The 70s was a glorious time for rock music

More cowbell!

This song never gets old. It would be a hit if it came out today. Perfect.

That guitar solo is an absolute Buck Dharma gut punch. Gets me every time.

This is a goosebump type of song and hasn't lost its edge for these many years. 1976 was a great year for music. BOC are fine musicians and lyricists.

Great reaction, Another great Blue Oyster Cult song is Burnin`for you

Fun fact this song was featured on a SNL skit about getting more cowbell that's where that reference comes from I believe it was Christopher Walken

The Guitar Work by Buck on "Godzilla" is so Good, and So Infectious.

“I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!.” Great song. Another that my generation knows all the words.

I get where you're going when describing the BOC sound. It was unusual and some would surmise "ahead of their time" when it was released in 1976, and it remains a 70s Rock classic to this day because of it's ease of flowing smoothly within a 70s, 80s or 90s playlist. These 70s players obviously were influenced by the vocal harmonizing of the 60s as well and its evident here. Nice y'all!

My high school friends and I had some good times listening to this album. The SNL skit probably did more for this song than radio ever did - just in time for my kids to enjoy it in their high school years. Great commentary, gents. Thank you. Funny thing about fusing 60s, 70, and 90s - the 90s were still 15 years away when they recorded this. Think about that!

They hit the radio a few times, but mostly these guys were about playing live and having fun with music. So many odd songs that make you think.

So glad you guys are checking out BOC. The band themselves are all super talented and have covered a few genres in their time, but what they're most known for among fans is the storylines that run through their albums. They have songs sometimes decades apart that are pieced together lyrically into a big cosmic horror story written by Sandy Perlman their manager. This is one of their few mainstream hits but their discography is full of fantastic rock. This track actually had some controversy because outlets mistakenly interpreted the lyrics as glorifying suicide. Fun fact: they even worked with Randy Jackson (yes, of American Idol fame) on a few tracks on their album The Revolution By Night.

This is truly one of the great classic rock songs

Playing in background in Halloween. When Michael Myers’s is driving the stolen car stalking her lol

This band is one of my all-time favorites. All members of the band were songwriters and 4 of the 5 took turns singing lead and the 5th would sing lead once in a while. Several of them were good on multiple instruments. Most of their best material, outside of this one, were never played on the radio. They did have good songs that charted but they were more of an album and live in concert band.

This song was on the radio all the time in the 70s. This is a classic,thanks for playing this.

Blue Oyster Cult was the first concert me and my wife went to together in 1978. Been together 43 years now. They will always be special in my memory of good times of my life. Thank You two for what you do.

Bicentennial year, 76!! Fusion, mixing, Idk, its all magic to my ears!! 😂 You both just get it!! 🥳

Great band, this song is a timeless masterpiece.

The harmonizing does sound 60’s inspired! I learn so much listening to your reactions. Thanks for lending an ear to another great rock classic, brings me back to my high school years. Peace ✌🏽🤘🏿

I saw them live two years ago, they were great!!!

Just found this in Wikipedia: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was written and sung by lead guitarist Buck Dharma and produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman.[10] The song's distinctive guitar riff is built on the "I-bVII-bVI" chord progression, in an A minor scale.[11] The riff was recorded with Krugman's Gibson ES-175 guitar, which was run through a Music Man 410 combo amplifier, and Dharma's vocals were captured with a Telefunken U47 tube microphone. The guitar solo and guitar rhythm sections were recorded in one take, while a four-track tape machine amplified them on the recording. Sound engineer Shelly Yakus remembers piecing together the separate vocals, guitar and rhythm section into a master track, with the overdubbing occurring in that order.[12]

Don't Fear the Reaper "deals with the inevitability of death and the belief that we should not fear it. When Dharma wrote it, he was thinking about what would happen if he died at a young age"

"Burnin for you", another good one to react from BOC...

I Got A Fever And the only prescription….IS MORE COWBELL! 🤣🤣🤣

Saw them twice in the 70s, try City of Flame, kick ass song! Enjoy your reactions ❤

This song was all over FM radio. The album came out in 76, my Freshman year of HS.

When that lead comes in...chilling! The words are not to be missed...

I love watching you guys react to the soundtrack of my life. I lived in Columbus Georgia grew up there and these guys came every year for years. You hit the timeline perfect the 70s for the glorious time like the other guy said... A lot of music in the late sixties and early seventies are like operas... The arrangements are like different movements of great vocals and also chord changes, the various harmonies and words that mean so much... the lyrics are awesome from this time frame and genre. The fact you guys are appreciating this makes me appreciate you I'm a long time subscriber and daily watcher!!!!! 💕

Best SNL Sketch ever! "I gotta fever and the only prescription is more cowbell."

