Tuning Collaboration at Work Through Blue Öyster Cult
Tyranny And Mutation is one blueprint for how we can achieve together
“People are meant to congregate.” My dad said that on a call in 2020 when we were discussing how Covid would affect well-being. Simple in nature, it’s a philosophical statement from someone who probably should’ve been a lighthouse operator instead of owning a lighting company, such is his wont for solitude. Or, as his generation calls it, peace and quiet.
Now, the next generations tend to add layers to the conversation. So: Congregation doesn’t exist without connection. Collaboration doesn’t exist without those two. And collaboration is, in many ways, the lifeblood of an organization.
For Blue Öyster Cult, music has been the work for more than five decades. Albums. Tours. Their synthesis of hard psychedelic rock, often with lyrics based on the occult or the fantastical, helped influence heavy metal. Tyranny And Mutation—second LP, not a sophomore slump, my favorite—comes with their Long Island biker attitude and is a classic case of collaboration. Sum of the parts, a matrixed collective where creativity and structure were defined by overlapping responsibilities.
It’s not always the correct method, but this BÖC tale has no soft white underbelly.
Lead vocals by Eric Bloom except where noted (Source: Wikipedia).
Tyranny And Mutation was written in fragments while on the road to support their first album. Concepts stemmed from jam sessions, individual contributions, and, as in business, partnerships. Allen Lanier, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist, was the only member to not receive any composition credit. Eric Bloom handled most of the lead vocals and chipped in on stun guitar and synth, but two others took turns at the mic. In 1973, the salad was colorful and fresh.
Enterprises must be consistent and engaging in their messaging and tone if they hope to attain a level of credibility or success. Doesn’t mean they’re not allowed to try new things that still scream their brand, though. It’s an evolution. Good bands embrace change—great bands lean into it, and you could hypothesize that the fluidity of roles in Blue Öyster Cult fostered a haven of open idea sharing and growth.
The two sides, named The Black and The Red, are suites. Like marketing campaigns, the four-song sets have a funnel effect that feeds you not into a pipeline but to disparate emotions, with the highest-value content coming at the end of each collection.
A rerecorded version of a cut from their self-titled debut, “The Red & The Black” has this infectious boogie, a surf-rockabilly opener on amphetamines. “O.D.’d On Life Itself” reflects on the fallout of idealism in overdrive in the ’60s, with a reminiscent vibe. Bassist/Keyboardist Joe Bouchard is the lone composer of “Hot Rails To Hell”: With memorable melodies, it was the lone single. Then “7 Screaming Diz-Busters” hits. Titanic. Progressive. Heavy segments stitched into a quilt of proto-metal. My peak BÖC song, and when The Black is over, I exhale to where my shoulders feel relief, as if a fruitful session of editing an e-book has finished.
Shorter in length, Side 2 diversifies the portfolio, beginning with “Baby Ice Dog” and their initial Patti Smith lyrics collaboration. Slower and cinematic, “Wings Wetted Down” is a change of pace at an opportune time. “Teen Archer” features lead vocals by lead guitarist Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser—sneaky cool, off-kilter propulsion and his back-and-forth soloing with the keys, too. This gives way to “Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)” and the hip weirdness that’s just fun. The Red is more of a limited affair, but it’s not designed for instant gratification like social media because it’s on par with the front half introspection-wise.
Producers Murray Krugman and Sandy Pearlman were paramount to their development, and the latter earned four composition credits. Rock critic Richard Meltzer cowrote a cut. But the engine of the project was Albert Bouchard. Six credits. His playing has bounce and swing and steadiness. Love the snare sound. Based on desk research, it’s clear he helped organize thoughts and arrange songs while encouraging experimentation. The drummer wasn’t just the timekeeper, he acted as the musical director of a ridiculously collaborative effort.
Since the turn of the century, I’ve been more of an air drummer than an actual drummer. I did record a studio album in the late ’90s, and it’s quite the perspective to lay down your tracks and then hang in the control room. Listening, observing, learning.
Drummers make quality producers. Look it up or ask Albert Bouchard.
A creative group that functions on deadlines equals pressure. Endgame. The bagman, I call it, but to set people up for an efficient delivery, managerial involvement at the beginning of the project is crucial. Following that, process and ownership can take shape. Accountability is beautiful when ego is ditched at the door. With any lack of clarity, however, execution time will slow and together is incinerated. It’s different in a traditional vertical setup…even that has its limitations, but Blue Öyster Cult showed none of that on Tyranny And Mutation.
They’ve played among the most shows in history. Never seen them. I wanted to attend the full T&M treatment at Sony Hall in New York City on September 22, 2022, but shame on me for not scooping up a ticket right away. Because while the BÖC lineup has changed, I’m sure the spirit of collaboration flows through the ranks as it did when they recorded this album. And all these years later, the context gained enables us to further understand its brilliance like a P&L that proves a business is in the black, not the red.