BOC - "Ghost stories"

 

If this is the final "studio" album, their 15th "studio" by the progressive/hard rock/metal pioneer/giants BOC, then it is almost a complete disappointment. A compilation of leftovers,comprises a dozen songs originally recorded between 1978-1983 (with one from 2016), mostly from the middle and late period of the band with the more polished sound plus a couple of cover versions, of songs we already knew by their live renditions like 'Kick out the jams" by MC5.

No one questions the ability of BOC to write great songs. Even their leftovers, whatever they decide to play twelve bars/60s (BEATLES) influenced at "Gun", the funk meets the DOORS (at the keyboards department) "Soul Jive", Hard rock in the BOC of the late 80s era time in "Supernatural", " Don't Come Running to Me", slow tempo boogie, "Money Machine" with the BEATLESesque chorus, twelve bar rock n roll in "Cherry", the jazzy "Shot In The Dark" that grows in to a hard rocking song in the vein of "Revolution by night" songs, "The only thing"a mid tempo melodic ballad with the PROCOL HARUM style keyboards or covers "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (MC5),"If i fell" (BEATLES) these are songs other bands would never even dreamed to have in their original studio albums. But, the big but, Bloom,Roeser and co have the guts and the talent to create even in our Spotify dominated days, great songs as they proved in their recent studio album. So why not get themselves in the studio for one last time, let the creative juices flow and let the bunch of harcore fans get happy and buy the tangent material, cd, vinyl,whatever and the rest listen to the various platforms. We are all more than happy listening to new songs at their concerts, love how they enrich their l;ive set, with oldies , songs not often played or from their 21st century works.

They may feel old, tired and disappointed by the road taken by the modern music industry but along with them there is a small, hardcore group of fans like "Mike Mavrogiannis, in Greece who deserve one last final kiss of fresh air with new songs. At the album now, the collection has some highlights ,not a real low, so i'll say. "Cherry", "Shot in the dark", "Soul Jive" ,.are above average (for BOC standards). The sound is similar to "Cultösaurus Erectus", "Fire of Unknown Origin ", "Revolution by night" and Mirrors", mostly with the metal element bending nicely with their FM aesthetic. The covers are nice, nothing to get yourself on fire and at the end of the listening, you'll find yourself eager to revisit their vast discography and the live albums,tribute to older studio works with more interest.

So if Eric Bloom and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser read this, there is a whole Greek spinach pie for both of you, just go back to the studio for one final time.

7