To call Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster “Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster,” while true, is a bit limiting. He also keeps time full-time (and tours constantly) with Bob Mould and the Mountain Goats, contributes hilarity to The Best Show On WFMU With Tom Scharpling and maintains one of the most reliably funny Twitter feeds. Superchunk is on the road supporting its 10th LP, I Hate Music (Merge); while traveling from gigs to home and to more gigs, Wurster filled some rare empty space in his hectic schedule by guest editing magnetmagazine.com this week. Read our brand-new Q&A with him.
Wurster: I was very sad when I heard of Allen Lanier’s recent passing. Allen was the keyboardist/guitarist in one of my favorite bands, Blue Ӧyster Cult. At this point in time, BӦC is probably best known as the band parodied in Saturday Night Live‘s iconic “more cowbell” sketch. They deserve more. Though hailed as one of the first heavy metal “dude rock” bands, a look at BӦC’s vast and incredibly varied catalog finds them dabbling in everything from psych, folk, power pop, synth pop to punk, while managing to score a few top-40 hits along the way.
BӦC’s influence stretches far and wide: Metallica recorded the epic “Astronomy” for their Garage Inc. covers LP; the galloping “The Red And The Black” has been a staple of Mike Watt’s set dating back to his days in the Minutemen; Australian punk pioneers Radio Birdman named their debut album Radios Appear in homage to a line in BÖC’s “Dominance And Submission”; and everyone from Elliott Smith to Wilco to Big Country has covered “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.”
That guitarist/vocalist Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser’s death paean “Reaper” reached number 12 on the Billboard chart in 1976 is a testament to BӦC’s ability to cloak dark, troubling lyrics (occasionally co-written with help from Richard Meltzer, Sandy Pearlman, Patti Smith, Jim Carroll and others) in haunting, catchy melodies. “Then Came The Last Days Of May,” a tale of a drug deal gone horribly wrong, is just as heavy.
You may have noticed I’ve been referring to BӦC in the present tense. That’s because, even though down to two original members (Roeser and guitarist/vocalist Eric Bloom), BӦC have been touring and making records since the release of their eponymous debut album in 1972. Thankfully, the original lineup, rounded out by Lanier, bassist Joe Bouchard and his brother Albert on drums, reconvened last November for one last hurrah. Happy trails, Allen.
