Album review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Agents Of Fortune, 40th Anniversary

Frontiers [Release date 06.03.20] CD/DVD

As any fan knows, the key to a band’s longevity is an enduring ability to write great songs. That and the talent to leave more out than they put in.

Once they get into the studio of course, anything can happen. In 1976, all this came together on “Agents Of Fortune”, an album written and designed to be more accessible than its predecessors. It was the band’s breakout recording, led by ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’s charge into the best selling charts of the world (and eventually on to legendary status).

In 2016 in Hollywood – forty years on – the band performed the album live on stage in front of a small but appreciative audience, recorded for a DirectTV Special.

The live band comprised the original core duo of vocalist and lead guitarist Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, and vocalist and rhythm guitarist Eric Bloom. They are complemented by Richie Castellano on guitar and keyboards, and the longtime rhythm section comprised of bass guitarist Kasim Sulton, and drummer Jules Radino.

Notably, Sulton and Radino provide the rhythmic anchor for Roeser and Bloom to get way beyond clinical re-enactment, allowing them to find each song’s emotional pulse with flair and exactitude.

This performance underlines the notion that “Agents…” introduced great rock songs like ‘True Confessions’ and ‘ETI’ to the world’s stadiums. The original album’s mystery and menace gets teased out song by song, ‘Sinful Love’ and ‘Debbie Denise’ work particularly well on stage. But unsurprisingly, ‘Don’t Fear…’ remains the major showpiece for these rock survivalists, and of course, it’s great entertainment too.

The DVD underlines the no-expense-spared camerawork deployed at the gig. We see the band from multiple angles, multiple times. The director’s edit, a mix of design and spontaneity, illusory or otherwise, confirms the prevalent notion that you have to work really hard to make it seem this effortless.

Roll on the next milestone. *****

Review by Brian McGown

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)