Spectres is the fifth studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977 by Columbia Records. The album features one of the band's biggest hits, concert staple "Godzilla," and was certified gold by the RIAA on January 19, 1978.[5]
| Spectres | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1977[1] | |||
| Recorded | July–September 1977 | |||
| Studio | The Record Plant (New York City) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:29 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, David Lucas, Blue Öyster Cult | |||
| Blue Öyster Cult chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Spectres | ||||
The cover art features lasers, which Blue Öyster Cult used in their live shows at that time.
A remastered version was released on February 13, 2007, which included four previously unreleased outtakes from the Spectres sessions as bonus tracks.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[7] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10[8] |
| Q | [9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
Record World called the single "Goin' Through the Motions," which was co-written by Mott the Hoople singer Ian Hunter, a "thumping, hand-clapping pop-rocker."[11]
Cover versions
editWelsh singer Bonnie Tyler covered "Goin’ Through the Motions" on her album Faster Than the Speed of Night.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Godzilla" | Donald Roeser | Roeser, Eric Bloom | 3:41 |
| 2. | "Golden Age of Leather" | Roeser, Bruce Abbott | Roeser, Bloom | 5:53 |
| 3. | "Death Valley Nights" | Albert Bouchard, Richard Meltzer | A. Bouchard | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Searchin' for Celine" | Allen Lanier | Bloom | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Fireworks" | A. Bouchard | A. Bouchard | 3:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "R. U. Ready 2 Rock" | A. Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman | Bloom | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Celestial the Queen" | Joe Bouchard, Helen Wheels | J. Bouchard | 3:24 |
| 3. | "Goin' Through the Motions" | Bloom, Ian Hunter | Bloom | 3:12 |
| 4. | "I Love the Night" | Roeser | Roeser | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Nosferatu" | J. Bouchard, Wheels | J. Bouchard | 5:23 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Night Flyer" | Roeser | Roeser | 3:48 |
| 12. | "Dial M for Murder" | A. Bouchard | Bloom | 3:11 |
| 13. | "Please Hold" | A. Lanier | Lanier | 2:47 |
| 14. | "Be My Baby" (The Ronettes cover) | Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector | Bloom | 3:01 |
| Total length: | 53:16 | |||
Personnel
edit- Blue Öyster Cult
- Eric Bloom – stun guitar, vocals
- Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – lead guitar, vocals
- Allen Lanier – keyboards, rhythm guitar, vocals
- Joe Bouchard – bass, vocals, keyboards
- Albert Bouchard – drums, harmonica, percussion, vocals
- Additional musicians
- Newark Boys Chorus – vocals on "Golden Age of Leather"
- Production
- Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, David Lucas – producers
- Shelly Yakus – engineer, mixing
- John Jansen, Corky Stasiak, Thom Panunzio, Andy Abrams – engineers
- Gray Russell, Dave Thoener, Jay Krugman, Rod O’Brien, Sam Ginsberg – assistant engineers
- Joe Brescio – mastering
- Roni Hoffman – design
- Eric Meola – photos
- David Infante – laser effects and photo assistance
Charts
edit| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] | 58 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[13] | 28 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 47 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[15] | 60 |
| US Billboard 200[16] | 43 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[5] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Dave Swanson (November 17, 2013). "How Blue Oyster Cult Searched for Identity on 'Spectres'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
Pressured for a follow-up, Blue Oyster Cult then issued the somewhat unbalanced, but still striking, Spectres in November 1977.
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate Press. p. 75. ISBN 9780862415419.
- ^ "Blue Oyster Cult singles".
- ^ "Blue Oyster Cult singles".
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Blue Öyster Cult – Spectres". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Blue Öyster Cult - Spectres review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 978-1894959025.
- ^ Mongredien, Phil (April 2007). "Blue Öyster Cult - Spectres". Q. No. 249.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 70.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 17, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5478b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – B". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2024. Select Blue Oyster Cult from the menu, then press OK.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Blue Öyster Cult – Spectres". Hung Medien. 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.
