The symbol-rich cover of Agents of Fortune was one of only two album covers painted by artist Lynn Curlee (the other being Black Sabbath’s 1980 Heaven and Hell).Curlee, an art history graduate from the University of North Carolina, had been working as a professional artist since moving to Manhattan in 1971, and the band commissioned the cover after seeing an exhibition of his paintings. The album yielded the band's biggest single with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," a multi-textured, deeply melodic soft rock song with psychedelic overtones, written by guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. Albums similar to or like Agents of Fortune. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2020. It also sounds like one of restless inspiration, which is, in fact, what it turned out to be given the recordings that came after. The aforementioned "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", much like Yes' classic track, "Roundabout", is one of those few songs to become a big hit where it's both complicated and catchy and has several great hooks. The platinum selling album peaked at No. Agents of Fortune was co-produced by longtime Cult record boss Sandy Pearlman, Murray Krugman, and newcomer David Lucas, and in addition, the band's lyric writing was being done internally with help from poet-cum-rocker Patti Smith (who also sings on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"). flag. Heavy Metal to feed your brain. . The rest of the album is ambitious in that it all but tosses aside the Cult's proto-metal stance and instead recontextualizes their entire stance. Rated #420 in the best albums of 1976. 520 likes. About “Agents of Fortune” From Music Radar interview with Eric Bloom: “We were getting more successful, which allowed everybody to go out and get four-track machines. He was sent into Dr. Agent of Fortune was a member of Vera Gemini's Cult of Harvester of Eyes. "Tenderloin" is a decent track as is the whimsical ballad "Debbie Denise" but haven't aged as well as the rest of the album. I have always felt their earlier work, particularly Tyranny and Mutation and Secret Treaties respectively, was their best but Agents of Fortune is pretty close. Agents of Fortune book. It also sounds like one of restless inspiration, which is, in fact, what it turned out to be given the recordings that came after. Please try again. Legend has it; the Agent of Fortune is picked by a supreme spiritual entity or entities. Agents of Fortune was described on its release as Blue Oyster Cult‘s most accessible and commercial album, which is true up to a point. 29 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart, [6] while the single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at No. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2020. Admittedly, it has a very clean clear production with plenty of catchy melodies, but the lyrics are intelligently dark and witty and are delivered with Eric Bloom ‘s perfectly matched vocal. Nothing wrong with the "black and white" period but for me this album is their best, and I'd take "Agents of Fortune", "Spectres", and "Cultosaurus Erectus" over the first three albums any day of the week. 29 on the Billboard 200, and its first single, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," peaked at No. (Prices may vary for AK and HI.). Return to Discography. Great album, but quality of recording is disappointing. Topic. (And the original version of the song "Fire of Unknown Origin" included as a bonus track on this CD is much better than the title cut version on the album released 5 years later). He could only move up the ranks once he managed to kill Devil-Slayer. EMBED. The opening track "This Ain't the Summer of Love" is both hard and catchy with the organ blending in well with the power chords during the choruses while the band go more into a real '50s feel on "True Confessions". Ultimately, Agents of Fortune is a solid record, albeit a startling one for fans of the band's earlier sound. Few of the songs are adventurous in structure or form, and many are clearly aimed towards being radio friendly. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum to retrieve the Eye of Agamotto.With the use of Gemini's spells, he was able to enter undetected. Although he may desire material things, his position actually influences and inspires other people to make decisions beneficial to their future of physical and spiritual needs. The hit song is just one of the wonderful tunes on Blue Öyster Cult's fifth album from 1976. Every song on the first side is commercially accessible without compromising the band's malevolent stance. 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