02:03 (two years ago) link

Forgot to vote, sorry. Probably would have gone with “This Ain’t the Summer of Love.”

Goofy the Grifter (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 6 December 2021 03:27 (two years ago) link


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