History Music / AgentsOfFortune

* UsefulNotes/TarotCards: Displayed by a dapper-looking StageMagician on the album cover.

While it's now regarded as their SignatureSong, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was actually somewhat of a BlackSheepHit for the band, as it's [[StepUpToTheMicrophone sung by Buck Dharma rather than regular lead singer Eric Bloom]]. The song is also LighterAndSofter than their usual hard rock style. To make matters worse, the song was widely misinterpreted as being a romanticization of suicide, while the band intended it to be a PepTalkSong [[NotAfraidToDie against fear of death]]. Still, it's notorious enough to have become a trope on our site: DontFearTheReaper.

--> ''(...) We can be like them''

* NewSoundAlbum: To some extent - while not completely without riff-heavy [[TraditionalHeavyMetal early Metal]] and HardRock songs, it downplays them in favor of musically lighter PsychedelicRock and ProgressiveRock songs. [[TropesAreNotBad Notably, this did not make it a bad album by any means, and it's still a well-recieved album, too]].

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* NewSoundAlbum: To some extent- while not completely without riff-heavy [[TraditionalHeavyMetal early Metal]] and HardRock songs, it downplays them in favor of musically lighter PsychedelicRock and ProgressiveRock songs. [[TropesAreNotBad Notably, this did not make it a bad album by any means, and it's still a well-recieved album, too]].

While it's now regarded as their SignatureSong, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was actually somewhat of a BlackSheepHit for the band, as it's [[StepUpToTheMicrophone sung by Buck Dharma rather than regular lead singer Eric Bloom]]. The song is also LighterAndSofter than their usual hard rock. To make matters worse, the song was widely misinterpreted as being a romanticization of suicide, while the band intended it to be a PepTalkSong [[NotAfraidToDie against fear of death]]. Still, it's notorious enough to have become a trope on our site: DontFearTheReaper.

While it's now regarded as their SignatureSong, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was actually somewhat of a BlackSheepHit for the band, as it's [[StepUpToTheMicrophone sung by Buck Dharma rather than regular lead singer Eric Bloom]]. The song is also LighterAndSofter compared to their usual style. To make matters worse, the song was widely misinterpreted as being a romanticization of suicide, while the band intended it to be a PepTalkSong [[NotAfraidToDie against fear of death]]. Still, it's notorious enough to have become a trope on our site: DontFearTheReaper.

* Creator/ChristopherWalken: Yes. There ''is'' cowbell in the mix of ''Don't Fear the Reaper''. You have to listen hard for it, though. But you don't forget it once you've clocked it.

* SpecialGuest: Music/PattiSmith provides backing vocals during "The Revenge Of Vera Gemini".

* TarotCards: Displayed by a dapper-looking StageMagician on the album cover.

* ExtraExtraReadAllAboutIt: "Morning Call". The track ends on a paperboy calling the murder investigation in classic ''Extra! Extra! Read all about it!'' form.

** "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" and "The Old Gods Return" refer to the Franchise/CthulhuMythos.

* SpokenWordInMusic: Near the end of "Morning Call" we hear a paper boy trying to sell newspapers.

** It also inspired the whole "Vera Gemini" story arc in MarvelComics' ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'', published some years after the song.

** Gleefully picked up by Creator/TerryPratchett as the family motto for the Death family in the ''{{Discworld}}'' - ''Non Timetus Messor'' (Have no timidity towards He who collects the harvest.) When Terry became Sir Terry Pratchett, his official coat of arms as a knight adopted the more correct Latin motto '''Noli Timere Messorum''' - ''Don't Fear The Reaper''.

''Agents Of Fortune'' is Music/BlueOysterCult's fourth studio album, released in 1976. It was also the band's most commercially-successful release, going platinum and spawning the hits "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "This Ain't the Summer of Love", and "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)".

# "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" (2:21)

*** Creator/StephenKing was inspired to write ''Literature/TheStand'' by "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", and quotes the song's final verse in the novel.

* TarotCards: Displayed by the dapper-looking gent on the album cover.

** ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' are referenced in "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".

* SubduedSection: "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" [[InvertedTrope inverts]] it- it's a mostly subdued song with a single "loud" section in the middle with a heavy riff, spooky keyboards and some intense soloing.

''Agents Of Fortune'' is Music/BlueOysterCult's fourth studio album, released in 1976. It was also their most commercially-successful release, going platinum and spawning the hits "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "This Ain't the Summer of Love", and "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)".

''Agents Of Fortune'' is Music/BlueOysterCult's fourth studio album, released in 1976. It's also their most commercially-successful release, going platinum and spawning the hits "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "This Ain't the Summer of Love", and "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)".

''Agents Of Fortune'' is Music/BlueOysterCult's fourth studio album, released in 1976 and notable for the hits "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "This Ain't the Summer of Love", "E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)".

While it's now regarded as their SignatureSong, "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was actually somewhat of a BlackSheepHit for the band as it doesn't feature their regular lead singer Eric Bloom, but Buck Dharma. The song is also LighterAndSofter compared to their usual style. To make matters worse, the song was widely misinterpreted as being a romanticization of suicide, while the band intended it to be a PepTalkSong [[NotAfraidToDie against fear of death]]. Still, it's notorious enough to have become a trope on our site: DontFearTheReaper.

* CoveredUp: "This Ain't the Summer of Love" is a heavily rewritten cover of a song originally performed by the Imperial Dogs.

* GrimReaper: Appears as a character in "Don't Fear The Reaper".

* ShoutOut: '

* RhymingWithItself: The final verse of the otherwise sublime "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" does this...

(Sayin' "Don't be afraid)''