@@alldayadventures5418 Well, unfortunately I was a bit too young to have such discerning taste at that time. in '79 my uncle took me to see KISS, which I thought was pretty incredible. Of course I was six... lol.
@@michaelfried3123 That skit had a lot going for it, but give Wardrobe its due: Will Ferrell in a two-sizes-too-small velour shirt was more than the other cast members could handle. 😂
Just found this in Wikipedia: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was written and sung by lead guitarist Buck Dharma and produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman.[10] The song's distinctive guitar riff is built on the "I-bVII-bVI" chord progression, in an A minor scale.[11] The riff was recorded with Krugman's Gibson ES-175 guitar, which was run through a Music Man 410 combo amplifier, and Dharma's vocals were captured with a Telefunken U47 tube microphone. The guitar solo and guitar rhythm sections were recorded in one take, while a four-track tape machine amplified them on the recording. Sound engineer Shelly Yakus remembers piecing together the separate vocals, guitar and rhythm section into a master track, with the overdubbing occurring in that order.[12]
somebody had a mad, genius moment when they wrote this fantastic song!! is it about suicide or jehovah witnesses or the supernatural!! who knows? who cares? this song will still be played in a hundred years time!!!
I get where you're going when describing the BOC sound. It was unusual and some would surmise "ahead of their time" when it was released in 1976, and it remains a 70s Rock classic to this day because of it's ease of flowing smoothly within a 70s, 80s or 90s playlist. These 70s players obviously were influenced by the vocal harmonizing of the 60s as well and its evident here. Nice y'all!
My high school friends and I had some good times listening to this album. The SNL skit probably did more for this song than radio ever did - just in time for my kids to enjoy it in their high school years. Great commentary, gents. Thank you. Funny thing about fusing 60s, 70, and 90s - the 90s were still 15 years away when they recorded this. Think about that!
So glad you guys are checking out BOC. The band themselves are all super talented and have covered a few genres in their time, but what they're most known for among fans is the storylines that run through their albums. They have songs sometimes decades apart that are pieced together lyrically into a big cosmic horror story written by Sandy Perlman their manager. This is one of their few mainstream hits but their discography is full of fantastic rock. This track actually had some controversy because outlets mistakenly interpreted the lyrics as glorifying suicide. Fun fact: they even worked with Randy Jackson (yes, of American Idol fame) on a few tracks on their album The Revolution By Night.
Don't Fear the Reaper "deals with the inevitability of death and the belief that we should not fear it. When Dharma wrote it, he was thinking about what would happen if he died at a young age"
Kinda. Sounds like a lovesick man talks his girlfriend into a Romeo and Juliet suicide WE CAN BE LIKE THEY ARE, BABY I'M YOUR MAN and he chickens out and she takes the REAPERS hand and SHE BECAME LIKE THEY ARE. Kind of betrayal also. Peace 🕊️☮️
@@allengray5748 Many of us thought that, myself included but… "I felt that I had just achieved some kind of resonance with the psychology of people when I came up with that, I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something that was not my intention at all. It is, like, not to be afraid of [death] (as opposed to actively bring it about). It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners." - Buck Dharma, lead singer
Blue Oyster Cult was the first concert me and my wife went to together in 1978. Been together 43 years now. They will always be special in my memory of good times of my life. Thank You two for what you do.
This band is one of my all-time favorites. All members of the band were songwriters and 4 of the 5 took turns singing lead and the 5th would sing lead once in a while. Several of them were good on multiple instruments. Most of their best material, outside of this one, were never played on the radio. They did have good songs that charted but they were more of an album and live in concert band.
Once while working on Federal Death Row I was walking Timothy McVeigh down the tier to the shower. He was singing, "It's so easy to fall in love." quietly. I said MC VEIGH! He stopped and asked, What Sir. I told him, this is a penitentiary. Real men don't sing love songs on the way to the shower. He said, Your right, Sir. He started singing, Seasons don't fear the reaper. Nor do the wind and the Summer rain. Every time I hear this song I remember that day.
