Imaginos

About

Imaginos was a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult. The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972. Two "Imaginos" songs appeared on the 1974 album, Secret Treaties; "Astronomy" and "Subhuman" (retitled as "Blue Öyster Cult" on Imaginos). The remaining tracks were written during the following year, and in 1982, after Albert Bouchard left the band, he set about recording the songs for the project with the arranging help of Tommy Morrongiello. The as-imagined album and the as-released album bore little relation to each other. Comments from Bouchard and other band members suggest that the project was originally intended to span two or more album. However, CBS would only release the record as a BÖC album, and even then only in an abridged format, so it was shelved until 1988, when it was released by the then-current line-up of the band, without Bouchard's involvement. The album entered the Billboard Top 200 on August 19, 1988, peaked at #134 and exited the charts on October 8. It was given a rerelease on Sony's American Beat Records label on January 8, 2008, with corrected credit. Concept This section does not cite any references or source. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable source. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) This section may contain original research or unverified claim. Please improve the article by adding reference. See the talk page for detail. (February 2008) Imaginos was envisioned as a rock opera, though various circumstances surrounding the album's production and release render the story difficult to decipher - the songs were arranged on the album out of their intended order, certain songs were omitted, and even in the remaining songs the narrative progression is scarce. However, based on sleeve notes issued with the original release and various interview comments by Pearlman, it is possible to reconstruct the story to a great extent. At the core of the story is a secret history which Pearlman described thus: "an interpretation of history - an explanation for the onset of World War I, or a revelation of the occult origins of it", in a September 1988 interview with Kerrang! magazine. Central to this history are "Les Invisibles", a group of seven beings worshiped by the natives of Mexico and Haiti prior to the arrival of Spanish colonists in the 1500. The nature of Les Invisibles is left unclear, though it is hinted that they may be extraterrestrial, or beings akin to the Great Old Ones in the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Some fans have identified them with the Loa of the Voodoo religion. The star Sirius is of particular astrological significance to Les Invisible, and it is during the so-called Dog Days of August, when Sirius is in conjunction with The Sun, that their influence over mankind is at its apex. By subtly influencing the minds of men, the beings are said to be "playing with our history as if it's a game," affecting events in world history over the course of centurie. For the three centuries after European discovery of the New World, this game plays out as the desire for gold is used to transform Spain into the dominant power in Europe, only to be usurped by England and, later, the United State. The principal story begins in August 1804, with the birth of a "modified child" called Imagino, in the state of New Hampshire. Because of the astrological significance of the place and time of his birth, Imaginos comes to be of particular interest to Les Invisible, who begin investing him with superhuman abilities while he is young. Unaware of his true destiny or nature, the young Imaginos comes to discover that he is able to change his appearance at will and to see the future to an extent. As the child becomes an adult he finds himself affected by wanderlust and, billing himself as an adventurer, sets out to explore Texas and the western frontier, finally arriving in New Orleans in 1829. It is there that he has a vision imploring him to travel to Mexico, in search of an artifact "lost, last and luminou, scored to sky yet never found". Imaginos joins the crew of a ship traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula, but while passing through the Gulf of Mexico, the ship encounters a freak storm of which his visions failed to warn him. The ship sinks with most of its crew and Imagino, half dead, washes ashore and is left for dead by the other survivor, who have come to regard him with suspicion. As he lays dying "on a shore where oyster beds seem plush as down", Imaginos is addressed by a symphony of voices who identify themselves as Les Invisible. Imaginos' true nature is revealed to him, and he is informed that the circumstances of his entire life have been manipulated to bring him to that specific moment in time. Having explained themselves to him, they offer him a choice - die as a