Aspie Catholic

Deep Dives: Blue Öyster Cult Part III: Secret Treaties (1974)

Secret Treaties was produced by Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman. This is the only album that doesn’t feature Buck Dharma on lead vocals, nor did the band write any lyrics. Instead, the lyrics were written by Pearlman, critic Richard Meltzer, and Patti Smith. Most of the songs focus on the “Imaginos” cycle. The album charted at 53 on the Billboard 200.

Members:

Buck Dharma: lead guitar

Eric Bloom: vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards

Allen Lanier: keyboards, rhythm guitar, synthesizers

Joe Bouchard: bass, vocals

Albert Bouchard: drums, vocals

“Career of Evil”: This has a cool bass hook. It’s based on Patti Smith’s poem “Poem of Isadore Ducasse”, named after the real name of Comte de Lautreamont, writer of Les Chantes de Maldoror, which is where the title originates. It describes the alien Desdinova’s interventions.
“Subhuman”: This eerie tune is about the Blue Öyster Cult rescuing Desdinova after he is left on the shore. It was originally going to be called “Blue Öyster Cult”, but Pearlman didn’t like the idea. One of my favorite songs.
“Dominance and Submission”: This is a nice thrasher. It explores music’s impact on higher consciousness.
“ME 262″: This is kind of a title track, as it’s named after the airplane on the cover, the ME-262 Bomber, (aka ” Messerschmidt”), which was used by the Nazis. Another cool thrasher.
“Cagey Cretins”: Albert’s got a good rhythm on this. The titular cretins are asylum inmates breaking out. Meltzer was bored when he wrote this one. I kinda like it.
“Harvester of Eyes”: The guitar and bass are nice. It’s about Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas, who served under President Lyndon Johnson.
“Flaming Telepaths”: The keyboard on this is great, and it’s got another great rhythm. The meaning is ambiguous, with some suspecting the mind control experiments the Nazi scientists performed.
“Astronomy”: Desdinova reveals itself to humanity. This is a nice eerie track. I personally think it should’ve been the second song.

Final Verdict: While I don’t like the arrangement of the songs, this is a good album.

Grade: B

Deep Dives: Blue Öyster Cult Part II: Tyranny and Mutation (1973)

Tyranny and Mutation was the second album produced by Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman. The album reached #122 in the US.

Members:

Buck Dharma: lead guitar, vocals

Eric Bloom: rhythm guitar, synthesizers, vocals

Allen Lanier: keyboards, rhythm guitar

Joe Bouchard: bass, keyboards, vocals

Albert Bouchard: drums, vocals

The Tracks:

“The Red & the Black”: this is a rewrite of ” I’m on the Lamb But I Ain’t No Sheep”. Nice drumming at the start.
“OD’d on Life Itself “: This song is about a woman Pearlman met. It’s got a riff that sounds like “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” by The Hollies.
“Hot Rails to Hell”: This song was inspired by a subway ride Joe took with the album’s cover artist, Bill Gawlick, who was a bit of a loner, according to genius.com. I really love the rhythm guitar on this one. My favorite song.
“7 Screaming Diz-Busters”: While I like the music on this one fine, I didn’t much care for the lyrics, once I figured out what “diz” means.
“Baby Ice Dog”: This is a murder ballad taking place in Mongolia. The guitar and drums are great.
“Wings Wetted Down”: This is based on poems by Nobel Prize winning-poet Pablo Neruda. This has a good bass groove.
“Teen Archer “: Albert does some excellent drumming on this.
“Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)”: This is a song about a serial killer who turns her victims into fertilizer. This is another song with a good groove.

Final Verdict: Another nice and heavy album. It’s a shame these albums before the big one didn’t chart.

Grade: B

Deep Dives: Blue Öyster Cult Part 1: Self-titled (1972)

This time I’m starting a series on New York-based Blue Öyster Cult. The band formed in 1967 as Soft White Underbelly, a reference to Winston Churchill’s criticism of the Axis Powers. The original lineup met rock critic Sandy Pearlman at a gig at Stony Brook University, where all the members were attending. After a bad review at a gig, Pearlman (who had become the band’s manager and a songwriter. Pearlman suggested the name in reference to a concept about an alien cult who secretly guided Earth’s history. The band’s logo is loosely based on the astronomical symbol of Saturn. Pearlman also suggested stage names, but only Donald Roeser kept his, calling himself “Buck Dharma”. Allen Lanier suggested the addition of the umlaut. They were the first band to call themselves a heavy metal band, in reference to the symbol also being for lead (a heavy metal, get it?). The debut had three singles, and reached #172 on the Billboard 200.

