{{about||the concept|Secret treaty}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}} {{Infobox album | name = Secret Treaties | type = studio | artist = Blue Öyster Cult | cover = BlueOysterCultSecretTreaties.jpg | border = yes | released = {{start date|1974|04|05}} <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Blue+oyster+cult&ti=SECRET+TREATIES&lab=&genre=&format=Album&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section|title=RIAA certifications|website=Recording Industry Association of America }}</ref> | recorded = 1974 | studio = Columbia 30th Street Studio<br><small>(New York City)</small> | genre =<!-- Do not add unsourced genres -->{{Hlist|Hard rock<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/blue-oyster-cult-secret-treaties-album-of-the-week-club-review| title = Blue Oyster Cult: Secret Treaties - Album Of The Week Club review| access-date =May 30, 2021 | last = Rock | first = Classic | date = 25 February 2021 | publisher = Loudersound}}</ref>|heavy metal<ref name="Mojo2007"/>|psychedelic rock<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/secret-treaties-mw0000197327| title = Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties review| access-date = July 22, 2012| last = Jurek| first = Thom| work = AllMusic| publisher = Rovi Corporation}}</ref>}} | length = {{Duration|m=38|s=14}} | label = Columbia | producer = {{hlist|Murray Krugman|Sandy Pearlman}} | prev_title = Tyranny and Mutation | prev_year = 1973 | next_title = On Your Feet or on Your Knees | next_year = 1975 | misc = {{Singles | name = Secret Treaties | type = studio | single1 = Career of Evil | single1date = 1974 | single2 = Flaming Telepaths | single2date = 1974 }} }}
{{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/secret-treaties-mw0000197327| title = Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties review| access-date = July 22, 2012| last = Jurek| first = Thom| work = AllMusic| publisher = Rovi Corporation}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Christgau's Record Guide'' | rev2Score = B<ref>{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=Ticknor & Fields|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: B|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=B&bk=70|access-date=February 22, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Classic Rock'' | rev3Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/blue-oyster-cult-secret-treaties-album-of-the-week-club-review| title = Blue Oyster Cult: Secret Treaties - Album Of The Week Club review| access-date =May 30, 2021 | last = Rock | first = Classic | date = 25 February 2021 | publisher = Loudersound}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal'' | rev4Score = 10/10<ref name="martin" >{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | authorlink1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = October 2003 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1894959025|pages=53–54}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Rolling Stone'' | rev6Score = (favorable)<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blueoystercult/albums/album/261128/review/6067632/secret_treaties | title = Album Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties| access-date = July 22, 2012 | last = Miller | first = Jim |date = June 20, 1974| magazine = Rolling Stone | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071228005422/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blueoystercult/albums/album/261128/review/6067632/secret_treaties | archive-date = December 28, 2007}}</ref> | rev5 = Tom Hull | rev5Score = B<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hull|first=Tom|authorlink=Tom Hull (critic)|date=April 1975|url=http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rekord2.php|title=The Rekord Report: Second Card|magazine=Overdose|access-date=June 26, 2020|via=tomhull.com}}</ref> | noprose = yes }}
'''''Secret Treaties''''' is the third studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released on April 5, 1974 by Columbia.<ref name="Mojo2007">{{cite book|author=MOJO Magazine|title=The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQbF9lTBwgC&pg=PA334|edition=4|date=November 1, 2007|publisher=Canongate Books|isbn=978-1-84767-643-6|page=334}}</ref> It features the same band members and production team as their previous album.
