They've also stuck around for an incredibly long time, although with some line-up changes. The band was formed in 1967 and they literally have a new album that came out in 2024.
Donald Roeser, the songwriter, singer and lead guitarist of this number was diagnosed with a heart condition that in the mid 70’s often lead to open heart surgery that did not have great success. He wrote this during that time, thinking of his wife, their love and all that they had planned to do etc. At its core, DFtR is a love song. He felt that their love would find a way and could not be ended even by tragic early death. The lyrics evolved into their present form even after demoed for the band. Don wrote the melody and chorus fills and la-là-la-la-la’s and recorded at home on Teac multitrack reel to reel. He later played pieces and fleshed out the demo for the band. Don’s condition turned out to be able to be treated without the surgery that inspired the song, and he is still married to Sandy his wife and performing brilliant shows with BÖC to this day. Another couple of their songs that Don sings the lead that you might enjoy are “I Love the Night” and “Burning for You”. Also you might enjoy the the amazing harmonies of the band’s cover of the Motown smash “Be My Baby” - The Ronettes, which give you a glimpse of how good they were long before being in the same band when they would hone their craft playing dances and parties. They were brilliant in arranging layered instruments and vocal harmonies as each member sang backup and on occasion lead vocals. You can search YT for “Be My Baby” Blue Öyster Cult and you can check it out. If you head down this rabbit hole I am certain you will find almost every album and period through their long history is different from what came before, and they still are among the very best live rock groups from their era playing today-no miming or auto-tune - just honest rock music.
Honestly I kind of hate SNL for reducing this beautiful song to a punchline (though I'm sure they never envisioned the lasting impact of that sketch). It only took a few decades, but thankfully that reference is being lost to the younger generations.
Please don't stop "babbling", Aileen. Your excitement when you hear a song that really grabs you is made all the more real by how much and how fast you speak. Even the occasional stumble as you search for the word on the tip of your tongue only demonstrates your love for music. Even when you do run on about the song, you never just ramble incoherently. Every excited word has a point. It's one of the reasons you're one of my favourite reactors. Your excited joy makes it more fun and brings me back to how I felt when I first heard these songs. ♥
Came here to say this. Too many women become convinced that their thoughts have little value, usually by men who say that you are too much. But know that those men are themselves not enough. You have intelligent thoughts and this is your channel. Speak your truth
The complexity and depth of the lyrics and the brilliant musical arrangement makes this a totally unexpected masterpiece. This song is immortal in its own way. All the credit to Buck Dharma and Blue Oyster Cult.
“Another forty thousand coming every day” is such a profound lyric that makes me realize how small we are in the context of the universe, and how each of us will follow the same path as the other 39,999 on that day.
@@scottNNJ Yep. Take a grain of sand off a beach, who notices? If our solar system disappeared, the galaxy wouldn't know it. Neither would 100's of billions of other galaxies. Kinda makes ya feel small, doesn't it.
@@nunyabidness3202 Nope, I don’t interpret it that way at all. I see it as death being imminent (due to age, illness, whatever) and an acceptance that death means peace, end to suffering, and a reunion with loved ones who died before. It’s not pain and trauma and a lost battle.
You blew me away with your interpretation! I'm not used to hearing deep thoughts on a reaction video. I agree - the song is truly a masterpiece, and your take on it adds that much more 🤩
The band member Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser wrote this piece, explained that this song is actually a love song to his then girlfriend, now wife, after being diagnosed with cancer, which he had beaten. Also, this and "Burnin' For You" are the quintessential Blue Öyster Cult songs.
WRONG!!! Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser has made it very clear - LOOK IT UP - He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat which made him start thinking about his own mortality. This song is what came of it. Your rumor is yet a new one and is completely false. Guaranteed! And of course you left out their song "Godzilla".
Let's not forget "Cities on Flame", "Veteran of the Psychic Wars", "Fire of Unknown Origin" and "Godzilla". Those are all mandatory tracks to be heard by everyone. Everything these guys did was amazing, but those tracks are special. BOC pioneered "Progressive Rock", even before Plink Floyd and Rush entered the scene. They helped bands like KISS get their start. Even Frank Zappa kind of shifted his style in response to their music. They've been rocking since '67... and just released their final studio album this April, and have tour dates in 2025, marking their 58th anniversary. More longevity than the Rolling Stones, more than the Beach Boys, more than AC/DC... Nearly as long as Scorpions (who are hitting 60 next year). And you have to admit, we all want to see her grooving out to "Cities on Flame", that's a great song for her...
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser never explained anything about this song except the true story fans all know - He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat which made him do a lot of thinking about his own mortality which led to him writing this song . He's been clear about that & that explanation in his own words is very easy to find from reliable sources because he was upset when he found out some people thought it was about suicide. - Facts from Stony Brook, the place BOC met, formed & played as often as they had time between other gigs at out then local venue, The Mad Hatter. ♥️🎧🎵🎸🎹🥁🎶
@Cadinho93 Wrong! He wrote this in response to the news that due to health issues, his life may be shortened and he was concerned about dying young and leaving his wife/family behind. Essentially telling her that it's okay. Death is a natural part of life and we shouldn't live in fear of it. Live the best life you can and when your time comes, accept and embrace it. It had nothing to do with cancer. He was diagnosed with a form of heart disease that, due to possibly causing arrhythmia, might shorten his life. That's it. It's that simple and far less dramatic you portray. I have actually met and talked with all of them... at the time this song was topping the charts (retired radio DJ) and learned a lot more than I thought I knew. For instance Veteran Of The Psychic Wars is about the struggles with mental health, addiction and the societal stigma they held back then. Times were different and nobody ever really spoke publicly about mental health. "If you're seeing a psychiatrist, you must be crazy and a danger to those around you" was the prevailing sentiment and it was really tough for anyone fighting those inner demons
I was a kid when The Frighteners with Michael J. Fox came out, and that's how I learned about this song (although I think they used a cover). I was obsessed. Those riffs played in my head constantly for months.
FunFact: Steven King took this song as inspiration for his novel "The Stand". The fun thing is, I know this song from the Movie "The Stand" where this song is used as the intro music. I love it.
Another fun fact: Stephen King recorded an intro to the" Imaginos" album version of "Astronomy", that was released to radio stations only. His intro is played over the instrumental opening of the song and attempts to summarize the story behind the concept album "Imaginos". A video version of it can be found on TH-cam.
Your pauses for such insightful comments are always awesome, don't apologize. Amazing how a song from way back then can mean just as much to someone like you witnessing it for the first time now. Your interpretation is spot on, I always love your reactions!
A masterpiece, indeed. Very happy for you to have discovered this amazing song. Thank you for another lovely reaction, Aileen. You always lift my spirits, so glad you're here for us.
Aileen, the story of this song is that Blue Oyster Cult guitarist Buck Dharma was just diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia and had faced hia own mortality after that diagnosis and thought up this song about accepting your fate. Your explanation shows that you have a pretry good understanding of the actual meaning of this song. There are a few BOC songs you should definitely react to: Godzilla Im Burning for You Cities on Flame BTW I love the guitar solo in this song!
Godzilla, Then Came the Last Days of May , Cities On Flame with Rock And Roll, Career of Evil, Dominance and Submission, Astronomy, Burning for You - you'll love 'em all
Thank god someone else knows their early records. All great choices on your list - I especially love "Dominance and Submission" and "Astronomy", but I would also add "Hot Rails to Hell" and "The Red & the Black". There's no question that Buck Dharma was one of the greatest guitarists of the 70's. The instrumental "Buck's Boogie" on their first live album just slays and I think the second solo in "Dominance and Submission" is his best. He just shreds in that one. What's funny about BOC is that they're often considered a heavy metal band, but there isn't a fuzzbox or any distortion really. The production on their records is so clean, but the songs are just killer.