Buck Dharma is one of those guitarists whose style is so unique and distinctive, that soaring, chiming sound. I actually never tire of hearing this one. And I would never have picked up it sounding 60s or 90s, but you have keen, fresh ears. Thanks. Can’t beat BOC…the thinking man’s heavy metal band. Still touring too ! 👍🎸

Not all popular artists cared about whether they had hit (Pop) songs... Most rock bands back then, were just artists... it was the producers who were constantly looking for formulas for successes (Hits) there is a difference. Thumbs up for trying to figure it out... sometimes it's easier to just sit back and enjoy! 👍

Agents of Fortune is one of the BEST ALBUMS. Front to back of the 70's rock era. !!!!! Truely underrated. All the songs are great!

An all time rock classic! For the hundreds of times I've heard this I never picked up on those 60's style of harmonies but you are on point. Great observation.

This blew up our radios all summer

We all had this record in '76. "Don't Fear the Reaper" caught everybody's attention on the radio. Check out "Godzilla"... anything but subtle.

When BOC first released this song, even the critics were blown away and immediately called it a masterpiece.

Hey guys, great react! If you enjoyed this B.O.C. classic might I recommend another B.O.C. classic titled "Burning for You", I believe you'll enjoy that one also! Keep up the great work guys. Peace out! 👍💯🔥🎸🇺🇸😎

Can't believe you guys haven't reacted to this song before. PLEASE do their song VETERAN OF THE PSYCHIC WARS. Insane musicianship!

Great song and reaction! Hearing this reminds me of a morning in 1976, on my way into work, listening to the radio when a young lady called in to request, " could you please play that new song, that new song don't spill the refer". There was dead air for a second then the caller starts to sing it. I almost drove off the rode laughing. Still makes me smile.

GREAT REACTION FELLAS ! Yall was feeling that one !🎉 MISSISSIPPI ROCKEN APB ! 🎉

What a great decade for rock music. Saw them in concert in the 70's and they were the first to use lasers and wow it was great.

I got to see them perform this live in the late 70's. Epic! You guys so get it. Wonderful!

This is one of the best produced tracks ever.

That song is such a masterpiece. And I'm pretty sure you may have covered I'm Burning For You, but you guys would probably also really really love their hit song Godzilla. Talk about fusing decades. Wow. It's just so fun and yet it does encode a serious message.

I LOVE Blue Oyster Cult! They were my mainstay concert all throughout the 70’s…my youngest daughter, age 26, saw them in Atlanta in 2021..all she said was “those guys can still shred”…and she bought me a Secret Treaties T-shirt to boot. These fellas were metal rock when the genre had yet to be developed. Great reaction guys, you always give me things to ponder..thank you! Cheers!

Once while working on Federal Death Row I was walking Timothy McVeigh down the tier to the shower. He was singing, "It's so easy to fall in love." quietly. I said MC VEIGH! He stopped and asked, What Sir. I told him, this is a penitentiary. Real men don't sing love songs on the way to the shower. He said, Your right, Sir. He started singing, Seasons don't fear the reaper. Nor do the wind and the Summer rain. Every time I hear this song I remember that day.

I been blasting this tune for over 35 years. ❤

Wow, just absolute wow. I have loved this song since I was a kid and never did I realize what it was that made it stand out so much and seem ageless. Your guys's take on the fusion of the decades was brilliant, I actually drew in a breath in surprise. You hit it right on the nose. whether it was on purpose or not...well, some would say even if it's not directly done that way, it's still in the subconscious as the artists make the music. Who knows which comes first? This song was pretty popular in the early eighties and has been in pop culture pretty much since it was released in the 70's. It's never gotten old for me. Great analysis!!!

" I love the night," and " Revenge of Vera Gemini " are 2 more top notch boc tracks that are worth putting your ears to

I’ve been waiting for you guys to react to this one! Near Halloween too! Perfect!

This is definitely one of my favorite bands, some people will say they are a Prog band and you really can’t argue with that, you’ll hear every genre of music if you listen to their albums and yes they did it on purpose, but you really can’t help but to do it on purpose because their influences back in the 50s and 60s we’re so strong

This came out in 1976. Iconic rock anthem.

It was used in the opening to The Stand. One of the best movie intros ever.

I had the pleasure of seeing them live twice. My favorite BOC song and always will be. The beginning of Stephen King's "The Stand" (1994 and best version) features this at the beginning. Some folks back when this was on the radio every day thought it was encouraging suicide but deep down it's a love song. The love of two is one.😍😍 Another band with this kind of vibe and depth you need to check out if you haven't already is Kansas. Fun fact: Before they were Blue Oyster Cult, they were The Great White Underbelly.