The harmonizing does sound 60’s inspired! I learn so much listening to your reactions. Thanks for lending an ear to another great rock classic, brings me back to my high school years. Peace ✌🏽🤘🏿
Not all popular artists cared about whether they had hit (Pop) songs... Most rock bands back then, were just artists... it was the producers who were constantly looking for formulas for successes (Hits) there is a difference. Thumbs up for trying to figure it out... sometimes it's easier to just sit back and enjoy! 👍
Some controversy over the lyrics, originally as some people, took it as a invitation to suicide. But if you listen, carefully, you understand it’s an incredibly beautiful song about not having to fear death. In fact, for some people who are suffering it can be a beautiful thing they no longer have to be in pain and maybe they can live in eternity
Read lyrics to Seven Screaming Dizbuters. They didn't print their lyrics for years. Lots of "subliminal praise". Burning For You is in your face. Listened since '75-76 9th grade. Live "On Your Feet or On Your Knees" blasted out of my bedroom for years. I turn them off at 1st note now. I've grown beyond that tripe. My opinion and right. Rock on. Love some Buck Dharma guitar...saw them up close and personal back in the day.
..beautiful song about not having to fear death… the trouble is not putting your faith in Jesus Christ will lead to fear of death…God’s wrath,judgement and punishment is to be feared.
Buck Dharma is one of those guitarists whose style is so unique and distinctive, that soaring, chiming sound. I actually never tire of hearing this one. And I would never have picked up it sounding 60s or 90s, but you have keen, fresh ears. Thanks. Can’t beat BOC…the thinking man’s heavy metal band. Still touring too ! 👍🎸
Hey guys, great react! If you enjoyed this B.O.C. classic might I recommend another B.O.C. classic titled "Burning for You", I believe you'll enjoy that one also! Keep up the great work guys. Peace out! 👍💯🔥🎸🇺🇸😎
I saw the Black and Blue tour twice, once inside in Hartford at the Civic Center and once that summer outside at Lebanon Valley Speedway at a large outdoor show where they put their 2 PA systems together to blast us into the next county. LOL! Great bands, they were perfect together.
Great song and reaction! Hearing this reminds me of a morning in 1976, on my way into work, listening to the radio when a young lady called in to request, " could you please play that new song, that new song don't spill the refer". There was dead air for a second then the caller starts to sing it. I almost drove off the rode laughing. Still makes me smile.
You can rest assured Blue Oyster Cult knew EXACTLY what they were doing. Many of their songs have radically different sounds. They 100% loved to experiment.
BOC would play small clubs around NYC, they had such a big following they would change their name to "Soft White Underbelly" to keep the clubs from getting flooded with fans..
Soft White would play the Whiskey and other small clubs in L.A. too. I saw them in a double bill with the Tubes. It was great except the venue was an old theater with no ventilation. Show was awesome though
An all time rock classic! For the hundreds of times I've heard this I never picked up on those 60's style of harmonies but you are on point. Great observation.
I LOVE Blue Oyster Cult! They were my mainstay concert all throughout the 70’s…my youngest daughter, age 26, saw them in Atlanta in 2021..all she said was “those guys can still shred”…and she bought me a Secret Treaties T-shirt to boot. These fellas were metal rock when the genre had yet to be developed. Great reaction guys, you always give me things to ponder..thank you! Cheers!
It wasn't until TH-cam that they got called out on the topic of the song I remember growing up hearing it and never once thinking about the S word. But what I love most about this song is that lick. It nearly plays through the whole song
The song isn't about suicide. Its about mortality. Don Roeser, the bands guitarists was diagnosed with a heart condition and felt particularly vulnerable but reflected on his life and his family and realized it was nothing to be afraid about. Its going to happen to all of us so don't sweat it. Just enjoy life..
