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"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is a song by the Blue Öyster Cult from the 1976 Album '' Agents Of Fortune ''. Written and sung by Guitar ist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser , it is Blue Öyster Cult's biggest hit, reaching #12 on the American charts in November, 1976 , and remaining in the top 100 for twenty weeks. The song remains a staple tune on Classic Rock radio playlists. In 1997 '' Mojo '' magazine ranked "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" at #80 in the "100 Greatest Singles of All Time." '' Rolling Stone '' magazine voted the song "Best Rock Single" of 1976 and in 2004 the magazine's list of the " 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time " ranked it at #397. The reaper is a reference to the Grim Reaper , a traditional personification of death in European-based folklore. Lyrics such as " Romeo And Juliet are together in eternity" have led many listeners to interpret the song to be about a Murder-suicide pact, though Roeser has attempted to explain it as just a song about love lasting for eternity. The opening Guitar riff and use of Cowbell are inspired by the Creedence Clearwater Revival song " Born On The Bayou ". The 2001 Remaster of ''Agents of Fortune'' includes Buck Dharma's original 4-track demo of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (6.20 m), which does not feature cowbell. POP CULTURE REFERENCES TO THE SONG The song was the focus of a , the lead singer of Iron Maiden ) is in charge of the production and remastering of BÖC's back catalogue, he had no connection with the 1976 production of ''Agents of Fortune''. In addition, the sketch includes a completely fictional member of the band, "Gene Frenkle" (played by Will Ferrell ), whose sole function is playing the Cowbell . The cowbell player for the actual recording was Eric Bloom . Blue Öyster Cult have referenced the sketch themselves in their concerts, at one point having the cowbell player stand front and center at the lead microphone, announcing "It's all about the cowbell!" An . OTHER VERSIONS
Although not a cover version, the 1979 hit "Message in a Bottle" by The Police bears a definite similarity to "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", most notably in the main guitar Riff and in some of the solo guitar parts. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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