Blue Oyster Cult: Transmaniacon MC

[5till12]

Still, I just kinda wish he would have added a harmony or something to that signature 8 note chromatic descending tail there. But hey, that's just my picky ass.....I loved the tune, that's why it was the first one I learned to play on that LP 38 years ago.

[MrCinto01]

wore this 8-track out!

[AngryPostmanSthlm2]

what to say? here they are, the amazing B.Ö.C!

[pbrick6301]

there best song ever

[Drizzlerman]

'A panorama of violence and suffering on Columbia records and tapes' You can hear why that tagline was used to advertise this album upon hearing this song.

[VitalSigns1]

Metalheads nowadays need to appreciate music like this...all they ever listen to is death/black metal and have forgotten where the roots came from

[11xzxzxz]

This is the best metal song I ever heard. I love different genres of rock but tried and fail to like metal. But this song is and most of the CD is great. Lester Bangs said the CD was metal for those who hate metal. Stairways to the Stars is also as beautiful as a foot.

[LEWFROST2]

@11xzxzxz seen these guyz live 5 times....

[11xzxzxz]

@LEWFROST2 Must have been great .. better than dying at Altamont.

[LEWFROST2]

@11xzxzxz lol.......yeah back in the day they toured alot with=AEROSMITH

[MaximvsDread]

These guys were born with talent dripping from their mothers wombs. Never again. Will there be such raw talent brought together by chance. HAIL! All kneel and recognize The Gods of Rock.

[ChrisYonts]

@MaximvsDread GROSS!

[Zaldon89]

Rock On !!!

[MonsieurPhouka]

Kamp KOINIA 1974 we were dancing in the dark

[flbicycleguy]

I literally wore a hole in this lp.

[bobasbestos]

Behind the bleachers,behind the tree,the ultimate terror is here....The Transmaniacon!

[beavis701]

BÖC is America's Black Sabbath, only with more pop sensibilities, and it doesn't take itself as seriously, as clear on Godzilla. And Blue Öyster Cult is much more thought-provoking and experimental. In fact, I'm gonna go ahead and say it, even though I'll get my head ripped off: Blue Öyster Cult is better than Black Sabbath

[soap797]

my mate didnt like this cause in the first line it says satan? gos to show people these days are narrow minded and stupid

[guitarshark]

Transmaniacon MC. MC, as in motorcycle club. Altamont is namechecked in the song...I guess it's Eric Bloom's bizarro take on the end of the peacenik '60s and the beginning of the wicked '70s. Or not.

She's As Beuatiful As A Foot, I'm still workin' on the meaning of that one. 38 years later.

[Gaffhart77]

You cant beat Transmaniacon MC

Trance/man eye/a CON. you been tricked by the wizard bitch!!!!

[bobasbestos]

The pain,the steel that you will feel...the transmaniacon.Serial Killer.

[DarthKrattus]

The guitar melodies actually remind me of Slayer. That is insane.

[ScottAln05]

The charm of this album is that it was done on the cheap. Black & white cover, no liner notes. The music isn't overproduced and layered with extra junk. Solid, basic tunes played well. "Spooky" lyrics to take your mind places while enjoying the substance of your choice. A great, simple pleasure.

[jlr41877]

@ScottAln05 Substance of Choice,This LP,In my living room,Blacklites and 2 lava lamps,Marantz Stereo system,4 Speakers,1 in each corner of the room,Volume at MAXXX,Do a few shots,followed by a 12 pack,the album played in its entirety.and My TrueLove,my Fiancee Toni Martin strippin and dancin to the great music.

HELLYEAH BUDDY

[ChrisYonts]

@ScottAln05 The charm of this album is that it sounds great.

[ScottAln05]

@ChrisYonts, And it's less filling!

[thechayman]

If you can find it, buy this album, its amazing, fucking old school metal

[lezzliea]

All the lyrics on early B.O.C. albums are something to cherish,you don't get poetry like that,these days.

