Album review: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – Ghost Stories

Frontiers [Release date 12.04.24]

Blue Öyster Cult have always been an enigma and this ‘new’ album continues that trend, or as the press blurb states – “This highly anticipated album marks a fitting finale to the recording legacy of one of rock’s most iconic fixtures from the past 50 years.”

‘Ghost Stories’ is a collection of reimagined and newly completed songs that span from 1978-2016. These songs were originally recorded between 1978 and 1983 with the band’s original audio engineer George Geranios, except for one track from 2016, ‘If I Fell’. Also included is the only known studio recording of their live staple, the MC 5 classic ‘Kick Out The Jams’.

Blue Öyster Cult like to lead where others follow and this album utilises AI, as some of the material is from sessions workshopping material for an album, whilst some is from performance rehearsals. These were later transferred to digital audio, which is when AI and the musical talents met and the collection of vintage multi-track recordings was de-mixed, re-mixed, and produced by Steve Schenck and Richie Castellano.

Recording wise these songs feature Richie Castellano along with remaining original members Eric Bloom and Donald ‘Buck Dharma’ Roeser. Former drummers Albert Bouchard and Rick Downey both appear with additional overdubs recorded by Joe Bouchard. The late Allen Lanier, the band’s original keyboards and rhythm guitar player, also features on the album.

Pick of the album is ‘Don’t Come Running To Me’, with Eric Bloom on vocals and a song that dates from the band’s ‘Revolution By Night’ album period. ’Shot In The Dark’ is a good tune, written by Albert Bouchard and sung by Eric Bloom, with a classy Buck Dharma guitar solo.

Blue Öyster Cult do the Beatles on ‘If I Fell’, an acoustic number with Buck Dharma and Richie Castellano on vocals.

‘Late Night Street Fight’ and ‘Kick Out The Jams’ are decent enough. ‘Cherry’ is one of those rollicking rock ‘n’ rollers that Buck Dharma does so well. The Joe Bouchard and Helen Wheels co-write ‘Gun’ is another with that classic BOC sound, possibly from around the time of the ‘Mirrors’ or ‘Cultösaurus Erectus’ albums? However, we have songs like ‘Money Machine’ and ‘Soul Jive’ which would have been best left ‘lost’!

Only 41 minutes in length which is just over half an hour when you take out the three covers. Shame we couldn’t have had an added few classics from the band’s 50th anniversary shows just to make it a bit better value.

One for the fans and really hope it isn’t their last studio recordings as after 2020′s magnificent comeback ‘The Symbol Remains’, ‘Ghost Stories’ seems more of sneaking out the back door rather than blowing the front doors off. ***

Review by Jason Ritchie

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