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Allen Lanier, of Blue Öyster Cult fame, died this week of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease generally assumed to be a result of his heavy cigarette smoking.
BOC was the first band I knew of that borrowed an extra-lingual umlaut to distinguish its name, in a move that came to be synonymous with "metal". Lanier himself made huge contributions to American punk music as well via his work with Patty Smith, the Clash, Iggy Pop, and others.
Good summary here, from Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/blue-oyster-cult-co-founder-allen-lanier-dead-at-67-20130815
Everyone references "Don't Fear the Reaper" and like a lot of my generation I've listened to that in a variety of altered states, but for BOC's guitar sound I've always favored "Godzilla" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln8-Y-fIbqM)
Requiescat in pace.
BOC was the first band I knew of that borrowed an extra-lingual umlaut to distinguish its name, in a move that came to be synonymous with "metal". Lanier himself made huge contributions to American punk music as well via his work with Patty Smith, the Clash, Iggy Pop, and others.
Good summary here, from Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/blue-oyster-cult-co-founder-allen-lanier-dead-at-67-20130815
Everyone references "Don't Fear the Reaper" and like a lot of my generation I've listened to that in a variety of altered states, but for BOC's guitar sound I've always favored "Godzilla" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln8-Y-fIbqM)
Requiescat in pace.