[pduvall100]

First song I ever heard by BOC - so cool- brings back memories

seeing them at Cole Field House-University Of Maryland -1972-

very first band I ever saw in concert too- with Black Sabbath &

Black Oak Ark- thrilling and totally a whole new experience at

age 15 - To this day I am still amazed and infatuated with BOC!!.

[Drizzlerman]

Good song to listen to when watching violent scenes in movies, and disaster flicks.

[Drizzlerman]

The opening to this song is like having a electric charge jolted into the neck of a corpse and the remainder is like watching that corpse come to life like a Frankenstein monster and demolish everything in it's path.

[Johnhoulgate]

The bikers crashed the concert and their very presence was very intimidating to all the peace-loving hippies. The promoters decided that kicking out the bikers would piss them off, so they made the bikers the event's security force. While the Stones were playing Sympathy for the Devil, a fight broke out and one of the bikers stabbed someone to death.

[MattHatter]

@Johnhoulgate: Well the Angles had been causing fights all day, throughout both sets by The Flying Burrito Brothers and Jefferson Airplane. Both The Grateful Dead and Santana refused to play. It was during "Under My Thumb" that the stabbing took place.

[Johnhoulgate]

@MattHatter Yeah, I went back and did some more research. There was a lot more to how the bikers got there. It was the Hell's Angels who took on the job of guarding the stage equipment for $500 worth of beer. It wasn't unprecedented. The Stones used a British biker club to watch their stuff at their Hyde Park concerts. The Airplane and Dead used the SF Chapter of HA to guard their's at the free concerts in Golden Gate Park. There was another chapter, maybe an East Bay Chapter at Altamont.

[Johnhoulgate]

To Ag Prov, yes this song is about what happened at Altamont. Altamont is an area east of the San Francisco Bay Area along Hwy 580 heading into the Cental Valley. Back then, it was just a bunch of barren hills as far as the eye can see. Today, the hills are dotted with energy windmills. There was a concert there in 1970 or 71 that was billed as Woodstock of the West. The Rolling Stones was the main headline act. (more)

[Bojoe777NaBl]

wow youtube, that was mean, i had my volume at max with these huge speakers and your damn advertisement was 100x louder than the music... that hurt!!!!

[bobasbestos]

macho,mean and nasty.awesome song.

[bobasbestos]

this song is mean,macho,mysterious and very heavy.BOC rocks.

[Drizzlerman]

Has anyone tried applying a pentagram inside the circle of the album cover art? Because if you line it up right the upside down ? of their symbol is housed in the center of the pentagram and it makes it look cooler

[chaosopher23]

@Drizzlerman That ? is actually a symbol of Saturn tricked out a little bit. As for the interpolation of a pentagram, one doesn't need to put a pentagram in there somewhere to know that the band "[knew] a thing or two" on occult matters.

[eurekabach]

the cover quite reminds me of star war's Death Star when Luke is about to destroy it

[ralph4877]

this song is about a transient serial killer.super heavy song.

[chenzini]

'MC" stands for motor club

[Ullarsskald1989]

@chenzini If I may?

MC = Motorcycle Club.

John Shirley wrote a novel entitled "Transmaniacon" in which the main character contended with a motorcycle club who were BÖC fanatics...plenty of references to BÖC lyrics in the book. To others who have read the novel, my description is, admittedly, facile.

[Drizzlerman]

3:06 that riff used here at the end and the beginning is too insanely sick, it's mind shatteringly brutal for a '70's rock song.

[Drizzlerman]

on 2nd thought it makes me think of a giant sadistic futuristic clock with mechanical daggers for hands that it spin at a high speeds capable of slashing anyone foolish enough or forced into it to get near it to bloody bits. Then the diced pieces are sprayed into slots shaped like roman numerals which are fed into an incinerator.

[moo3992]

@Drizzlerman dude u r officially sicker than I...yeaaaaaaaaa!

[BATTLEDROID678]

@Drizzlerman nice theory, i thought it looked like an endless plain of elevators.

[Drizzlerman]

@BATTLEDROID678 It represents lives rather deaths to make up a structure but try applying a pentagram within the circle

[BATTLEDROID678]

@Drizzlerman why what happens, and wow i knew they were the thinking mans band but damn they were at it from the start!

[guitarshark]

Transmaniacon MC. MC, as in motorcycle club. Altamont is namechecked in the song...I guess it's Eric Bloom's bizarro take on the end of the peacenik '60s and the beginning of the wicked '70s. Or not.

She's As Beuatiful As A Foot, I'm still workin' on the meaning of that one. 38 years later.

[Drizzlerman]

@guitarshark Sandy Pearlman's lyrics were always getting at something heavier than what the band could always convey heir later material being mostly their own lyrics also being lighter musically than before.

[WhatFuckingUsernameI]

@guitarshark : Yeah I know what you mean. I thought it was about a vampire with a foot fetish.

[jlr41877]

@Drizzlerman hell yeah it is,it's badass,definitely groundbreaking

I fucking Love the BOC.

[ChrisYonts]

@Drizzlerman I'm with you up to "for a '70s rock song." B.Ö.C. is eternally mind-shattering.

[Drizzlerman]

@ChrisYonts yah ha and they frequently put on a killer live show too. Their stuff really takes the mind on a fantastic journey through dark and realms possibly left unexplored.

[Wehategod]

I have three BOC albums

[Drizzlerman]

@Wehategod Which ones? haha

[Wehategod]

Blue Oyster Cult Tyranny and Mutation Agents of Fortune and the Al bum with I'm burning for you

[Drizzlerman]

oh I thought you were gonna say the first three albums. The ones you have are ok but if I were going to own just three of theirs they'd be the first T&M and then Spectres. I never get tired of those and they flow the best in terns of song playability.

[HellolzEveryone]

@Wehategod well way to go

[merman08]

Don't Fear the Reaper, is not their only hit, Burnin for you, Death Valley Nights, this one we got here, and Godzilla and plenty more

[jax1moi8]

I'd never made the connection before (had this on vinyl in the mid-70's), but I wonder if this song influenced John Cougar on "Warmer Place to Sleep" (Uh-Huh album). 2:23 sounds like a part that could have. Just wondering.

[prospectus91]

This was a ballsy tune for a debut album. Also, "Transmaniacon" is a pretty cool book. Check it out.

[pduvall100]

This was not their debut album-

It was their 2nd album

[prospectus91]

From the Wikipedia entry on BÖC:

"Their debut album Blue Öyster Cult was released in January 1972, with a black and white cover designed by artist Bill Gawlik. The album featured the songs "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May." "

[Drizzlerman]

how so? Unless you're counting the Stalk Forrest Group St. Cecilia record that went unreleased until Rhino Handmade released it specially in 2001. But this is the debut of Blue Oyster Cult

[TheAgProv]

I've just been watching "Gimme Shelter" on TV - the docu of the Altamont thing - and I remembered this song is"pain, and steel, a bloody knife - we're Transmaniacon MC!" Is this track about Altamont, but from the PoV of the Hell's Angels who did security?

"Crowd of people

Crowd of words...

...we rushed the stage at Altamont,,,"

[MrFongool]

best part of the movie is when the pool cues come out....every beating was well earned by the recipient. Support Your Local 81.

[BuTTerSbeazy]

to the death

[luvumo2day]

my record skipped on this song it was an endless refrain 2;12-2;20 what are those lyrics back in 74 i sent away for the lyrics ,i think i paid two bucks and got a computor print out with the little holes on the side of all the lyrics it was almostt an inch thick(thats what she said)..is that too deep mon,

[WhatFuckingUsernameI]

@luvumo2day: There's a link to the info you're referring to @ the bottom of the Wikipedia page dedicated to BOC.

[Drizzlerman]

The title of this song could alos be a play on Necronomicon from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft whom S. Pearlman was a fan and reader of.

