SOUNDTRACK: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-Heaven Forbid (1998).
After Imaginos, it seemed like Blue Öyster Cult was all wrapped up. (Of course, they tour all the time, so I guess they’ll never officially go away). So it was something of a surprise to hear that they had a new album out back in 1998.
The album cover is dreadful, but the music is actually pretty good. It sounds like a good compendium of BOC styles, all updated with a late 90s sound. You get heavy songs, light ballads, and even a cover of an old BOC hit.
The album opens with “See You in Black” a really heavy chuggy guitar sound, much heavier than anything BOC has done before. (And lyrically, he wants to see her in black because that means her husband is dead). And yet by the time of the fourth song, “X-Ray Eyes” we’re back in familiar keyboard-heavy poppy territory.
The second song, “Harvest Moon” is actually quite nice, and would likely have been a hit single a decade or so earlier. By the time we get to “Damaged” we’re in the pretty traditional heavy boogie sound of their earlier discs.
“Cold Gray Light of Dawn” sounds like late period BOC. And “Real World” offers one of the first tweaks of the BOC sound: acoustic guitars in a rocking song. The disc ends with a reprise of the earlier hit “In Thee.” It’s live and sounds good in this all-acoustic guitar format (and since Allan Lanier plays on the disc, it’s okay that they re-recorded it).
There’s very little in the way of mind blowing songs here, but if you’re a fan of BOC, and you’re not sure what you’ll be getting with this disc, fear not. Bloom’s heavy songs are typical of the heavy BOC sound and Buck Dharma has hit his stride with his poppy tracks ala “Burnin for You.”
[READ: March 21, 2010] “The Return”
I intend to read the other Bolaño books once I’m done with 2666, but the publishing world seems to be conspiring to make me read them all before that. This story is another one from the forthcoming The Return, translated by Chris Andrews.
And whether it was the unusual subject matter or the translation itself, this is one of my favorite of his short stories so far. The premise of this story is quite simple, and it is set up in the first paragraph. The narrator has recently died, and he shares two pieces of news: there is life after death and Jean-Claude Villeneuve is a necrophiliac.
The story follows the narrator after his death (he died on the dance floor). His spirit leaves his body (like that scene from Ghost) and floats around following the body as it goes through the process of post-death existence. The narrator is funny, with snide comments about himself and the workmen who are caring for him (and how he can’t watch his own autopsy). But it’s when his body is carted off the premises that things get really interesting. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: RUSH-Caress of Steel (1975).
Despite the fact that this album is largely considered a failure, it’s one of my favorite Rush albums. There’s so much weirdness about it that I can see why it isn’t terribly popular but there’s so much goodness that it makes me a bit bummed that some glorious tracks are overlooked.
SOUNDTRACK: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-The Revolution by Night (1987).
After the amazing Fire of Unknown Origin, BOC, returned (retreated?) into keyboard-fueled tracks. And we know that where BOC is concerned, keyboards=crossover attempts. Now I don’t know if it’s just my own preferences, but I feel like the lightweight pseudo-metal here is better than their earlier stabs at lightweight pseudo-metal (Mirrors, etc). I assume it’s because I grew up listening to metal around this time, so even if it’s not terribly original, it’s at least comfortable.
SOUNDTRACK: MARK EITZEL-Candy Ass (2005).
I’ve liked Mark Eitzel since my friend Lar played me “Johnny Mathis’ Feet” back in college. I got some of his solo discs, but by around 2000, I’d more or less given up on him. Someone donated a copy of this solo album to the library, and since we weren’t keeping it, I brought it home.
SOUNDTRACK: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-Cultösaurus Erectus (1980).
BOC came back with a vengeance on this disc. From the cool title (c’mon that’s a cool title) to the futuristic fossil on the cover, this album is all heavy.
SOUNDTRACK: TORI AMOS-“Juarez” (from To Venus and Back) (1999).
This song was the first that I had heard of what was happening in Juarez, Mexico. In AP Magazine (Oct 99) Tori Amos said:
SOUNDTRACK: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT-Fire of Unknown Origin (1981).
This was the first BOC album that I bought. The video for “Burnin’ for You” was all over MTV (although I don’t remember it at all, now). And I was an instant convert to BOC. I listened to this disc constantly.
SOUNDTRACK: A CAMP-Colonia (2009).
This is the second album from the side project of The Cardigan’s Nina Persson. This disc was created with her husband Nathan Larson from Shudder to Think. Their first album had a country flair to it, but this one eschews that entirely for a pop feel that is entirely different from The Cardigans’ two main styles: the “cheesy” happy pop of “Lovefool” and the bitter guitar pop of their later discs.
SOUNDTRACK: NIRVANA-Bleach [Deluxe Edition Reissue] (2009).
SOUNDTRACK: RUSH, obviously (1974-present).
I’ve loved Rush since seventh grade. They introduced me to prog rock, Canadian accents, Lakeside Park and Ayn Rand. They taught me how to play killer bass lines, wild guitar solos and to ponder the existence of washing machines on stage.
And finally, a new film coming out has Alex Lifeson (as well as about 100 other musicians) in a cameo (he plays a border guard). It’s called 
I Just Read About That... 