BÖC is one of my favorite bands from the '70s and early '80s. I won tickets to see them and Pat Travers back in 1981, thanks to this song... A couple of my personal favorites are "I Love the Night", "Burning for You", "Astronomy", "E.T.I. (Extraterrestrial Intelligence)", and "Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll".

Great song❤Great reaction. Y'all get it❤

I know I keep writing that’s “they’re one of my favs” but BOC is one I still listen too all the time. Buck Dharma is one of my all time favorite guitarists. He plays such creative guitar solos . They were/are so cool! Great reaction guys! Love listening to this with you!

The first concert I went to was BOC in 1976. This song live was amazing.

this came out in 1975, love this band, have seen them... a few times, was even at Arizona Jam 80 when they got rained out, great video, thanks

Guys thanks for your input..I got to see this in concert way back..I still have the album..the light show was incredible...blue oyster cult in the day was incredible... fantastic laser show...

This is the song that Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken more cowbell sketch on Saturday Night Live.

You can rest assured Blue Oyster Cult knew EXACTLY what they were doing. Many of their songs have radically different sounds. They 100% loved to experiment.

Totally cool, thank you! I've been waiting for you guys to review this one, and how perfect to have it just in time for Halloween!😅🧡💛🖤🤘🎶

This song ALWAYS gives me goosebumps.

If some of you are first time BOC listeners here are three more awesome example tunes to check out: 1) Debbie Denise (About a cat). 2) Burnin' For You 3) Shooting Shark (Look for the 7 min. song version). Enjoy!

This absolutely never gets old ❤

"Agents Of Fortune" is a great album.

You two are da coolest!!! Keep on keeping on !

I love waiting in anticipation of that guitar solo, the way it strikes in. It's so beautiful.

It wasn't until KZfaq that they got called out on the topic of the song I remember growing up hearing it and never once thinking about the S word. But what I love most about this song is that lick. It nearly plays through the whole song

One of my FAV BOC TUNES!!! SO LOVE THIS SONG!!! Hugs, Guys!!

Another incredible song brought to you by the 70s!

The song that brought us the endearing "more cowbell" parody (and catch phrase)!

This song was the first top 40 hit for Blue Oyster Cult. Their first album came out in 72.

Everything about this song screams banger from the iconic riff, the chorus and instrumentation.

This is one of my alltime favorite rock n' roll songs. Just always sounds good. Great one fellas

BROS, I knew a guy here in our little community that liked speed, racing around squealing tires, drawing the attention of the cop. After a couple accidents, Jimmy met his final one, car upside down, with his tape player stuck on this song, repeating over and over, "Don't Fear the Reaper".

Guess what, I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!

Saw them at an outdoor concert at Stateline, Idaho in the mid-70s. It was amazing concert as there were several other bands over the whole weekend.

Back in the early seventies we used to play this song to death on the City Cafe jukebox while shooting pool in the back room.

All time great song. They came to town not long after it came out.

Some controversy over the lyrics, originally as some people, took it as a invitation to suicide. But if you listen, carefully, you understand it’s an incredibly beautiful song about not having to fear death. In fact, for some people who are suffering it can be a beautiful thing they no longer have to be in pain and maybe they can live in eternity

I didn't notice it in another comment, so I'll mention that this is the song in the SNL skit with Will Farrell playing the cow bell and Christopher Walken saying that what he needs is "More cow bell!" The song is bigger than the skit, but the skit is a significant cultural moment.

This tune plays in the background in the 1st "Halloween"...great reaction!

An oldie but goodie. Reminds me of when I was in elementary school. 😊

My very first concert, March 12, 1983. Mind blowing!

Just so wild watching you guy’s eyes light up!!

The cowbell…. Well there’s a thing there. SNL. Chistopher Walken.

The snare had you Laa! You can’t deny it!

Blue Oyster Cult are quirky! Great reaction again Gents!😊

BOC would play small clubs around NYC, they had such a big following they would change their name to "Soft White Underbelly" to keep the clubs from getting flooded with fans..

One of the loudest concerts I ever attended, Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult!!

Lmao! I can’t hear this song without thinking of the skit on SNL with Will Farrell & Christopher Walken!!!❤🤣 More Cowbell!!

One of the best songs ever.

Classic track from a favourite album of theirs.

This band had musical talent on a level with Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd. You can time travel while high to their Cultasauruserectus album. Black Blade and Lips in the hills are other worldly.

You would love their early stuff. Red and Black, OD'd on Life Itself, Last Days of May (Live) or Dominance and Submission. 7 Screaming Dizbusters would be a real cool deep cut.

Did you know that they used this song on an SNL skit with Christopher Walken and Will Farrell ... The More Cowbell skit ... gotta see it if you never have ...