@@Hector-yl1kh you could be right but I've read in several places that it was something that the singer and his wife had discussed. I don't think either of us really care enough to go digging any deeper than this but it was nice talking
I had the pleasure of seeing them live twice. My favorite BOC song and always will be. The beginning of Stephen King's "The Stand" (1994 and best version) features this at the beginning. Some folks back when this was on the radio every day thought it was encouraging suicide but deep down it's a love song. The love of two is one.😍😍 Another band with this kind of vibe and depth you need to check out if you haven't already is Kansas. Fun fact: Before they were Blue Oyster Cult, they were The Great White Underbelly.
The first time I saw BOC was back in the early 90s in a shitkicker bar in Albuquerque. The stage was barely big enough for them and we were sitting at a table pushed up against the stage. One of the best night's of music in my life.
I love watching you guys react to the soundtrack of my life. I lived in Columbus Georgia grew up there and these guys came every year for years. You hit the timeline perfect the 70s for the glorious time like the other guy said... A lot of music in the late sixties and early seventies are like operas... The arrangements are like different movements of great vocals and also chord changes, the various harmonies and words that mean so much... the lyrics are awesome from this time frame and genre. The fact you guys are appreciating this makes me appreciate you I'm a long time subscriber and daily watcher!!!!! 💕
I didn't notice it in another comment, so I'll mention that this is the song in the SNL skit with Will Farrell playing the cow bell and Christopher Walken saying that what he needs is "More cow bell!" The song is bigger than the skit, but the skit is a significant cultural moment.
This is definitely one of my favorite bands, some people will say they are a Prog band and you really can’t argue with that, you’ll hear every genre of music if you listen to their albums and yes they did it on purpose, but you really can’t help but to do it on purpose because their influences back in the 50s and 60s we’re so strong
That song is such a masterpiece. And I'm pretty sure you may have covered I'm Burning For You, but you guys would probably also really really love their hit song Godzilla. Talk about fusing decades. Wow. It's just so fun and yet it does encode a serious message.
BÖC is one of my favorite bands from the '70s and early '80s. I won tickets to see them and Pat Travers back in 1981, thanks to this song... A couple of my personal favorites are "I Love the Night", "Burning for You", "Astronomy", "E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)", and "Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll".
I know I keep writing that’s “they’re one of my favs” but BOC is one I still listen too all the time. Buck Dharma is one of my all time favorite guitarists. He plays such creative guitar solos . They were/are so cool! Great reaction guys! Love listening to this with you!
If some of you are first time BOC listeners here are three more awesome example tunes to check out: 1) Debbie Denise (About a cat). 2) Burnin' For You 3) Shooting Shark (Look for the 7 min. song version). Enjoy!
Wow, just absolute wow. I have loved this song since I was a kid and never did I realize what it was that made it stand out so much and seem ageless. Your guys's take on the fusion of the decades was brilliant, I actually drew in a breath in surprise. You hit it right on the nose. whether it was on purpose or not...well, some would say even if it's not directly done that way, it's still in the subconscious as the artists make the music. Who knows which comes first? This song was pretty popular in the early eighties and has been in pop culture pretty much since it was released in the 70's. It's never gotten old for me. Great analysis!!!
You would love their early stuff. Red and Black, OD'd on Life Itself, Last Days of May (Live) or Dominance and Submission. 7 Screaming Dizbusters would be a real cool deep cut.
Did you know that they used this song on an SNL skit with Christopher Walken and Will Farrell ... The More Cowbell skit ... gotta see it if you never have ...
BROS, I knew a guy here in our little community that liked speed, racing around squealing tires, drawing the attention of the cop. After a couple accidents, Jimmy met his final one, car upside down, with his tape player stuck on this song, repeating over and over, "Don't Fear the Reaper".
Guys thanks for your input..I got to see this in concert way back..I still have the album..the light show was incredible...blue oyster cult in the day was incredible... fantastic laser show...
