Fire Of Unknown Origin [Strictly Limited Collector's Edition]

Blue Oyster Cult: Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (vocals, guitar, bass); Eric Bloom, Joe Bouchard (vocals, bass); Albert Bouchard (vocals, synthesizer, drums); Allen Lanier (keyboards).
Recording information: Kingdom Sound, L.I., NY.
Arranger: Blue Öyster Cult.
Five years after the classic AGENTS OF FORTUNE and its hit single, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," Blue Oyster Cult scored on the charts with 1981's FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. Putting its best foot forward after a slight slide in popularity, BOC put together nine songs that included contributions from early collaborators Patti Smith, Richard Meltzer, and Sandy Pearlman. Fantasy writer Michael Moorcock (who co-wrote "Black Blade" on CULTOSAURUS ERECTUS) once again collaborated with Eric Bloom on "Veteran of the Psychic Wars," which was also used on the soundtrack to the animated classic HEAVY METAL.
Drawing from a well of gothic imagery and dark overtones, this legendary hard rock quintet fused Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser's crunching guitar playing with sweeter pop overtones on the Top 40 hit "Burnin' For You." A particularly clever and often overlooked highlight of this comeback album is the horror movie-themed "Joan Crawford," of which a biting version shows up on the subsequent EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIVE.