Secret Treaties

Secret Treaties
Studio album by Blue Öyster Cult
Released	April, 1974
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	38:35
Label	CBS
Producer	Murray Krugman & Sandy Pearlman
Blue Öyster Cult chronology
Tyranny and Mutation (1973) Secret Treaties (1974) On Your Feet Or On Your Knees (1975)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(B)[2]

Secret Treaties is Blue Öyster Cult's third studio album, released in 1974.

In 1975, a Melody Maker poll of critics voted Secret Treaties as the "Top Rock Album of All Time." The album spent 14 weeks in the US charts, peaking at #53. It went gold in 1992. Secret Treaties is regarded by many fans and critics alike as Blue Öyster Cult's best album.

In 2010, Rhapsody (online music service) called it one of the all-time best "proto-metal" albums.^[3]

The cover, with art by Ron Lesser, depicts the band standing beside and sitting on a German Me262; this scene is inspired by the song of the same name.

Many songs from this album found their way into BOC playlists over the following years , including "Career of Evil", "Subhuman", "Astronomy" and "The Harvester of Eyes".

Track listing

Side one

1. "Career of Evil" (Albert Bouchard, Patti Smith) – 3:59
2. "Subhuman" (Eric Bloom, Sandy Pearlman) – 4:39
3. "Dominance and Submission" (A. Bouchard, Bloom, Pearlman) – 5:23
4. "ME 262" (Bloom, Donald Roeser, Pearlman) - 4:48

Side two

5. "Cagey Cretins" (A. Bouchard, Richard Meltzer) – 3:16
6. "Harvester of Eyes" (Roeser, Bloom, Meltzer) – 4:42
7. "Flaming Telepaths" (A. Bouchard, E. Bloom, S. Pearlman, D. Roeser) – 5:20
8. "Astronomy" (Joe Bouchard, A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 6:28

2001 CD reissue Bonus Tracks

9. "Boorman the Chauffer" (J. Bouchard, Murray Krugman) – 3:13
10. "Mommy" (Bloom, Meltzer) – 3:32
11. "Mes Dames Sarat" (Allen Lanier) – 4:07
12. "Born to Be Wild" (Mars Bonfire) – 3:40
13. "Career of Evil (Single Version)" (A. Bouchard, Patti Smith) – 3:00

Personnel

• Eric Bloom: Keyboards, stun guitar, lead vocals on 1,2,4,6,7,8, co-lead vocal on 5
• Albert Bouchard: Drums, lead vocals on 3, co-lead vocal on 5
• Joe Bouchard: Bass, vocals
• Allen Lanier: Keyboards, rhythm guitar, synthesizers, second lead guitar on "Mes Dames Sarat"
• Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser: Lead guitar, vocals

Notes

"Career of Evil"

Lyrics to the lead-off track "Career of Evil" were written by future punk poetess Patti Smith, a longtime contributor to the band (and, at the time, the girlfriend of BÖC keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Allen Lanier). Smith co-wrote tracks for at least five other BÖC albums.

A few changes were made to "Career of Evil" on the Single version (which is included on the album's 2001 remastered edition). The vocals are different: only Eric Bloom is heard for most of the song, instead of Bloom and Albert Bouchard singing together. Also one verse was removed ("Pay me..." to "...kneeling in the rain"). Part of the bridge was changed also, presumably to make the song more acceptable to radio: "do it to your daughter" became "do it like you oughtta."

"Flaming Telepaths"

There is a version of "Flaming Telepaths" without the music box intro on the compilation Don't Fear the Reaper: The Best of Blue Öyster Cult. There is also a version with these sound effects completed on the collection Workshop of the Telescopes.

The psychedelic folk group Espers covers Flaming Telepaths on their CD, The Weed Tree (2005).

"Dominance and Submission"

The Texas-based noise rock band Boxcar Satan covers "Dominance and Submission" on on its 2009 album Trouble All Its Own.

Old CDs

There is a mastering error in the solo during the song "Cagey Cretins", which has since been corrected in the remasters.^{[citation needed]}

Charts

Year	Album	Billboard 200
1974	Secret Treaties	#53

Certifications

Year	Album	Certification
1992	Secret Treaties	Gold

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Robert Christgau review
3. ^ 10 Essential Proto-Metal Albums Referenced July 27, 2010