In Dominance and Submission: The Blue Oyster Cult Canon, three-time BOC book author Martin Popoff turns the microphone away from himself to moderate a gathered and esteemed panel of Cult experts for deep-dive discussions on every Blue Oyster Cult studio album. No stone is left unturned, as we look at the personalities in the band, every song, every album cover, the band's highly regarded lyrics as poetry, their music as ground-breaking and genre-defying. Dominance and Submission is set-up in Q&A format, allowing for pure and piercing prose that is also conversational and easy-access. In the end, the author is confident that the wise words from this cabal of music authorities-with Popoff not pulling any punches either, joining in the fun when the door is opened-will have you playing the band's "canon" with a renewed appreciation as to the complexity laced throughout such albums as Tyranny and Mutation, Agents of Fortune-with its career defining hit "(Don't Fear) The Reaper"-Spectres, Fire of Unknown Origin and the daunting Imaginos. But have no fear, Martin and his team have taken us right up to the band's effusively received comeback album, The Symbol Remains, bringing band and fan full circle-umlauts included, of course. Finally, augmenting the learning (and listening) experience, Dominance and Submission provides a plethora of images that make these essays on the band's fifteen albums that much more visceral. Bottom line: if you thought Martin had covered everything you need to know in his definitive Agents of Fortune: The Blue Oyster Cult Story, think again-the analysis proffered by his panel even sent Popoff back to the sacred texts for a rock 'n' roll re-imagining. If he's been made smarter by what these guys have to say, you will be too.
