Blue Oyster Cult: Allen Lanier, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, Eric Bloom, Joe Bouchard, Albert Bouchard.
The Cult's 1979 response to the punk rock explosion is a bit of a puzzle. Recorded without Sandy Perlman, the band's long-time conceptual guru and producer, MIRRORS is essentially metal-lite pop--simultaneously more accessible and more generic than the Cult's usual self-consciously sinister fare; in fact, there are moments here when you could be excused for thinking you're actually listening to Boston or Billy Joel. Still, what the music lacks in menace it makes up for in melodic hooks and four-part harmonies; standout tracks in that regard include "The Great Sun Jester," a sweet piece of psychedelic pop that verges on the Beatle-esque; "You're Not the One," a nice new wave-style put-down that recalls the group's roots as a Long Island bar band; and "In Thee," which mates soaring vocals to the familiar chords from "Sweet Jane."
