Blue Oyster Cult, "Blue Oyster Cult" (Columbia, 1972)

Like many folks of his generation, my father considers anything recorded after World War II to be noise. At least, that's the way I like to tell it.

I do know he's never been a fan of rock 'n' roll, and for decades he's been making fun of the names of some of the bands. At the top of his list usually is Blue Oyster Cult.

That's kind of fitting, seeing as how that particular band went through a series of names before finally deciding on the one that made it famous. Soft White Underbelly, Oaxaca, Stalk-Forrest Group ... some of those probably would make Dad's list, too.

Under the name of Stalk-Forrest Group - not named for any of the guys in the band, but supposedly inspired by the ingredients of a Chinese dinner - the core of what became Blue Oyster Cult recorded an album for Elektra in 1970, but the record company chose not to release it. The recordings since have appeared thanks to the archivists at Rhino Handmade, revealing a lyrical and musical approach that was steeped in psychedelia.

By the time the band switched labels to Columbia a year or so later under a new name, the concept had turned more toward what would become known as heavy metal. That's not to say that the debut album "Blue Oyster Cult," bears any resemblance to music by Metallica or Pantera. But it certainly serves as a template for the ear-splitting music to come.

The heavier leanings are evident in the album's first notes, the smoldering guitar licks that open "Transmaniacon MC," the band's tribute to a motorcycle gang (with allusions to the deadly Rolling Stones concert at Altamont). The song served notice of a transcendent lead guitarist, Buck Dharma - that's Don Roeser on his birth certificate - who continues to amaze audiences to this day.

Many of the songs on "Blue Oyster Cult" became staples of live performances as the band built its reputation throughout the '70s, including "I'm On the Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep" (renamed "The Red and the Black"), "Before the Kiss, A Redcap" and the anthemic "Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll." Those tunes generally represent the band's proto-metal side, but traces from the psychedelic era persisted, particularly the medley of "Screams" and "She's As Beautiful As a Foot."

If some of those song titles seem unusal, they go right along with the somewhat obtuse themes explored by the band's two non-performing lyricists of the time, Sandy Pearlman (who later produced an album for The Clash) and Richard Meltzer. Check out "Workshop of the Telescopes," by Pearlman: "By Silverfish Impertrix whose incorrupted eye/Sees through the charms of doctors and their wives."

Yeah ...

One exception to the arcane lyrics is the crystal-clear tale told by Buck in "Then Came the Last Days of May," about "three good buddies" who travel to Mexico for a big-time dope deal - and don't return. Apparently, it's based on a true story. And it's proved one of the Blue Oyster Cult's most enduring tunes, with extended performances still the highlights of shows nearly four decades after the events as detailed.

Although "Blue Oyster Cult" was released on one of the biggest of the major labels, its sound quality is nothing to write home about, even on Columbia's latest mastering for CD; the earlier Stalk-Forrest material actually sounds better. The tape hiss on "Last Days of May" is especially egregious, but I've read where the take that appears on the album actually is the song's demo, and the band members felt they couldn't improve on that. (I'd tend to agree. It's a stunning performance.)

But don't let that dissuade you. The group that later gave us the classic "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" debuted with a bang, and the album is well worth hearing, even given the technical limitations.

Plus, the band's name still is worth a chuckle to some people. But maybe not as much so as Soft White Underbelly.