•
Rating: Secret Treaties, dated 1974, closes the so-called "black-and-white period" of that formidable band known as Blue Öyster Cult. A fundamental characteristic of BÖC during the aforementioned period is the aggressiveness, mixed with cruelty and ruthlessness, both in the lyrics and the rhythms of the songs. But also in the cover, where all the themes dear to the band are unleashed in this work of art. On the front, a drawing of the band in front of the German Messerschmitt 262 warplane, with dogs following and the symbolic skeleton-pilot. Note the band's logo in place of the Nazi swastika (apparently essentially a camouflaged variant) on the rear wing of the aircraft. The back shows the same plane taking off and the dogs lying on the ground, slaughtered.
To support all this, these distressing yet enigmatic sleeve notes: "Rossignol's surious, albeit simply titled book, the Origins of a World War, spoke in terms of secret treaties, drawn up between the Ambassadors from Plutonia and Desdinova the foreign minister. These Treaties founded a secret science from the start. Astronomy. The career of evil". The themes explore mysterious worlds, dark environments, primal fears, hidden horrors, suburban esoteric, the mystery, the mysticism of an urban legend, in a sort of horrifying "stream of consciousness".
"Career of Evil", written together with Patti Smith, is a formidable hard rock song with semi-prog guitar phrasing and the solid keyboard base of Allen Lanier supporting the backbone of this track, in which everything is perfect. "Subhuman" deals with one of the usual "hot topics", as well as the band's strengths: essentially dark themes, supported by the gloomy atmosphere of the music. "Dominance And Submission" is one of the album's highlights, characterized by insistent and eclectic rhythms, in which Donal Roeser's guitar (a.k.a. Buck Dharma) performs miracles, especially in the very fast solo.
Often, in the very first seconds of a BÖC track, you get the feeling that it is just a simple rock'n'roll. Here lies one of the many great things about Blue Öyster Cult: the ability to recycle the old schemes of classic rock'n'roll to make them their own and then adapt them to something completely their own. Just listen to the beginning of "ME 262", seemingly a simple rock'n'roll, which develops into a 100% hard rock piece, with a greatly sung chorus, especially when it obsessively repeats at the end the name of the aircraft engine (Most these Englishmen live that I might die / Junkers Jummo 004). The viewpoint on World War II is disturbing, cynically seen from high up in a German fighter during Nazism.
"Cagey Cretins" is the track where the singer/guitarist Eric Bloom gives his best with his voice, not to mention the driving rhythm of Albert Bouchard's drums and his brother Joe on bass. Even the falsetto backing vocals make their beautiful scene. Once again, the genius/guitarist/keyboardist's keyboards add that extra touch, especially if the track is "Harvester Of Eyes" (the eye collector, another track of immense aggressiveness!!!). The guitar here is really sleek, essential, with that slowed down finale part sung by Eric Bloom seeming to come from the voice of the psychopath the song talks about.
A shiver cannot help but run down my spine when I think of the two wonderful final tracks. The first is "Flaming Telepaths", an unsettling piece with a thousand facets, with syncopated rhythms and magical guitars from start to finish. Evocative and varied, this track deserves to enter the annals of rock music. The second is obviously the beautiful, passionate, and stunning "Astronomy", a touchingly poignant ballad, with a vaguely twilight atmosphere, and with indisputable charm. Great. Simply great!
This handful of songs, which I dare to define as truly extraordinary, form the third and best album ever released by Blue Öyster Cult. Despite this masterpiece not achieving the deserved success, reaching only number 53 in America, Secret Treaties began to pave the way for the great success that would come with (the disappointing) Agents of Fortune. Secret Treaties will make Blue Öyster Cult appreciated even by critics. I conclude in the most classic way, because one cannot do otherwise with Secret Treaties: an absolutely essential piece, indispensable in any serious music collection. A must-have!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Career of Evil (04:00)
I plot your rubric scarab,
I steal your satellite
I want your wife to be my
Baby tonight, baby tonight
I choose to steal what you chose to show
And you know I will not apologize
You're mine for the taking
I'm making a career of evil
Pay me I'll be your surgeon
I'd like to pick your brain
Capture you inject you
Leave you kneeling in the rain
Kneeling in the rain
I choose to steal what you chose to show
And you know I will not apologize
You're mine for the taking
I'm making a career of evil
I'd like your blue eyed horseshoe,
I'd like your emerald horny toad
I'd like to do it to your daughter on a dirt road
And then I'd spend your ransom money,
But still I'd keep your sheep
I'd peel the mask you're wearing,
And then rob you of your sleep
Rob you of your sleep
I choose to steal what you chose to show
And you know I will not apologize
You're mine for the taking
I'm making a career of evil
02 Subhuman (04:37)
I am becalmed
Lost to nothing
Warm weather and
Holocaust
Left to die by two good friends
Abandoned me and put to sleep
Left to die by two good friends
Tears of god flow as I bleed
So ladies fish and gentlemen
Here's my angled dream
See me in the blue sky bag
And meet me by the sea
Oyster boys are
Swimming for me now
Save me from the
Death-like creatures
Oyster boys are swimming now
Hear them chatter on the tide
We understand, we understand
But fear is real and so do I
So ladies fish and gentlemen
Here's my angled dream
See me in the blue sky bag
And meet me by the sea
Oyster boys are
Swimming for me
Just one deal is what
We made now
Forest keys and whirlwind cold
Green keys too and keys of gold
And even locks that don't explode
When the skies become a scroll
So ladies fish and gentlemen
Here's my angled dream
See me in the blue sky bag
And meet me by the sea
03 Dominance and Submission (05:22)
Oh Yeah!
I spent ten years, half my life
Just getting ready, then it was time
Warpage in my figures, radios appear
Midnight was the barrier, back in 1963
Each night the covers were unfolded
Each night it's Susie�s turn to ride
While Charles, the one they call her brother
Covers on his eyes
Murmurs in the background
It will be time
Oh Yeah!
Susan and her brother, Charles the grinning boy
Put me in the back seat, and they took me for a ride
Yeah, the radio was on, can't you dig the locomotion
Kingdoms of the radio, 45 RPM
Too much revolution, then
Each night the covers were unfolded
Each night it's Susie's turn to ride
While Charles, the one they call her brother
Covers on his eyes
Murmurs in the background
It will be time
It's past midnight said Charles the grinning boy
And looking at me greedily, said it's 1964
In Times Square now people do the polka
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear.
This New Year's Eve was the final barrier
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear.
We took you up and we put you in the back seat
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear.
From year to year we looked out for the venture
Dominance! Submission. Radios appear.
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Sub-mission
Dominance! Sub-mission
Dominance! Submission
Dominance! Sub-mission
Dominance! Sub-mission Sub-mission
Dominance! Sub- submission sub- sub-
Dominance! Submission submission
Dominance! Submission submission submission
Dominance! Sub- submission submission
Dominance! Submission submission submission
Dominance! Sub- submission sub- sub- submission
Dominance! Submission submission!
Dominance! Submission!
04 ME 262 (04:44)
Goering's on the phone from Freiburg
Says Willie's done quite a job
Hitler's on the phone from Berlin
Says I'm gonna make you a star
My Captain Von Ondine is your next patrol
A flight of English bombers across the canal
After twelve they'll all be here
I think you know the job
They hung there dependant from the sky
Like some heavy metal fruit
These bombers are ripe and ready to tilt
Must these Englishmen live that I might die
Must they live that I might die
In a G-load disaster from the rate of climb
Sometimes I'd faint and be lost to our side
But there's no reward for failure - but death
So watch me in mirrors keep in the glidepath
Get me through these radars, no, I cannot fail
While my great silver slugs are eager to feed
I can't fail - No, not now
When twenty five bombers wait ripe
They hung there dependant from the sky
Like some heavy metal fruit
These bombers are ripe and ready to tilt
Must these Englishmen live that I might die
Must they live that I might die
ME-262 prince of turbojet
Junker's Jumo 004
Blasts from clustered R4M quartets in my snout
And see these English planes go burn
Well, you be my witness, how red were the skies
When the fortresses flew for the very last time
It was dark over Westphalia
In April of '45
They hung there dependant from the sky
Like some heavy metal fruit
These bombers are ripe and ready to tilt
Must these Englishmen live that I might die
Must they live that I might die
Must these Englishmen live that I might die...Junker's jommo 004
Bombers at 12 o'clock high
05 Cagey Cretins (03:16)
Ooo cagey - what you got?
What you got there dummy?
What you got there man?
Ooo cagey - what you got?
What you got there honey?
What is it, a worm?
Dumb clouds are raging
Stupid clouds at my door
Creepy weather coming
Coming 'round my floor
Dumb clouds stay away
Don't come back no more
Ooo cagey - what you got?
Got an awful tummy,
Oh no it's inflamed
Ooo cagey - what you got?
It's so lonely honey
In the state of Maine
Dumb clouds are raging
Stupid clouds at my door
Creepy weather coming
Coming 'round my floor
Dumb clouds stay away
Don't come back no more
I'm graduating in one more term
Because I haven't any time to burn
Repeating taste of high-heeled shoe
An eel is waiting under the train
Being chased around by the neighbor's cat
Well it's so lonely in the state of Maine
Dumb clouds are ringing
Ringing in my ear
Mother's wombs are crying
Ringing in my fear
Mothers never run
Except when rape is near
Ooo cagey
08 Astronomy (06:27)
The clock strikes twelve and moondrops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Like acid and oil on a madman's face
His reason tends to fly away
Like lesser birds on the four winds
Like silver scrapes in May
And now the sand's become a crust
And most of you have gone away
Come Susie dear, let's take a walk
Just out there upon the beach
I know you'll soon be married
And you'll want to know where winds come from
Well it's never said at all
On the map that Carrie reads
Behind the clock back there you know
At the Four Winds Bar
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Four doors at the Four Winds Bar
Two doors locked and windows barred
One door to let to take you in
The other one just mirrors it
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hellish glare and inference
The other one's a duplicate
The Queenly flux, eternal light
Or the light that never warms
Or the light that never, never warms
Or the light that never
Never warms
Never warms
Never warms
The clock strikes twelve and moondrops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Miss Carrie nurse and Susie dear
Would find themselves at Four Winds Bar
It's the nexus of the crisis
And the origin of storms
Just the place to hopelessly
Encounter time and then came me
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
Call me Desdinova
Eternal light
These gravely digs of mine
Will surely prove a sight
And don't forget my dog
Fixed and consequent
Astronomy...a star (repeats)
09 Stairway to the Stars (03:44)
You can have my autograph
I think I'll sign it love to you
But should I sign it just for you
Stairway to the stars, I think I'll write good health to you
Stairway to the stars, we got better things to do
You can drive my motorcar
It's insured to thirty thou
Kill them all if you wish
Stairway to the stars, I think I'll write good health to you
Stairway to the stars, we got better things to do
You can have my autograph
I think I'll sign it good health to you
Upon the cast, your broken arm
Stairway to the stars, I think I'll write good health to you
Stairway to the stars, I hope you heal up real quick
Stairway to the stars...
Come on, let's get on outa here.
Loading comments slowly
