Often mislabeled as ‘metal’, BLUE OYSTER CULT was thinking person’s rock music, a band with 5 songwriters, 4 of whom sang lead, and change instruments when needed in the studio and on stage. There was No one else like this band! BOC could come up with early heavy rockers, and also mix in memorable haunting melodies, ballads, and deliver classic rock hits (see “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, “Godzilla”, “Burnin’ For You”….). In 2020 they released The Symbol Remains – the band’s first studio album in 19 years, a nice surprise and a cool album that fans liked. Now we get Ghost Stories, a 12-track album that comes as another welcomed surprise, as it pulls previously unreleased songs & recordings from 1978-83 (and 1 from 2016), de-mixes them, remixes them, and finishes them up for this special release, a must-have for BOC fans.

There are a couple of recognizable titles here, such as studio versions of “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” and a killer performance of “Kick Out The Jams” – both covers which featured in the band’s live repertoire and appeared on live albums. There’s also a cover of The Beatles’ “If I Fell”, which is the only track from beyond 1983 (2016), and it’s a nice take of acoustic guitars and vocals. But the songs of most interest here will be those BOC member compositions, ones that could’ve fit nicely on the albums released in the late 70s and early 80s. By now (presumably) any BOC fan would’ve heard the first 2 singles “So Supernatural” (Joe Bouchard) and “Don’t Come Running To Me” (Greg Winter/Eric Bloom) – both good tunes. There are plenty of gems here, a varied mix of songs, tho’ no overly heavy rockers, there are a few good rockers in “Shot in The Dark” (Albert Bouchard/Caryn Bouchard), the ’60s influenced “Cherry” (Bruce Abbot/Donald Roeser), and my early favorite here – “Gun” (Helen Wheels/Joe Bouchard). Standouts (for me) also include the funky “Soul Jive” (Patti Smith/Albert Bouchard) and the ballad “The Only Thing” (Albert Bouchard)- love that intro, the organ break, and Buck Dharma’s vocal, this one might’ve made a nice single.

An excellent release of lost Blue Oyster Cult songs for fans, featuring the original band again. A welcome addition to the band’s catalogue. Features awesome and fitting cover art by Stan W. Decker, who’s done the previous BOC live albums on Frontiers.. Here’s hoping there’s more to come!

LINKS:

http://www.blueoystercult.com

https://orcd.co/bocghoststories

Canadian rock band Coney Hatch is thrilled to announce that its live album, ‘Postcard from Germany’, will be available on vinyl via Anthem Records. The limited-edition vinyl pressing will be available for purchase on April 20, 2024, as part of Record Store Day. Each album has been autographed by the band, with only 300 units available. 

Recorded LIVE at HEAT Festival in Ludwigsburg, Postcard from Germany also features two newly recorded releases, “It’s About A Girl” and “Heaven’s on the Other Side”. A Cream Vinyl with Turquoise Splatter Variant will be a Record Store Day exclusive.

“So cool to have Coney Hatch part of Record Store Day for the first time ever,” says Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran. “We’ve been a band for 40 plus years and ticked a lot of boxes …but not this one. We had a blast going to see our limited-edition vinyl being pressed real time at Microforum. It’s come full circle to when we started with vinyl releases, I guess everything old is new again!”

The band recently visited the Microforum facility to have a look at the test pressings of vinyl hot off the presses.

For more information, logos, full list of participating stores please visit: recordstoredaycanada.ca

LINKS:

http://www.coneyhatch.com

https://mailchi.mp/chipsterpr/coneyhatch1?fbclid=IwAR3unn5OaRfjrsYbOIvQT2IdXyzzNma9CigbUkNaJqPQD1FBOmEuIcBQjPg

Ken ingwersen’s solo project ‘Ken’s Dojo’ has a new single coming out later this month. Ingwersen, who is guitarist in the power trio WONDERWORLD, who were spun off from the late Ken Hensley’s band ‘Live Fire’, has recorded 2 previous albums under ‘Ken’s Dojo’. The new single is “Symphony Of Life”, and will be available April 23, with (hopefully) an album soon after. Check out the trailer below-

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kensdojo/symphony-of-life

https://www.kens-dojo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063380768920

www.