Blue Oyster Cult is one of my all time favorite bands! I first saw them in 2001 when I was 9 and I've seen them a total of 13 times. They always put on a great show!
Needs more cow bell. Ok with that out of the way, the line about Romeo and Juliet to me was referring to how in life they could not be together, but in death they were together and nothing could separate them again.
One of my favorite bands. Seen them many times. As other's have said "Burnin for you" is a must, also, "Godzilla", "Shooting Shark", "I love the Night", "Tainted Blood", "Joan Crawford", "Veteran of the Pshychic Wars" SOOOOOO many more. About the lyrics . . . Buck Dharma (Lead gutar, vocal) says that he wrote the song when at a young age he was diagnosed with a heart condition and he was really afraid of dying. He was telling someone about this fear and the person said something like "Don't waste your life fearing the reaper, man." I don't remember the exact quote, but that was basically the idea.
Violet Orlandi, a singer from Brazil does an amazing, more metal version that touches the Gothic soul of this amazing song. You may find it even better. Or not, this is wonderful.
@@Enochulator Say something funny. I will laugh. Repeat the stupidest, most tired and most over used (by stoners with zero sense of humour) line ever performed, and I will call BS.
BOC is one of the original classic bands that started it all.. great in concert... They have a ton of great songs... I suggest.. Fire of Unknown Origin... Lips in the Hills ... Black Blade.... Godzilla... Damaged... See You in Black... The Alchemist... Cities on Flame... Dominance and Submission... I could keep going but you get the idea .. Buck is an awesome guitarist... He can shred like a beast and not even sweat or look at the guitar... He will just stare at you in the crowd like a bad ass
A great reaction, Aileen, this is a very philosophical song as well as being a great Rock track, it's become a classic for very good reasons. I feel it's about enjoying life not worrying about what the future might hold or about death itself.
Don, who wrote this song, is one of the nicest guys I ever had the pleasure to have some conversation about music with in an internet forum. He still is an incredible musician and very interested in everything music production and he is a very down to earth person. Legend.
There's a whole bunch of mega hair bands in the 80s that owe Blue Oyster Cult a thank you for showing how to make fantastic music with the electric guitar. One of the most underrated bands in history!
I'm so glad you did the album version as the music video and radio edit cuts like 35 seconds of that monstrous and epic guitar solo !! Love this song and am also glad you did this song too !! 😁👍🤘
I'm a 56-year-old male and I grew up listening to Blue Oyster Cult and for me they are just one of the greatest bands that I had the privilege to listened to as I was growing up starting with, Some Enchanted Evening, and Mirrors. I was 10. I also agree that they were underrated thru the years, they were and are a great band. All I can say is thank you for your lives thru music and sharing it, I will always listen to you and love your music.
Had to watch my dad face the reaper this year when he was given a death sentence thanks to pancreatic cancer. He handled it bravely in those last few months. I have his copy of this album on vinyl...
Everyone is going to recommend Godzilla and Burning For You. Those two plus this one were the biggest hits. Doesn't necessarily equate over to best song. In my younger days I was a Radio DJ and everyone knew I was coming on the air when they heard me play BOC's Veteran Of The Psychic Wars. I think you will really enjoy it, both on the surface AND the message within the lyrics
Don't you ever think you're rambling.you're sharing your excitement and it's an absolute joy.to see.been watching you for 3yrs and listening to you talk about what you to take away from the songs is still something I truly love.
What the song is saying is Live your life the best you can, you can't stop death, you can't argue with it, when it happens it happens. Your spirit goes on
My understanding is that Buck Dharma wrote this song when he was having a health scare. It's been misinterpreted as being about suicide. It really shows off the way he can marry poppy grooves and catchy melodies to thought-provoking lyrics. The guitar solo is a classic (and the transition out of it is a masterpiece of editing), and one every student guitarist should learn. BOC was my first favorite band.
FWIW Buck Dharma doesn't get NEARLY the love he should for his guitar work and songwriting. This song is a post-metal song from before there was even really a "metal" to be progressed from to a post state at that point.
Actually, Buck wrote the song thinking that he would want to be reunited with his wife when he eventually would die. Essentially an eternal love song... he did not intend for this song to glorify s***cide in any way.
The guitarist/singer wrote these lyrics after having a major health scare of irregular heartbeat. As a young man, he penned this song for the lady in his life, saying even if he were to die young, death is just part of life, and he'd be on the other side to greet her, far in the future when it was her time. What a love letter to your honey! Eternal love! And yes, he estimated that 40,000 people died every day. And that even when tragedy is involved (Romeo & Juliet), soul mates will wind up back together.
~~ BÖC released 'Reaper' in spring of 1976 on the record 'Agents of Fortune' - before this track - they were getting almost no FM radio play - which was considered important for bands in the pre-MTV era - and still they had become concert favorites for many rock fans - that all changed with Reaper - the song was all over the radio - and suddenly they were headliners in large arenas where they had been a support act just a year before - and contrary to what some may think - this track was considered a stone-cold classic even long before it was immortalized by SNL & Will Ferrell in 2000 in the now famous "cowbell" skit.
BOC are known as 'The Intelligent Fan's Hard Rock Band'. They are top tier. Their songs are often about the darker side of fantasy, mythology, & science fiction. An underrated group - You won't find many top hits. This band deserves a very deep cut exploration of their music. Go for studio & follow up with live performances if possible. Here are a few song recommendations to get you started: 'I Love the Night' (one of my favorites) 'Godzilla' 'Burnin' for You' 'Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll' 'Hot Rails to Hell' 'ME 262' "Flaming Telepaths" "Astronomy" (original version please) "Mirrors" "Unknown Tongue" "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" "Sinful Love"
wow, you had mirrors and sinful love. a true fan no doubt. I would add The revenge of Vira Gemini. From Agents of Fortune. Such a great song. And then Last Days of May But again, there are so many great songs I cannot fault you whatsoever.
There is another distinct connection, this song appears at the beginning of the book "the stand" by Stephen King, and I think also in the mini series, check it out!
Try "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" or "Black Blade". Both were co-written with author Michael Moorcock, who also wrote the "Elric" sagas. ("Black Blade" is a direct reference to those books.) As a heads-up, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" digs into PTSD.
Moorcock also had a close relationship with the psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind, and they wrote a whole album called Chronicles Of The Black Sword based on the Elric stories.
I always thought "Black Blade's" parallels to Tolkien's Túrin were interesting; cursory searching reveals Elric was published substantially earlier, but Tolkien's legendarium goes back a number of decades. Just curious how many similar beats fantasy strikes, or maybe there's something mythological from which they're both drawing. Anyway, just brain-vomiting.
Yea Aileen……that’s how we all felt in (1976) when we brought this album home and dropped the needle. Remember laying on the bed with headphones on and hearing this track for the 1st time ! Eased my fear of death ☠️ mind you, I was 11 years old at the time. I’ve heard this song at least 1,000 times since, including 13 times live,and I get that same feeling every time like it was my 1st ❤️
Great reaction. This band was my first live concert in San Francisco @ the Cow Palace for the SPECTRES tour in around 1978…one of the bands that opened up for them…EARTHQUAKE….A LONG TIME AGO.
k. here's the problem with that, you're not wrong, its about Buck coming to terms with his mortality; but this is the Paradox of Poetry. the song, from any layperson's listening, is about suicide. "then came the last night of sadness and it was clear she couldnt go on..." that has very few other ways to read it. This is the same as Metallica's Fade to Black just being James butthurt that someone stole his favorite amp. when you stick to prose that can be widely interpreted you tend to be able to hide your true intent in the field of interpretations, but when you play it too straight, well, how else would someone take it. not ragging on you, I'm just saying, Ive heard it 1000 times and even knowing its true intent, it still comes off as two lovers in a suicide pact.
