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Its interesting to see what other people's rankings are. For me personally, I'd put my top 15 (subject to change) as: 15. Ghost Stories 14. Mirrors 13. Heaven Forbid 12. Curse of the Hidden Mirror 11. Cultasaurus Erectus 10. Revolution by Night 9. Debut 8. Tyranny and Mutation 7. Agents of Fortune 6. Club Ninja 5. Secret Treaties 4. Symbol Remains 3. Fire of Unknown Origin 2. Imaginos 1. Specters Obviously, I do tend to value the 80s stuff a bit more than the 70s, not sure but I think that era just fits my interests more.

Great discussion guys! I have to admit, my interest in Ghost has waned in recent years as well. I totally respect Ghost's vision and musicianship, but similar to what Travis was saying, I find the vibe has become a little too "cutesy" for my taste. I really enjoyed the memory lane you guys walked down of going to those early Ghost concerts, which were absolutely amazing! I have to admit, however, this episode inspired me to pull out Prequelle and Impera, both of which I kind of gave short shrift at their respective times of release. I was pleasantly surprised and found a deeper appreciation for both records. I think I'm going to run against the grain, however, in that I definitely lean toward Impera as the better record. Yes...yes...yes...Twenties sucks. It's without question the worst Ghost song ever. However, I love how the record opens and goes int Kaisarion. Travis is right, this track has all the sassiness of an Andrew Lloyd Webber showtune...but I still like it. I think it's a more consistent and interesting record than Prequelle. Again, thanks for the discussion!

For me there's one album that stands head and shoulders above the rest....Cultosaurus Erectus. That first side is my favourite side of any album period. Following I'd put 2 Agents of Fortune 3 Spectres 4 Debut 5 Any of the rest except Ghost Stories, Tyranny and Mutation or Mirrors

Thank you Underlords, you've certainly whetted my taste for Eena specifically and also Weird Tales in general.....and today I finished the first book in your series 'Origins of the Damned' and I have to say I really enjoyed it. That line that starts the last chapter 'The incident itself happened quickly.'....chilling stuff! Really well written. Great plotting. Very pulpy but like you mention, pulp masks deeper things. Also lots of musical nuggets all the way through....I had to check wikipedia on numerous occasions. For example I've never even considered 80's Uriah Heep before.....but I don't think I'll be rushing out to get any Petra albums! Really looking forward to the next instalment. I'm unemployed at the moment so I have to watch the spending but I'll buy it in the next week or two. Also, as sci fi fans I'm wondering if any of you can help me out with a bit of a mystery. In 2000 I read an obituary of John Sladek the American sci fi writer and in that obituary it described how in one of his novels or short stories there was the all time most ingenious 'locked room mystery'....or in this case 'locked toilet cubicle mystery'.....and I have always wanted to read it.....but of course I have completely forgotten what the story/novel was. Are you John Sladek fans? Can you help me with this? Also, great news that you have a singer and are making new music! I look forward to it.

Enjoy your shows. 1. Hot in shade 6 2.revenge 5.5 3.carnival of souls 5 4.crazy nights 3.75

Buck and his wife Sandy called me one night while they were writing “The Vigil.” They asked me to add some lyrics. Flattered, I set to work, adding words that referenced a biblical character who foresaw future aliens visiting earth. My effort perplexed both of them, so it was a no-go….

Mirrors was a set of lyrics that followed the music. Buck sent me a bunch of unrelated guitar riffs. The one riff that caught my fancy became “Pretty girls can’t look away.” I was looking at my wife’s copy of Vogue at the time and the rest of the song wrote itself.

You guys are great based on your preoccupation with lyrics. Songs usually begin with them, but a lot of fans usually emphasize the music. I’ve submitted four sets of lyrics to Buck that he’s set to music, as well as, done some important edits and additions. Buck and I have shared a sense of humor for 59 years and counting. He’s a great gentleman, a best man at my wedding, and a musical and lyrical genius.

Fellas, you know I love you guys for doing this, but you really need to go back and listen to Dragon Lady again. That song is just driving power and the progression at the end is just gripping. Can't argue with much else.

My favorites are Spectres and Heaven Forbid. 3 - Debut 4 - Fire of an unknown origin 5 - Mirrors. Those are actually my top 5. Favorite songs though: She's as beautiful as a foot Lonely teardrops Don't fear the reaper Transmaniacon MC Godzilla Searchin' for Celine In Thee Cities on flame... R U ready to rock Harvest moon Astronomy I love the night Vengeance Deadline Feel the Thunder Perfect water Hammer back The Vigil Take me away Les invisibles The last days of May Death Valley nights Tenderloin Sole Survivor Dancin' in the ruins Veteran of the psychic wars Workshop of the telescopes Stairway to the stars The golden age of leather Divine wind To name a few. These are my favorites. Interesting video y'all. Very enjoyable. Thank you fellow Blue Oyster Cultists ☕ cheers

Hello Brian/Underlords. Thanks for talking about these albums that I have mostly yet to hear and especially going into the the sound/production of each album. I'm making progress with Destroyer and Dynasty but from what you and Brent have discussed I'm looking forward to Hotter than Hell (yes! I always loved that cover), Dressed to Kill, Unmasked, Music from the Elder and Creatures of the Night in particular. Also, I'm thoroughly enjoying Origins of the Damned!

