Cultösaurus Erectus is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in June 1980. Following an experiment with a more commercial sound on the album Mirrors (released the previous year), this recording marked a return to the band's earlier, heavier sound. It also represents the band's first collaboration with British producer Martin Birch (Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden), who would also produce the band's following album Fire of Unknown Origin a year later.
| Cultösaurus Erectus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover art by Richard Clifton-Dey | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1979–1980 | |||
| Studio | Kingdom Sound Studios, Long Island, New York | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:10 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Martin Birch | |||
| Blue Öyster Cult chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Cultösaurus Erectus | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10[5] |
While the album did sell more than its predecessor, it stalled at Gold status. However, during this time, Blue Öyster Cult was still filling large venues. The tour promoting Cultösaurus Erectus found the band co-headlining sports arenas in the United States with Black Sabbath as part of the Black and Blue Tour.
The album cover features the central part of the painting Behemoth's World by British artist Richard Clifton-Dey.
Songs edit
"Black Blade" features lyrics by fantasy and sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock and is about Stormbringer, a black sword wielded by Elric of Melniboné, the most famous character in Moorcock's mythology.
The title "The Marshall Plan" is a play on words, connecting the post-World War II economic program with the British amplifier manufacturer.[citation needed] The song also includes a cameo by Don Kirshner introducing Johnny, the subject of the song, as an act on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, a syndicated concert program popular in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Black Blade" | Eric Bloom, Michael Moorcock, John Trivers | Bloom | 6:34 |
| 2. | "Monsters" | Albert Bouchard, Caryn Bouchard | Bloom | 5:10 |
| 3. | "Divine Wind" | Donald Roeser | Bloom | 5:07 |
| 4. | "Deadline" | Roeser | Roeser | 4:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "The Marshall Plan" | Bloom, A. Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, Allen Lanier, Roeser | Bloom | 5:24 |
| 6. | "Hungry Boys" | A. Bouchard, C. Bouchard | A. Bouchard | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Fallen Angel" | J. Bouchard, Helen Wheels | J. Bouchard | 3:11 |
| 8. | "Lips in the Hills" | Bloom, Roeser, Richard Meltzer | Bloom | 4:24 |
| 9. | "Unknown Tongue" | A. Bouchard, David Roter | Bloom | 3:55 |
Personnel edit
- Band members
- Eric Bloom – guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – lead guitar, bass (on "Deadline"), keyboards, vocals
- Allen Lanier – keyboards, guitar
- Joe Bouchard – bass, vocals
- Albert Bouchard – drums, vocals
- Additional musicians
- Don Kirshner – introduction during "The Marshall Plan"
- Mark Rivera – saxophone on "Monsters"
- Production
- Martin Birch – producer, engineer, mixing
- Clay Hutchinson – second engineer
- Richard Clifton-Dey – front cover art
- Paula Scher – cover design
Charts edit
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] | 77 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[7] | 12 |
| US Billboard 200[8] | 34 |
References edit
- ^ "Blue Oyster Cult singles".
- ^ "Blue Oyster Cult singles".
- ^ "Blue Oyster Cult singles".
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Blue Öyster Cult - Cultosaurus Erectus review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 978-1894959315.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0218b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Blue Oyster Cult Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
