OK so Sam Judd is my new favorite person, that thread is awesome. And CLUE -- on this thread:
http://www.hotrails.co.uk/history/1980.htm
Mr. Judd mentions loading patches into the Prophet V and having the Oberheim worked on. This was during 1980 and the synths on FOUO and Cultosaurus sound about the same generally.
I was already wondering if it was a Prophet V because that was just about the only polyphonic synth at the time right?
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 19:04 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, in 1980, the two main contenders were the Prophet-5 and the Oberheim OB-X. Moog were still pushing the Polymoog, but it's fairly weak-sounding - not the sort of thing BOC would have been using. In the interests of completeness, I would also note that by 1980 Roland had released the Jupiter-4 and there were a couple of other Japanese and German polyphonic oddities available, such as the Korg PS-3300 and the PPG 340. But big bands like BOC were using Sequential Circuits and/or Oberheim.
― Vast Halo, Tuesday, 8 December 2015 22:15 (eight years ago) link
Both of which are mentioned in that 1980 roadie diary. Sounds like the minimoog was still on tour with them that year too.
Obv Lanier has a shitload of synths around him in that youtube m@tt posted
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 22:54 (eight years ago) link
Prophet 5 and Oberheim OBX-A were I think what Japan pretty much used exclusively on Tin Drum, so they were in good company.
― めんどくさかった (Matt #2), Wednesday, 9 December 2015 09:47 (eight years ago) link
Arc of a Diver by Stevie Winwood is almost entirely Prophet 5 I think, except for the drums -- lol not that that necessarily constitutes good company but I do love it.
― banned on ixlor (Jon not Jon), Wednesday, 9 December 2015 15:52 (eight years ago) link
I'd figure those glassy pads on the song 'Fire of Unknown Origin' to be from an Oberheim. They have a similar sound to Van Halens synths and he used Oberheims.
― earlnash, Wednesday, 9 December 2015 20:48 (eight years ago) link
the 1980 tour thread is awesome, love the contrast between the inside dope & backstage geekery of the roadie diary VS the civilians memories "it was my first concert i was 14 and on acid..."
― an emotionally withholding exterminator (m coleman), Thursday, 10 December 2015 12:33 (eight years ago) link
This clip is pretty awesome. Bet you never figured to see Charles Grodin interviewing Blue Oyster Cult either.
This quote on the Youtube page is pretty funny too.
Gerber Bernstein3 months ago"Edgar Allen Poe is wearing Ace Frehley's pajamas, and rockin' !"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0X5YpOkSz4
― earlnash, Friday, 29 April 2016 17:57 (seven years ago) link
Paris 1975 this is fucking godlike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGI99kQ13hA
― blonde redheads have more fun (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 17 January 2017 17:57 (seven years ago) link
Their current drummer, Jules Radino, is also a realtor on the side in case anyone is ever looking to purchase some property on Long Island.
http://ricerealty1.com/real-estate-agents/
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Tuesday, 17 January 2017 18:54 (seven years ago) link
Don't Fear The Realtor
― "I must believe that my charm was not in my ass." (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 17 January 2017 19:16 (seven years ago) link
Real Estate Agents of Fortune
― Lauren Schumer Donor (Phil D.), Tuesday, 17 January 2017 19:49 (seven years ago) link
Secret Closings?
― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 17 January 2017 20:09 (seven years ago) link
i wonder if he knows don deitrich of borbatmagus, maybe they talk shop
― blonde redheads have more fun (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 17 January 2017 20:22 (seven years ago) link
The real Sharona from 'My Sharona' is a big time realtor.
http://www.mysharona.com/about/about-sharona/
― earlnash, Tuesday, 17 January 2017 22:50 (seven years ago) link
So are Neil Smith, the "platinum god" drummer of the original Alice Cooper group, and Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom.)
― henry s, Tuesday, 17 January 2017 23:33 (seven years ago) link
Gretchen from Mary's Danish is also a real estate agent. I think someone from Social Distortion is too.
― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 20 January 2017 05:14 (seven years ago) link
There was a funny SNL skit some years back, Rob Schneider (if memory serves) played a former hair metal singer turned real estate agent. Hilarity ensued.
― henry s, Friday, 20 January 2017 14:03 (seven years ago) link
Joking aside it makes a lot of sense there aren't a lot of careers where you can make a lot of money (potentially) that you can enter later in life and without a degree, so for ppl that spent a lot of their working years chasing music I could see the appeal. Also it's a flexible hours thing if you want to keep playing
― blonde redheads have more fun (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 20 January 2017 14:08 (seven years ago) link
They’re OK, the last days of MayBut I’ll be breathin’ dry airI'm leaving soonThe others are already there (all there...)Wouldn’t be interested in coming alongInstead of staying here?It's said the West is nice this time of yearThat's what they say
― Making Plans For Sturgill (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 31 May 2018 15:32 (five years ago) link
when i last saw them play, Buck did a KILLLLERRR solo on that tune
by sheer coincidence, I'm bumping BOC today for the first time in awhile. Cultosaurus Erectus. So fucking good. Them and martin birch were a match made in heaven.
― cheese is the teacher, ham is the preacher (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 31 May 2018 18:22 (five years ago) link
tyranny and mutation is so fucking fast
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Sunday, 11 November 2018 16:15 (five years ago) link
eric was interviewed on his home turf.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAEdzkpN6oo
― Thus Sang Freud, Monday, 14 January 2019 21:42 (five years ago) link
ooh thanks!
― valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Monday, 14 January 2019 21:46 (five years ago) link
"What is your favorite word: ROCKIN"
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 9 February 2019 00:57 (five years ago) link
like they even had to ask.
― Thus Sang Freud, Saturday, 9 February 2019 12:30 (five years ago) link
"I Love the Night" is so gorgeous
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 27 June 2019 17:33 (four years ago) link
yes!!! my favorite böc song
― american bradass (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 June 2019 18:36 (four years ago) link
I can't decide which is the superior of the two vampire jams on Spectres, this or Nosferatu.
― Zeuhl Idol (Matt #2), Thursday, 27 June 2019 19:18 (four years ago) link
BOC is never really recognized for their harmony singing, but they are so amazing at it, like the "I....I.....I....love the night" stacked harmonies or the beginning of Golden Age of Leather, Beach Boys level
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 27 June 2019 20:25 (four years ago) link
in the mainstream BOC isn't taken seriously or recognized for anything beyond the hits, a couple of which are maybe regarded as borderline novelty songs. But I mean they're no more of a joke band than The Beatles, or any number of other all-time bands, many of which they're considerably better than.
― omar little, Thursday, 27 June 2019 20:45 (four years ago) link
tyranny and mutation should be the gold standard of how to play rock music
― american bradass (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 June 2019 20:50 (four years ago) link
yeah I listen to these records and I always notice something new they are extraordinary well crafted rock recordsalso Buck is consistently left off greatest guitarist rock lists and seeing him live he is godlike
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 27 June 2019 20:51 (four years ago) link
also they are so strange.... like not in an avant garde way but so quirky and distinctive they go from off the shelf boogie to occult weirdness on a dimelike RU Ready to Rock that odd, mournful round of "I only live to be born again" that comes from nowhere in an arena rocker
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 27 June 2019 20:54 (four years ago) link
I mean they're no more of a joke band than The Beatles
I enjoy me some BOC, but any band that records "Godzilla" is at least one of the greatest joke bands of all time, even if the fans are (?) often in on it.
The band is definitely weird, jumping from boogie butt rock to psychedelic neo-prog to an extent that I've never been able to really wrap my head (as a modest fan) around the love many have for them, save for the fact that there's not much to hate. Which is enough! Like, Lynyrd Skynyrd is an incredible band with incredible songs, objectively better than BOC (imo), but I can see why the band could turn some people off. Same with, I dunno, Rush. But BOC is just so goofy and under the radar, *despite* at least a couple of ubiquitous hits. They're like the best known best kept secret.
Hmm, speaking of Skynyrd, has "more cowbell?" supplanted "Freebird" as the thing dummies yell out?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 27 June 2019 21:11 (four years ago) link
Agents and Spectres are so wonderfully all over the place..."True Confessions" and "Debby Denise" are basically doo wop, "Celestial the Queen" and "E.T.I." power pop, and "Goin' Through The Motions" is Mott The Hoople circa "Roll Away The Stone" (appropriately co-penned by Ian Hunter)..."Tenderloin" could easily fit in on a Fleetwood Mac album of that era...
― henry s, Thursday, 27 June 2019 21:57 (four years ago) link
They're one of those bands where their signature song is pretty much atypical of their ouevre in general, Focus is another I guess. For some reason I still can't remember a note of Cultosaurus Erectus despite having played it a bunch of times over the last few decades, maybe it's just not for me.
― Zeuhl Idol (Matt #2), Thursday, 27 June 2019 22:10 (four years ago) link
Mirrors was spotty, but Erectus started a run of really bad albums, as far as I'm concerned. It's a long way from "Morning Final" to "The Marshall Plan"!
― henry s, Friday, 28 June 2019 00:10 (four years ago) link
They’re so thrilling at their best. on your feet or on your knees is mad good hard rock
― brimstead, Friday, 28 June 2019 00:27 (four years ago) link
but Erectus started a run of really bad albums, as far as I'm concerned
henry fire of unknown origin is an amazing album
― american bradass (BradNelson), Friday, 28 June 2019 00:32 (four years ago) link
Yeah, "Veteran" is among my favourite BOC songs.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Friday, 28 June 2019 01:01 (four years ago) link
This thread revival has made me put on "The Red and the Black" and I thank you for that.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 28 June 2019 01:29 (four years ago) link
I think I was first introduced to that song via fIREHOSE.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 28 June 2019 01:36 (four years ago) link
I'm listening to Secret Treaties right now and goddamn how did they do this?perfection
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 28 June 2019 04:57 (four years ago) link
also "Deadline" is a great sleeper off Cultoraurus Erectus
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 28 June 2019 04:58 (four years ago) link
Oh man Deadline is my favorite track on that album, brilliant songI came across a copy of The Fireclown at a book fair today and bought it for the insane cover illustration. Consequently had “The Great Sun Jester” stuck in my head the rest of the day. Which is funny cause I had “pret-ty girls can’t look aWAY” stuck in my head this morning after I was thinking about the subject of body dysmorphia. Mirrors is the least of the original 8 record hot streak to me but I guess today was a Mirrors kind of day. BOC are a kind of touchstone for me, such a perfect blend of lame-cool dumb-deep. When I had to fly to MN a few weeks ago to take my mom to the hospital and I thought she might die I put on my lil BOC symbol pendant before going to the airport.
― valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Sunday, 30 June 2019 02:25 (four years ago) link
i like the live Days of May way better than the studio version - my fave track on the album. Buck's solo is inspired! And his solo at the end of Subhuman burns my ears (in the best way). Some Enchanted Evening is better though in some ways (except for the lousy We Gotta Get Out of This Place) - the live Astronomy is awesome, and their Kick Out the Jams is KILL!
― Ornette is blowing bubblegum spiderwebs (outdoor_miner), Sunday, 30 June 2019 16:47 (four years ago) link
When I saw them live (the anniversary show promoting the box set) last days of may was a big highlight. Buck’s solo was *mwah*
― valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Sunday, 30 June 2019 17:06 (four years ago) link
yeah Last Days of May is the signature guitar showcase in the set
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 1 July 2019 00:46 (four years ago) link
All the foregoing comments OTM. I was just thinking about *Some Enchanted Evening* the other day. Not their best live album for sure, but super interesting that the two covers are both obviously and deliberately chosen Vietnam songs -- one the most popular for the soldiers in Vietnam (We gotta get out of this place) and the other the signature song of the Chicago 68 protests (Kick Out the Jams)
― stop torturing me ethel (broom air), Monday, 1 July 2019 01:13 (four years ago) link