Agents of Fortune
1976 studio album by Blue Öyster Cult
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Agents of Fortune is the fourth studio album by American rock band Blue Ãyster Cult, released on May 21, 1976, by Columbia Records.[3][4]
| Agents of Fortune | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 21, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1975â1976 | |||
| Studio | The Record Plant (New York City) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:35 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Blue Ãyster Cult chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Agents of Fortune | ||||
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The Platinum-selling album peaked at No. 29 on the U.S. Billboard chart,[5] while the cryptic single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart,[6] making it BÃC's biggest hit. The band became a bigger concert attraction after the release of the album, in part due to extensive airplay of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," to this day a staple of rock-station playlists.
Additionally, this is the only album in the group's discography to have at least one lead vocal performance by each original band member. It was also their only album to not include any songs written by Eric Bloom. However, the 2020 live release 40th Anniversary: Agents of Fortune Live 2016 adds Bloom's name to the authorship credits for "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)."
Album cover
The album cover (created by artist Lynn Curlee) depicts Belgian magician, Servais Le Roy holding four tarot cards.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[8] |
| The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10[9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [10] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [1] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
Rolling Stone wrote that "Agents of Fortune is a startlingly excellent album â startling because one does not expect Blue Ãyster Cult to sound like this: loud but calm, manic but confident, melodic but rocking."[12]
Cash Box said of the single "This Ain't the Summer of Love" that "growling guitars churn out this realistic message with brief and pointed expression" ... "a mood of evil created in a humorous fashion."[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Ain't the Summer of Love" | Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don Waller | Eric Bloom | 2:21 |
| 2. | "True Confessions" | Allen Lanier | Lanier | 2:57 |
| 3. | "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" | Donald Roeser | Roeser | 5:08 |
| 4. | "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" | Bloom, Roeser, Sandy Pearlman | Bloom | 3:43 |
| 5. | "The Revenge of Vera Gemini" | A. Bouchard, Patti Smith | A. Bouchard, Patti Smith | 3:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sinful Love" | A. Bouchard, Helen Wheels | A. Bouchard | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Tattoo Vampire" | A. Bouchard, Helen Wheels | Bloom | 2:41 |
| 3. | "Morning Final" | Joe Bouchard | J. Bouchard, Bloom (paperboy voice) | 4:30 |
| 4. | "Tenderloin" | Lanier | Bloom | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Debbie Denise" | A. Bouchard, Smith | A. Bouchard | 4:13 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Fire of Unknown Origin" (original version) | Bloom, A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, Roeser, Smith | A. Bouchard | 3:30 |
| 12. | "Sally" (demo version) | A. Bouchard | A. Bouchard | 2:40 |
| 13. | "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (demo version) | Roeser | Roeser | 6:20 |
| 14. | "Dance the Night Away" (demo version) | Lanier, Jim Carroll | Lanier | 2:37 |
| Total length: | 51:42 | |||
Personnel
- Band members
- Eric Bloom â guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion
- Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser â lead guitar, vocals, synthesizer, percussion
- Allen Lanier â keyboards, rhythm guitar, bass on "Morning Final", vocals
- Joe Bouchard â bass, vocals, piano on "Morning Final"
- Albert Bouchard â drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonica
- Additional musicians
- Patti Smith â vocals on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"
- Randy Brecker â horns
- Michael Brecker â horns
- David Lucas â vocals, keyboards, percussion
- The cowbell on "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" may have been played by Albert Bouchard,[14] David Lucas,[15] or Eric Bloom.[16]
- Production
- David Lucas, Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman â producers
- Shelly Yakus, Andy Abrams â engineers
- Tony Stevens â mastering
- John Berg, Andy Engel â design
- Lynn Curlee â paintings
Charts
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[17] | 53 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[18] | 28 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[19] | 18 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[20] | 10 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[21] | 26 |
| US Billboard 200[22] | 29 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[23] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[24] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Village Voice | US | The 1976 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll[25] | 1976 | 10 |
| NME | UK | Albums of the Year[26] | 1976 | 6 |
| Dave Marsh & Kevin Stein | US | The Best of the Album Chartmakers by Year: 1976[27] | 1981 | 12 |
| Kerrang! | UK | The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time[citation needed] | 1989 | 62 |
| Q | UK | The Greatest Classic Rock Albums Ever![28] | 2004 | No order |