This was an FM hit for them, but they were heavier and a lot more interesting overall. Still tour around the world and did a famous tour with Black Sabbath once. Try Godzilla, Cities on Flame, ME 262.
Their first album, Blue Oyster Cult, came out in 1971. Check out Cities On Flame with Rock and Roll & Then Came the Last Days of May off that record. BOC is one of the best rock bands to come from the 70s. All five original band members are super talented. They all could sing lead. The band had a handful of "hits," but the deep cuts are amazing, and Donald "Buck Dharma " Rosier is a very underrated guitarist.
This band had musical talent on a level with Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd. You can time travel while high to their Cultasauruserectus album. Black Blade and Lips in the hills are other worldly.
The 70s was a glorious time for rock music
Hottest Ticket in the late 70's was the Black + Blue Tour.
Black Sabbath, and Blue Oyster Cult. I think they toured together for 2 - 3 years...
@@alldayadventures5418 Well, unfortunately I was a bit too young to have such discerning taste at that time. in '79 my uncle took me to see KISS, which I thought was pretty incredible. Of course I was six... lol.
@@Duct_Tape.I saw KISS in 1979, too. At the Houston Summit. I was twice your age, heh
The best is 65' to 70'. The 70s did a good job of refashioned what came before 71'.
@@johnleeshute youngsters these days! :)
More cowbell!
Someone has to say it!
I got a fever, and the only prescription is ....
@@rlwetz4317 best SNL skit ever...
Lol
@@michaelfried3123
That skit had a lot going for it, but give Wardrobe its due: Will Ferrell in a two-sizes-too-small velour shirt was more than the other cast members could handle.
😂
“I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!.” Great song. Another that my generation knows all the words.
I was watching for this comment 😂
Will forever be associated with this awesome song LMAO.
This song never gets old. It would be a hit if it came out today. Perfect.
It really would be. And with all the music out we'd still be mystified by it. This is coming from a 20 some year old.
Buck Dharma - one of the greatest stage names EVER
That guitar solo is an absolute Buck Dharma gut punch. Gets me every time.
Those who know know
Edited out in the crappy radio version.
This is a goosebump type of song and hasn't lost its edge for these many years. 1976 was a great year for music. BOC are fine musicians and lyricists.
Fun fact this song was featured on a SNL skit about getting more cowbell that's where that reference comes from I believe it was Christopher Walken
The Guitar Work by Buck on "Godzilla" is so Good, and So Infectious.
Great reaction, Another great Blue Oyster Cult song is Burnin`for you
Just found this in Wikipedia: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was written and sung by lead guitarist Buck Dharma and produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman.[10] The song's distinctive guitar riff is built on the "I-bVII-bVI" chord progression, in an A minor scale.[11] The riff was recorded with Krugman's Gibson ES-175 guitar, which was run through a Music Man 410 combo amplifier, and Dharma's vocals were captured with a Telefunken U47 tube microphone. The guitar solo and guitar rhythm sections were recorded in one take, while a four-track tape machine amplified them on the recording. Sound engineer Shelly Yakus remembers piecing together the separate vocals, guitar and rhythm section into a master track, with the overdubbing occurring in that order.[12]
WHAT HE SAID
somebody had a mad, genius moment when they wrote this fantastic song!! is it about suicide or jehovah witnesses or the supernatural!! who knows? who cares? this song will still be played in a hundred years time!!!
Great band, this song is a timeless masterpiece.
I get where you're going when describing the BOC sound. It was unusual and some would surmise "ahead of their time" when it was released in 1976, and it remains a 70s Rock classic to this day because of it's ease of flowing smoothly within a 70s, 80s or 90s playlist. These 70s players obviously were influenced by the vocal harmonizing of the 60s as well and its evident here.
Nice y'all!
This is truly one of the great classic rock songs
Playing in background in Halloween. When Michael Myers’s is driving the stolen car stalking her lol
They hit the radio a few times, but mostly these guys were about playing live and having fun with music. So many odd songs that make you think.