@guyinreallife6035 Yes, the first time I heard it, I thought it sounded as if it were glamourizing suicide. However, I heard (recording) Buck Dharma talk about this. He was actually taken aback that people thought that the song was about suicide. After he explained what he was saying in the song I got it.
Interesting. When I first heard this song, and even now, I hear a guy telling his, what? Girlfriend? That they should commit suicide to be together forever, so not to fear death.
Well, the lyrics mention Romeo and Juliet, and how did their lives end? I feel that it is disingenuous of the lyricist to say that the song means something else entirely
Love your rambling ❤❤❤❤. Near where I used to live is a small town named Zillah. In this town is a Church of God Zillah. Yes, they have a statue on a trailer. The album Some Enchanted Evening was their first live album. All bangers and you really feel the live performance power
There's always something very melancholy when chanting of la la la, in the background as a choir is underscoring the music. With this track in particular, the complete switch midway, to something very dark is startling. Then the switch back at the end is reassuring. If I remember rightly, they used the track in the 1990s version of Stephen King's "The Stand". It seemed very apt.
Yes. Thank you Aileen: acceptance of the awareness of death is the great motivator in life. We will all die, the question is how do we live? Do we live in fear of the only inevitable in life, or do we live to raise the appreciation of the wonderful things we get to do and learn and share in the time we have? I could have this conversation with you all day, Aileen. Go ahead, feel free to explore and express. Nothing delights me more.
That these guys are NOT in the RR HoF is a major injustice. One of the most underrated bands ever, when I saw them on the Black and Blue tour with the Dio Black Sabbath, they were a perfect pairing and BOC deserves some real recognition for being such a great band. 19 times for me 1973 - 2003. Always Awesome! 🔥🎵🎸🎤🎸🎹🎶🔥
A lot of us love your rambling, it's real. BOC's song Godzilla is a great one as well. The guitar is really hard and the words can give you a laugh, but the lyrics are actually deep. Completely different sound.
Most people will not believe this but there is no death, we are eternal beings who have taken a journey in physical form to experience what we ordinarily cannot. Solid channel Aileen!!
Your whole channel is insanely easy on the eyes. That background blur is perfect. Your voice is easy on the ears, the lighting is relaxing, and all combined makes for a pleasant place.
I've 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 as the opening track. 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'.
Hi Senpai! Glad you are checking this one out and enjoying. Many will recommend “Burnin’ for You” (rockin’) “Godzilla” (Cheesy fun rocker) or “Veteran of the Psychic Wars” (Heavy) All good choices. However, I recommend “I Love the Night” because it sounds so much unlike the others. Keep exploring and enjoying, Senpai; we’ll keep watching.
They used this in the opening credits for the 1994 miniseries of Stephen King's "The Stand". The music plays over scenery with no people, dead bodies empty amusement parks etc. set after the Captain Trips plague.
I had the great fortune to be hired to film a birthday party that they were hired to play as one of the business partners was a huger reaper head. He got to get up on stage and play the cowbell (which was then signed by all the band and gifted to him). What we found out was that due to copyright we were not allowed to actually film the concert part of the evening. I basically got paid to watch this awesome band play a decent concert space. Then I got to hang out with the band in their RVs and hear them talk about grandkids and touring and just enjoying the life they were having. If you haven’t seen the opening scene of of “The Stand”. (Original Gary Sinise) version you should watch it and then black out the next several hours to watch the whole thing. This song perfectly sets the stage and its lyrics are in the book. Stephen King knows his music.
To each their own, but as someone who’s never done drugs of any kind, or alcohol, I think it’s extremely enjoyable without. People say similar things about Pink Floyd, or complex prog-rock… “you gotta be high to under this”! I say “no” to that!
When you said I never heard of them, my first reaction was "What? Did you grow up in a vault?" This is the ONE BOC song you will ever hear on an oldies radio station. BOC was one of the most prolific bands of the late 60's to today. You want a great BOC song? Astronomy...
I was living in Denver when B.O.C. came to town to open for Electric Light Orcestra. E.L.O..is one of my favorite bands and Jeff Lynn is a producer who is second to none but i must say that Blue Oyster Cult blew them away. WOW.what a show. I was delighted to see them one more time in San Francisco at Slims..a much..much smaller venue south of Market St. They may not have had all the equpment that they did in Denver..playing for thousands of us but they still blew me away. Blue Oyster Cult is undoubtably one of the greatest rock bands to ever hit the stage and/or the studio. And i feel blessed to have seen them live twice..with a couple of decades in between.
Great review! Nice seeing someone energized over a song that was a bit overplayed on rock radio and turned into a SNL meme. BOC was my first concert back in 1979 in Ohio. Iirc it was 10/14/79, the day after my 14th birthday. A classmate's dad went to college with the guys in BOC and they came over to their house before a concert later when I was in high school. The 1974 album *Blue Öyster Cult Secret Treaties* was a very rocking good time! I like just playing the whole album sometimes. Great lyrics. I like the song from this album called: *Dominance and Submission Song by Blue Öyster Cult* Oh Yeah! I spent ten years, half my life Just getting ready, then it was time Warpage in my figures, radios appear Midnight was the barrier, back in 1963 Each night the covers were unfolded Each night it's Susie's turn to ride While Charles, the one they call her brother Covers on his eyes Murmurs in the background It will be time Oh Yeah! Susan and her brother, Charles the grinning boy Put me in the back seat, and they took me for a ride Yeah, the radio was on, can't you dig the locomotion Kingdoms of the radio, 45 RPM Too much revolution, then Each night the covers were unfolded Each night it's Susie's turn to ride While Charles, the one they call her brother Covers on his eyes Murmurs in the background It will be time It's past midnight said Charles the grinning boy And looking at me greedily, said it's 1964 (Oh yeah) In Times Square now people do the polka Dominance! Submission. Radios appear This New Year's Eve was the final barrier Dominance! Submission. Radios appear We took you up and we put you in the back seat Dominance! Submission. Radios appear From year to year we looked out for the venture Dominance! Submission. Radios appear Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission Dominance! Submission! Dominance! Submission!
@@gamleskalle1sorry, chief… Can you give us a newer ‘Blue Oyster Cult’ joke?? Doesn’t even need to be about this; their classic song… I’m CERTAIN you can…or are you ‘too tired’ to make an example of us all??
That last verse after the solo gave me the CHILLS! And I've heard this song SOO many times. This is just the first reaction I've watched of this song and it made me pay extra attention to all the lyrics and intricate musical details I may have missed before. This is simply amazing song writing. It also reminds me slightly of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. All thanks to Aileen.