Members:

Buck Dharma: Lead guitar, vocals

Eric Bloom: Vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards

Allen Lanier: rhythm guitar, keyboards

Joe Bouchard: bass, vocals

Albert Bouchard: drums, vocals

The Tracks:

“Transmaniacon MC”: This song is about the Altamont Free Concert. (The MC stands for Motorcycle Club). The song has a great riff and rhythm.
“I’m on the Lamb, But I Ain’t No Sheep”. This song originated from early in the band’s history, when they were known as Oaxaca. (Alternative versions of the song are on compilation album St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings.) It’s about a criminal being chased by the Mounties. I like the groove on this one.
“Then Came the Last Days of May”: This song comes from a story about two friends who were killed in a bad drug deal. The song has a much softer and somber feel than the rest of the album.
“Before the Kiss, a Redcap”: the song was originally called “Conry’s Bar”, in reference to a real bar. The song has another slick groove.
“She’s As Beautiful as a Foot”: This song has a cool and eerie feel to it.
“Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll”: One of the best songs on the album. It’s got an excellent rhythm section. This is the first recorded song in the Imaginos Cycle, a series of songs that are comprised of a longer story, which ties into the band’s name. The song is sung by Albert instead of Dharma.
“Workshop on the Telescopes”: Another song with a cool eerie feel.
“Redeemed”: This song was written by singer-songwriter Henry Farcas, and references his St. Bernard, Sir Rastus Bear. I like the drumming on this one.

Final Verdict: While I only recognized only one song, I did enjoy hearing how the band started out. This was a good debut.

Grade: A-

Deep Dives Update: Yes: Mirror to the Sky (2023)

I decided to use this week to update my Yes retrospective series with their latest album, “Mirror to the Sky”. This is Yes’s first album with Jay Schellen as a full-fledged member, after Alan White’s death. Schellen had performed percussion as a guest since 2016. This was their first album without Alan White since Close to the Edge. The album also featurea the FAMES Studio Orchestra. Two singles were released. The album reached #4 in the UK, #22 on the US Top Albums, and #20 on the US Tastemakers chart.

Members:

Jon Davison: vocals, acoustic guitar

Steve Howe: guitar, production

Billy Sherwood: bass, vocals

Geoff Downes: keyboards, organ, piano, and synthesizer

Jay Schellen: drums and percussion

The Tracks:

“Cut From the Stars”: The song starts with an orchestral flourish. There’s a crisp bassline and guitars. This is a wonderful start to the album.
“All Connected “: When I first heard this, I didn’t like it. It’s slowly grown on me thanks to Howe’s long guitar solo and Schellen’s drumming.
“Luminosity “: Schelling has good drumming and there’s a good riff at the start.
“Living Out Their Dream”: It’s a nice rocker, but it’s too short.
“Mirror to the Sky”: The title track is a great epic with an energetic riff at the start, before the rest of the band kicks in. It takes full advantage of its time and has a good build. I love how it bookends at the end.
“Circles of Time “: This is such a pretty song. The vocals have nice effects.
“Unknown Place”: The chanting at the start is a nice choice. The song is a solid rocker throughout.
“One Second is Enough”: I love the keyboards on this one.
“Magic Potion”: The guitars on this are good. It’s a nice quick closer.

Final Verdict: This is not the Yes of old, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a sort of evolution allowing the newer members to take the stage. I think it’s a good showcase of how the band is benefiting from the new changes.

Grade: B+

Deep Dives: Black Sabbath Part XX: 13 (2013)

13 was the final album, recorded after the band’s longest gap between albums. The album also marked the return of both Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler (Bill Ward couldn’t return due to a contractual dispute.) They had reunited with Osbourne and Butler for the live album Reunion and Ozzfest. Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave replaced Ward, and Rick Rubin was hired to produce. The album hit #1 in both the UK and the US. The name comes from Vertigo Records wanting 13 songs, but the album actually had 8 songs. (I’m including the bonus songs from the Spotify version)

Members:

Ozzy Osbourne: vocals

Tony Iommi: guitar

Geezer Butler: bass

Brad Wilk: drums

The Tracks:

“End of the Beginning”: The album starts off with an excellent riff and drumming. Ozzy sounds great. The opening even sounds similar to “Black Sabbath” from the debut.
“God is Dead?”: Butler’s bass is cool. One of the best songs.
“Loner”: Iommi’s guitar is awesome. Some more good drumming from Wilk.
“Zeitgeist”: I don’t really like the production on this one.
“Age of Reason “: Wilk does some excellent drumming at the start.
“Live Forever”: Some of Wilk’s best drumming on the album and some cool bass.
“Damaged Soul”: Another song I don’t like the production on.
“Dear Father”: Another excellent bassline from Butler.
“Methademic”: Great song condemning crystal meth. One of the best songs on the album.
“Peace of Mind “: Butler has a cool bass on this one.
“Pariah”: The drumming and bass are nice and mean on this closer.

Final Verdict: Although I don’t like the production on some songs, this is a great album to end the series on.

