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b.o..c.,s agents album! Sep 08, 2009
blue oyster cult,s agents of fortune album was released in 1976.this album is for the most part is quite good.like the album that followed it titled spectres released in 1977,agents is also full of gothic and sci fi lyrical content which i really like. the band recorded this after the live ;on your feet or on your knees album. when agents was released don,t fear the reaper became an instant hit! i think reaper was the first hit single for b.o.c. reaper is an all time classic. for me other greats on this album are;this ain,t the summer of love,e.t.i.[extra terrestrial intellence],the revenge of vera gemini,sinful love,tattoo vampire and tenderloin and the unreleased 1976 version of fire of unknown origin is interesting too ,also the demo version of reaper.as a major b.o.c. fan i would definately get this.
 Big Disappointment Aug 29, 2009
I sure am glad that I started out with BOC's first three great albums. If I had bought this first I probably would have given up on the band. I don't understand why a lot of bands start out hard edged and creative and then at some point try to polish and pop out their sound to attract a larger audience when it is the music that really suffers.
The Reaper and E.T.I are great songs (interestingly both written by D. Roeser), Vera Gemini and Summer of Love aren't too bad, Sinful Love and Tattoo Vampire are just okay, and the rest of the record is awful. Don't bother with this record, you can get Reaper and E.T.I. on a compilation.
 BOC's Biggest Hit But Not Their Greatest Album Jul 30, 2009
Who hasn't heard "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"? It's become such an enduring classic it inspired the infamous Will Ferral "Cow Bell" skit on Saturday Night Live. This is a much different album than those produced under the Black and White period. Making a comparison to Metallica; this is Blue Oyster Cult's "Black Album."
This marks the point where BOC moved away from the hard rock edge established on their previous work toward a more mainstream "pop" oriented sound. I don't believe the band intended to shift their sound, but that's just the way it played out in the studio.
The first half of the album contains some great tracks: This Ain't The Summer of Love, E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence), The Revenge Of Vera Gemini. Unfortunatly, most of the tracks aren't even in the same class as those on Tyranny & Mutation or Secret Treaties. This isn't a bad album by any means; it just isn't BOC's best, but the album does grow on you with repeated listens. Unfortunatly, the new fan may be put off on the first play through.
The remastered sound quality is spectacular. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" never sounded so good. You can really hear the cow bell in all it's epic granduer. Seriously, I have no complaints on the audio; Colombia/Legacy has done an outstanding job on cleaning up the original master tapes. The new liner notes by Lenny Kane, lyrics, previously unpublished photos, and bonus tracks are a welcome addition as well.
You can hear the non-cow bell demo of "Reaper" for yourself. I guess they were right about needing more cowbell!
Don't report this, three men said... Jun 30, 2009
Blue Oyster Cult in 1976 were much like their New York contemporaries KISS in that both bands seemed to have similar career arcs. As KISS released their most successful studio album 'Destroyer' the year after their live breakthrough then so did BOC with 'Agents of Fortune' in the spring of 1976 as a follow-up to their own live opus. 'Agents' will forever be remembered as the record that spawned "Don't Fear the Reaper", one of the greatest and most infamous (due to the allegations that it promoted suicide) rock songs ever, even parodied (lovingly) on SNL (emphasis on the cowbell). However, the album is the band's most accomplished and contains several other notable tracks and many BOC fan favorites as well including lead track "This Ain't the Summer of Love", "ETI" and "Tattoo Vampire". All of these songs are great examples of Blue Oyster Cult's heavy side and all feature Eric Bloom on lead vocals. The LP also includes several songs which amplify the band's diversity not only in its sound but also in the contributions of all of its members. Al Bouchard contributes many songs and sings "Sinful Love", one of the key tracks on the album, "Vera Gemini (with frequent band collaborator Patti Smith) and "Debbie Denise". Joe Bouchard does "Morning Final" which seems to speak of the eerie underside of New York Life and even Allan Lanier gets a lead vocal on "True Confessions"; an early sounding rock and roll number. Of course without Buck Dharma's "Reaper", 'Agents of Fortune' would've been just a very good BOC album, not the hard rock classic of the Seventies. Vampire photo...sucking the skin!
 Classic BOC Apr 04, 2009
Agents Of Fortune is considered to be the breakthrough album from Blue Oyster Cult. I agree. Their first three albums are awesome. Not doubt about that. But Agents Of Fortune was their first commercial album, and that's what always seems to do the trick. The song (Don't Fear) The Reaper was a big hit, and still gets lots of radio airplay to this day. It also has appeared in several movies, such as Halloween and Miracle. But this is not the only standout track on this album. The song E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) was also a hit, and really rocks. Other standout tracks are This Ain't The Summer Of Love, The Revenge Of Vera Gemini, Sinful Love, Morning Final, Tenderloin, and Debbie Denise. True Confessions isn't bad, either. That's the whole album I just named. What I like about this album and most BOC albums is the wide variety of songs. Hard songs, softer songs, and everything in between. I also like the fact that over the years BOC has alternated between singers. Just about everybody in the band sings songs as the lead singer. I've been reading some mixed reviews on this album, and how some people don't care for such songs as Morning Final and Debbie Denise. You just have to listen to these songs a few times, and maybe you'll start liking them. I recommend this album highly. It's a classic, not just the album that has Reaper on it. Get it. You won't be disappointed.
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