Joe Bouchard is indeed a strange legend. As 1/5 of Blue Öyster Cult, he penned and sang some of the greatest songs in rock history. “Hot Rails to Hell”, “Morning Final”, “Vengeance (The Pact)”, and the masterpiece epic “Nosferatu”, are just a few examples of Bouchard’s brilliance. And while none of these songs get played to oblivion on classic schlock radio a la “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper”, they deserve just as much recognition.
Though its been nearly 35 years since Bouchard parted ways with BÖC, he’s continued to show off his exemplary songwriting abilities with a string of solo albums, the latest being Strange Legends. If you’re a fan of BÖC’s late 70s era, you’re in for a real treat. The songs on here tap more into that polished/melodic/semi-pop oriented vein as opposed to the cryptic/occult vibes of the first three albums. “The African Queen” opens Strange Legends in grand fashion with its picturesque lyrics and hard rocking guitars. The quirky “Walk of Fame” wouldn’t sound out of place on Mirrors (1979). Matter of fact, neither would “Hit and Run”.
On an album of BÖC inspired songs, it doesn’t get more BÖC inspired than my choice cut, “She’s a Legend”. Dark atmosphere, ominous synths, and an earworm chorus: This sounds like a lost song from Fire of Unknown Origin (1981)! With a Kinks cover (“All Day and All of the Night”) and a handful of softer songs to follow, Strange Legends begins to wind down, though not before hitting us with one more BÖC classic that never was, the chilling (no pun intended) “Winter”.
For someone who’s been in the game as long as Bouchard, you could forgive him for a lackluster release. His reputation as a hard rock god has long been cemented and the opinions of this amateur metal journalist are all but moot. However, Strange Legends is anything but “lackluster”. While all us diehard diz-busters patiently await the arrival of BÖC first new studio album in two decades, Strange Legends is bound to hold us over in the weeks and months to come.
7 out of 10
Label: RockHeart Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Blue Öyster Cult, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy