Blue Oyster Cult: Tracks Written (and Co-Written ) by Allen Lanier (RIP)

Just a few days ago, I heard about the sad passing away last month of (retired) Blue Oyster Cult keyboard player and guitarist, Allen Lanier (RIP).

Over the years, I've been blessed enough to catch Blue Oyster Cult live six times, four of which were with Lanier (1981 at Castle Donington; 1983 and 1988 at Manchester Apollo and about 2002 at London Astoria).  Really liked how Lanier balanced handling the keyboards in the background (or at the side) with playing guitar alongside Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom at the centre of the stage. 

As soon as I heard of Lanier's passing away, I started playing all my old BOC albums, and started looking at who'd written the various tracks over the years.  It was interesting to see which tracks had been written (or co-written with others) by Lanier.

For example, on the self-titled 'Blue Oyster Cult' album, Allen Lanier co-authored four of the tracks, my favourite of which is 'Workshop of the Telescopes':

For me, this track exemplifies the quirky, (almost) psychaedelic quality that BOC have pumped into some of their tracks over the years.

Next up, on BOC's most successful album, 'Agents of Fortune' in 1976, Lanier penned both 'True Confessions' and 'Tenderloin'.  These are not my favourite tracks on the album, but, somehow, 'True Confessions' has remained at the forefront of my mental jukebox over the years, so something subconscious must've been going on, I guess:

Yeah, for me, this is just a really cool track with some great piano work.

After this, Lanier wrote 'Searchin' for Celine' on the 1977 'Spectres' album, which, once again, wasn't my favourite track on the album.

But which is my favourite Allen Lanier penned BOC track?  Well, that would have to be 'Lonely Teardrops' from the 1979 'Mirrors' album.  Now, this time, this is my favourite track on the album, as, for me, it just has a wonderful melodic quality magnified by the background female vocals.  Moreover, the track seems to stand the test of time, as, for me, it doesn't sound in any way dated. 

First heard 'Lonely Teardrops' as the B-side to the 'Mirrors' single on coloured vinyl, as I only got round to getting the 'Mirrors' album a few years later.  Of course, Allen Lanier also wrote 'In Thee' off 'Mirrors' which many people consider to be the seminal track off the album:

For many years, I just falsely assumed that because Buck Dharma sings the track, he must have written it, and it was only recently that I discovered that Allen Lanier, in fact, penned 'In Thee'.  Must mention here that despite 'Mirrors' not being my favourite BOC album, I don't think it deserves the slating it has sometimes received over the years, and may be justly considered a touch underrated.

Finally, Lanier co-authored both 'The Marshall Plan' on the 1980 'Cultusaurus Erectus' album and 'Don't Turn Your Back' from the 1981 'Fire of Unknown Origin' album:

Love 'Don't Turn Your Back' as, for me, it's another example of BOC turning on the quirky, (almost) psychaedelic style that I mentioned earlier on (of course, I could be just imagining this, but it takes a great song to get the imagination going).  Must also say that 'Fire of Unknown Origin' is my favourite album cover by any band (you just have to look at it to see what I mean, it's simply mesmeric).  Think I also recall Buck Dharma once saying that 'Don't Turn Your Back' was (one of) his favourite guitar solo(s).