BOC:Kerrang Biog (At last)

Imaginos cis4 at ABER.AC.UK
Fri Nov 24 11:04:48 EST 1995


Sorry for the delay- here it is (if you're still interested)

Originally travelling under the monikers of SWU & SFG (recording one album
for Columbia as the latter & still using the former for secret gigs & one -
off projects to this day), BOC rapidly established an art rock & biker
following on the back of frequent support tours with Alice Cooper. Their
customised Pagan logo for Chaos can still be seen on numerous road hogs
worldwide.
        Throughout the 70's & under the guidance of writer/producer Sandy
Pearlman, the band crossed the bridge from underground to mainstream
success. Eventually admired as much by the East Coast opium fiends as by
West Coast surfers & European headbangers, BOC were melodic, moody & the
cranium-crunching alternative to the likes of Aerosmith & Ther Eagle. At
their height they were a cartoon acid tab for the masses, a toungue in cheek
riff monster & an intalligent powerhouse.
        The bands earliest recorded output for the Columbia label could not
match their live reputation . Alkthough the eponymous debut wasa hotch potch
of crashing guitars & cosmic imagery, the potential was hard to ignore.
Diehard fans, however , would rather remember 1974's Secret Treaties as an
album to cherish.
        With its cover drawing of a ME262 bomber & appropriately relentless
musical muscle, ST is also unusual for its lyrical contribution from NYC's
priestess of punk poetry, Patti Smith. She contributed several lyrics to the
album & could be seen around town in the arms of keyboard player Allen
Lanier. It was a lasting relationship, both musically & romantically. In
1984 Smith contributed a song (Shooting Shark)to the bands RBN album, & her
involvement endeared BOC to a whole new circle of fans world wide.
        In 1975 the band recorded the first of their three live albums.
Although OYFOOYK was produced in a bucket of sand, the double live set
containd the cream of BOC's material, such as Last Days of May, 7 Screaming
diz-busters, Hot rails to Hell & The Red & The Black. Even the cover artwork
- a gleaming stretch limo parked outside a shrouded chapel - was as powerful
a statement as any in the field of Heavy Metal.
        Off stage the 5 members of BOC were unassuming & quiet. There are no
great stories of drug or stimulant abuse. All are softly spken & well
informed, character trend that didn't really prepare the band fr their
massive success in1976.
        Rumour has it that Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roesier wrote the three
chrds to DFtR as a direct tribute to The Byrds. It became an immediate Hard
Rock classic & is still the centre point to any live show, the spiralling
riff always played on Buck's pre-set Gibsoon SG & Blom supplying the songs
massive sustain with the help of the then revolutionary E-Bow. The song was
an instant hit in America but didnt chart in the UK until 1978. It was taken
from the album Agents of Fortune which could also boast another live
favorite in the shape of ETI, as well as Patti Smith on backing vocals again.
        The band were finally an international attraction that toured any
venue that could accomodate their pyros & lasers. Although underrated by
critics, 1978's live album SEE was a high-energy celebration of BOC. From
the opening rush of R U Ready to Rock & Godzilla to the climatic
rollercoaster of Astronomy & DFtR itself, it's essential listening for a fan
of any genuinely live albums.
        The release of Mirrors in 1979 saw the band growing slicker. It was
a move that worried long-term fans of the more familiar bludgeon & bombast.
CE, & FOUO continued to dissapoint, & when drummer Albert Bouchard quit
after the the bands appearance at Donington, many feares the worst. The show
was not a great success & Bloom managed to offend almost everyone he
encountered backstage.
        It was not a comfortable time for the band. 1982's third live album
ETL was a stodgy affair, featuring the bands drum roadie standing in for
Bouchard! That year Buck also cut a solo album (Flat Out) whilst Bloom could
be heard as a DJ on a NY radio station.
        The bands career continued to wane throughout the '80's until the
release of Imaginos i 1988. The album, despite hinting at the bands former
glories, was recieved with massed critical confusion. Eventually it
transpired that it was originall recorded as a solo album by Al Bouchard,
but partially re-recorded by the band & released under the name of BOC. It
was not a move to calm the stormy waters , although sales & general interest
remained quite healthy.

There it is. Writing this out has raised a few questions - what exactly did
Bloom say to everyone at Donington? Why is it that every biog of BOC I read
has  a different interpretation of the BOC logo? & If Imaginos had been
released as a solo record by Al - would any of us have regarded it as the
classic it undoubtably is? No offence to Al but over here in the UK we
probably wouldnt have even known it was released, I say this as it is
impossible to get the Brain Surgeons releases over here on my limited
budget, & the same would probably be true for Imaginos. There that might
stir up a can of worms - maybe I should have put an IMHO in there somewhere :)



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