Song of the Day 2/11: Blue Öyster Cult, “Career of Evil”
Pretty much everyone in the Trump administration could accurately title his memoirs “Career of Evil,” so I hope Patti Smith sues anyone who dares to. The godmother of punk wrote the lyrics to several tunes for the Long Island-based Blue Öyster Cult, including this cut from the 1974 album “Secret Treaties,” before she formed her own band with Fred “Sonic” Smith. They even asked her to be their lead singer, but she wisely turned them down.
“Career of Evil” was released as a single. Like all but two of BÖC’s singles, it didn’t chart. But the two exceptions, “Burning for You” and “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” became classic rock radio standards. The latter gave the band its greatest moment of exposure when its percussion track launched the classic Will Ferrell SNL sketch.