My high school friends and I had some good times listening to this album. The SNL skit probably did more for this song than radio ever did - just in time for my kids to enjoy it in their high school years.
Great commentary, gents. Thank you. Funny thing about fusing 60s, 70, and 90s - the 90s were still 15 years away when they recorded this. Think about that!
So glad you guys are checking out BOC. The band themselves are all super talented and have covered a few genres in their time, but what they're most known for among fans is the storylines that run through their albums. They have songs sometimes decades apart that are pieced together lyrically into a big cosmic horror story written by Sandy Perlman their manager. This is one of their few mainstream hits but their discography is full of fantastic rock. This track actually had some controversy because outlets mistakenly interpreted the lyrics as glorifying suicide. Fun fact: they even worked with Randy Jackson (yes, of American Idol fame) on a few tracks on their album The Revolution By Night.
Don't Fear the Reaper "deals with the inevitability of death and the belief that we should not fear it. When Dharma wrote it, he was thinking about what would happen if he died at a young age"
Kinda. Sounds like a lovesick man talks his girlfriend into a Romeo and Juliet suicide WE CAN BE LIKE THEY ARE, BABY I'M YOUR MAN and he chickens out and she takes the REAPERS hand and SHE BECAME LIKE THEY ARE. Kind of betrayal also. Peace 🕊️☮️
@@allengray5748 Many of us thought that, myself included but…
"I felt that I had just achieved some kind of resonance with the psychology of people when I came up with that, I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something that was not my intention at all. It is, like, not to be afraid of [death] (as opposed to actively bring it about). It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners."
- Buck Dharma, lead singer
@@Xcris_crosX ALL my friends will tell you that I LITERALLY take things LITERALLY!!! 😜 Peace 🕊️
@@Xcris_crosX Ok now I'm going to watch a lyric video to see if I miss stuff. I have A D D though LoL 😂
Blue Oyster Cult was the first concert me and my wife went to together in 1978. Been together 43 years now. They will always be special in my memory of good times of my life. Thank You two for what you do.
This band is one of my all-time favorites. All members of the band were songwriters and 4 of the 5 took turns singing lead and the 5th would sing lead once in a while. Several of them were good on multiple instruments. Most of their best material, outside of this one, were never played on the radio. They did have good songs that charted but they were more of an album and live in concert band.
Bicentennial year, 76!!
Fusion, mixing, Idk, its all magic to my ears!! 😂
You both just get it!! 🥳
This came out in 1976. Iconic rock anthem.
This song was on the radio all the time in the 70s. This is a classic,thanks for playing this.
I been blasting this tune for over 35 years. ❤
"Burnin for you", another good one to react from BOC...
This blew up our radios all summer
I Got A Fever And the only prescription….IS MORE COWBELL!
🤣🤣🤣
I saw them live two years ago, they were great!!!
Can't believe you guys haven't reacted to this song before. PLEASE do their song VETERAN OF THE PSYCHIC WARS. Insane musicianship!
that is my favorite BOC song
especially live.
@@jalkabre5904 Seen them 3 times every time put on an awesome show
@@jalkabre5904 absolutely
The version I f VOTPW on Extraterrestrial Live!
Once while working on Federal Death Row I was walking Timothy McVeigh down the tier to the shower. He was singing, "It's so easy to fall in love." quietly. I said MC VEIGH! He stopped and asked, What Sir. I told him, this is a penitentiary. Real men don't sing love songs on the way to the shower. He said, Your right, Sir. He started singing, Seasons don't fear the reaper. Nor do the wind and the Summer rain. Every time I hear this song I remember that day.
When BOC first released this song, even the critics were blown away and immediately called it a masterpiece.
One of the best songs ever.
The harmonizing does sound 60’s inspired! I learn so much listening to your reactions. Thanks for lending an ear to another great rock classic, brings me back to my high school years. Peace ✌🏽🤘🏿
Agents of Fortune is one of the BEST ALBUMS. Front to back of the 70's rock era. !!!!! Truely underrated. All the songs are great!