Hi Aileen 😊 Absolutely stupendous reaction and analysis to Blue Oyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper. The year is 1976 the year of my high school graduation and this song hits the radio. By this time I'm not listening to top 40 radio anymore, I'm listening to FM radio where this song is playing. This song is too long for top 40 radio. I know you have a tendency to want to have a live video as a first impression of a band and yet unless you can find a suitable live performance the preference to listening to our music as first presented in the album / studio form is greatly appreciated. Having said this and greatly enjoying your interpretation of the lyrics from your point of view, where you have a wonderful grasp of the intention of the writer on your first listen, I give you the writer's intention... "It’s not about suicide, it’s about accepting death rather than bringing it about yourself, 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 it 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 about the lyrics Also because you also immerse yourself completely in the musicality of a piece... "(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” was written on a six string. That was the first tune that I had created once I got a Teac four-track recorder. When affordable multi-track recorders became available in musicians’ hands, you used to have to go into a studio to do that. It really changed a lot of music just in the way that digital has changed music today. It was the first time that individuals could arrange entire songs. When Blue Öyster Cult got four-track recorders it really changed the way we wrote. That was the first example of that. The guitar lick was created and the first two lines of lyrics sprung a hole. The song took about six weeks to complete. It was a very creative period for the entire band because there was this new modality of creation. I think the tunes that came out of that era are a lot more individually stamped in the way you can tell a Dharma tune from an Albert Bouchard tune or a Joe Bouchard tune or an Eric Bloom tune. I like stories with twists. I like stories where not all is what it appears to be at first glance, whether that be a book or television show or movie - that’s what hooks me, that’s what interests me. -Buck Dharma about the recording process As you always say...art is interpretive... And I truly believe that is the by word in accepting the reality of a piece. I always go back to my analogy of going to an art museum and the tour guide takes us around and we go from piece to piece and the artist has a title next to the piece on the wall and we look at that title... maybe we have a little background in our tour booklet explaining the artists intention of time in their life that they have created this piece and then the tour guide steps away and we look at the piece. Even though we have all the background information of the creator of the piece, the piece speaks to us individually and we take from that piece what it means to us in our particular situation in our lives. Aileen, that is what you do so brilliantly with each presentation of our music and again we greatly appreciate this. Thank you for wanting to listen to our music and to learn the foundation to which music has evolved through influences into the Future. I echo the sediments in the comments that your talking/going on tangents/rambling/babbling/yapping is the best part of your reactions and why we love your channel. You are expressing yourself and it is pure gold. All the recommendations are fantastic and I look forward to your reactions to them. Have a great day you and Arya with much love 😊👍💪❤️
Godzilla! And yeah, Don't Fear the Reaper is certainly a masterpiece. So much to be said about it and my thoughts on it have shifted some or taken on more significance in all these years since it came out when I was in junior high and I raced out to buy the album, and then I saw them in concert a couple times. I never get tired of hearing this song for some reason. Godzilla is another hit of theirs that I bet you would love. It's so creative and it's musically so fun and it's really an adventure and it's comedic and yet it has an actual real message behind it.
this song is in so many movies, there's a Saturday Night Live sketch all about this song, it's very surprising you've lived this far without ever hearing this song before, not to mention how often this song gets radio play on classic rock radio
Blue Oyster Cult is an underrated, yet amazingly talented band. I recommend their songs “Burnin’ for You” and “Godzilla”
Summer of love!!
I'll add Astronomy to that list.
Veteran of the Psychic Wars
They've also stuck around for an incredibly long time, although with some line-up changes. The band was formed in 1967 and they literally have a new album that came out in 2024.
I Love The Night.
Donald Roeser, the songwriter, singer and lead guitarist of this number was diagnosed with a heart condition that in the mid 70’s often lead to open heart surgery that did not have great success. He wrote this during that time, thinking of his wife, their love and all that they had planned to do etc. At its core, DFtR is a love song. He felt that their love would find a way and could not be ended even by tragic early death. The lyrics evolved into their present form even after demoed for the band. Don wrote the melody and chorus fills and la-là-la-la-la’s and recorded at home on Teac multitrack reel to reel. He later played pieces and fleshed out the demo for the band.
Don’s condition turned out to be able to be treated without the surgery that inspired the song, and he is still married to Sandy his wife and performing brilliant shows with BÖC to this day.
Another couple of their songs that Don sings the lead that you might enjoy are “I Love the Night” and “Burning for You”. Also you might enjoy the the amazing harmonies of the band’s cover of the Motown smash “Be My Baby” - The Ronettes, which give you a glimpse of how good they were long before being in the same band when they would hone their craft playing dances and parties. They were brilliant in arranging layered instruments and vocal harmonies as each member sang backup and on occasion lead vocals. You can search YT for “Be My Baby” Blue Öyster Cult and you can check it out. If you head down this rabbit hole I am certain you will find almost every album and period through their long history is different from what came before, and they still are among the very best live rock groups from their era playing today-no miming or auto-tune - just honest rock music.
"I got a fever and the only prescription is more Cowbell". Godzilla and Burnin For You are their other best you should check out next.
The version of Godzilla from E.T.L. so you get the intro.
The SNL cowbell skit that will live forever in GIF land
Honestly I kind of hate SNL for reducing this beautiful song to a punchline (though I'm sure they never envisioned the lasting impact of that sketch). It only took a few decades, but thankfully that reference is being lost to the younger generations.
and Astronomy
@@Johnny_SockoYou speak truth and wisdom. Incidentally, you can barely hear the cowbell on this song...
Guitarist pours his heart and soul into the solo
Aileen: "Oh those drums!"
its like she was listening to a Rush song lol
Please don't stop "babbling", Aileen. Your excitement when you hear a song that really grabs you is made all the more real by how much and how fast you speak. Even the occasional stumble as you search for the word on the tip of your tongue only demonstrates your love for music. Even when you do run on about the song, you never just ramble incoherently. Every excited word has a point. It's one of the reasons you're one of my favourite reactors. Your excited joy makes it more fun and brings me back to how I felt when I first heard these songs. ♥
I second that, I love hearing your interpretations of songs
Never bad especially when the babbling is mixed in with excitement for explaining a song and what you get from it..continue..🙏
In Tarot the death card is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact it could be quite the opposite.
Same. I only tune in to 3 reaction channels and about to cut one. The "babbling" is part of the genuine appeal. Don't change a thing.
Came here to say this. Too many women become convinced that their thoughts have little value, usually by men who say that you are too much. But know that those men are themselves not enough. You have intelligent thoughts and this is your channel. Speak your truth
The complexity and depth of the lyrics and the brilliant musical arrangement makes this a totally unexpected masterpiece. This song is immortal in its own way. All the credit to Buck Dharma and Blue Oyster Cult.
"Burnin for you" is another great Blue Oyster Cult song you should check out!
Now you need to watch the SNL skit with Christopher Walken called "More Cowbell" based on this song
@TomBrown-q8r NOW they are. They were hilarious 20-40 years ago.
I need more cowbell 😅
Its actually a wood block
@@rigitdigit Albert Bouchard (the drummer) says it was a cowbell, with tape wrapped around it, played with a tympani mallet. (rather than a drumstick)
Best me to it! 😂. That was epic!
“Another forty thousand coming every day” is such a profound lyric that makes me realize how small we are in the context of the universe, and how each of us will follow the same path as the other 39,999 on that day.
@@scottNNJ Yep. Take a grain of sand off a beach, who notices? If our solar system disappeared, the galaxy wouldn't know it. Neither would 100's of billions of other galaxies. Kinda makes ya feel small, doesn't it.
How about the line "redefine happiness" as he's trying to get his woman to kill herself. Creepy AF
@@nunyabidness3202 Nope, I don’t interpret it that way at all. I see it as death being imminent (due to age, illness, whatever) and an acceptance that death means peace, end to suffering, and a reunion with loved ones who died before. It’s not pain and trauma and a lost battle.