Grade: B

Deep Dives: Black Sabbath Part XIX: The Devil You Know (2010)

In 2007, the Mob Rules lineup of Black Sabbath recorded 3 new songs for a boxed set. They eventually toured together and decided to call themselves Heaven and Hell to differentiate themselves from Black Sabbath, and so the audiences wouldn’t expect any songs they didn’t record with Dio (so no “War Pigs”, and probably no “Disturbing the Priest” or even stuff from the Tony Martin era). They recorded one studio album, The Devil You Know, and that’s what I’m covering. Because a friend who knows Black Sabbath more than me said it should count. It was also the last thing Dio recorded before his death.

Members:

Ronnie James Dio: vocals, production

Tony Iommi: guitar, production

Geezer Butler: bass, production

Mike Exeter: keyboards

Vinny Appice: drums, percussion

The Tracks:

“Atom and Evil”: Dio is in top form, and Geezer and Iommi punctuate the vocals well.
“Fear”: The song starts off strong with Vinny’s heavy drums. Geezer has a nice heavy bass.
“Bible Black”: Tony starts off with a beautiful solo. The song is about a man corrupted by an evil Bible. One of my favorites.
“Double the Pain”: Nice bass at the start, and a solid thrasher.
“Rock and Roll Angel”: The riff on this one is mean. Dio sounds awesome.
“The Turn of the Screw”: This one’s not bad.
“Eating the Cannibals”: I love Tony’s riffs on this, and Vinny does some of the best drumming.
“Follow the Tears”: The keyboard has a good doomy atmosphere.
“Neverwhere”: Another solid song.
“Breaking Into Heaven”: This would be a good song for Armageddon.

Final Verdict: This is an album that shouldn’t be missed. It’s a banger from start to finish!

Grade: B

Deep Dives: Black Sabbath Part XVIII: Forbidden (1995)

Forbidden saw the return of Neil Murray and Cozy Powell. It was the last album to feature them, as well as Geoff Nicholls and Tony Martin. The album was produced by Ernie C of Ice T’s heavy metal band Body Count. It has a reputation for being one of Black Sabbath’s worst albums, if not the worst. The album reached #71 on UK’s regular chart, and #6 on the Rock and Metal chart. It didn’t chart in the US. This album is currently not streaming on Spotify.

Members:

Tony Martin: vocals

Tony Iommi: guitars

Neil Murray: bass

Geoff Nicholls: keyboards

Cozy Powell: drums

The Tracks:

“The Illusion of Power”: This is actually not a bad song, in my opinion. The guitar is cool, and the drumming is decent. Then the singing starts. The chorus is where it starts to lose me. As for Ice T’s rap? It’s good. The song just doesn’t fit Black Sabbath.
“Get a Grip”: I like the bass, but the drumming is all wrong.
“Can’t Get Close Enough”: This sounds nothing like Black Sabbath. Martin sounds confused, and no drumming?
“Shaking Off the Chains”: The rhythm is good, but Martin is not on his A game.
“I Won’t Cry For You”: Are we finally getting a song that sounds like Black Sabbath? This may be a good song, but it’s too far in.
“Guilty As Hell”: Ah, this sounds great at first. I still don’t like Martin’s singing.
“Sick and Tired”: Nice drum solo at the start, and a good bass. Finally I can actually hear Nicholls’ keyboard! Iommi’s riff is good.
“Rusty Angels”: This tries to be a good song. But it’s just decent.
“Forbidden”: The drumming is actually pretty good. Another good song for Nicholls’ keyboard, when I can hear it.
“Kiss of Death”: Nice keyboard intro, but where are the drums?
“Loser Gets It All”: Ah good, it’s over.

Final Verdict: What happened? I think the producer is a terrible fit. Ernie C seems out of his depth, and has no idea what to do. I was confused by this one. I couldn’t find any song I didn’t have a problem with. I tried to like this, but I can’t. Maybe if I was more familiar with Ernie C’s style, I could enjoy this. But I doubt it.

Grade: F

Deep Dives: Black Sabbath Part XVII: Cross Purposes (1994)

Cross Purposes marked the return of Tony Martin on lead vocals. This is the only album featuring drummer Bobby Rondinelli, who continues the honored tradition of former members of Deep Purple and Rainbow joining the band, as seen by Ian Gillan, Dio, Glenn Hughes, and Cozy Powell. The album was produced by Leif Mases. It hit #41 in the UK and #122 in the US. The album is not on Spotify.

