That's the Columbia Albums Collection that came out in 2012, I believe. Out of print now, but can still be found from secondary sellers. Expensive, though. Its all of their Columbia records up to and including Imaginos. It has some cool extras like "The Best of the Broadcasts" which has cuts from various radio broadcasts of live shows. And also the "Rarities" disc with actually not all that rare stuff but interesting things nonetheless. For instance, a cover of The Beatles "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
I was a huge fan in the mid 70’s and Secret Treaties is still in my top 20 rock albums. I didn’t like Spectres or Mirrors, nor either of the two post OYFOOYK live albums. I took a chance on Cultosaurus and liked it. Really liked Fires Of Unknown Origin, but that’s where I stopped. The later albums may have been good for all I know, but it was the 80’s and hard rock and metal were a completely different animal then, and I had moved on.
I think it looks like an awful cover of a 1980’s reprint of a 1960’s science fiction novel, though it wouldn’t surprise me if that was what they were going for.
I really like what I have of BOC and have wanted to dive into their catalog further so great timing on this thread for me! Currently own Secret Treaties AF (in my top 3 of favorite AF discs that I own), Tyranny and Mutation, and Some Enchanted Evening. That’s it. I have the self titled on my want list but haven’t come across it in the bins yet.
Yeah, I didn't mean it as a criticism or anything. It's just that they never had a second or third wave of massive commercial success the way that Black Sabbath did, for instance. Or even Deep Purple. It's too bad Eric Bloom thinks they're out of fashion. I think BOC's music has held up incredibly well. And I'm certainly glad there is still a (small) audience that still comes out to see them play.
I always liked their 3 big radio songs (for reference, I was 11-12 when "Burnin' For You" was a hit), and always meant to investigate further. Never did, until I met and dated Suzy in 2006-7, who happened to be a major fan. I thought she was kidding until she pulled out a stack of LPs: each and every one up to and including Imaginos (she also had a signed CD of Heaven Forbid). Anyway, since then I've become familiar with all their albums and even saw them live at a Ribfest (with Rudy Sarzo on bass). My 2 favorite songs of theirs are "Wings Wetted Down" and "Mirrors"! I'd call Agents Of Fortune my favorite of their albums (love that early vers of "Fire Of Unknown Origin" on the remaster CD). Also have the Stalk- Forrest Group CD set and consider "What Is Quicksand?" a favorite-- just love the guitar playing on that track.
I'm gonzo about BOC, in fact I'm planning a full catalog playthrough and paying closer attention to the post-Spectres material. Secret Treaties is my firm favorite and I don't expect that to change. I just wish I'd been old enough to get into them pre-"Reaper". As it was, my first time seeing them was in 1980 at a hot, dusty racetrack on a bill with Sammy Hagar and REO Speedwagon. Don't have many impressions left about how good they were (or how REO was) that day - alas, I remember Hagar's set better. (He was great, and I've never been a big fan).
I never heard them pre-Reaper, saw them first in 1981 (with Foghat and the Whitford-St. Holmes Band) and they were amazing. That said, Secret Treaties is, objectively, their greatest album.
A very underrated, excellent, and highly individualistic band overall... a little too esoteric for the masses though (despite the occasional big radio hit and gold/platinum album). Had a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot; sidelining Sandy Pearlman's creative influence and firing Albert Bouchard did them no favors at all. A pity the classic line-up never actively worked together on Imaginos... it would have been a masterpiece. And no, they were never heavy metal, they were barely hard rock at times... they were BOC, that's enough for me.
Checking them out for the first time (album wise), sssssst-treeeaming "Tyranny and Mutation". I guess it's some kind of rock music. It's really not bad and might even be a favorite one day.. (so much great music, so little time)
I like about 10 of their songs... Astronomy The Reaper I Love the Night In Thee Lonely Teardrops Burnin' For You Take Me Away Shooting Shark Dancin' in the Ruins Perfect Water
I've always really liked what I've heard by BOC. When Ghost's first album came out (and I loved it) I kept reading about comparisons to BOC so I started diving deeper. I have to say, Fire Of Unknown Origin is absolutely stupendous. What a killer album. "Joan Crawford (Has Risen From The Grave)" is the blueprint for Ghost's entire sound.
I think it's a known fact that Pearlman wanted them to be the American Black Sabbath. And on the first three albums, it fits to a certain extent. Those are pretty dark albums, more genuinely occult actually than Sabbath's own work, and even the occasional humor is twisted and odd. I think the difference is that Sabbath weren't really trying to be "occult" apart from a couple tracks, but BOC were really into projecting an occult image. And they were a few years after Sabbath, - in the 70's such contrivance was more complex and sophisticated.