You blew me away with your interpretation! I'm not used to hearing deep thoughts on a reaction video. I agree - the song is truly a masterpiece, and your take on it adds that much more 🤩
The band member Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser wrote this piece, explained that this song is actually a love song to his then girlfriend, now wife, after being diagnosed with cancer, which he had beaten.
Also, this and "Burnin' For You" are the quintessential Blue Öyster Cult songs.
WRONG!!!
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser has made it very clear - LOOK IT UP -
He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat which made him start thinking about his own mortality. This song is what came of it. Your rumor is yet a new one and is completely false. Guaranteed!
And of course you left out their song "Godzilla".
Let's not forget "Cities on Flame", "Veteran of the Psychic Wars", "Fire of Unknown Origin" and "Godzilla". Those are all mandatory tracks to be heard by everyone. Everything these guys did was amazing, but those tracks are special.
BOC pioneered "Progressive Rock", even before Plink Floyd and Rush entered the scene. They helped bands like KISS get their start. Even Frank Zappa kind of shifted his style in response to their music. They've been rocking since '67... and just released their final studio album this April, and have tour dates in 2025, marking their 58th anniversary. More longevity than the Rolling Stones, more than the Beach Boys, more than AC/DC... Nearly as long as Scorpions (who are hitting 60 next year).
And you have to admit, we all want to see her grooving out to "Cities on Flame", that's a great song for her...
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser never explained anything about this song except the true story fans all know -
He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat which made him do a lot of thinking about his own mortality which led to him writing this song . He's been clear about that & that explanation in his own words is very easy to find from reliable sources because he was upset when he found out some people thought it was about suicide.
- Facts from Stony Brook, the place BOC met, formed & played as often as they had time between other gigs at out then local venue, The Mad Hatter. ♥️🎧🎵🎸🎹🥁🎶
@@Chiari_Queen_T Beg to differ. "Don't fear the Reaper" and "Burnin' For You" are their two best songs.
@Cadinho93 Wrong! He wrote this in response to the news that due to health issues, his life may be shortened and he was concerned about dying young and leaving his wife/family behind. Essentially telling her that it's okay. Death is a natural part of life and we shouldn't live in fear of it. Live the best life you can and when your time comes, accept and embrace it. It had nothing to do with cancer. He was diagnosed with a form of heart disease that, due to possibly causing arrhythmia, might shorten his life. That's it. It's that simple and far less dramatic you portray. I have actually met and talked with all of them... at the time this song was topping the charts (retired radio DJ) and learned a lot more than I thought I knew. For instance Veteran Of The Psychic Wars is about the struggles with mental health, addiction and the societal stigma they held back then. Times were different and nobody ever really spoke publicly about mental health. "If you're seeing a psychiatrist, you must be crazy and a danger to those around you" was the prevailing sentiment and it was really tough for anyone fighting those inner demons
I was a kid when The Frighteners with Michael J. Fox came out, and that's how I learned about this song (although I think they used a cover). I was obsessed. Those riffs played in my head constantly for months.
FunFact: Steven King took this song as inspiration for his novel "The Stand". The fun thing is, I know this song from the Movie "The Stand" where this song is used as the intro music. I love it.
Every time I hear the song I remember the original miniseries. Now I have to put the DVDs in and watch it again.
@@LibrarianMichael Such an eerie opening scene
Another fun fact: Stephen King recorded an intro to the" Imaginos" album version of "Astronomy", that was released to radio stations only. His intro is played over the instrumental opening of the song and attempts to summarize the story behind the concept album "Imaginos". A video version of it can be found on TH-cam.
Clive Barker also used the lyrics in a book of his.
I watch the Stand once a year
Your pauses for such insightful comments are always awesome, don't apologize. Amazing how a song from way back then can mean just as much to someone like you witnessing it for the first time now. Your interpretation is spot on, I always love your reactions!
The whole Agents of Fortune album is an atmospheric masterpiece. Morning Final, Debbie Denise, Vera Gemini etc…. So so good.
Summer of Love and ETI are my personal favs from the album
@@thedrumfreak97Love E.T.I. Morning Final too.
Vera Gemini! Such a GREAT song!
A masterpiece, indeed. Very happy for you to have discovered this amazing song. Thank you for another lovely reaction, Aileen. You always lift my spirits, so glad you're here for us.
That transition into the last verse is top shelf stuff. One of the best.
Blue Oyster Cult Veteran of a 1000 Psychic Wars.
It's just called "Veteran of the Psychic Wars," but it's a great song for sure.
Yes, yes and more yes! Great song.
The live version from Extra Terrestrial is the best version
Aileen, the story of this song is that Blue Oyster Cult guitarist Buck Dharma was just diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia and had faced hia own mortality after that diagnosis and thought up this song about accepting your fate. Your explanation shows that you have a pretry good understanding of the actual meaning of this song.
There are a few BOC songs you should definitely react to:
Godzilla
Im Burning for You
Cities on Flame
BTW I love the guitar solo in this song!
well said.
That true whoa
I love how you just get it with your reactions. Musically lyrically. It’s why I respect you so much as a reactor
Love how the feedback trail on the last note of the guitar solo stretches all the way through the last verse
"I Love the Night", A beautifully haunting song with so many layers. They lyrics are great. Soundscape.
"Tattoo Vampire", "Godzilla"...ect
Godzilla,
Then Came the Last Days of May ,
Cities On Flame with Rock And Roll,
Career of Evil,
Dominance and Submission,
Astronomy,
Burning for You - you'll love 'em all
all great choices! as long as it's not the radio edit of career of evil. haha
Thank god someone else knows their early records. All great choices on your list - I especially love "Dominance and Submission" and "Astronomy", but I would also add "Hot Rails to Hell" and "The Red & the Black". There's no question that Buck Dharma was one of the greatest guitarists of the 70's. The instrumental "Buck's Boogie" on their first live album just slays and I think the second solo in "Dominance and Submission" is his best. He just shreds in that one. What's funny about BOC is that they're often considered a heavy metal band, but there isn't a fuzzbox or any distortion really. The production on their records is so clean, but the songs are just killer.
Over the years I've worn out more than one copy of "Secret Treaties" and "On Your Feet or on Your Knees".
E.T.I.
@@stevee5668 - Totally understandable.
Blue Oyster Cult is one of my all time favorite bands! I first saw them in 2001 when I was 9 and I've seen them a total of 13 times. They always put on a great show!
The last time I saw them was in 2004 when I was 40 and I've seen them probably 25 times. ❤
Needs more cow bell.
Ok with that out of the way, the line about Romeo and Juliet to me was referring to how in life they could not be together, but in death they were together and nothing could separate them again.
I like your tangents, that is why we come here- to hear your thoughts on our favorite songs! Love your channel - thank you for all the great content.
One of my favorite bands. Seen them many times. As other's have said "Burnin for you" is a must, also, "Godzilla", "Shooting Shark", "I love the Night", "Tainted Blood", "Joan Crawford", "Veteran of the Pshychic Wars" SOOOOOO many more.
About the lyrics . . . Buck Dharma (Lead gutar, vocal) says that he wrote the song when at a young age he was diagnosed with a heart condition and he was really afraid of dying. He was telling someone about this fear and the person said something like "Don't waste your life fearing the reaper, man." I don't remember the exact quote, but that was basically the idea.
Sometimes a band writes a perfect song. I cannot imagine this being better.
i've got a fever, and the only cure...
@@Enochulator dumbest thing ever said, and should never, ever be repeated.
Violet Orlandi, a singer from Brazil does an amazing, more metal version that touches the Gothic soul of this amazing song. You may find it even better. Or not, this is wonderful.
