Blue Oyster Cult translated their fan favorite live act into platinum with the 1975 live album On Your Feet Or On Your Knees. It not only gave the guys confidence going into recording Agents of Fortune but it gave each of them the funds to buy synthesizers that would allow all of them to write songs individually and bring more polished songs into the studio. The result was an eclectic mix of styles - hard rock riffs (This Ain't The Summer of Love), 50s piano laments (True Confessions), lilting confessionals (Debbie Denise) and an eternal hard rock anthem in (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

Reaper would sell more than 6 million copies as a single and help propel Agents of Fortune to platinum. But it also gave them the financial leverage to upgrade their stage show as now they were headliners. Thanks to Reaper, their patented laser (which Buck admitted they should have leased and not bought) would make it's debut and receive warnings from the government about injuring fans eyes at concerts. It was a total gamechanger which allows them to continue to tour the world to this day.

It was a song that made you wonder "If they can write that one, there must be more like it on the album, right?" But Reaper was the only song Buck Dharma (aka Donald Roeser) sang lead on and his only co-write. It's the only album in the catalog to feature all 5 original members a shot at lead vocals and all of them have writing credits. The different styles vary from hard rock to campy to spooky to corny and tackle varied subjects from death and eternal love to extra terrestrials and vampires. There's a lot to explore here thanks to the different styles and vocals which we appreciate so much more now than when we did as teens disappointed there wasn't another (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

Agents of Fortune is still Blue Oyster Cult's top selling album to date, thanks largely to Reaper. But there's some wacky and cool stuff on this record that's worth diving into as the album celebrates its 50th.

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