The album spent 14 weeks in the US album charts, peaking at No. 53.<ref name="USA" >{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/secret-treaties-mw0000197327/awards | title = Secret Treaties Billboard Albums | access-date = July 22, 2012 | work = Allmusic | publisher = Rovi Corporation| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930023942/http://www.allmusic.com/album/secret-treaties-mw0000197327/awards| archive-date=September 30, 2013}}</ref> It was certified gold by the RIAA in 1992.<ref name="RIAA" >{{cite web | url = https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=blue+oyster+cult#search_section | title = RIAA Searchable Database - search for Blue Oyster Cult | access-date = July 22, 2012 | publisher = RIAA}}</ref>
In 1975, a poll of readers of the British magazine ''Melody Maker'' voted ''Secret Treaties'' the "Top Rock Album of All Time".<ref name="Mojo2007"/> In 2010, Rhapsody called it one of the all-time best "proto-metal" albums.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.rhapsody.com/2010/06/protometal.html |title=Classic Rock Crate Digger: 10 Essential Proto-Metal Albums |last=Farrar |first=Justin |publisher=Rhapsody |date=June 22, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703145824/http://blog.rhapsody.com/2010/06/protometal.html |archive-date=July 3, 2010 |access-date=September 1, 2018 }}</ref>
It is the only BÖC album that does not feature a track with lead vocals sung by guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. The band also did not write any of the lyrics to the album, handing that duty to producer Sandy Pearlman, rock critic Richard Meltzer and singer Patti Smith.<ref name="booklet">{{cite AV media notes |title=Secret Treaties |others=Blue Öyster Cult |year=2001 |pages=5-11 |type= CD Booklet|publisher=Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings |id=502236 2 |location=New York City}}</ref>
==Cover art== The cover, with art by Ron Lesser, depicts the band standing beside and sitting on a German Me 262 fighter aircraft; this scene is inspired by the song of the same name.
While the LP cover has the band name in red (a darker red on the Japanese LP), on the CD it is in lime green.<ref name="booklet"/>
==Songs== Lyrics to the lead-off track "Career of Evil" were written by future punk poet Patti Smith, a longtime contributor to the band (and, at the time, girlfriend of BÖC keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Allen Lanier).
A few changes were made to "Career of Evil" on the single version. The vocals are different: only Eric Bloom is heard for most of the song, instead of Bloom and Albert Bouchard singing together. Also, one verse was removed ("Pay me..." to "...kneeling in the rain"). Part of the bridge was changed also, presumably to make the song more acceptable to radio: "do it to your daughter" became "do it like you ought to." The line "I want your wife to be my baby tonight" was changed to "I want your life to be mine, maybe tonight".{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
The transition between the tracks "Harvester of Eyes" and "Flaming Telepaths" is marked by a piece of classical music played on a music box. Members of the band recall that it was something the sound engineer had found on an unlabeled recording, but they could not identify it. The piece and its composer were uncredited on the album. It has since been identified as an excerpt from a waltz by Ion Ivanovici called ''Waves of the Danube'' (Donauwellen). The source of the original recording remains a mystery.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
"Career of Evil" was the inspiration for the title of the 2015 novel of the same name written by J.K. Rowling under the pen name Robert Galbraith.<ref name=Strike>{{cite web|last1=Sims|first1=Andrew|title=J.K. Rowling's third Cormoran Strike novel titled 'Career of Evil' arrives this fall|url=http://www.hypable.com/cormoran-strike-book-3-title/|website=Hypable|access-date=June 9, 2015|date=April 24, 2015}}</ref>
The compilation ''Don't Fear the Reaper: The Best of Blue Öyster Cult'' contains a version of "Flaming Telepaths" without the music box intro. The original version with the complete sound effects is found on the compilation ''Workshop of the Telescopes''.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
The psychedelic folk group Espers covers "Flaming Telepaths" on their CD ''The Weed Tree'' in 2005.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
==Release history== In addition to the conventional 2 channel stereo version, the album was also released in a 4 channel quadraphonic version in 1974. The quad mix appeared on both LP record and 8-track tape. The quad LP release was encoded in the SQ matrix system.
The album was reissued on the Super Audio CD format in 2016 by Audio Fidelity. This edition contains both the stereo and quad mixes.