[Gaffhart77]

Correct me if Im wrong but I think Bouchard was there very best drummer. And hit fit the band the very best

[ellinlvx]

Aye, that he was! No offense meant, but the Only drummer in my opinion. The Bouchards were such an integral part of that band as to render any substitution ludicrous. It's amazing what a synCHRONOuS basic backbeat will do for a heavy band. You need it to keep any semblance of order as you lay on the subsequent layers, or a leaning Tower of Pisa may occur...

[Drizzlerman]

I always was fascinated by the word Transmaniacon. Because Trans means across maniac being someone who is insane and on being under the influence of something. So I always thought of beings under the spell of some sort of drug hidden in a drink to make them go insane to cross the threshold into the realm of evil. But also TRANCE MAN EYE A CON like a trance to trick you into seeing something that isn't really there to allow you to resign your soul i.e. die for it's cause. Either way spooky stuff.

[Gaffhart77]

wow, I guess I never thought of it that way. I am however only 24 years old. My step dad really got me into thius band big time tho. Nice insight my friend

[Drizzlerman]

B.O.C. is all about inspiring thoughts. Thinking mans hard rock band, they are. I'm only 23 btw

[Gaffhart77]

if you look at the cover of harvest moon i think the album is called, the mans eye seems to be possesed and that would fit somewhat with trance man eye a con

[Drizzlerman]

Maybe,his right eye also conceals their band symbol .

[TacticOgre]

(The album you're thinking of is Heaven Forbid)

When I first heard the song's title, I associated it with the Trans-Siberian express and the city of Oymyakon, one of the coldest places on the planet...

[ellinlvx]

No, I think it is "across, over or beyond obsessed with Harleys." Con being Spanish for "with."

[Drizzlerman]

maybe but when spoken phonetically you can make it out With the words TRANCE MAN EYE A CON giving it even more occult significance if you know anything about mind-control and brain wash techniques and even LSD experimentation

[ellinlvx]

That is the way Eric pronounces the word, it is true. But I look to the pronouncement of the creator of the word for my interpretation to have any basis. Seems like I read something about the effect of sound on the human brain a month or so age, and it said: Ahem, and I quote " an utterance so prehistoric, so primordial, so prehuman as to invoke our deepest genetic intimations of original chaos and the birth of tragedy. Of the time before there was any music: The pre-recorded roar of

[ellinlvx]

a specially modified (i.e. miked) 1960's Harley-Davidson Ironhead engine. Harley Rex, sui generis. It is here that the dialectic of the (Eternal) Feminine is fully engaged. As the reptile brain confronts the ethos of suburban America c. 1964. "Goin' to the Chapel (of Love)."

Okay, Pearl Man has spoken. Submitted for your consideration, my experience. As I entered the city limits to have my ring engraved, I sat at the Crossroads. Observing as from the opposite end of the spectrum I chanced to

[ellynlvx]

discover the epitomy of Aggresion Unleashed, a veritable "Murder of Crows." Thirty or so Leather-clad Brethren of the "Los Maniacos" variety lead-footed it in their eternal quest for freedom as they entered their passageway to the open road. Good God, man, my ears still ring! As we made our left turn and saw the Mexican Restaurant and consequent servitude that they had left behind in a swirling cloud of dust, I was reminded of this song in a big way. What about you?

[Drizzlerman]

I could hear a motor cycle engine roar in this song around 1:54

[Drizzlerman]

Where can I get copies of Pearlman's writings, books etc. Any websites? That is amazing stuff which really makes me want to read more. This type of knowledge and literature makes me want to keep living

[ellynlvx]

Ha, one of those Eternal Quest ions, and consequent pivotal point of my life as well! I found that one on a Patti Smith website, and what an indescribable Treasure it was! Heavens Above, I've never known such a Birthday before!

[Drizzlerman]

oh, I wish I could find some of his books like his 'History of Los Angeles' book

[ellinlvx]

Is there such of an animal? "Shadow of California" I am of course aware of. ( Even thought of it when that Leather Herd roared by me at the freeway entrance.)

[Drizzlerman]

I think so, but maybe the book hasn't been published in any major way but it is mention i chapters on the Blue oyster cult secrets revealed book.

[ellinlvx]

They ticked me off, so I may not have read it as deeply as I should have. I do know that Imaginos was slated to be a much bigger project than it turned out to be (don't even get me started on the idiocy of the record company brass!) and California was supposed to be a chapter in that saga. I have put out feelers in search of Published Pearlman, but have come up with zilch.

Sigh...

But who knows, maybe he wrote under a pseudonym somewhere, like Robert W. Chambers did, ha.

[desdanova3]

Still wondering about BOC force behind them- Sandy Pearlman- I know Ritchard Meltzer wrote many books, and I checked a few of them, irreverent humor and cinical. But Pearlman still a character to unveil. If you have some clue about where to look at, well, that could prove a sign...

[desdanova3]

Sorry Richard Meltzer

[deadflo]

This band continues to amaze. I heard the first album when it was new in 1972. I think the first three albums are some of the finest rock ever recorded.Nothing against the newer stuff though, they are still a great band.

In mid 70's they stood head and shoulders above the trite and commercial hard rock of the day!

[pduvall100]

That first album was so fascinating to me, but when I heard the the second (Tyr&Mut)- that totally put me over the edge- I was blown away and I knew I was hooked for good. .." Last Days of May" was so relavent to the scene, culture & friends at that time - what an impresssion and story-line!

[chaosopher23]

I wish they'd have had the money and ambition to make a video of every song off of their first, and at least half of the rest of their tunes. These lyrics deserve a good comic book writer's take on a visual!

[Drizzlerman]

That is exactly what I've been thinking ever since I listened to their music.

[WhatFuckingUsernameI]

@chaosopher23: That's what YouTube is for.

[Drizzlerman]

Apparently the producers particularly S. Pearlman were inspired by 1930's horror movie scores for many of the early songs imagine the riffs of this song played primarily by heavy piano keys and horns. Unsurprisingly it would sound like a old horror movie soundtrack,

[KillerPanda420420]

cant wait for this on Rock band ^_^

[tehmotherpuncher]

It's so nice to see them putting some more obscure BOC stuff on Rock Band. Maybe more people will realize that they have a crapload of awesome songs beyond stuff like "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Godzilla."

[Firecloud500]

I hear you man. Still hoping for Flaming Telepaths.

[solidsnakejt]

amen, i hope they get a 6pack or an album.

BOC are f*ing awesome

[Metamorph1c]

Man, I love this song. The music the lyrics... More people should take a listen to their first album and early stuff. I think is great. The right amount of effort and soul put in the instruments, lyrics and singing.

[wtfallnamestaken101]

dont be so pedantic, BOC was and still is underrated, the 'level' of underratedness is irrelevant, it is only human to exagerate things we feel strongly about. of course boc isnt the 'most' underrated, but thats a redundant statement b/c u could never prove what band is the 'most' underrated.

i hope that made sense, lol, BOC4life =)

[BrendelxD]

i cant believe this is gonna be on the Rock Band Metal Track Pack >:c

[11xzxzxz]

Great song of their first CD which is their best .. sorry reapers and burning for you fans.

[xxxxgayboixxxx]

not albums

[Enigma758]

I'd like to know the etymology of the word "Transmaniacon". I think it's a made up word.

[Drizzlerman]

Sandy Pearlman their manager, producer, writer made up the word as a name for a private rogue sect within the Hell's Angels.

[ellinlvx]

Think it had something to do with a Mexican Motorcycle Mafia or somesuch. Sort of a counterculture expression and polarity to the Peace/Psychedelic Movement Flower Children of the sixties. Keeping the Balance a la Sandy Pearlman.

[Drizzlerman]

Pearlman though it up as part of his 'History of Los Angeles' story and he originally called them the Los Maniacos club or something and they were supposed to be a bunch of insane Mexican waiters who form a biker gang.

[ellinlvx]

Ha, knew it was something to that effect. "A plot of knives" how bone-chilling is that? Reminds me of a "Murder of Crows," sort of.

Still maintain the Balance theory, however.