Oh boy! This is gonna be hard!!! 19--Test For Echo 18--Presto 17--Roll The Bones 16--Clockwork Angels 15--Snakes And Arrows 14--Counterparts 13--Hold Your Fire 12--Rush 11--Vapor Trails 10--Permanent Waves 9--Fly By Night 8--Signals 7--Grace Under Pressure 6--A Farewell To Kings 5--Hemispheres 4--Caress Of Steel 3--Moving Pictures 2--Power Windows 1--2112 0--More Or Less Thank you so much Underlords for your wonderful ranking and also taking the time to explain your system and also the tantalising mention from Brian about your former system that takes into consideration track timings.....which takes way too much time! I bet it does! Someone needs to invent an app for that. It was great to see Grace Under Pressure and Power Windows so high on your list. Quite a surprise to see 2112 outside the top 10 but like John said....it only has 6 songs and one or two poor rankings can tank an album. 2112 comes out top for me. I didn't apply your system but the 'big four', Kings to Pictures all have sketchy patches for me. Kings--big songs better than small songs. Hemispheres--title track loses its way. Permanent Waves--I admire it but for some reason can't love it. Moving Pictures--peak Rush but last 2 songs less so. 2112 is just so consistently good for me. It's full of magic and wonder and atmosphere and damned good songs! Side one AND two. Also nice to see Caress Of Steel's ongoing upward reappraisal! Also chaps I'm right there with you with Alex-love! I wasn't really aware that he was less respected than the others. He's always been one of my favourite guitarists. Just extremely tasteful. I love how he's playing 80's chords in the mid 70's. A very fresh approach. There's this weird narrative in that big documentary that Geddy fucks up Rush in the 80's with synths and the hero Alex swoops in with his guitars in the 90's and saves them. I don't but it but hey, documentary makers like a good story....as if they haven't already got one! No the Rush story is more interesting than that. It's the story of three friends creating something way bigger than their individual (considerable) talents and constantly pushing forward and if you take any element away it simply wont work. Josh rightly points out that the synths made Alex find a new way to write/play and what a job he does. And these rankings have also made me think that Rush are a band of great moments. Like the end of the Red Barchetta solo that Brian points out....or Josh pointed out to him. That upwards run! Wow! The majestic twin pealing guitars under By-Tor fighting the Snow Dog from 2.55-3.05...spine tingling! The much heavier twin guitars that pummel you into submission just before the triumphant return of the prince on the next album. That amazing synth eruption that just disintegrates near the beginning of Territories and just who is that exclaiming in an English accent 'it's true!' in Red Lenses?.....there are thousands of 'moments' all over Rush. We all have our own treasured Rush moments. They had the formula. They new how to do it. Yeah, this has been a real joy. I enjoyed going on the journey with you fellows. It's been emotional! Thank you all.

I love it! It's like a cartoon. My metal references aren't extensive but I'm reminded (from 4.15) of Steve Vai on Zappa's Them or Us if you know that album. It's in the tone but maybe also some note selection. Some nice Leslie tones in there too....

What a title! I had to check this out first. Great crunching riffs and what a pleasant surprise when it takes a vocoder-left-turn! Something a bit Dixie Dregs(?) or maybe Steve Miller Band(?) and a wee bit of Zappa about it. I can dig metal with a bit of humour about it. (I have lots of post-80's metal issues but that's another story....) Also I'm still trying to work out who's doing what.....I've long suspected in our long acquaintance (4 days maybe?) that Brent is the silent enigmatic genius behind the whole operation. The credits above confirm it. I now know that Bryan plays guitar and Josh the bass but Brent gets a writing credit. Basically Brent is Brian Wilson! (stays home and writes while you are on tour right?) And I bet he write's the books too! Great stuff. I'm gonna order the book cycle tomorrow (it's 5 o'clock in the morning and I need a responsible adult with me when I purchase anything online!!) Looking forward to it immensely. You guys are great fun! Oh yeah and that title. In 1991 I was living in Athens Greece with my Greek anarchist girlfriend. We used to go to gigs at the Rodon club and when we came out once she gleefully suggested that we get a shitty sandwich from the stall nearby. I remember her pointing to the poor guy running the place on his own, sweat pouring down his forehead 'look' she would say 'his fingernails are sooo dirty! And he picks his nose! and then he makes your sandweeeech' her eyes never more animated......twisted little thing! Zappa would have approved......and presumably you guys too!