@@vampfashions nice to know you have no sense of humor
@@Enochulator Say something funny. I will laugh. Repeat the stupidest, most tired and most over used (by stoners with zero sense of humour) line ever performed, and I will call BS.
“ Don’t fear the Reaper “ , Blue Oyster Cult. Great Song !!
Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple 72 SHOULD BE NEXT BEAUTIFUL LADY
BOC is one of the original classic bands that started it all.. great in concert... They have a ton of great songs...
I suggest..
Fire of Unknown Origin...
Lips in the Hills ...
Black Blade....
Godzilla...
Damaged...
See You in Black...
The Alchemist...
Cities on Flame...
Dominance and Submission...
I could keep going but you get the idea .. Buck is an awesome guitarist... He can shred like a beast and not even sweat or look at the guitar... He will just stare at you in the crowd like a bad ass
Damn, you went deep on the honor living and dying and being a part of the whole cycle. Love that! Never stop rambling, Aileen!🤗
A great reaction, Aileen, this is a very philosophical song as well as being a great Rock track, it's become a classic for very good reasons. I feel it's about enjoying life not worrying about what the future might hold or about death itself.
Everyone watching this is singing along.
Don, who wrote this song, is one of the nicest guys I ever had the pleasure to have some conversation about music with in an internet forum. He still is an incredible musician and very interested in everything music production and he is a very down to earth person.
Legend.
There's a whole bunch of mega hair bands in the 80s that owe Blue Oyster Cult a thank you for showing how to make fantastic music with the electric guitar. One of the most underrated bands in history!
Nice reaction. Blue Oyster Cult have many many great songs, they are one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time IMO.
One of the most surprising and best guitar solo there is
Definitely! It’s perfect for the song. No shredding, just fits the song perfectly. Melodic and darkly beautiful. It’s a classic Rock song, of course.
I'm so glad you did the album version as the music video and radio edit cuts like 35 seconds of that monstrous and epic guitar solo !! Love this song and am also glad you did this song too !! 😁👍🤘
Veteran of the psychic war live in 1981 Hollywood Florida for THE Buck's guitar solo!!
This!
I went and checked it out because I never know how live vs. studio turns out. Holy freakin moley, Batman! That guitar solo is epic af.
I was going to mention this one as well! It's my fave version of my fave Blue Oyster Cult song.
I'm a 56-year-old male and I grew up listening to Blue Oyster Cult and for me they are just one of the greatest bands that I had the privilege to listened to as I was growing up starting with, Some Enchanted Evening, and Mirrors. I was 10. I also agree that they were underrated thru the years, they were and are a great band. All I can say is thank you for your lives thru music and sharing it, I will always listen to you and love your music.
Had to watch my dad face the reaper this year when he was given a death sentence thanks to pancreatic cancer. He handled it bravely in those last few months. I have his copy of this album on vinyl...
"You sank my battleship"! Classic.
Took my mother in 2015 as well. Hope you are ok
@@bayareathrasher666 Going to Bay Area Thrash shows helped big time bro 🤘
I've always loved this "out of left field" guitar solo. It's quite beautiful with a classical feel to it.
Everyone is going to recommend Godzilla and Burning For You. Those two plus this one were the biggest hits. Doesn't necessarily equate over to best song. In my younger days I was a Radio DJ and everyone knew I was coming on the air when they heard me play BOC's Veteran Of The Psychic Wars. I think you will really enjoy it, both on the surface AND the message within the lyrics
THANK YOU 🤘🍻astronomy is another I love
I love VotPW because it's in the movie "Heavy Metal". I have the soundtrack CD. It's filled with so many great songs from so many different bands.
The greatest and most evil-sounding guitar solo ever.
Don't you ever think you're rambling.you're sharing your excitement and it's an absolute joy.to see.been watching you for 3yrs and listening to you talk about what you to take away from the songs is still something I truly love.
She is rambling and sometimes tries to interpret before she has even finished listening to a verse. She is close here but off.
What the song is saying is Live your life the best you can, you can't stop death, you can't argue with it, when it happens it happens.
Your spirit goes on
First time hearing this band with you! This was awesome! Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day Aileen 😀
Lucky you for hearing this for the first time ! Fantastic song .
Fantastic reaction. It was a great tangent. Love the channel.
My understanding is that Buck Dharma wrote this song when he was having a health scare. It's been misinterpreted as being about suicide. It really shows off the way he can marry poppy grooves and catchy melodies to thought-provoking lyrics. The guitar solo is a classic (and the transition out of it is a masterpiece of editing), and one every student guitarist should learn.
BOC was my first favorite band.
YOU are correct!
Indeed, this song is essentially a lullaby to someone from a loved one to calm them down for the visit from the Grim Reaper.
I mean there ain't shit any of us can do, we are all on the way out after all
FWIW Buck Dharma doesn't get NEARLY the love he should for his guitar work and songwriting. This song is a post-metal song from before there was even really a "metal" to be progressed from to a post state at that point.
Actually, Buck wrote the song thinking that he would want to be reunited with his wife when he eventually would die. Essentially an eternal love song... he did not intend for this song to glorify s***cide in any way.
The guitarist/singer wrote these lyrics after having a major health scare of irregular heartbeat. As a young man, he penned this song for the lady in his life, saying even if he were to die young, death is just part of life, and he'd be on the other side to greet her, far in the future when it was her time. What a love letter to your honey! Eternal love! And yes, he estimated that 40,000 people died every day. And that even when tragedy is involved (Romeo & Juliet), soul mates will wind up back together.
Bill: Ted? Ted: What? Bill: Don't "Fear the Reaper"! [both of them air guitar] Grim Reaper: I heard that.
Bill & Ted's bogus adventure
You might be a King or a little street sweeper...
but sooner or later, you dance with the Reaper!
Rock on, Dude!
Reaper stole the show 😂
@@DomLab-g2n William Sadler is underrated as an actor.
~~ BÖC released 'Reaper' in spring of 1976 on the record 'Agents of Fortune' - before this track - they were getting almost no FM radio play - which was considered important for bands in the pre-MTV era - and still they had become concert favorites for many rock fans - that all changed with Reaper - the song was all over the radio - and suddenly they were headliners in large arenas where they had been a support act just a year before - and contrary to what some may think - this track was considered a stone-cold classic even long before it was immortalized by SNL & Will Ferrell in 2000 in the now famous "cowbell" skit.
BOC are known as 'The Intelligent Fan's Hard Rock Band'. They are top tier. Their songs are often about the darker side of fantasy, mythology, & science fiction. An underrated group - You won't find many top hits. This band deserves a very deep cut exploration of their music. Go for studio & follow up with live performances if possible. Here are a few song recommendations to get you started:
'I Love the Night' (one of my favorites)
'Godzilla'
'Burnin' for You'
'Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll'
'Hot Rails to Hell'
'ME 262'
"Flaming Telepaths"
"Astronomy" (original version please)
"Mirrors"
"Unknown Tongue"
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars"
"Sinful Love"
I think I'd give that title to both BOC and Rush.
wow, you had mirrors and sinful love.
a true fan no doubt.
I would add The revenge of Vira Gemini. From Agents of Fortune. Such a great song. And then Last Days of May
But again, there are so many great songs I cannot fault you whatsoever.
I've heard it said that, if Black Sabbath and Rush had a kid, the kid would be Blue Oyster Cult.
Love you sister. This song just goose bumps. Thank you for the birthday wish.
This song was so huge when I was in high school so glad you finally reacting to BOC
I was in my final year of high school in the UK 🇬🇧, I remember this being absolutely massive
There is another distinct connection, this song appears at the beginning of the book "the stand" by Stephen King, and I think also in the mini series, check it out!
Try "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" or "Black Blade". Both were co-written with author Michael Moorcock, who also wrote the "Elric" sagas. ("Black Blade" is a direct reference to those books.) As a heads-up, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" digs into PTSD.
Moorcock also had a close relationship with the psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind, and they wrote a whole album called Chronicles Of The Black Sword based on the Elric stories.
I always thought "Black Blade's" parallels to Tolkien's Túrin were interesting; cursory searching reveals Elric was published substantially earlier, but Tolkien's legendarium goes back a number of decades. Just curious how many similar beats fantasy strikes, or maybe there's something mythological from which they're both drawing. Anyway, just brain-vomiting.
Great stuff. You appreciate the depth. Thanks for the understanding.
Yea Aileen……that’s how we all felt in (1976) when we brought this album home and dropped the needle. Remember laying on the bed with headphones on and hearing this track for the 1st time ! Eased my fear of death ☠️ mind you, I was 11 years old at the time. I’ve heard this song at least 1,000 times since, including 13 times live,and I get that same feeling every time like it was my 1st ❤️
One of my all-time favorite bands. They're especially perfect for the autumn season. I Love the Night is another track that you must hear.
Their song "Then Came the Last Days of May" is great
Great reaction. This band was my first live concert in San Francisco @ the Cow Palace for the SPECTRES tour in around 1978…one of the bands that opened up for them…EARTHQUAKE….A LONG TIME AGO.
BOC had multiple vocalists. Thats why godzilla and this one, for example, sound totally different
God-Zilla! God-Zilla! God-Zilla! That song makes me so happy.
Thank you. This is NOT about suicide. It's about the fact death is inevitable. That love survives forever.
k. here's the problem with that, you're not wrong, its about Buck coming to terms with his mortality; but this is the Paradox of Poetry. the song, from any layperson's listening, is about suicide. "then came the last night of sadness and it was clear she couldnt go on..." that has very few other ways to read it. This is the same as Metallica's Fade to Black just being James butthurt that someone stole his favorite amp. when you stick to prose that can be widely interpreted you tend to be able to hide your true intent in the field of interpretations, but when you play it too straight, well, how else would someone take it.
not ragging on you, I'm just saying, Ive heard it 1000 times and even knowing its true intent, it still comes off as two lovers in a suicide pact.
@guyinreallife6035 Yes, the first time I heard it, I thought it sounded as if it were glamourizing suicide. However, I heard (recording) Buck Dharma talk about this. He was actually taken aback that people thought that the song was about suicide. After he explained what he was saying in the song I got it.
Interesting. When I first heard this song, and even now, I hear a guy telling his, what? Girlfriend? That they should commit suicide to be together forever, so not to fear death.
@@erice.214 which strikes me as weird that he wouldnt see it that way.
brilliant song regardless
Well, the lyrics mention Romeo and Juliet, and how did their lives end? I feel that it is disingenuous of the lyricist to say that the song means something else entirely
Great reaction pretty lady. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll is a banger thank you for your honesty and perspective love what you are doing ❤
Love your rambling ❤❤❤❤. Near where I used to live is a small town named Zillah. In this town is a Church of God Zillah. Yes, they have a statue on a trailer. The album Some Enchanted Evening was their first live album. All bangers and you really feel the live performance power
Astronomy and Flaming Telepaths you should definitely listen to!
You’ll probably hate me for saying this, but I really love the cover of Astronomy that Metallica did. Both versions are great!
flaming telepaths is a banger!
But not in that order. Must be listened to back to back.
@ Of course!
There's always something very melancholy when chanting of la la la, in the background as a choir is underscoring the music. With this track in particular, the complete switch midway, to something very dark is startling. Then the switch back at the end is reassuring. If I remember rightly, they used the track in the 1990s version of Stephen King's "The Stand". It seemed very apt.
More cowbell!!!
I got a fever. And the only cure is more cowbell.
LOL SNL 👍✌️💜
Much more cowbell needed.
Yes... THE Bruce Dickinson...
Was looking for this comment.
Yes. Thank you Aileen: acceptance of the awareness of death is the great motivator in life. We will all die, the question is how do we live? Do we live in fear of the only inevitable in life, or do we live to raise the appreciation of the wonderful things we get to do and learn and share in the time we have? I could have this conversation with you all day, Aileen. Go ahead, feel free to explore and express. Nothing delights me more.
Hey Aileen, you ramble on! No apologies, I love it! Talking about music is the next best thing to listening to music 🖤
Almost better the sex , 😂 ,
Ramble On is Led Zeppelin...wrong band 😋
@allenporter6586 I wasn't referencing the Led Zeppelin song - just a little musical play on words. She said she was sorry she was rambling. 🙄
That these guys are NOT in the RR HoF is a major injustice. One of the most underrated bands ever, when I saw them on the Black and Blue tour with the Dio Black Sabbath, they were a perfect pairing and BOC deserves some real recognition for being such a great band. 19 times for me 1973 - 2003. Always Awesome!
🔥🎵🎸🎤🎸🎹🎶🔥
A lot of us love your rambling, it's real. BOC's song Godzilla is a great one as well. The guitar is really hard and the words can give you a laugh, but the lyrics are actually deep. Completely different sound.
This is truly one of the great classic rock songs.
Most people will not believe this but there is no death, we are eternal beings who have taken a journey in physical form to experience what we ordinarily cannot. Solid channel Aileen!!
SNL did a skit with Christopher Walken with this song. I got a fever and the only cure is more cowbell
I'm telling ya, fellas, you're gonna want that cowbell!
Can we ever listen to this song without the played out skit?
@@wombatcube NO
@wombatcube no one said that you had to read the comments
@@wombatcube
Cowbell Sketch: I... Am... Inevitable...
Your whole channel is insanely easy on the eyes. That background blur is perfect. Your voice is easy on the ears, the lighting is relaxing, and all combined makes for a pleasant place.
People are wrong to say that there isn't thought-provoking music like this today too, but this is certainly a great example from the past.
I've 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 as the opening track.
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'.
That guitar is so underrated.
Buck Dharma tops my list of the most underrated guitarists from that era.
Hi Senpai! Glad you are checking this one out and enjoying. Many will recommend “Burnin’ for You” (rockin’) “Godzilla” (Cheesy fun rocker) or
“Veteran of the Psychic Wars” (Heavy)
All good choices. However, I recommend “I Love the Night” because it sounds so much unlike the others.
Keep exploring and enjoying, Senpai; we’ll keep watching.
Hmm, I Love the Night is the name of a song by Chris De Burgh
@ DeBurgh’s is:
Released in 1984 and actually titled “The Ecstasy of Flight”.
@@ZyggyZero You are correct. Thanks.
@@GrantReedIII DeBurgh is ok as long as it’s not Lady in Red. I do enjoy “Don’t pay the Ferryman”.
@@ZyggyZero That was the first song I heard by him. I think The Getaway was a great album. Man on the Line was a little weaker, in my opinion.
"I Love the Night"
They used this in the opening credits for the 1994 miniseries of Stephen King's "The Stand". The music plays over scenery with no people, dead bodies empty amusement parks etc. set after the Captain Trips plague.
Burnin' For You is mandatory!
I had the great fortune to be hired to film a birthday party that they were hired to play as one of the business partners was a huger reaper head. He got to get up on stage and play the cowbell (which was then signed by all the band and gifted to him). What we found out was that due to copyright we were not allowed to actually film the concert part of the evening. I basically got paid to watch this awesome band play a decent concert space. Then I got to hang out with the band in their RVs and hear them talk about grandkids and touring and just enjoying the life they were having.
