The Complete Columbia Albums Collecti¿¿n in Bloomington, MN

Blue Oeyster Cult
were among the very first American rock & roll maximalists. They pioneered an iconic multi-guitar hard rock sound that influenced countless acts after them -- most of whom never gave them credit for it. That said, they also understood the value of a pop hooks, state-of-the-art production, and the power of the imagination in their crafting of a sinister, mysterious image decades before black metal -- in person and on record -- and later welcomed the kitsch that came with it. They scored nine charting singles (including "[Don't Fear] The Reaper"), two platinum, and four gold albums. To mark
BOeC
's 40th Anniversary,
Legacy
has created a monster box that includes all of the band's
Columbia
albums between 1972 and 1988, a disc of bona fide rarities, another of radio broadcasts, and a live DVD from 1978. While six of the band's first seven albums --
,
Tyranny and Mutation
Secret Treaties
Agents of Fortune
Spectres
, and
Some Enchanted Evening
-- were all remastered with bonus tracks,
On Your Feet or on Your Knees
(19751) and each subsequent album, including
, benefit here from having been completely remastered in 2012 from analog sources. These include the criminally underappreciated, nearly apocryphal
Imaginos
, the group's final record for
that took eight years to record. It reunited
with producer/lyricist
Sandy Pearlman
and features guest spots from
the Doors
'
Robby Krieger
Joe Satriani
Patti Smith
(credited as "Shocking U"). The rarities disc includes unreleased performances of "Stairway to the Stars" (1975), "Dr. Music," "The Great Sun Jester," "In Thee," "Mirrors" (1979), a 1975 rehearsal demo of
Joe Higgs
' "Steppin' Razor," a live mono version of "Godzilla" from 1977, a cover of
the Beatles
' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," from 1980, three demos intended for the soundtrack of the film
Teachers
Stephen King
's spoken word intro for
and "I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep," one of two
Soft White Underbelly
demos. (There are other live cuts and demos that have been compiled in various places as well.)
The Best of the Broadcasts
contains performances between 1980 and 1986. In actuality that may not be the very best (there were earlier ones that were superior but they may have been boots), but what's here rocks (check "7 Screaming Diz-Busters"). The live DVD that accompanies
(entitled
Some Other Enchanted Evening
) has to be seen to be believed. For those who thought
past their live prime at this point, this disc contains indisputable evidence to the contrary. Each album is packaged in an individual cardboard sleeve with -- where applicable -- its original artwork. The booklet features a liner essay by rock historian and
Patti Smith Group
guitarist
Lenny Kaye
. In other words,
The Complete Columbia Albums Collection
makes definitive the case for
as one of the truly innovative legends of hard rock. ~ Thom Jurek