Ripple Music announces the release of an unprecedented anthology for American proto-metal legends POOBAH entitled “Burning In The Rain: A POOBAH Anthology”. A career-spanning collection of tracks of one of the underground’s best-kept secrets, to be released on June 7th and available to preorder now!

Thanks to an unprecedented fusion of early days Cream psychedelia and the fuzzed-out heaviness of Black Sabbath, American proto-metal legends POOBAH originated a sound that was both fresh and intense, epitomized by the release of their acclaimed debut album “Let Me In” in 1972. Their incendiary live shows led them to support major acts such as Canned Heat, Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top, Foghat, and countless others over the years.

Following the successful reissue of the band’s 1972 debut “Let Me In and sophomore album “U.S. Rock”, Ripple Music teams up with POOBAH’s mastermind and guitar hero Jim Gustafson again for the special release of a quintessential and rifftastic 17-track anthology that will enchant all fans of proto-metal, heavy psych and 70s rock from Led Zeppelin, Cream, Foghat, Deep Purple to Cactus, Leaf Hound or Uriah Heep.

“Burning In The Rain: An Anthology” will be issued in a limited 2xLP edition, limited CD digipack and digital on June 7th, 2024, with preorders available now on Ripple Music. Listen to one of the anthology’s tracks with their all-time classic “Mr. Destroyer” –

POOBAH “Burning In The Rain: An Anthology”
Out June 7th on Ripple Music – PREORDER

TRACKLIST:
1. Burning In The Rain
2. C’mon Let It Go
3. Maximum Pleasure
4. My Name is Mud
5. Try It 6. It Out
7. Fear
8. Underground
9. Jump Through the Golden Ring
10. 2 Faced Liar
11. Keep on Rollin’
12. You Give Me Such Pleasure
13. Mr. Destroyer 06:00
14. I Want Peace
15. Thru These Eyes
16. Dirty
17. Destination Or Debris

When you hear the name POOBAH, you instantly remind of the whole 70s rock scene. Your feel the vibrations of Jimi Hendrix’ electric explorations, and the excitement of heavy music’s early stages. The band is more than just a witness of these times, they are true pillars. In 1972, guitarist/vocalist Jim Gustafson, like so many young rockers, put together a band. With the help of high school chum and bass player Phil Jones, they searched for and added drummer Glenn Wiseman. The band came to be known as POOBAH and recorded what would become one of the quintessential albums in the bands catalog, ‘Let Me In’.

With a completely new line-up, Gustafson led the band into the studio in 1976 to record the bands second LP, ‘U.S. Rock’. With the record selling exceptionally well, the bands cult status continued to strengthen, but poor management and the typical industry pitfalls hampered the band from finding the wider success that they so richly deserved. By 1979, their made their way to the recording studio for album number three, ‘Steamroller’.

Ten guitar-powered studio albums and thirty years later, POOBAH is still at it, playing his distinctive brand of heavy rock to clubs filled with fans, old and new. Over four decades, Gustafson has the distinction of playing the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame more than any other musician. In 2010, Jim Gustafson signed on with Ripple Music to re-release POOBAH’s debut album ‘Let Me In’, re-mastered by underground cult hero Tony Reed (Mos Generator).

Current lineup:
Jim Gustafson – Voice, guitar, songwriter
Lori Powers – Percussion, backing vocals
Mike Lewis – Bass, backing vocals
Mike Fortino – Drums, backing vocals

POOBAH links
Website | Facebook⎪Bandcamp⎪Spotify

RIPPLE MUSIC links
Website⎪Facebook⎪Bandcamp⎪Instagram