Epic Rush Gush part two!! Thanks for the splendid ranking fellows. This is so refreshing. Other people love Power Windows as much as me! Like Caress it doesn't get the love it deserves. I remember getting the Big Money single when it came out in late '85 and after all the fireworks (very dazzling indeed!) died down I remember thinking 'hmm....I don't hear a good song in there. In fact it's a bit cheesy and obvious'....and then I played the B side Territories and wow! Just WOW! I was reassured totally. For me the album starts with its weakest 2 songs but all of you seem to love Grand Designs so much that I'm gonna go back and listen with fresh ears. This album is where the synth vision hits the sweet spot for me. They are much more integrated into the overall sound in terms of arrangement and production. I love Signals (mostly) but with that album the sections are very distinct. For example on Digital Man you get the groovy bouncing riff thing which is the intro/verse, then they're Police for the pre-chorus and when the chorus comes in it goes to half-time with a synth pulse. It's great but they are very distinct from one another. On Power Windows things are much more mosaic-like. There are seemingly thousands of tiny details that all work together and it's all so seamless (maybe comparable to some songs on Yes's 90125---I'm sure you guys would be familiar with that one). Territories is a good example of this. Manhattan Project does have a slightly incongruous turn-around but the song is so great I don't really care. The synths in the second verse are just some of the best in 80's music per se. A very good point you guys made is about the lyrics. Neil needs credit for Territories and also Middletown Dreams. Heartbreaking. You can see it all, the salesman in his office, the middle-aged Madonna the expanses of the 'heartland'. And now that I'm middle-aged...oh boy! And what attention to detail in the intro. That little cymbal splash that stops it all briefly. Credit to Peter Collins must be given for his input. The instrumental of Marathon-that snaking riff that comes out of the second verse, Alex doubles it for a few bars and then....boom! Those synths I swear are the sky scraping peak of 80's Rush in all their glory! Goosebump central!! Anyway, I love Power Windows and I would say that side two is one of their strongest sides ever. Emotion Detector is just so playful and cheeky...and very dense! Permanent Waves--It's the strangest thing, everything is in the right place. Everything is (kinda) perfection but.....I feel little affection for it. It's weird. Different Strings opens the door tantalisingly to an alternative electro/acoustic direction that they never really pursued. Natty Science is my least favourite epic. I know! The fault is mine. I admit it! Moving Pictures--I love it. The last 2 songs let it down a little. I'm with Josh here. The Camera Eye is my favourite Rush song (maybe a tie with Xanadu but probably first). But to compare it with Xanadu shows their development. Xanadu is floral and ornate and sectional. Superior 1970's progressive rock. The Camera Eye is over 10 minutes but all the garden has been pruned, so to speak!! Hey man, it's the 80's. It's all space and economy. A subtler progression. Such a tidy riff. So modern and fresh and what a sense of momentum. I love the 'empty verse' near the end where you hear Geddy say something or other, it reminds me of near the end of both Achilles Last Stand and Megalomania. There's a blown-out feeling. You've been on a very long journey and you are now in unknown territory...very special indeed. I have much love also for Subdivisions, Analogue Kid, Afterimage and Between the Wheels. For me Rush's first 11 albums, from Rush to Power Windows represent a great arc (a grand design, no less), 11 albums in 11 years and each one builds on what has gone before and each one is just magnificent. And then......it get complicated!

Did you not notice the completely changed vocal tracks and different lyrics in Get A Grip? That was the biggest change to me and one which I did not care for at all.

Oh man this is so much fun! Thanks for more great rankings. I've always been amazed at how the music press and the band themselves are so down on Caress of Steel. It's always been one of my favourites (since '83) and it's great to hear you are all into it. I think a criticism is that 'Fountain' isn't through-written 'just a bunch of stuff that doesn't fit' type of thing. Well, yes, it isn't through-written like other Rush epics, so what? It's full of great 'songs'. You could also argue the album has an incongruous structure---3 songs followed by a through-written 3-parter followed by a side long etc....but for me that's part of what makes it so thrilling and unique......and exotic! Rush are a very tidy band in terms of the music itself (playing, recording, structure etc) and also it's presentation. There's a finesse and neatness about the whole thing (excepting Vapour Trails, but that album is a howl of pain-fuck neatness right? and maybe Grace Under Pressure muddy production, cheap sounding synths?) but I love it's lopsidedness. It's a different sort of Rush album. I think it was John who mentions Alex getting his tone just right here and I totally agree. Just listen to the first few notes of his solo on No One at the Bridge. It's so thick you can hear it dripping! Perfection. A real moment for me is the way that Alex's solo comes in BEFORE the second chorus on Lakeside Park. It's just sooooo exciting. Goosebumps for me baby! Remarkably mature stuff. A band really thinking about things. Also the skanking chords and tone evoke something more like a new wave/post punk thing for me but then they were always ahead of their time. Rivendell--I thought it was a place in Canada! I only found out it was from Lord of the Rings when I saw that film years later. I'm sat in the cinema completely ignoring the film thinking 'hang on.....oh man.....oh yeah.... the dark lord?...oh I get it!!'. Hahaha....anyway I love it. It's part of the 'gentle trilogy' with Panacea and Tears. I love all 3 massively and the flute mellotron in the middle of Tears is one of my all time Rush moments. More goosebumps! Hemisphere's (the song) I have some issues with. I love its first 2 thirds. No problem with its repetitions. It's like a maze....whoa hang on! we're back here again? I can get lost in it. My problem is the atmospheric section (undistinguished to my ears) and also the acoustic coda. I think that end is a bit dashed-off. It's a bit cheesy. Compare with the exquisite yearning in the similar part that ends (and begins) The Fountain of Lamneth. Much better to my ears. The Trees and Strangiato-both 5's for me. I love how these albums hit us all in different ways. And of course not a bad one among them!

Hi Underlords and BoC fans! I really enjoyed your ranking and am looking forward to the others. I have some observations and a Kiss/BoC related question. Apart from someone lending me Cultosaurus back in '82/'83 which really confused me (I was 11 and it was all about AC/DC and Motorhead for me then) and obviously knowing Reaper, like everyone, BoC have largely passed me by. Maybe they aren't as popular in Britain. Anyway I only took the plunge with BoC this year (all the albums up to The Revolution By Night) and I've got to say I'm really stunned at what I'm hearing. I had no idea this band were so interesting and multi-faceted! I knew the Patti connection so maybe a little clue there but honestly....a genuinely engaged and challenging band whose appeal is, from today's vantage point, subtle and takes a while to tune into. It's like 5 or more bands in one, a kick-ass rock band, a pop group with a Spector-era fixation, proggy tendencies, Byrdsian tendencies, psychedelic tendencies, goofiness, an arty/poetic edge, lots of sly musical tributes (Iron Man, Matilda Mother, Good Vibrations etc) and like you all mentioned, a creepy hard-to-define menace/weirdness underpinning the black and white albums in particular.....and then they flourish again in the early 80's! Hidden gems galore all over these albums. They get compared to Sabbath in terms of their sound but I think they are totally different. Sabbath detune and distort (amongst many other things) whereas BoC are more muscular in their sound i.e. twin guitars, loud but not overly distorted, played really well in unison. I worship Sabbath who are WAY more interesting than their 'iconic image' suggests but I find BoC to be even more so. Yeah, I've been totally wrong footed by this band and I love them for it! Anyway, to my Kiss-related question: E.T.I., Godzilla and Lips in the Hills. When I hear these 3 songs in particular I think 'that's what I want Kiss to be like.....but they're not'. I've got Destroyer which is, in Britain I think, considered their best album but it doesn't do much for me. I prefer the Frehley solo album which is my other Kiss artefact. I'm gonna watch your ranking of them but, well if anyone reads this.....can you help me with my Kiss problem? Hahaha. I want to like them but I think BoC have royally fucked it up for me. Are they worth the effort? What's the next album I should try? Sorry for gushing like this but to discover BoC at the tender age of 53 is really rather thrilling!!!

