BLUE OYSTER CULT: Ghost Stories (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

After 18 years of recording silence, Blue Öyster Cult made their comeback in 2020 with "The Symbol Remains". The wait had been long, and even if this opus didn't reach the heights of "Secret Treaties", "Spectres" or "Imaginos", the band dominated by their two-headed eagle Buck Dharma/Eric Bloom still had plenty of thrills to offer, notably with the stirring "That Was Me" and the epic "The Alchemist". Four years later, the Long Island band officially released their last studio album, "Ghost Stories". As we shall see, it doesn't quite follow in the footsteps of its predecessor.

The album's cover revives the fantastic and occult themes dear to the band, recalling the artwork of "Spectres", "Fire Of Unknow Origin" and "Heaven Forbid". The band's famous symbol, the Cross of Kronos, is rightly integrated into this ghostly setting. But the title of this opus is no mere coquetry. "Ghost Stories" is a collection of twelve previously unreleased songs discarded during recording sessions between 1978 and 1983 (with the exception of "If I Fell', recorded in 2016). While some members had long since left the parent company (the Bouchard brothers) or moved on to other climes (Allen Lanier passed away in 2013), this album has all the makings of a spectral sonata, as it reunites the classic line-up in the same way as "Imaginos" succeeded in its time.

As hors d'oeuvres, Blue Öyster Cult offers us three cover versions: MC5's 'Kick Out The Jam' is revisited in a clearer, more readable (and even more enjoyable) way than the original; The Animals' 'We Gotta Go Out Of This Place' also does well, magnified by Eric Bloom's magnetic vocals. On the other hand, The Beatles' 'If I Fell', the most recent track on the album, suggests that the band simply wanted to have a bit of fun, or else cruelly underlined their flagrant lack of inspiration. This is the only real false note on what is a good summary of the band's discography, and could have been the subject of a proper album following on from 'Mirrors'.

Fans will be transported deep into the oyster's shell. For pearls are easily within earshot. Late Night Street Fight', placed as a scout, and 'So Supernatural' bring back that sticky nocturnal atmosphere reminiscent of 'The Revenge Of Vera Gemini' or 'Career Or Evil'. Shot In The Dark' becomes more elusive, opening with a declamation by Eric Bloom, before returning to the hard rock sweat of the 70s, as does 'Money Machine'. Soul Jive' is a fairly successful funk heavy, highlighting the band's adventurous spirit. The late appearance of 'Don't Come Running To Me', which could have become a hit following 'Burning For You', may come as a surprise. Buck Dharma's guitar always generates lightning bolts (on the ballad 'The Only Thing'), and Allen Lanier's keyboards light up the compositions with will-o'-the-wisps. The sequence behind the microphone is always harmonious, so much so that the vocalists could sometimes be mistaken for each other.

And so ends the breathless run of one of hard rock's 52-year-old giants. Blue Öyster Cult takes us on a journey in a time machine, listening to ghost tracks recorded between 1978 and 2016. While one cover proves rather dispensable, the rest should give fans and music lovers alike the desire to extend their journey by (re)discovering the different incarnations of a band like no other, which explored different styles and groped in different directions without ever having renounced its identity. We'll shed a tear, however, because there will never be another Blue Öyster Cult studio album... - Official website

BLUE OYSTER CULT

GHOST STORIES

FRONTIERS RECORDS

HARD ROCK