human, or live as their servant. Imaginos accepts their offer, and is resurrected from the dead by the "Blue Öyster Cult", the human servants of Les Invisible. He is inducted into the cult and given a new name - Desdinova, "Eternal Light". From this point on, Imaginos becomes an instrument of Les Invisibles' manipulation of human history. For the next 63 year, he insinuates himself into the world of European politic, using his shapeshifting ability to take the place of high-ranking officials and use their offices to bring about Les Invisibles' will. By 1892, Imaginos is living in a mansion in Cornwall and has a nine-year-old granddaughter, though it is not clear whether she is his biological grandchild or merely the grandchild of the mansion's original inhabitant. Having by this time spent several decades studying mysticism and astrology, Imaginos discovers that England's rise as a superpower in the 16th century coincided with John Dee's acquisition of a magic obsidian mirror, said to have been "taken from the jungle by crime". This revelation in mind, Imaginos determines that the time has come to attempt again his aborted mission to Mexico. On August 1, 1892, he sets sail aboard a "charmed ship" which, despite "storms on land and storms at sea", delivers him faithfully to Mexico. After spending several months exploring the jungles of Yucatan he finds an undiscovered Mayan pyramid. Following a long passage into the interior of the pyramid he discovers a chamber carved from solid jade, and within the chamber of jade he discovers the "Magna of Illusion", a twin of Dee's magic mirror. Stealing away with the artifact, he returns to Cornwall a year to the day of his departure, which happens to coincide with the tenth birthday of his granddaughter. Imaginos gives it to the girl as a birthday present, and for the following 21 years it sits collecting dust in her attic, silently poisoning the minds of Europe's leader. Finally, in 1914, "World War I breaks out. A disease with a long incubation." It should be noted that the chronology of the storyline is indefinite. Controversy about the correct order of the song, as well as the free-form style of the narrative leave the correct sequence in doubt. The fact that some believe Imaginos can travel through time further complicates matter. Track listing Side one "I Am the One You Warned Me Of" (Albert Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser) – 5:04 "Les Invisibles" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 5:33 "In the Presence of Another World" (Joe Bouchard, Pearlman) – 6:26 "Del Rio's Song" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 5:31 "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 6:43 Side two "Astronomy" (J. Bouchard, A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 6:47 "Magna of Illusion" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman, Roeser) – 5:53 "Blue Öyster Cult" (Eric Bloom, Pearlman) – 7:18 "Imaginos" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 5:46 Personnel Band Eric Bloom – vocals Albert Bouchard – guitar, percussion, vocals Joe Bouchard – keyboard, vocals Allen Lanier – keyboards Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – guitar, vocals Session musicians Kenny Aaronson – bass Thommy Price – drums Jack Secret – additional vocals Tommy Morrongiello – guitar, arrangement, and vocals Jack Rigg – guitars Tommy Zvoncheck http://www.zkgmusic.com – keyboards on "Imaginos" Shocking U – background vocals on "In The Presence Of Another World" Joey Cerisano – additional lead vocal on "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" Jon Rogers – additional lead vocal on "Imaginos" Daniel Levitin – additional background vocals Guitar Orchestra of the State of Imaginos Marc Biedermann was laying down a monstrous track for a Blind Illusion album, recorded and mastered at Hyde Street where manager of Blue Öyster Cult, Sandy Pearlman, overheard. Pearlman on the spot, went over, introduced himself, and invited Biedermann to be in the Guitar Orchestra of Imagino. Kevin Carlson (guitarist from Aldo Nova) Robby Krieger (lead guitar on "Blue Öyster Cult" and "Magna of Illusion") Daniel Levitin Tommy Morrongiello (forward and reverse guitars) Aldo Nova Jack Rigg Joe Satriani (lead guitar on "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria") Miscellanea Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or article. (March 2009) Joe Satriani earned studio time for his earlier albums by cleaning up Blue Öyster Cult guitar tracks in the studio during this time. Japanese manga Battle Angel Alita pays tribute to this album by naming one of Alita's cyborg bodies "Imaginos". Another character, Zapan, wears the Blue Oyster Cult logo on his forehead. One of the central character, mad scientist Desty Nova is named for Desdinova from the song Astronomy. .

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