Olá! Muito legal o seu vídeo. Sabe dizer quem canta em "all hells breakin" loose"? É o Eric Carr? obrigado

1. Cultosaurus Erectus 2. Fire of Unknown Origin 3. Spectres 4. Secret Treaties 5. Tyranny and Mutation 6. Heaven Forbid 7. The Symbol Remains 8. Imaginos 9. Blue Oyster Cult 10. Agents of Fortune 11. Mirrors 12. The Revolution by Night 13. Club Ninja 14. Curse of the Hidden Mirror 15. Ghost Stories

Gentleman. The ending of Astronomy on Imaginos is a mess! It;s like they didn't know how to end it in their haste(?) to differentiate from the version on Secret Treaties. But, In typical BOC fashion Imaginos is not bad. Actually, it is better than not bad. I'd rather listen to The Symbol Remains from top to Bottom, though, the biggest surprise to me besides Mirrors which I had not heard till 2018. I'm another BOC fan gonna give props to Richie Castellano especially since the only live version I have seen of Blue Oyster Cult is the Buck, Bloom, Richie version, twice (2014, 2017). I will say it again! I've mentioned to many who care to listen: The Last Days of May live ... is feakin' amazing! Postcript: after further listening to Brian, Josh, Brent, and Bryon -- and slipping in The Symbol Remains -- I have confirmed my initial reaction to Train True: very fun, cool entertaining beat highlighted be deserving praise for Buck's 'scat' vocals. But, when heavy metal aficionados hear a harmonica intro (gasp -- BOC is not supposed to use a sax or mouth harp) to simulate a train, well, of course the entire song is the lowpoint on the album. whatever. By the way Nightmare Epiphany, anyone? Great song. Gotta' agree Alchemist, and The Return of St Cecelia are classic BOC tunes to date. I'm curious if anyone is familiar with KennyWayne Shepherd's singer Noah Hunt? The Machine reminds me of Hunt with Richie C singing lead for BOC. I do not consider this a bad thing. Solid Rocknroll song. Underlords Universe another good vid. Postcript (again): I have seen the first 3 parts of ranking BOC albums and I realized I may have sounded angry for the True Train critique by (just?) 3 of you. No need for this "User" being pissy. That said, I am using this moniker on this sight -- totally inspired by the Blue Oyster Cult Fandom (if you will) -- and this BOC sight only: UserME262@777. Just because of these classic BOC album vids. Thanx Underlords Universe, BOC, and for anyone who read this far. I am in a tug of war with myself: should I purchase, Club Ninja, Heaven Forbid, or Curse of the Hidden Mirror. Then I hear about Bad Channels. geez. what to do? It's a nice problem. Question: I noticed a Live CD and/or DVD on Amazon called The Summer Solstice (2001) when Lanier was in the band (again, still). Anyone have any input or experience with the Solstice CD or DVD? Some live (rare?) versions from side 2 of Tyranny&Mutation I see are on Summer Solstice. Part 4 is next

I heard the song In Thee live in 2017 (the second and last time seeing BOC in concert) and proceeded to purchase the vinyl Mirrors, marking the first time I heard the album in its entirety; and the biggest surprise to me in the BOC discography. tidbit: backup singer Ellen Foley (on Mirrors) sang with Meatloaf on the record selling album Bat Out of Hell more than a year earlier. Cultosaurus Erectus was better 30 years after briefly owning in junior high school. So, in my late 40's my music collection began to grow exponentially with BOC at the forefront. Cultosaurus Erectus is my favorite album cover. Love the humor and the references to the previous band names the 'Underbelly' Institute, 'Oaxaca', Mexico and Stalk-Forrest all mentioned with the fossils and 'Bungo Pony' artifacts 'renderings' (Horn Swooped Bungo Pony mentioned in debut album, the song I'm on the Lamb ...). After further listening/consideration Unknown Tongue is my favorite song on Erectus. Favorite song was Black Blade. I haven't binged on Blue Oyster Cult like this since college, day after day, in a dorm, on the weekend. I just received my new remastered black poly carbonate CD Fire of Unknown Origin, today, and my present day ear gorging continues with twisted, pain free delight. The poly carbonate does sound better but I still don't get why some say this is the best BOC album. But, still, it is fascinating how people who take the time to pick their favorite find it a difficult choice ... it's not surprising how varied #1 is among fans. Again, my favorite is Spectres. But, I have a new appreciation for After Dark (Fire of Unknown Origin). I'm curious what Underlords Universe will say about Club Ninja. I still do not own it. Don't own Heaven Forbid, or Curse of the Hidden Mirror, either