This song was all over FM radio. The album came out in 76, my Freshman year of HS.
Best SNL Sketch ever! "I gotta fever and the only prescription is more cowbell."
Not all popular artists cared about whether they had hit (Pop) songs... Most rock bands back then, were just artists... it was the producers who were constantly looking for formulas for successes (Hits) there is a difference.
Thumbs up for trying to figure it out... sometimes it's easier to just sit back and enjoy!
👍
Some controversy over the lyrics, originally as some people, took it as a invitation to suicide. But if you listen, carefully, you understand it’s an incredibly beautiful song about not having to fear death. In fact, for some people who are suffering it can be a beautiful thing they no longer have to be in pain and maybe they can live in eternity
Read lyrics to Seven Screaming Dizbuters.
They didn't print their lyrics for years.
Lots of "subliminal praise".
Burning For You is in your face.
Listened since '75-76 9th grade.
Live "On Your Feet or On Your Knees" blasted out of my bedroom for years.
I turn them off at 1st note now. I've grown beyond that tripe.
My opinion and right. Rock on.
Love some Buck Dharma guitar...saw them up close and personal back in the day.
Yes, according to Buck Dharma the song is not about suicide.
It is about suicide.
According to Buck Dharma, this song was written after he (or someone close to him) got a cancer diagnosis and definitely not about suicide.
..beautiful song about not having to fear death… the trouble is not putting your faith in Jesus Christ will lead to fear of death…God’s wrath,judgement and punishment is to be feared.
When that lead comes in...chilling! The words are not to be missed...
What a great decade for rock music. Saw them in concert in the 70's and they were the first to use lasers and wow it was great.
Saw them twice in the 70s, try City of Flame, kick ass song! Enjoy your reactions ❤
We all had this record in '76. "Don't Fear the Reaper" caught everybody's attention on the radio. Check out "Godzilla"... anything but subtle.
Buck Dharma is one of those guitarists whose style is so unique and distinctive, that soaring, chiming sound. I actually never tire of hearing this one. And I would never have picked up it sounding 60s or 90s, but you have keen, fresh ears. Thanks. Can’t beat BOC…the thinking man’s heavy metal band. Still touring too ! 👍🎸
" I love the night," and " Revenge of Vera Gemini " are 2 more top notch boc tracks that are worth putting your ears to
"I love the night" one of my favorite songs. So good.
Hey guys, great react! If you enjoyed this B.O.C. classic might I recommend another B.O.C. classic titled "Burning for You", I believe you'll enjoy that one also! Keep up the great work guys. Peace out! 👍💯🔥🎸🇺🇸😎
I recommend "Burnin' For You" also.
The first concert I went to was BOC in 1976. This song live was amazing.
Dude it was mine too! The openers were Foghat and Brownsville Station.
@@Lionize728 My openers were Styx and Starz.
One of the loudest concerts I ever attended, Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult!!
I saw the Black and Blue tour twice, once inside in Hartford at the Civic Center and once that summer outside at Lebanon Valley Speedway at a large outdoor show where they put their 2 PA systems together to blast us into the next county. LOL! Great bands, they were perfect together.
@@Rock_Snob yes it was!
This is one of the best produced tracks ever.
Great song and reaction!
Hearing this reminds me of a morning in 1976, on my way into work, listening to the radio when a young lady called in to request, " could you please play that new song, that new song don't spill the refer". There was dead air for a second then the caller starts to sing it. I almost drove off the rode laughing. Still makes me smile.
This is the song that Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken more cowbell sketch on Saturday Night Live.
You can rest assured Blue Oyster Cult knew EXACTLY what they were doing. Many of their songs have radically different sounds. They 100% loved to experiment.
BOC would play small clubs around NYC, they had such a big following they would change their name to "Soft White Underbelly" to keep the clubs from getting flooded with fans..