Members:

Tony Martin: vocals

Tony Iommi: guitar

Geezer Butler: bass

Geoff Nicholls: keyboards

Bobby Rondinelli: drums

The Tracks:

“I Witness”: Iommi has a killer riff at the start. Nice opener.
“Cross of Thorns”: This song was inspired by Martin’s experience with the band Hammer when they did shows in Ireland and seeing the political struggles between Protestants and Catholics. It has a beautiful keyboard intro and a soft guitar and bass. Rondinelli has some great drumming. One of my favorites.
“Psychophobia”: This song was inspired by the David Koresh bombings in Waco Texas. A solid thrasher with some awesome vocals from Martin. Another excellent song.
“Virtual Death”: This has a nice doomy bass, and Martin kind of reminds me of Layne Staley.
“Immaculate Deception”: This has some good drumming and bass.
“Dying For Love”: This has a great Iommi solo at the start. Martin has some great vocals.
“Back to Eden”: Some great guitar on this.
“The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”: This song is about Beverly Allit, a nurse in England who was convicted of infanticide. It’s an impressive standout.
“Cardinal Sin”: This song is about a bishop who had a child out of wedlock. It was originally called “Sin, Cardinal Sin”, but a printing error changed the title. It has a great guitar and keyboards.
“Evil Eye”: Eddie Van Halen wrote the solo for the opening, but sadly, his version isn’t on the album. Iommi does come close, and Rondinelli has some cool drumming.
“What’s the Use”: Originally this song was only on the Japanese version of the album. It’s a good closer, with a great thrash rhythm.

Final Verdict: A pretty solid album, and my second favorite Martin album overall (Tyr is my #1 album featuring Martin, for the curious).

Grade: A

Deep Dives: Black Sabbath Part XVI: Dehumanizer (1992)

Dehumanizer reunited the Mob Rules version of Black Sabbath. Tony Martin was committed to a solo album. Cozy Powell had an injured hip. They brought back Dio for one last time. This was Vinnie Appice’s last album with the band. Geezer Butler returned as bassist. The album hit #28 in the UK and #44 in the US.

Members:

Ronnie James Dio: vocals

Tony Iommi: guitars

Geezer Butler: bass

Geoff Nicholls: keyboards

Vinnie Appice: drums

The Tracks:

“Computer God”: With Dio back on vocals, Dehumanizer is one of Black Sabbath’s heavier albums, and this song sets that stage with its theme of technology and its slowly taking over humanity. Some cool effects at the start with a thundering rhythm. This has one of Butler’s best basslines.
“After All (The Dead)”: This has a nice doomy feel to it with gloomy lyrics and guitars. It has a sick riff from Iommi too.
“TV Crimes”: This song attacks televangelists. It’s a great thrasher.
“Letters From Earth”: The song has a good rhythm. It’s not my favorite in the album, but not the worst.
“Master of Insanity”: Just listen to that bass. Man I missed Butler! What a great song about deception.
“Time Machine”: This one’s decent. It appeared in a slightly remixed version on the Wayne’s World soundtrack in the scene where they parodied Terminator 2.
“Sins of the Father”: Iommi has a great riff on this one.
“Too Late”: This is Geoff’s time to shine at the start and an eerie guitar. It’s a beautifully dark ballad.
“I”: Great start from Iommi and some plowing rhythm. Dio wrote some of his best lyrics on this song, and it’s easily my favorite song on the album.
“Buried Alive”: A good thrasher with a nice thundering bass and rhythm.

Final Verdict: It’s not quite as excellent as Mob Rules, but I do love it. Some of the songs in the middle brought it down a little. I think the song placement is its weakness.

Grade: B

Deep Dives: Black Sabbath Part XV: Tyr (1990)

Tyr was Tony Martin’s 3rd album as lead singer, and Cozy Powell’s final album with the band. It is the only album featuring bassist Neil Murray (who had also previously played for Whitesnake, Gary Moore, and others). The album reached #24 in the UK. It’s currently not streaming on Spotify. While some songs and the album’s title allude to Norse mythology, it is not considered a concept album.

Members:

Tony Martin: vocals

Tony Iommi: guitars

Neil Murray: bass

Geoff Nicholls: keyboards

Cozy Powell: drums, percussion

The Tracks:

“Anno Mundi”: The song has some cool chanting at the start. The lyrics are great, and I like the drumming and guitars.
“The Law Maker”: This song has a thunderous rhythm. I love the lyrics. One of my favorite songs.
“Jerusalem “: Nicholls plays a great keyboard. This is another lyrical favorite.
“The Sabbath Stones”: Another standout for Nicholls, and Iommi sounds excellent.
“The Battle of Tyr”/”Odin’s Court”: Nicholls sets the mood with a gloomy keyboard. Very nice.
“Valhalla “: This is the best song! The rhythm is pounding, and I like the bassline. I’d definitely play this for a DND campaign!
“Feels Good to Me”: A nice keyboard plays underneath a nice riff. While the band doesn’t think it fits the album, I don’t hate it.
“Heaven in Black”: Great drum solo at the start, and a solid thrasher.

Final Verdict: This album was a big improvement over the previous, with lyrics that weren’t as silly. This was an excellent album!

Grade: A