I can't believe I heard "I don't like the Last Days of May." I'm speechless. Wait! No one mentioned Workshop of the Telescopes on the debut BOC album. It's, appropriately, considering the title almost as good as Astronomy (Secret Treaties). Anyways, I think the eponymous album is surprisingly good. Great to hear Before the Kiss, a Redcap praises. When I was 12 I did not like Redeemed so much, but I appreciate variety more now that I'm older. Redeemed has a friendly rocknroll sound coupled with an electric folk rock sound. When I was a young teen I used to gloss over The Morning Final and Tenderloin on Agents of Fortune album. Now It's just Debbie Denise ... and, depending on my mood, True ... True Confessions. But the other 6 songs on Agents are phenomenal. I briefly wondered if ETI was my favorite song not Don't Fear the Reaper. Love the way you guys analyze BOC with mellow vigor and constrained passion, complimenting the band's importance while proving without actually saying what many have said about Blue Oyster Cult: The thinking man's heavy metal band (sort of, I never agreed with the American Black Sabbath comparison/moniker, but, it helped BOC attain notoriety. That said I always felt Cities on Flame became BOC, somewhat, overrated song ... Like Smoke on the Water for Deep Purple ... my other favorite sort of a heavy metal band with early 70's notoriety ... but I digress). Spectres was the second BOC album I heard and it became my #1. Golden Age of Leather became my favorite song on Spectres. THE sleeper song on Spectres is Death Valley Nights atmospheric with great piano by Allan Lanier and it rocks by the end. Agents of Fortune is my #2 album. #3 The debut album which is a quantum leap from their previous Underbelly and Stalk-Forrest incarnations ... they would continue to show they had variety to rocknroll burn BOC had arrived by name and sound #4 Secret Treaties. Only Tyranny&Mutation loses points for shortening the title of I'm on the Lamb to Red and the Black; and the cool jams and the guitar speed is cool, but it makes me feel juvenile while listening, slipping it to #7 or #8 depending on how my mood is for Joan Crawford (Fire of Unknown Orange) and those darn sound car crashing, alarm clock effects...but that is for another day of ranking the Blue Oyster Cult albums with the Underlords Universe. Great food (music) for thought (discussion). I've been gorging on these BOC videos.😎 Watching part 2.

Just subscribed to your channel thanks

IM getting it for my birthday end of October . TM is my fave era!!

I agree with you gents, this is an undervalued period in the band’s history. Since I REALLY rambled in my previous missive on your last episode, I’ll keep this short, simple and sweet. For me, anyway. 4. Unmasked. It is perhaps less hard rock, more commercial and definitely - as you stated - more in the power-pop realm. I just don’t like the songs as much as the ones on their previous release. Highlights for me are “Shandi” and “Torpedo Girl.” 3. Dynasty. Not a disco album, only “l Was Made for Lovin’ You” really fits the bill. I’ve always loved that song. I find the songs on this record more to my liking than the ones on Unmasked. Besides the smash, I dig “Sure Know Something,” “Charisma” and oddly enough, “X-Ray Eyes.” 2. Creatures of the Night. Quite simply, a top tier KISS album that rocks and fires on all cylinders. One of our most played albums by the band at my old record store job, since we all loved it. No duff tracks here. 1. Music from “The Elder.” As a wacky progger, this just may be my favorite KISS album. I have a memory, as a teen, of sneaking into the kitchen late at night to watch the TV show Fridays. On this particular episode, KISS was the musical guest. On a tiny black and white TV, with an earpiece, was my first exposure to the band that l can recall. That’s one reason this record holds a special place in my heart, mind and memory. Plus, the rocking songs, the Prog nature of it all, etc. l know it’s maligned by many, but l love it. Looking forward to watching the next episode in the coming week. Cheers from The Big Apple. Rock Out, Prog On and Pogo! Your pal and mine, ~ The Delirious Davey Cretin, from CRETIN CLASSICS. PS: Gotta bounce and get ready for a fave B-Sides show we’re gonna film soon on another channel, not mine.

One The Bands Best Most Splendid LPs...

I thought l watched part two and didn’t comment, but l guess I didn’t. So, here we go lads… As a (former) singer and a guy who really doesn’t play any instrument well, I’ve never been a huge fan of production and producers. That is something l don’t have in common with a lot other RUclipsrs like you and your crew, Big Poppa Pardo, Professor Popoff, most of The Contrarians, etc. Since you gentlemen are instrumentalists, you hear things that l don’t and are more familiar with all the technical jargon than l am. That being said, l do notice certain things - AKA different, or “bad” productions - that strike me as unusual. Two perfect examples: Born Again by Sabbath and Imaginos by BÖC. The Sab’s slab o’ wax always sounded muddy to me and the Blue Öyster Cult album sounded harsh and trebly to me. I guess l do kind of “get stuff right,” but can’t articulate myself in technical terms like “real” musicians do. All of the previous paragraph was just a preamble to discuss my thoughts on Bob Ezrin. Probably, about twenty years ago, l realized that he produced a lot of albums that I loved. The Wall, his records with Alice Cooper, the three KISS albums he worked on, In the Spirit of Things by Kansas, etc. In fact, this will make an excellent future show for my channel. At any rate, the reason that I love Destroyer IS the aid that Ezrin gave to my fellow Noo Yawkas ova heyah! 😉 His bells, whistles, sound effects, production tricks and songwriting skills helped the band to learn and grow. You even said that Peter later begrudgingly gave Bob props for helping to push him. This is similar - to me anyway - to Phil Spector helping the Ramones on their Edge of the Century album, especially Joey Ramone with his vocals. Bobby baby gave KISS a studio sheen that they didn’t have before, which absolutely helped the band in the long run. That’s why they brought him back later to help with some other records. The next one he did with them, he was kind of “in a bad place,” and to many, it shows. I really dig that release, as a Prog rock fan. The last one they did together truly rocks. But more on all this in the future. The followup albums to Destroyer are quite good too, perhaps I’ll give the edge to Love Gun. I’ve spent so much time talking about Ezrin that I’m not going to go on forever. ♾️ It seems that my ranking of these three albums may differ from yours. Here’s my little list: 3. Rock and Roll Over 2. Love Gun 1. Destroyer Their first six albums are all really good. Production quibbles aside. The cracks start to show after this. Ego, money, lifestyle, different personalities, etc. The same old rock and roll cliches. Another cool show, y’all. Cheers from The Big Apple. Rock Out, Prog On and Pogo! Your clone and mine, ~ The Dynamic, Divine Doppelgänger of Davey Cretin, from CRETIN CLASSICS. PS: I hope l explained my thoughts on production well enough, speaking “as a non-musician.”