Soft White would play the Whiskey and other small clubs in L.A. too. I saw them in a double bill with the Tubes. It was great except the venue was an old theater with no ventilation. Show was awesome though
"Agents Of Fortune" is a great album.
An all time rock classic! For the hundreds of times I've heard this I never picked up on those 60's style of harmonies but you are on point. Great observation.
GREAT REACTION FELLAS !
Yall was feeling that one !🎉
MISSISSIPPI ROCKEN APB ! 🎉
Same, friend! ☺️✌️
I LOVE Blue Oyster Cult! They were my mainstay concert all throughout the 70’s…my youngest daughter, age 26, saw them in Atlanta in 2021..all she said was “those guys can still shred”…and she bought me a Secret Treaties T-shirt to boot. These fellas were metal rock when the genre had yet to be developed. Great reaction guys, you always give me things to ponder..thank you! Cheers!
It wasn't until TH-cam that they got called out on the topic of the song I remember growing up hearing it and never once thinking about the S word. But what I love most about this song is that lick. It nearly plays through the whole song
The song isn't about suicide. Its about mortality. Don Roeser, the bands guitarists was diagnosed with a heart condition and felt particularly vulnerable but reflected on his life and his family and realized it was nothing to be afraid about. Its going to happen to all of us so don't sweat it. Just enjoy life..
@@Hector-yl1kh you could be right but I've read in several places that it was something that the singer and his wife had discussed. I don't think either of us really care enough to go digging any deeper than this but it was nice talking
I had the pleasure of seeing them live twice.
My favorite BOC song and always will be.
The beginning of Stephen King's "The Stand" (1994 and best version) features this at the beginning.
Some folks back when this was on the radio every day thought it was encouraging suicide but deep down it's a love song. The love of two is one.😍😍
Another band with this kind of vibe and depth you need to check out if you haven't already is Kansas.
Fun fact: Before they were Blue Oyster Cult, they were The Great White Underbelly.
The first time I saw BOC was back in the early 90s in a shitkicker bar in Albuquerque.
The stage was barely big enough for them and we were sitting at a table pushed up against the stage.
One of the best night's of music in my life.
I love watching you guys react to the soundtrack of my life. I lived in Columbus Georgia grew up there and these guys came every year for years. You hit the timeline perfect the 70s for the glorious time like the other guy said... A lot of music in the late sixties and early seventies are like operas... The arrangements are like different movements of great vocals and also chord changes, the various harmonies and words that mean so much... the lyrics are awesome from this time frame and genre. The fact you guys are appreciating this makes me appreciate you I'm a long time subscriber and daily watcher!!!!! 💕
I didn't notice it in another comment, so I'll mention that this is the song in the SNL skit with Will Farrell playing the cow bell and Christopher Walken saying that what he needs is "More cow bell!" The song is bigger than the skit, but the skit is a significant cultural moment.
This is definitely one of my favorite bands, some people will say they are a Prog band and you really can’t argue with that, you’ll hear every genre of music if you listen to their albums and yes they did it on purpose, but you really can’t help but to do it on purpose because their influences back in the 50s and 60s we’re so strong
I got to see them perform this live in the late 70's. Epic! You guys so get it. Wonderful!
This song was the first top 40 hit for Blue Oyster Cult. Their first album came out in 72.
That song is such a masterpiece. And I'm pretty sure you may have covered I'm Burning For You, but you guys would probably also really really love their hit song Godzilla. Talk about fusing decades. Wow. It's just so fun and yet it does encode a serious message.
BÖC is one of my favorite bands from the '70s and early '80s. I won tickets to see them and Pat Travers back in 1981, thanks to this song... A couple of my personal favorites are "I Love the Night", "Burning for You", "Astronomy", "E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)", and "Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll".
I know I keep writing that’s “they’re one of my favs” but BOC is one I still listen too all the time. Buck Dharma is one of my all time favorite guitarists. He plays such creative guitar solos . They were/are so cool! Great reaction guys! Love listening to this with you!
