“Flat Out” is a solo album by Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, lead guitarist and vocalist for hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1982.
Although Roeser penned and sang all of BÖC’s biggest hits (“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”, “Godzilla”, “Burnin’ for You”), the band operated as a democracy, and some of the songs he brought to the band were deemed too poppy by the others, so he released many of them on his first and, to date, only solo record.
It was the year after BÖC’s commercially and artistically successful “Fire of Unknown Origin”. It’s too bad Dharma couldn’t sustain that vision for “Flat Out”, which is generally a mess, although it has some scattered interesting moments. Dharma seems unsure which direction “Flat Out” should take. It’s a schizophrenic mixture musically and lyrically. He plays virtually every instrument, but special guests include session wizards like bassist Will Lee and drummer Steve Jordan, new BÖC drummer Rick Downey and classic Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. Dharma’s wife, Sandy Roeser, co-wrote some songs and contributes background vocals. The production is sleek and Dharma’s guitar retains its capacity to sweetly sting one’s eardrums, but the songs are limp. The track “Come Softly to Me” begins with a 35-second backwards recording. When played in reverse, it is a conversation that mentions a bongo record that sounds like channel eleven music used to be. The conversation, which takes place during a game of ping-pong, ends with, “I could kick your ass but I know this is just for a sound check.” The Fan Club lyric book titles this song “Gnop Gnip” (ping pong spelled backwards). “Born to Rock” has a punk-like edge, a few clever lyrics, and a ripping guitar solo, but it fails as an anthem. The laid-back “That Summer Night” relies on a pop melody. The best thing about “Cold Wind” is the guitar arrangement: a slow, 1950s-like electric guitar riff with lightly strummed acoustic guitar on top. “Your Loving Heart” is simply bizarre and embarrassing. The lyrics attempt BOC-like morbid shocks the song’s literally about a heart transplant but they are laughable. The weird bridge featuring “hospital personnel” yelling out medical lingo also induces snickers. “Five Thirty-Five” is a spry, melodic hard rocker with a danceable jam at the end. The best song is the moody, soaring instrumental “Anwar’s Theme.” “Flat Out” didn’t even crack the Billboard album chart.
Although Roeser penned and sang all of BÖC’s biggest hits (“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”, “Godzilla”, “Burnin’ for You”), the band operated as a democracy, and some of the songs he brought to the band were deemed too poppy by the others, so he released many of them on his first and, to date, only solo record.
It was the year after BÖC’s commercially and artistically successful “Fire of Unknown Origin”. It’s too bad Dharma couldn’t sustain that vision for “Flat Out”, which is generally a mess, although it has some scattered interesting moments. Dharma seems unsure which direction “Flat Out” should take. It’s a schizophrenic mixture musically and lyrically. He plays virtually every instrument, but special guests include session wizards like bassist Will Lee and drummer Steve Jordan, new BÖC drummer Rick Downey and classic Alice Cooper bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. Dharma’s wife, Sandy Roeser, co-wrote some songs and contributes background vocals. The production is sleek and Dharma’s guitar retains its capacity to sweetly sting one’s eardrums, but the songs are limp. The track “Come Softly to Me” begins with a 35-second backwards recording. When played in reverse, it is a conversation that mentions a bongo record that sounds like channel eleven music used to be. The conversation, which takes place during a game of ping-pong, ends with, “I could kick your ass but I know this is just for a sound check.” The Fan Club lyric book titles this song “Gnop Gnip” (ping pong spelled backwards). “Born to Rock” has a punk-like edge, a few clever lyrics, and a ripping guitar solo, but it fails as an anthem. The laid-back “That Summer Night” relies on a pop melody. The best thing about “Cold Wind” is the guitar arrangement: a slow, 1950s-like electric guitar riff with lightly strummed acoustic guitar on top. “Your Loving Heart” is simply bizarre and embarrassing. The lyrics attempt BOC-like morbid shocks the song’s literally about a heart transplant but they are laughable. The weird bridge featuring “hospital personnel” yelling out medical lingo also induces snickers. “Five Thirty-Five” is a spry, melodic hard rocker with a danceable jam at the end. The best song is the moody, soaring instrumental “Anwar’s Theme.” “Flat Out” didn’t even crack the Billboard album chart.
Track listing
01. “Born to Rock” (Neal Smith, Roeser) - 3:24
02. “That Summer Night” (Donald Roeser) - 3:44
03. “Cold Wind” (Donald Roeser) - 4:38
04. “Your Loving Heart” (Roeser, Sandy Roeser) - 7:12
05. “Five Thirty-Five” (Donald Roeser) - 5:09
06. “Wind Weather and Storm” (Richard Meltzer, Roeser) - 2:35
07. “All Tied Up” (Donald Roeser) - 4:16
08. “Anwar’s Theme / Gnop Gnip” (Donald Roeser) - 4:11
09. “Come Softly to Me” (Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis, Gary Troxel) - 3:32
10. “Gamera Is Missing” (Donald Roeser) - 3:22
Credits
Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser – vocals, lead guitar, drums, synthesizer
Sandy Roeser – vocal, backing vocals
Neal Smith- drums
Dennis Dunaway – bass
Giis de Lang – additional rhythm guitar
Richard Crooks – drums
Will Lee – bass
Billy Alessi – synthesizer
Craig MacGregor – bass
Spyke Grubb – backing vocal
Teruo Nakamura – bass on
Richie Cannata – saxophone, clarinet, and horn arrangement
Steve Jordan – drums
Sue Evans – percussion
Ron Riddle – drums
Production
Ken Kessie – engineer
Clay Hutchinson, Jeff Kawalek – 2nd engineer
Tony Bongiovi – re-mixing
Chris Isca, Paul Mandl, Barry Bongiovi, Wayne Lewis, Jimmy Sparling – assistant engineers
Bob Ludwig – mastering
Donald Roeser – producer
Notes
Recorded at : Boogie Hotel Studios, Port Jefferson, New York, Kingdom Sound Studios, Long Island, New York, North Lake Studios, North White Plains, New York, The Power Station and Warehouse Studios, New York City, The Automatt, San Francisco, California, 1981
Genre: Rock
Length: 38:21
Label: Portrait Records
© 1982
No comments:
Post a Comment