If you haven’t seen the opening scene of of “The Stand”. (Original Gary Sinise) version you should watch it and then black out the next several hours to watch the whole thing. This song perfectly sets the stage and its lyrics are in the book. Stephen King knows his music.
This song is best heard with a heavy dose of 420.
To each their own, but as someone who’s never done drugs of any kind, or alcohol, I think it’s extremely enjoyable without. People say similar things about Pink Floyd, or complex prog-rock… “you gotta be high to under this”! I say “no” to that!
@ like you say brother, to each their own. Tup’
When you said I never heard of them, my first reaction was "What? Did you grow up in a vault?"
This is the ONE BOC song you will ever hear on an oldies radio station. BOC was one of the most prolific bands of the late 60's to today.
You want a great BOC song? Astronomy...
I was living in Denver when B.O.C. came to town to open for Electric Light Orcestra. E.L.O..is one of my favorite bands and Jeff Lynn is a producer who is second to none but i must say that Blue Oyster Cult blew them away. WOW.what a show. I was delighted to see them one more time in San Francisco at Slims..a much..much smaller venue south of Market St. They may not have had all the equpment that they did in Denver..playing for thousands of us but they still blew me away. Blue Oyster Cult is undoubtably one of the greatest rock bands to ever hit the stage and/or the studio. And i feel blessed to have seen them live twice..with a couple of decades in between.
Aileen never be sorry for rambling. We love listening to you.
Great review! Nice seeing someone energized over a song that was a bit overplayed on rock radio and turned into a SNL meme.
BOC was my first concert back in 1979 in Ohio. Iirc it was 10/14/79, the day after my 14th birthday. A classmate's dad went to college with the guys in BOC and they came over to their house before a concert later when I was in high school. The 1974 album *Blue Öyster Cult Secret Treaties* was a very rocking good time! I like just playing the whole album sometimes. Great lyrics. I like the song from this album called:
*Dominance and Submission
Song by Blue Öyster Cult*
Oh Yeah!
I spent ten years, half my life
Just getting ready, then it was time
Warpage in my figures, radios appear
Midnight was the barrier, back in 1963
Each night the covers were unfolded
Each night it's Susie's turn to ride
While Charles, the one they call her brother
Covers on his eyes
Murmurs in the background
It will be time
Oh Yeah!
Susan and her brother, Charles the grinning boy
Put me in the back seat, and they took me for a ride
Yeah, the radio was on, can't you dig the locomotion
Kingdoms of the radio, 45 RPM
Too much revolution, then
Each night the covers were unfolded
Each night it's Susie's turn to ride
While Charles, the one they call her brother
Covers on his eyes
Murmurs in the background
It will be time
It's past midnight said Charles the grinning boy
And looking at me greedily, said it's 1964 (Oh yeah)
In Times Square now people do the polka
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear
This New Year's Eve was the final barrier
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear
We took you up and we put you in the back seat
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear
From year to year we looked out for the venture
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Submission!
Dominance!
Submission!
‘Guess what??
I’ve got a fever…and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!!’
Tired joke
@@gamleskalle1 Not as tired as you. go away.
"I put my pants on just like the rest of you, one leg at a time. Except, once my pants are on, I make gold records!"
@@gamleskalle1sorry, chief…
Can you give us a newer ‘Blue Oyster Cult’ joke??
Doesn’t even need to be about this; their classic song…
I’m CERTAIN you can…or are you ‘too tired’ to make an example of us all??
@leeedwards9068 Go to Blue Oyester bar, the greatest salad bar in town..... also a gay bar. Ymca, its fun to etc....
That last verse after the solo gave me the CHILLS! And I've heard this song SOO many times. This is just the first reaction I've watched of this song and it made me pay extra attention to all the lyrics and intricate musical details I may have missed before. This is simply amazing song writing. It also reminds me slightly of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. All thanks to Aileen.
Astronomy is my favorite
Hi Aileen. You will probably love the tear-jerker from Blackberry Smoke, “One Horse Town”. Great southern rock band.
40,000 men and women every day. I believe that those were the death statistics in the early 70's .
This is one of the most instantly likeable songs ever written, it just hits the spot. Love from Scotland.
Hi Aileen 😊 Absolutely stupendous reaction and analysis to Blue Oyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper. The year is 1976 the year of my high school graduation and this song hits the radio. By this time I'm not listening to top 40 radio anymore, I'm listening to FM radio where this song is playing. This song is too long for top 40 radio. I know you have a tendency to want to have a live video as a first impression of a band and yet unless you can find a suitable live performance the preference to listening to our music as first presented in the album / studio form is greatly appreciated. Having said this and greatly enjoying your interpretation of the lyrics from your point of view, where you have a wonderful grasp of the intention of the writer on your first listen, I give you the writer's intention...
"It’s not about suicide, it’s about accepting death rather than bringing it about yourself, 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 it 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 about the lyrics
Also because you also immerse yourself completely in the musicality of a piece...
"(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” was written on a six string. That was the first tune that I had created once I got a Teac four-track recorder. When affordable multi-track recorders became available in musicians’ hands, you used to have to go into a studio to do that. It really changed a lot of music just in the way that digital has changed music today. It was the first time that individuals could arrange entire songs. When Blue Öyster Cult got four-track recorders it really changed the way we wrote. That was the first example of that. The guitar lick was created and the first two lines of lyrics sprung a hole. The song took about six weeks to complete. It was a very creative period for the entire band because there was this new modality of creation. I think the tunes that came out of that era are a lot more individually stamped in the way you can tell a Dharma tune from an Albert Bouchard tune or a Joe Bouchard tune or an Eric Bloom tune. I like stories with twists. I like stories where not all is what it appears to be at first glance, whether that be a book or television show or movie - that’s what hooks me, that’s what interests me.
-Buck Dharma about the recording process
As you always say...art is interpretive... And I truly believe that is the by word in accepting the reality of a piece. I always go back to my analogy of going to an art museum and the tour guide takes us around and we go from piece to piece and the artist has a title next to the piece on the wall and we look at that title... maybe we have a little background in our tour booklet explaining the artists intention of time in their life that they have created this piece and then the tour guide steps away and we look at the piece. Even though we have all the background information of the creator of the piece, the piece speaks to us individually and we take from that piece what it means to us in our particular situation in our lives. Aileen, that is what you do so brilliantly with each presentation of our music and again we greatly appreciate this. Thank you for wanting to listen to our music and to learn the foundation to which music has evolved through influences into the Future. I echo the sediments in the comments that your talking/going on tangents/rambling/babbling/yapping is the best part of your reactions and why we love your channel. You are expressing yourself and it is pure gold. All the recommendations are fantastic and I look forward to your reactions to them. Have a great day you and Arya with much love 😊👍💪❤️
Godzilla live. There is a few different live versions of it but a must hear! You won't be disappointed.
Godzilla! And yeah, Don't Fear the Reaper is certainly a masterpiece. So much to be said about it and my thoughts on it have shifted some or taken on more significance in all these years since it came out when I was in junior high and I raced out to buy the album, and then I saw them in concert a couple times. I never get tired of hearing this song for some reason.
Godzilla is another hit of theirs that I bet you would love. It's so creative and it's musically so fun and it's really an adventure and it's comedic and yet it has an actual real message behind it.
this song is in so many movies, there's a Saturday Night Live sketch all about this song, it's very surprising you've lived this far without ever hearing this song before, not to mention how often this song gets radio play on classic rock radio