Tyranny and Mutation

Tyranny and Mutation
Studio album by Blue Öyster Cult
Released February 11, 1973
Recorded Columbia Studios, New York City, 1972[1]
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal, psychedelic rock
Length 38:11
Label Columbia
Producer Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman
Blue Öyster Cult chronology
Blue Öyster Cult
(1972)
Tyranny and Mutation
(1973)
Secret Treaties
(1974)
Singles from Tyranny and Mutation
  1. "7 Screaming Diz-Busters / Hot Rails to Hell"
    Released: 1973

Tyranny and Mutation (stylized on the cover as THE BLVE ÖYSTER CVLT: TYRANNY AND MVTATION) is the second studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on February 11, 1973 by Columbia Records.

Composition and songs

The album was recorded from songs written while touring in support of their eponymous debut album.

"Baby Ice Dog" features lyrics by poet Patti Smith, who would make several more lyrical contributions to the band's repertoire over their career.[1]

The song "The Red and the Black" is a re-titled, re-recorded version of "I'm on the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" from their previous album. The lyrics are a reference to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert Christgau(B+)[3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal10/10[4]
Rolling Stone(very favorable)[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide has described the album as "one molten hook after another" and praised the four-song "opening suite" comprising the first side of the album.[6]

Track listing

Side one – The Black
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."The Red & the Black"  Eric Bloom, Albert Bouchard, Sandy PearlmanBloom4:20
2."O.D.'d on Life Itself"  Bloom, A. Bouchard, Joe Bouchard, PearlmanBloom4:47
3."Hot Rails to Hell"  J. BouchardJ. Bouchard5:12
4."7 Screaming Diz-Busters"  A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, Donald Roeser, PearlmanBloom7:01
Side two – The Red
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
5."Baby Ice Dog"  Bloom, A. Bouchard, Patti SmithBloom3:29
6."Wings Wetted Down"  A. Bouchard, J. BouchardJ. Bouchard4:12
7."Teen Archer"  Bloom, Roeser, Richard MeltzerRoeser3:57
8."Mistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)"  A. Bouchard, PearlmanBloom5:08
Total length:38:11

On at least one pressing of the album on CD prior to the 2001 remaster, some of the segues between songs are mispositioned. This affects every track except for the last.

Personnel

Band members
Production

Charts

Year Chart Position
1973 Billboard 200 (United States) 122[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tyranny and Mutation liner notes (2001 remaster). Columbia Records. 2001. pp. 4, 6–11.
  2. Jurek, Thom. "Blue Öyster Cult Tyranny and Mutation review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  3. Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Reviews: Tyranny and Mutation". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  4. Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN 978-1894959025.
  5. Fletcher, Gordon (12 April 1973). "Album Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult – Tyranny and Mutation". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  6. 1 2 Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 87. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. "Tyranny and Mutation Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
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