Guess what, I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!
If some of you are first time BOC listeners here are three more awesome example tunes to check out: 1) Debbie Denise (About a cat).
2) Burnin' For You 3) Shooting Shark (Look for the 7 min. song version). Enjoy!
Wow, just absolute wow. I have loved this song since I was a kid and never did I realize what it was that made it stand out so much and seem ageless. Your guys's take on the fusion of the decades was brilliant, I actually drew in a breath in surprise. You hit it right on the nose. whether it was on purpose or not...well, some would say even if it's not directly done that way, it's still in the subconscious as the artists make the music. Who knows which comes first? This song was pretty popular in the early eighties and has been in pop culture pretty much since it was released in the 70's. It's never gotten old for me. Great analysis!!!
It was used in the opening to The Stand. One of the best movie intros ever.
Another incredible song brought to you by the 70s!
All time great song. They came to town not long after it came out.
Uriah Heep is another group that has great harmonizing!!
Yes please do uriah heep!!!!
The song that brought us the endearing "more cowbell" parody (and catch phrase)!
My very first concert, March 12, 1983. Mind blowing!
You would love their early stuff. Red and Black, OD'd on Life Itself, Last Days of May (Live) or Dominance and Submission. 7 Screaming Dizbusters would be a real cool deep cut.
All great suggestions!
this came out in 1975, love this band, have seen them... a few times, was even at Arizona Jam 80 when they got rained out, great video, thanks
Everything about this song screams banger from the iconic riff, the chorus and instrumentation.
This song ALWAYS gives me goosebumps.
Did you know that they used this song on an SNL skit with Christopher Walken and Will Farrell ... The More Cowbell skit ... gotta see it if you never have ...
BOC fused rock, hard rock, blues, prog, a little punk, pop and mixed it together and created music I love!
BROS, I knew a guy here in our little community that liked speed, racing around squealing tires, drawing the attention of the cop.
After a couple accidents, Jimmy met his final one, car upside down, with his tape player stuck on this song, repeating over and over, "Don't Fear the Reaper".
Guys thanks for your input..I got to see this in concert way back..I still have the album..the light show was incredible...blue oyster cult in the day was incredible... fantastic laser show...
One of my FAV BOC TUNES!!! SO LOVE THIS SONG!!! Hugs, Guys!!
Exceptional band.
Saw them at an outdoor concert at Stateline, Idaho in the mid-70s. It was amazing concert as there were several other bands over the whole weekend.
This was an FM hit for them, but they were heavier and a lot more interesting overall. Still tour around the world and did a famous tour with Black Sabbath once. Try Godzilla, Cities on Flame, ME 262.
The cowbell…. Well there’s a thing there. SNL. Chistopher Walken.
This song was the subject of a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit featuring Will Farrell and Christopher Walken. Awesome song.
Classic track from a favourite album of theirs.
Their first album, Blue Oyster Cult, came out in 1971. Check out Cities On Flame with Rock and Roll & Then Came the Last Days of May off that record. BOC is one of the best rock bands to come from the 70s. All five original band members are super talented. They all could sing lead. The band had a handful of "hits," but the deep cuts are amazing, and Donald "Buck Dharma " Rosier is a very underrated guitarist.
Great song❤Great reaction. Y'all get it❤
I love waiting in anticipation of that guitar solo, the way it strikes in. It's so beautiful.
I’ve been waiting for you guys to react to this one! Near Halloween too! Perfect!
This band had musical talent on a level with Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd. You can time travel while high to their Cultasauruserectus album. Black Blade and Lips in the hills are other worldly.
Yes you’ll love the SNL skit about the recording of this song!
This tune plays in the background in the 1st "Halloween"...great reaction!
Back in the early seventies we used to play this song to death on the City Cafe jukebox while shooting pool in the back room.
A truly timeless song
This absolutely never gets old ❤