Agents of Fortune

Agents of Fortune
Studio album by Blue Öyster Cult
Released	May 21, 1976 (1976-05-21)
Recorded	1975–1976
Studio	The Record Plant (New York City)
Genre	Hard rock heavy metal
Length	36:35
Label	Columbia
Producer	Murray Krugman Sandy Pearlman David Lucas[1]
Blue Öyster Cult chronology
On Your Feet or on Your Knees (1975) Agents of Fortune (1976) Spectres (1977)
Singles from Agents of Fortune
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" Released: July 1976 [2] "This Ain't the Summer of Love" Released: June 1977 (US) [3]

Agents of Fortune is the fourth studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on May 21, 1976 by Columbia Records.^[4][5]

The Platinum-selling album peaked at No. 29 on the U.S. Billboard chart,^[6] while the cryptic single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart,^[7] making it BÖC's biggest hit. The band became a bigger concert attraction after the release of the album, in part due to extensive airplay of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," to this day a staple of rock-station playlists.

Additionally, this is the only album in the group's discography to have at least one lead vocal performance by each original band member. It was also their only album to not include any songs written by Eric Bloom. However, the 2020 live release 40th Anniversary: Agents of Fortune Live 2016 adds Bloom's name to the authorship credits for "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)."

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[9]
The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	10/10[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[1]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	[11]

Rolling Stone wrote that "Agents of Fortune is a startlingly excellent album — startling because one does not expect Blue Öyster Cult to sound like this: loud but calm, manic but confident, melodic but rocking."^[13]

Cash Box said of the single "This Ain't the Summer of Love" that "growling guitars churn out this realistic message with brief and pointed expression" ... "a mood of evil created in a humorous fashion."^[14]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"This Ain't the Summer of Love"	Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don Waller	Eric Bloom	2:21
2.	"True Confessions"	Allen Lanier	Lanier	2:57
3.	"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"	Donald Roeser	Roeser	5:08
4.	"E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)"	Bloom, Roeser, Sandy Pearlman	Bloom	3:43
5.	"The Revenge of Vera Gemini"	A. Bouchard, Patti Smith	A. Bouchard, Patti Smith	3:52

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Sinful Love"	A. Bouchard, Helen Wheels	A. Bouchard	3:29
2.	"Tattoo Vampire"	A. Bouchard, Helen Wheels	Bloom	2:41
3.	"Morning Final"	Joe Bouchard	J. Bouchard	4:30
4.	"Tenderloin"	Lanier	Bloom	3:40
5.	"Debbie Denise"	A. Bouchard, Smith	A. Bouchard	4:13

2001 CD reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
11.	"Fire of Unknown Origin" (original version)	Bloom, A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, Roeser, Smith	A. Bouchard	3:30
12.	"Sally" (demo version)	A. Bouchard	A. Bouchard	2:40
13.	"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (demo version)	Roeser	Roeser	6:20
14.	"Dance the Night Away" (demo version)	Lanier, Jim Carroll	Lanier	2:37
Total length:				51:42

Personnel

Band members

• Eric Bloom – guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion
• Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – lead guitar, vocals
• Allen Lanier – keyboards, rhythm guitar, bass on "Morning Final", vocals
• Joe Bouchard – bass, piano on "Morning Final", vocals
• Albert Bouchard – drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals

Additional musicians

• Patti Smith – vocals on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"
• Randy Brecker – horns
• Michael Brecker – horns
• David Lucas – vocals, keyboards, percussion

• The cowbell on "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" may have been played by Albert Bouchard,^[15] David Lucas,^[16] or Eric Bloom.^[17]

Production

• David Lucas , Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman – producers
• Shelly Yakus, Andy Abrams – engineers
• Tony Stevens – mastering
• John Berg, Andy Engel – design
• Lynn Curlee – paintings

Charts

Chart (1976)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[18]	53
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[19]	28
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[20]	18
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[21]	10
UK Albums (OCC)[22]	26
US Billboard 200[23]	29

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24]	Gold	50,000^^
United States (RIAA)[25]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
The Village Voice	US	The 1976 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll[26]	1976	10
NME	UK	Albums of the Year[27]	1976	6
Dave Marsh & Kevin Stein	US	The Best of the Album Chartmakers by Year: 1976[28]	1981	12
Kerrang!	UK	The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time^[citation needed]	1989	62
Q	UK	The Greatest Classic Rock Albums Ever![29]	2004	No order

References

1. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 128.
2. "Blue Oyster Cult singles".
3. "Blue Oyster Cult singles".
4. "Blue Oyster Cult | Biography & History". AllMusic.
5. Buckley, Peter (March 14, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
6. "Agents of Fortune Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
7. "Agents of Fortune Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
8. Jurek, Thom. "Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 87–88.
12. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 700.
13. Tucker, Ken (July 15, 1976). "Album Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 12, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
14. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 25, 1977. p. 20. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
15. Farhi, Paul (January 29, 2005). "Blue Öyster Cult, Playing Along With 'More Cowbell'". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
16. George, Eli (June 30, 2011). "Blue Oyster Cult cowbell ringer honored". WIVB-TV. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
17. Sauro, Tony (September 17, 2009). "Blue Oyster Cult's innovative use of a cowbell will never be forgotten". The Record (Stockton). Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
18. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
19. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5114a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
20. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
21. "Swedishcharts.com – Blue Öyster Cult – Agents of Fortune". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
22. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
23. "Blue Öyster Cult Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
24. "Canadian album certifications – Blue Öyster Cult – Agents of Fortune". Music Canada.
25. "American album certifications – Blue Öyster Cult – Agents of Fortune". Recording Industry Association of America.
26. "The 1976 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. Robert Christgau. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
27. "NME's best albums and tracks of 1976". NME. October 10, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
28. "The Dave Marsh Lists". Book Of Rock Lists - Albums Of The Year: 1976. Rocklist.net. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
29. "Q Lists: Q Special Edition – The Greatest Classic Rock Albums Ever !". Q. Rocklist.net. Retrieved March 30, 2012.