Career of Brilliance: The Brain Surgeons: Black Hearts of Soul - 10th Anniversary (Bad Reputation 3098762)

 
One of the most remarkable careers in the history of rockmusic is that of Albert Bouchard. Original co-founder and drummer of highly intelligent rock band Blue Öyster Cult Albert has since his departure from BÖC in 1981 since 1994 together with his wife and rockcritic Deborah Frost had the band the Brain Surgeons. A virtual supergroup from the start, since their beginning having released a string of excellent albums, that with poetic, humorous and meaningful lyrics displayed through charming musical wit does what any good band should do: Pushes the limits for creating exitement that'll put you in an inspired mood. Now just take Eponymous the very first BS CD. If you can find a better party-CD TELL ME ABOUT IT! - the BS backcatalogue being a virtual treasure-trove of great songs making picking songs for a compilation seem like no difficult task. 
Consisting of songs from the whole BS catalogue BHoS has, with the ecception of the first song a re-recorded version of "Lady of the Habour", introducing BS newest member guitarist Ross 'The Boss' Friedman, and the last song "(666) Devil Got Your Mother" from Eponymous, its emphasis on the more fast straight rocking material of the band that with its remastered sound seem perfectly guided towards Euro Radio airplay.
 
"Lady of the Habour" originally appearing in a sort of electric folk-rock version on the BS 2CD release Piece of Work here comes with a big heavy sound Albert and 'tricky' David Hirschberg on bass holding down the beat, while the guitars comes washing in over you like one big warm wave, as Deborah rhetorically asks: Do you have a dream? presenting the somewhat ambigious image of the title. Following is two  'disappear in smoke' sort-of-versions of BÖC classics "Cities on Flame" and "Vera Gemini" that just cooks. This is the closest BS has ever been to sounding something akin to BÖC the three new songs indicating a bigger more textured sound than previously heard on the BS releases, having explored everything from experimental to psychedelic to hardrock and countryrock leanings but always with that great BS sense of humour pervading. Cool, fun even sometimes bordering on the macabre and always tongue-in-cheek. So while the new songs seem to present a more 'serious' straightrocking band, having heard live versions of material for the forthcoming CD, the good news is that BS has lost none of its quirky charm, the new songs merely being a cover-up, a little 'sugar on the spoon' one may say, to lead the way for presenting this more straight party-rocking side of the BS backcatalogue. Gradually moving back through their career BHoS includes the Helen Robbins penned fast rocker "Gun" as well as a 'new' version of "The Red & The Black" with new lyrics and entitled "Operation Luv" (The BÖC song "Cities on Flame" also appears sung in Spanish(!) on the BS release Malpractise) taken from the BS release Box of Hammers. Representing the more experimental and psychedelic side of BS is a 2002 fanclub re-recording of "Saint Virtus Dance" that originally also appears on Box of Hammers and the previously mentioned "(666) Devil Got Your Mother" none of the songs chosen for BHoS being slow with even the ballad representation the Patti Smith co-penned "Sally" taken from BS' second release Trepanation being a medium-fast rocker, on BHoS the BS backcatalogue is being displayed from its most garage-rocking side.
 
I've Seen the Future of Brain Surgeons, and it's COCK-ROCK!
 
I recently got very hurt when at a party playing BHoS to somebody this vulgar goofy-looking bloke present upon being asked his opinion did exclaim: It sounds like Cock-Rock! Feeling a sting in my heart from hearing those gross words of his, having in my naivety expected him to come up with something like 'very sophisticated' or even 'groovy', I with a pain in my heart quickly retreated to the kitchen sucking on my beer his snarling lip and mocking eyes forever imprinted in my mind.
More recently seeing his vulgar grinning as I toss and turn in my sleep I have begun having nightmares about this incident. Well they say dreams can come true and even nightmares too as I cover my ears seeing his curled lips form: COCK-ROCK and as he grins. Yet with live versions of the new songs for the forthcoming CD in mind BS is going for more garage-rock type of songs, sort of "If AC/DC had had humour" type of songs one may even say so maybe he was right?
 
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Anders Röder, Copenhagen 23-05-2005