Agents of Fortune

The album cover (created by artist Lynn Curlee) depicts Belgian magician, Servais Le Roy holding four tarot cards.

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/agents-of-fortune-mw0000599232 |title = Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune review |access-date = March 1, 2012 |last = Jurek |first = Thom |publisher= AllMusic}}

|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

|rev2Score = B+{{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}}

| rev3 = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

| rev3Score = 10/10{{cite book |last1 = Popoff |first1 = Martin |author-link1 = 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 |page=54}}

| rev5 = MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide

| rev5Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=128}}

|rev6 = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide

|rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=2004 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |pages=87–88}}

|rev4 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

|rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2006 |publisher=MUZE |volume=1 |page=700}}

}}

Rolling Stone wrote that "Agents of Fortune is a startlingly excellent album — startling because one does not expect Blue Öyster Cult to sound like this: loud but calm, manic but confident, melodic but rocking."{{cite magazine |url = https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blueoystercult/albums/album/202805/review/6068312/agents_of_fortune |title = Album Reviews: Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune |access-date = April 8, 2012 |last = Tucker |first = Ken |author-link=Ken Tucker |date = July 15, 1976 |magazine = Rolling Stone |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091012092855/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/blueoystercult/albums/album/202805/review/6068312/agents_of_fortune |archive-date = October 12, 2009}}

Cash Box said of the single "This Ain't the Summer of Love" that "growling guitars churn out this realistic message with brief and pointed expression" ... "a mood of evil created in a humorous fashion."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 25, 1977|page=20|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2021-12-26|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-06-25.pdf}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| extra_column = Lead vocals

| title1 = This Ain't the Summer of Love

| writer1 = Albert Bouchard, Murray Krugman, Don Waller

| extra1 = Eric Bloom

| length1 = 2:21

| title2 = True Confessions

| writer2 = Allen Lanier

| extra2 = Lanier

| length2 = 2:57

| title3 = (Don't Fear) The Reaper

| writer3 = Donald Roeser

| extra3 = Roeser

| length3 = 5:08

| title4 = E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)

| writer4 = Bloom, Roeser, Sandy Pearlman

| extra4 = Bloom

| length4 = 3:43

| title5 = The Revenge of Vera Gemini

| writer5 = A. Bouchard, Patti Smith

| extra5 = A. Bouchard, Patti Smith

| length5 = 3:52

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| extra_column = Lead vocals

| title1 = Sinful Love

| writer1 = A. Bouchard, Helen Wheels

| extra1 = A. Bouchard

| length1 = 3:29

| title2 = Tattoo Vampire

| writer2 = A. Bouchard, Helen Wheels

| extra2 = Bloom

| length2 = 2:41

| title3 = Morning Final

| writer3 = Joe Bouchard

| extra3 = J. Bouchard

| length3 = 4:30

| title4 = Tenderloin

| writer4 = Lanier

| extra4 = Bloom

| length4 = 3:40

| title5 = Debbie Denise

| writer5 = A. Bouchard, Smith

| extra5 = A. Bouchard

| length5 = 4:13

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 2001 CD reissue bonus tracks

| extra_column = Lead vocals

| total_length = 51:42

| title11 = Fire of Unknown Origin

| writer11 = Bloom, A. Bouchard, J. Bouchard, Roeser, Smith

| note11 = original version

| extra11 = A. Bouchard

| length11 = 3:30

| title12 = Sally

| writer12 = A. Bouchard

| note12 = demo version

| extra12 = A. Bouchard

| length12 = 2:40

| title13 = (Don't Fear) The Reaper

| writer13 = Roeser

| note13 = demo version

| extra13 = Roeser

| length13 = 6:20

| title14 = Dance the Night Away

| writer14 = Lanier, Jim Carroll

| note14 = demo version

| extra14 = Lanier

| length14 = 2:37

}}

; Band members

• Eric Bloom – guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion
• Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – lead guitar, vocals
• Allen Lanier – keyboards, rhythm guitar, bass on "Morning Final", vocals
• Joe Bouchard – bass, piano on "Morning Final", vocals
• Albert Bouchard – drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals

; Additional musicians

• Patti Smith – vocals on "The Revenge of Vera Gemini"
• Randy Brecker – horns
• Michael Brecker – horns
• David Lucas – vocals, keyboards, percussion

• The cowbell on "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" may have been played by Albert Bouchard,{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46074-2005Jan28.html|title=Blue Öyster Cult, Playing Along With 'More Cowbell'|access-date=August 2, 2012|last=Farhi|first=Paul|date=January 29, 2005|newspaper=The Washington Post}} David Lucas,{{cite news|url=http://www.wivb.com/dpp/entertainment/music/Blue-Oyster-Cult-cowbell-ringer-honored |title=Blue Oyster Cult cowbell ringer honored |date=June 30, 2011 |access-date=August 2, 2012 |newspaper=WIVB-TV |last=George |first=Eli |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702084549/http://www.wivb.com/dpp/entertainment/music/Blue-Oyster-Cult-cowbell-ringer-honored |archive-date=July 2, 2011 }} or Eric Bloom.{{cite news|title=Blue Oyster Cult's innovative use of a cowbell will never be forgotten|url=http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090917/A_ENTERTAIN/909170308/-1/rss03|date=September 17, 2009|last=Sauro|first=Tony|work=The Record (Stockton)|access-date=August 7, 2012|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802183250/https://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090917/A_ENTERTAIN/909170308/-1/rss03|url-status=dead}}

; Production

• David Lucas, Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman – producers
• Shelly Yakus, Andy Abrams – engineers
• Tony Stevens – mastering
• John Berg, Andy Engel – design
• Lynn Curlee – paintings

{{certification Table Top}}

{{certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=Blue Öyster Cult|title=Agents of Fortune|award=Gold|relyear=1976|certyear=1977}}

{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Blue Öyster Cult|title=Agents of Fortune|award=Platinum|relyear=1976|certyear=1978}}

{{certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}

{{reflist}}

{{Blue Öyster Cult}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Blue Öyster Cult albums

Category:1976 albums

Category:Columbia Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Murray Krugman

Category:Albums produced by Sandy Pearlman