Rush fans on BOC-L

[John Majka]

>>Can't believe there are so many Rush fans on a BOC list.  I can't see
>>any connection between the two.  Any theories?

Well, I remember a Neil Peart radio interview maybe around 1988 or so in
which he mentioned that they had opened for Hawkwind on the Caress of Steel
tour (which among Rush trivia buffs is known as the tour and album for which
the band as well as the fans had the least amount of enthusiasm).  Earlier
on, of course, Rush had some sci-fi/mythical themes to the lyrics (like HW
and BOC), and the earlier stuff was more of a straight ahead rock sound,
like BOC.

Truth be told, I haven't detected all that many people on this list who are
into progressive rock.  Blue Oyster Cult seems to me a band listened to
mainly by die-hard fans of blues-based classic rock.  Ask for a BOC fan's
top ten bands, and they're likely to be such things as Bad Company etc.  The
Hawkwind camp is definitely more inclined to
experimental/psychedelic/progressive music, but there is still a "rock"
element there as well.  Ask for a HW fan's top ten bands, though, and you're
more likely to see things like Ozric Tentacles or Gong.  Even though I'm a
huge HW fan, I must admit that many of the fans (of both bands at BOC-l)seem
like stuck-in-the-mud types with musical interests that ceased growing
approximately 20 years ago.  I mean there have been an awful lot of great
bands from every time period, and I guess I just get a little upset
sometimes with the narrowness of some people's tastes.  Does anybody on this
list buy music by relatively "new" bands which aren't related to HW or BOC?
I sometimes wonder.  I own 90+ Hawkwind and Hawkwind spinoff CDs in addition
to countless bootleg tapes, videos and vinyl, but just to cite my diversity
(or possible lack of) I also own releases from bands such as:  Guided By
Voices, Cocteau Twins, Thin White Rope, Pale Saints, Flying Saucer Attack,
Dinosaur Jr., the Cure, Smiths, Morrissey, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Husker Du,
Naked Raygun, Current 93, Smashing Pumpkins, Stereolab, R.E.M., Lush, Swans,
Superchunk, Throwing Muses, His Name Is Alive etc.  Of course there are the
expected favorites like Tangerine Dream, Can, Gong, Ozric Tentacles etc. also.
I don't know what this proves.  Just thought you'd be interested.

John Majka
flossbac at wcic.org
PS: After seeing the Love In Space video, I don't feel so antagonistic
toward Ron Tree!