6 Hold Your Fire Probably my least favorite Rush album. I was in the Army and not consuming music like I had in the past, and when I heard this album I just started drifting away from the band. Some kind of cheesy songs, imo. "A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission". Kind of flowery cringe, sorry. Or Time Stands Still, I really like this song (and album) now, but at the time I just couldnt stop thinking 'what happened'? 5 Power Windows See GUP. Wait, Brent didnt like the Power Mullet Geddy was sporting? hehe 4 Grace Under Pressure These two albums are great, but for my analysis I would just refer you to my criticism of Signals. Where did Alex go? 3 Signals This is the album with the 2nd biggest shift in their style, imo (Rush to Fly By Night #1). After going from 'Who is Rush" to "they are the greatest ever" during Moving Pictures, when Signals came out I was very WTF? The DJ was like 'Heres the new Rush song" and played New World Man. At first I was very disappointed. Subdivisions as well. Just pretty good, no better, imo. I've had this argument ad nauseum before, but here is my take: This is where Alex starts to fade into the background. Love all 3, but I'm an Alex man. This band through Hemispheres is a 'lead guitar band'. I have an entire extended argument for this but look at Working Man, this is the song that broke them into the scene, and it's primarily just a 5 minute guitar solo with hard rock bookends. 2112 is about a guitar player, By Tor, Necromancer, La Villa, these are all guitar first songs. Like Zeppelin, they are all awesome, but Page was the guy amongst most fans. All of the first 6 albums are guitar focused, imo. I'm not saying that Geddy or Neil were less important in any way. Just my take on the early stuff. Here is an example of my point about Alex and Signals. Take Chemistry, a good song with lots of synth but Alex's hook is awesome, and the solo is awesome. The rest of the song you can barely hear him. He's playing a sort of reggae accenting of Neils playing. World class hook and solo....big stretches of studio musician level backing guitar tracks. I like signals much better now, it's still great music. Analog kid and digital man have some world class bass licks. Top 5 "Geddy on the Bass" songs for me. I like countdown, great buildup. I actually really like losing It, unlike Brent. The lyrics and the melody match so well. 2 Permanent Waves Great album, but I would probably have a lower overall rating than any of you 4. Spirit is always great, especially in concert. Freewill good. It's all good. However, not one song on this album would probably make my top 20 Rush songs. I like Natural Science, but less so than most. It reminds me of Cygnus X1. Just a bit 'lets play really hard' song. 1 Moving Pictures At this point in my fandom I rarely ever put this album on. I actually think Tom Sawyer is the low point on this album (Ducks to avoid thrown coffee mugs). The drumming is top notch, great musicianship all around, but it just seems like a formulaic radio friendly song. 3.5 for me. Vital signs and witch hunt also 3.5, which is a good song to me, just not amazing. Red Barchetta, YYZ, Camera Eye (Alex's arpeggios are just beautiful) all 5s. This is the album where I 'discovered' Rush. I was 15 and had advanced tickets (deposit) to see Zeppelin when Bonham died. Ticketmaster (aka the Devil) told me I could switch the deposits to another band, and Jim Ladd had just played Moving Pictures on the 7th day (KLOS) so we switched to Rush tickets. I went out and bought Chronicles (1st 3 albums), Moving Pictures and Permanent waves. MP got me into Rush and is an all time great album, but again, rarely put this album on anymore.

6. Rush- Great album, but just not the same without Peart's playing or lyrics. It's very straight forward RnR, but you can see their prog roots in Before and After. 5. Farewell to Kings, I know I'll get flak for this, and Xanadu is all time great. The rest of the album is merely really good. Title track is really good, but I dont love the tin-y tone of Alex's guitar. Cygnus is great, but I'm not as high on it as others. It's a lot of power chords and just overpowered to me. Geddy's vocals are really stepped on in post-production. I'm with John on this one. Without Xanadu this album is merely really good. 4. Fly By Night, By Tor and the Snow Dog is absolutely amazing, it really tells the listener 'this is what we are about, can you handle it?'. Anthem is amazing (the bass line is much harder than many people realize). I also think there are a couple of songs that drag the album down in my ratings. Rivendell is unnecessary. I love Tolkien, but it just isn't why I listen to Rush. I also think the title track is good but seems like a song that appealed to the label, aka 'radio friendly song'. This album is very peaks and valleys for me. BBandB was the first set of lyrics Neil gave to Geddy and Alex. Great lyrics, even though it's quite scathing of America. 3. 2112, such a great side 1, all time great. Side 2? not so much, imo. The final track Something for Nothing is great, the rest seems more like filler, sorry. Tears is in competition for lowest rated song in the catalog with Rivendell. Just not why I listen to this band. When listening to 2112, remember Neil was 23, Geddy and Alex 22. Amazing 2. Caress of Steel, I rate this album higher than anyone I've ever talked to. Love this album. I think The Necromancer is desert island stuff, and the entirety of Fountain of Lamneth is epic, and I personally think the story of this song is better than the story of 2112. No one at the bridge is extremely underrated, imo. 1. Hemispheres, to me easily their best album out of all 19. The story of the title track following (and including) Cygnus is their best story. La Villa Strangiato is by far their best track in their catalog (to me). It's the answer to 'if you could only listen to one song......' without hesitation. The two and a half minute Alex solo belongs in any submission of 'greatest solos in rock history'. Alex always said Jeff Beck was one of his major influences, and you can really hear it in this solo. This album is peak Rush, imo. I love it all, start to finish. This is the high water mark for me. This album rates a 6 on a 1 to 5 scale. Turn it up to 11

Love BOC! I've seen them (and Soft White Underbelly) at least a dozen times. So good. They are a difficult band to categorize, but my friends and I used to call them 'Monster Billy'. Their sound and style, particularly the early stuff, has so many elements of rock-a-billy only with a dark twist. My favorite BOC concert was actually a show where they were the opening act. Back in 1986 I was in the Army and stationed in Augusta, Georgia (a place big named bands dont really play). A concert came to town that we couldnt believe was real. It was BOC and Rush (they werent on tour together, it was just a one time meet up on the road). We bought tickets but it was all general admission so we showed up about 3 hours early expecting a long line. There was one guy in line with a set of drumsticks. We ended up with our chest to the stage, I was so close I could have untied Buck's shoes (and Geddy's). Dont worry, I didnt. The venue held about 8000 and it was only half full, such a travesty. After the show we saw two tour buses parked out back and the destination placards had been changed. One said 'why are we here' and the other said 'never again'. Both bands just killed it. The date was April 23rd, 1986. One of the best concerts among 100s i've seen. BOC always looks like they are having fun, like they invited you to watch them jam in their garage.

I bought The Yes Album, probably in March 1971. I'd seen their earlier album Time and a Word, but it didn't impress me, but FM had been playing I've Seen All Good People, and I really liked it. I played it all the way through, at least once, every day for the next month. I told everyone I knew, until most of them bought the album, too. I saw the band later in the year, on the tour to support the LP, July 3, 1971, at Hofheinz Pavilion (a nice venue). There was so much good stuff, that year! LedZep4, Humble Pie's Rock On, Elton's Madman Across the Water, Aqualung, Every Picture Tells a Story, Who's Next, Tapestry, the Kinks' finest, Muswell Hillbillies, Blue, Leon, Stoneground, LA Woman, Ram, Hunky Dory, the Allman Bros Live at Fillmore East, Sticky Fingers, and, another Yes album, Fragile! It was an amazing year, for artists, for concerts, for rock 'n' roll.

I absolutely love the new "Forbidden" mix and every song. I liked the old mix and every song before but I love it even more now. I was going through a very painful relationship and break up when "Forbidden" came out and the lyrics seemed to be about a painful relationship in the lyrics. But I am a true Black Sabbath geek myself. I love every line up and album. The funny thing is that being that I listen to so much underground doom, the sound didnt bother me back in 1995. There are things I loved about that old mix then but I love it more now. I also had a killer equalizer on my stereo then. But I will say it is much much better now. I agree with a lot of the "Forbidden" points you guys made. "Kiss Of Death" rules! I happen to love "Shaking Off The Chains". I also love "I Wont Cry For You". Holy shit. The emotions there. This girl I was with then in 1995 was destroying my life. You can see why these words made sense in my mind. "Loser Gets It All" rules. I go through phases between ll old stuff to then going through a phase with DIO, then my "Born Again" love, then all of the Tony Martin albums, I love. Even "Seventh Star". "Eternal Idol" and "Headless Cross" remain my favorite Martin era stuff. I had to comment that the lyrics of Anno Domini are in the vinyl book version. I will say with the Black Sabbath "Forbidden" album, it shows Tony Martin's dark emotional feeling side of writing and Iommi was utilizing a mix between emotional segments of quiet stuff and then launching into heavy ass riffs. Back to the remix subject, certain remixes like this I love but I dont like Ozzys solo stuff to be remixed. Its too classic. I loved KISS' "Destroyer" remix by Bob Ezrin. That was insanely good. But Ozzy his original mixes are classics. But some albums like this album truly benefit from it. Anyways. I also wanted to share the link to my Black Sabbath tribute band I sing for from Chicago, After Forever:Black Sabbath Tribute. We are purists to the old Ozzy sound..ruclips.net/video/jsD1eFBLi_k/видео.htmlsi=ulkrqSKhzuDTaFa2

Can't Get Close Enough best tune imo love that tune ....

Great job, lads! Wow, you cats are waaaay deeper into KISS than l am. You two REALLY know your stuff. Working on the periphery of the music biz - in record stores - for thirty plus years, I’m familiar with the whole KISS oeuvre. I’ve heard all their albums but - unlike you - can’t differentiate between studio, live and demo recordings. So, hats off to Roy Harper! Oops, I mean hats off to you. 😉 Of course, my top three is different from yours: 3. Dressed to Kill 2. Hotter than Hell 1. KISS I look forward to future installments in this series. Cheers from The Big Apple. 🍏 Rock Out, Prog On and Pogo! Your clone and ours, ~ The Demonic 👹 Doppelgänger of Davey Cretin, from CRETIN CLASSICS.