==Accolades== {|class="wikitable" |- ! Publication ! Country ! Accolade ! Year ! Rank |- | ''NME'' | UK | Albums of the Year{{CN|date=December 2023}} | 1974 |align="center"|13 |- | Dave Marsh & Kevin Stein | U.S. | The Best of the Album Chartmakers by Year: 1974<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/dmarshal_p2.htm#76 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060707165819/http://rocklistmusic.co.uk/dmarshal_p2.htm#76 | url-status = usurped | archive-date = July 7, 2006 | title = The Dave Marsh Lists | access-date = March 30, 2012 | work = Book Of Rock Lists - Albums Of The Year: 1976 | publisher = Rocklist.net}}</ref> | 1981 |align="center"|36 |- | ''Kerrang!'' | UK | The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time{{CN|date=December 2023}} | 1989 |align="center"|22 |- | ''Mojo'' | UK | Mojo 1000 - The Ultimate CD Buyers Guide<ref>{{cite magazine | url = http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo_p4.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060214175208/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo_p4.htm | url-status = usurped | archive-date = February 14, 2006 | title = Mojo 1000 - The Ultimate CD Buyers Guide | access-date = October 25, 2012 | magazine = Mojo | publisher = Rocklist.net}}</ref> | 2001 |align="center"| No order |- | ''Rolling Stone'' | U.S. | The 50 Coolest Records of All Time<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Levy |first1=Joe |last2=Sheffield |first2=Rob |title=The 50 Coolest Records |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 11, 2002 |issue=893 |pages=105-108}}</ref> | 2002 |align="center"|47 |- |}
==Track listing== {{Track listing | headline = Side one | extra_column = Lead vocals | all_lyrics = Sandy Pearlman, except where noted; All lead vocals by Eric Bloom, except where noted. | title1 = Career of Evil | music1 = Albert Bouchard | lyrics1 = Patti Smith | extra1 = Bloom, A. Bouchard | length1 = 3:59 | title2 = Subhuman | music2 = Bloom | length2 = 4:39 | title3 = Dominance and Submission | music3 = Bloom, A. Bouchard | extra3 = A. Bouchard | length3 = 5:23 | title4 = ME 262 | music4 = Bloom, Donald Roeser | length4 = 4:48 }} {{Track listing | headline = Side two | extra_column = Lead vocals | title5 = Cagey Cretins | music5 = A. Bouchard | lyrics5 = Richard Meltzer | extra5 = Bloom, A. Bouchard, Joe Bouchard | length5 = 3:16 | title6 = Harvester of Eyes | music6 = Bloom, Roeser | lyrics6 = Meltzer | length6 = 4:42 | title7 = Flaming Telepaths | music7 = Bloom, A. Bouchard, Roeser | length7 = 5:20 | title8 = Astronomy | music8 = A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard | length8 = 6:28 }} {{Track listing | headline = 2001 CD remaster bonus tracks | total_length = 56:07 | extra_column = Lead vocals | title9 = Boorman the Chauffeur | note9 = outtake from the ''Secret Treaties'' sessions | music9 = Joe Bouchard, Murray Krugman | lyrics9 = Joe Bouchard | extra9 = Joe Bouchard | length9 = 3:13 | title10 = Mommy | note10 = outtake from the ''Secret Treaties'' sessions | music10 = Eric Bloom | lyrics10 = Richard Meltzer | extra10 = Eric Bloom | length10 = 3:32 | title11 = Mes Dames Sarat | note11 = outtake from the ''Secret Treaties'' sessions | lyrics11 = Allen Lanier | music11 = Allen Lanier | extra11 = Eric Bloom | length11 = 4:07 | title12 = Born to Be Wild | note12 = non LP single | lyrics12 = Mars Bonfire | music12 = Mars Bonfire | extra12 = Eric Bloom | length12 = 3:40 | title13 = Career of Evil | music13 = Albert Bouchard | lyrics13 = Patti Smith | extra13 = Eric Bloom | note13 = single version | length13 = 3:00 }}
==Personnel== ;Band members *Eric Bloom – vocals, stun guitar, keyboards *Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – lead guitar *Allen Lanier – keyboards, rhythm guitar, synthesizers, second lead guitar on track 11 *Joe Bouchard – bass, vocals *Albert Bouchard – drums, vocals
;Production *Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman – producers *Tim Geelan, Jerry Smith – engineers *Lehman Yates, Lou Schlossberg – recording *John Berg – cover design *Bruce Dickinson – production (2001 remaster) *Thom Cadley – mixing on tracks 10 and 11 (2001 remaster) *Vic Anesini – remastering (2001 remaster)
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! Chart (1974) ! Peak<br/>position |- {{Album chart|Canada|54|chartid=5036b|artist=Blue Öyster Cult|album=Secret Treaties|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 April 2018}} |- {{Album chart|Billboard200|53|artist=Blue Oyster Cult|refname=Billboard 200|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 April 2018}} |}
== Certifications == {{Certification Table Top}} {{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Blue Öyster Cult|title=Secret Treaties|award=Gold|relyear=1974|certyear=1992}} {{Certification Table Bottom |nosales=true}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Blue Öyster Cult}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Blue Öyster Cult albums Category:1974 albums Category:Albums produced by Murray Krugman Category:Albums produced by Sandy Pearlman Category:CBS Records albums