Agents of Fortune

Agents of Fortune is the fourth studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on May 21, 1976 by Columbia Records.

The Platinum-selling album peaked at No. 29 on the U.S. Billboard chart, while the cryptic single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, making it BÖC's biggest hit. The band became a bigger concert attraction after the release of the album, in part due to extensive airplay of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," to this day a staple of rock-station playlists.

Additionally, this is the only album in the group's discography to have at least one lead vocal performance by each original band member. It was also their only album to not include any songs written by Eric Bloom. However, the 2020 live release 40th Anniversary: Agents of Fortune Live 2016 adds Bloom's name to the authorship credits for "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)."

Critical reception
Rolling Stone wrote that "Agents of Fortune is a startlingly excellent album — startling because one does not expect Blue Öyster Cult to sound like this: loud but calm, manic but confident, melodic but rocking."

Cash Box said of the single "This Ain't the Summer of Love" that "growling guitars churn out this realistic message with brief and pointed expression" ... "a mood of evil created in a humorous fashion."

Personnel

 * Band members
 * Eric Bloom – guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion
 * Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – lead guitar, vocals
 * Allen Lanier – keyboards, rhythm guitar, bass on "Morning Final", vocals
 * Joe Bouchard – bass, piano on "Morning Final", vocals
 * Albert Bouchard – drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals


 * Additional musicians
 * Patti Smith – vocals on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"
 * Randy Brecker – horns
 * Michael Brecker – horns
 * David Lucas – vocals, keyboards, percussion


 * The cowbell on "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" may have been played by Albert Bouchard, David Lucas, or Eric Bloom.


 * Production
 * David Lucas, Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman – producers
 * Shelly Yakus, Andy Abrams – engineers
 * Tony Stevens – mastering
 * John Berg, Andy Engel – design
 * Lynn Curlee – paintings