As a bona fide “Noo Yawka,” l think l have the cajones to comment here. 😉 Working in record stores for decades, some Sab slabs hit me whilst others didn’t. Let’s start off with Dehumanizer, l simply love it! Especially “Computer God,” “I,” “Letters from Earth” and “After All (The Dead).” Those would be my five star songs, to use your parlance. This was also my first time seeing Sabbath in concert, at The Beacon Theatre in NYC. I was a tad disappointed that the show was only an hour and forty-five minutes tops, but it was still an amazing show. Ronnie sounded excellent and the boys really brought the thunder that night. In regards to “The Illusion of Power,” a former coworker and l always dug that nutty tune! Perhaps the fact that it was so odd and poorly produced was the reason we loved it so much. That’s the only song that ever struck me on that album. Now that the box set of The Tony Martin Years is out, l REALLY have rediscover that period of the band again. As for Ice-T, it’s quite ironic that he found fame in the acting world by portraying a cop on TV. I also enjoyed the debut Bodycount album, but never took it too seriously. It’s like a big budget action movie with tons of explosions and all that razzle dazzle, with little substance underneath. Sure Ice was trying to make a point, but perhaps he didn’t go about it in the best possible manner. He REALLY upset a lot of people. But that’s what art is supposed to do, right? I remember liking the songs “There Goes the Neighborhood,” “KKK B!tch,” and one other one whose title escapes me. The Devil You Know was good, not great; same with 13. I recall some sporadic songs from some of the other Martin led albums, but I’m definitely not in the position to rank those records. What l really need to do is get my @$$ to a record store and pick up that “Anna Dominoes” box set. Yeah, l know that’s not the title, but l gotta finish my insane ravings & ramblings, take out the trash and get to bed. I don’t have time to look it up. It’s almost 3:30am EST, “ova heyah!” Cheers from The Big Apple. Rock Out, Prog On and Pogo! Your clone and mine, ~ The Divine and Despicable Doppelgänger of Davey Cretin, from CRETIN CLASSICS.

Cool show, my midwestern, metal, maven, madmen brethren! Since l kinda/sorta go in and out of the Sabs slab o’ wax catalog AFTER Born Again, I’ll rank what l know. 5. Never Say Die. A tad experimental with a few choice cuts. 4. Technical Ecstasy. Soooo different from the previous two platters, but not bad. 3. Born Again. Piss poor production aside, some mighty fine shrieking from IG and slashing solos from TI. 2. Mob Rules. It pains me to have this sit below H&H (Bagels 🥯) 😉 due to such stellar songs, but.. 1. Heaven and Hell. The grandaddy of the Dio Sabbath era. “Die Young,” “Neon Knights,” the title track, etc. This is truly where l came into Black Sabbath, as a wee lad, in the dawn of a new decade. Definitely my number one here. Cheers from The Big Apple. 🍏 Rock Out, Prog On and Pogo! Your pal and mine, ~ The Fearless, Peerless, Earless Davey Cretin, from CRETIN CLASSICS.

Like the discussion on all 4 videos. Thanks for your diligence. I’ve done a similar rating system to yours for BÖC, but I ranked them out of 10 instead of 5. And every song got a whole number ranking - no decimals. And I did it before Ghost Stories came out, so it’s only the first 14. Before that, probably a few months after Symbol was released, I did a slightly different rating. I ranked all 120+ songs against each other in a large list. Gave them a ranking in reverse order - 1st song got a score of 127, 2nd song scored 126, etc down to the last song that scored a 1. It was tedious to say the least. But then I average the scores for each song in its album to get a score for the album. With both systems my top five were consistent, though not in the same order - Secret Treaties, Fire of Unknown Origin, Cultosaurus Erectus, Spectres, and Tyranny and Mutation. Though in both lists, Secret Treaties was the runaway winner.

I'm pretty sure all the heavy rhythm guitar tracks were re-recorded by Iommi and not reamped. Some of the solos too. I don't think he can admit doing it though, for legal reasons. Don't get me wrong, I love the whole thing. Sound awesome.

Regarding Kick Out The Jams and We Gotta Get Out of This Place - don’t care for the demos on Ghost Stories. As far as the discussion about the live versions on Some Enchanted Evening - I get why they perform them live. So you have a set of 15-16 songs, so 2 covers isn’t that big a deal. But if you’re only putting out a single disc live album with 7 songs, don’t include the covers.

I get that when you hear Richie sing lead on The Symbol Remains it doesn’t sound like BÖC. I think that’s because we’ve had 50 years of Eric and Buck handling most of the lead vox. So it’s bound to sound a little different.

Takes a licking but keeps on ticking is actually the Timex watch catchphrase. The Energiser Bunny just keeps on going, and going, and going…

Talking about Let Go - I like this song, but I also put it into a category with RU Ready 2 Rock, Dr. Music, Make Rock Not War, and Beat Em Up. Sort of BÖC trying to hard to create a rock anthem along the lines of We Will Rock You.

Funny you mention Fire of Unknown Origin being the Secret Treaties of the early 80’s. I’ll go one step further. For me, Mirrors and Cultosaurus lineup similarly to the debut and Tyranny. I really like the debut and Mirrors, Tyranny and Cultosaurus are a step above those, and Secret Treaties and FOUO are the pinnacle of that era.

Agree with Brian and Bryan with The Vigil and I Am The Storm. My two favorite songs on the album and up near the top of my all-time BÖC songs

You’re Not The One was a Goof on The Cars Just What I Needed

Love Spectres. But I agree with Brian. Goin’ Through The Motions is a dud.

My favorite band Always taking risks But so much great music Thanks

Wouldn't have picked the alt vocal take at the beginning of Can't Get Close Enough or removed the first couple of solo's in Forbidden track 🤷 Other than those small quibbles, great remix 🔥 Hope Martin leaks those Dehumanizer demos failing an official release!!

Geeky yet very enjoyable conversation 🤘