[Drizzlerman]

Overall this song was to represent the act or moment in time where the Hippy movement was officially killed off which was of course the incident at Altamont and B.O.C. was to be the band to be the antithesis of the flower power age and they were competing with Black Sabbath who also represented the dark side of the 70's with songs covering murder, war, vengeance, s&m, drug references, occult, although B.O.C. did it all with a more abstract morbid sense of humor than Sabbath ever could.

[ellinlvx]

Well said

[WhatFuckingUsernameI]

@Drizzlerman: You forgot Alice Cooper!

[cuttlefisch]

Cool song!! Love BOC, the most underrated band in history, IMHO.

[arsonist95]

Ive been saying that for so long, good to see someone who agrees

[RoeserFan]

Me, too.

[Enigma758]

They can't be the most underrated band, because we know about them.

[arsonist95]

For how good they are they are fairly unknown, if this was by someone of that era like the stones, zep or cream then this would be getting about a comment every 2 minutes numnuts

[Enigma758]

That might be true, but the fact remains that you and I don't know who the *most* underrated band is.

[CCDaDon15]

Underrated has nothing to do with how many people know about it.

[Enigma758]

Really? That's a pretty rigid statement. There are a number of factors that make a band underrated and not getting the word out is certainly one of them. Have you heard of a band called "Squeeze"? I'll bet you haven't as they had the same problem as BOC. At least BOC had a hit with reaper, but relatively few went back to discover their Black and White days.

[CCDaDon15]

Squeeze did Tempted and Cool for cats yes? I've heard of them. I wouldn't say Reaper is their only hit. Godzilla is played nonstop on classic rock stations where I'm at and its in quite a few stations.

I see "over and underrated" as what the people who have heard of them think not how many people know of them.

[CCDaDon15]

In quite a few commercials I meant -_-

[WhatFuckingUsernameI]

@CCDaDon15: I'd like to see someone try to use this song in a commercial.

[porcupineinteruptus]

Transminiacon MC is about the Hells Angels MC.The song is about a rolling stones concert in1969 in which a H.A. member killed a concert goer during a melee.Mick Jagger had hired them for security,it was at the Altamonte speedway in California,there are numerous references to altamont,the stage,ect in the song....

[crountym8t]

Great ;)

☺

[ashleesimpsonstar]

this is definately one good classic rock song !

[ashleesimpsonstar]

RESPECT!

[STARTGASME]

Anthem!

[Ncharlestun]

Lots of great songs and guitar licks from this band. They deserved more airplay than that "Reaper" song. "She's as beautiful as a foot" is wonderful. I met them after a show here in Charleston, SC in the early 80s at a big club. I walked around and there they were sitting at a table relaxing. We chatted a bit and they signed autographs for me which I still have. It was cool to meet BOC after years of rocking to their records.

[RoeserFan]

The first song from the first side of Cult's first album. This song established them as Gods of rock right out of the box. Very, very cool.

[stalwartduck]

I used to listen this all the time when I was 17. Still a fantastic song.

[JIF882]

I just got this CD the other day, and I'm 26

[Brizzlerman]

One of the greatest songs ever made.

[gk10002000]

I agree. That descending riff just flows so well with the bass. Kind of like the way an orchestra blends instruments that played individually don't do much, but together sound totally different.

[Brizzlerman]

At high volumes this song can be deadly to infants and the elderly which makes it ever greater. Aside from that it is just beautiful early '70's hard rock audio brutality with a psychedelic element to make it all the more mind warping and expanding.

[gk10002000]

I actually saw them in concert a few years before I could really appreciat them. It was a weird concert and really really loud with four bands that played short sets. Slade, Blue Oyster Cult, I can't even remember the others. I was able to get backstage because my sister worked at the Providence Civic Center and I caught one of the drummer's sticks. Not sure which band it was! he tosse around

[loom39]

Off one of the greatest albums ever made.

[Brizzlerman]

Definitely, I listen to it just about every day.

[eriurpigurerpi]

This opening song fucking rules.

[Voivod241]

We're pain, we're steel, a plot of knives

We're Transmaniacon... MC!!!

[send2meez]

YAH!!!