Imaginos
Encyclopedia
Imaginos is a 1988 concept album
by Blue Öyster Cult
.
The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman
in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard
began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album
in 1972. Two "Imaginos" songs appeared on the 1974 album, Secret Treaties
; "Astronomy" and "Subhuman" (retitled as "Blue Öyster Cult" on Imaginos). The remaining tracks were written during the following years, and in 1982, after Albert Bouchard left the band, he set about recording the songs for the project with the arranging help of Tommy Morrongiello. The as-imagined album and the as-released album bore little relation to each other. Comments from Bouchard and other band members suggest that the project was originally intended to span two or more albums. However, CBS
would only release the record as a BÖC album, and even then only in an abridged format, so it was shelved until 1988, when it was released by the then-current line-up of the band, without Bouchard's involvement.
The album entered the Billboard Top 200 on August 19, 1988, peaked at 122 and exited the charts on October 8. It was given a rerelease on Sony's American Beat Records label on January 8, 2008, with corrected credits. The album cover features the Original "Cliff House" hotel and restaurant in San Francisco, California which burned to the ground in 1907.
, though various circumstances surrounding the album's production and release render the story difficult to decipher - the songs were arranged on the album out of their intended order, certain songs were omitted, and even in the remaining songs the narrative progression is scarce. However, based on sleeve notes issued with the original release and various interview comments by Pearlman, it is possible to reconstruct the story to a great extent.
At the core of the story is a secret history
which Pearlman described thus: "an interpretation of history - an
explanation for the onset of World War I, or a revelation of the occult origins of it", in a September 1988 interview with Kerrang!
magazine. Central to this history are "Les Invisibles", a group of seven beings worshiped by the natives of Mexico
and Haiti
prior to the arrival of Spanish
colonists in the 16th century. The nature of Les Invisibles is left unclear, though it is hinted that they may be extraterrestrials, or beings akin to the Great Old Ones in the works of H. P. Lovecraft
. Some fans have identified them with the Loa
of the Voodoo religion. The star Sirius
is of particular astrological
significance to Les Invisibles, and it is during the so-called Dog Days
of August, when Sirius is in conjunction with The Sun
, that their influence over mankind is at its apex. By subtly influencing the minds of men, the beings are said to be "playing with our history as if it's a game," affecting events in world history over the course of centuries. For the three centuries after Europe
an discovery of the New World
, this game plays out as the desire for gold
is used to transform Spain into the dominant power in Europe, only to be usurped by England
and, later, the United States
.
The principal story begins in August 1804, with the birth of a "modified child" called Imaginos, in the state of New Hampshire
. Because of the astrological significance of the place and time of his birth, Imaginos comes to be of particular interest to Les Invisibles, who begin investing him with superhuman
abilities while he is young. Unaware of his true destiny or nature, the young Imaginos comes to discover that he is able to change his appearance at will
and to see the future to an extent. As the child becomes an adult he finds himself affected by wanderlust
and, billing himself as an adventurer, sets out to explore Texas
and the western frontier, finally arriving in New Orleans in 1829.
It is there that he has a vision imploring him to travel to Mexico, in search of an artifact "lost, last and luminous, scored to sky yet never found". Imaginos joins the crew of a ship traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula
, but while passing through the Gulf of Mexico, the ship encounters a freak storm of which his visions failed to warn him. The ship sinks with most of its crew and Imaginos, half dead, washes ashore and is left for dead by the other survivors, who have come to regard him with suspicion.
As he lays dying "on a shore where oyster
beds seem plush as down", Imaginos is addressed by a symphony of voices who identify themselves as Les Invisibles. Imaginos' true nature is revealed to him, and he is informed that the circumstances of his entire life have been manipulated to bring him to that specific moment in time. Having explained themselves to him, they offer him a choice - die as a human, or live as their servant. Imaginos accepts their offer, and is resurrected from the dead by the "Blue Öyster Cult", the human servants of Les Invisibles. He is inducted into the cult and given a new name - Desdinova, "Eternal Light".
From this point on, Imaginos becomes an instrument of Les Invisibles' manipulation of human history. For the next 63 years, he insinuates himself into the world of European politics
, using his shapeshifting ability to take the place of high-ranking officials and use their offices to bring about Les Invisibles' will. By 1892, Imaginos is living in a mansion
in Cornwall
and has a nine-year-old granddaughter, though it is not clear whether she is his biological grandchild or merely the grandchild of the mansion's original inhabitant. Having by this time spent several decades studying mysticism
and astrology, Imaginos discovers that England's rise as a superpower in the 16th century coincided with John Dee's
acquisition of a magic
obsidian
mirror
, said to have been "taken from the jungle by crime". This revelation in mind, Imaginos determines that the time has come to attempt again his aborted mission to Mexico.
On August 1, 1892, he sets sail aboard a "charmed ship" which, despite "storms on land and storms at sea", delivers him faithfully to Mexico. After spending several months exploring the jungle
s of Yucatan he finds an undiscovered Mayan
pyramid. Following a long passage into the interior of the pyramid he discovers a chamber carved from solid jade, and within the chamber of jade he discovers the "Magna of Illusion", a twin of Dee's magic mirror. Stealing away with the artifact, he returns to Cornwall a year to the day of his departure, which happens to coincide with the tenth birthday of his granddaughter. Imaginos gives it to the girl as a birthday present, and for the following 21 years it sits collecting dust in her attic, silently poisoning the minds of Europe's leaders. Finally, in 1914, "World War I breaks out. A disease with a long incubation."
The chronology of the storyline is indefinite. Controversy about the correct order of the songs, as well as the free-form style of the narrative leave the correct sequence in doubt. The fact that some believe Imaginos can travel through time further complicates matters.
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
by Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
.
The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman
Sandy Pearlman
Sandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard
Albert Bouchard
Albert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album
Blue Öyster Cult (album)
Blue Öyster Cult is the eponymous debut album by hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in January 1972 . The album featured songs such as "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May," all of which the band still plays regularly during its...
in 1972. Two "Imaginos" songs appeared on the 1974 album, Secret Treaties
Secret Treaties
Secret Treaties is Blue Öyster Cult's third studio album, released in 1974.In 1975, a Melody Maker poll of critics voted Secret Treaties as the "Top Rock Album of All Time." The album spent 14 weeks in the US charts, peaking at #53. It went gold in 1992...
; "Astronomy" and "Subhuman" (retitled as "Blue Öyster Cult" on Imaginos). The remaining tracks were written during the following years, and in 1982, after Albert Bouchard left the band, he set about recording the songs for the project with the arranging help of Tommy Morrongiello. The as-imagined album and the as-released album bore little relation to each other. Comments from Bouchard and other band members suggest that the project was originally intended to span two or more albums. However, CBS
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
would only release the record as a BÖC album, and even then only in an abridged format, so it was shelved until 1988, when it was released by the then-current line-up of the band, without Bouchard's involvement.
The album entered the Billboard Top 200 on August 19, 1988, peaked at 122 and exited the charts on October 8. It was given a rerelease on Sony's American Beat Records label on January 8, 2008, with corrected credits. The album cover features the Original "Cliff House" hotel and restaurant in San Francisco, California which burned to the ground in 1907.
Concept
Imaginos was envisioned as a rock operaRock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, though various circumstances surrounding the album's production and release render the story difficult to decipher - the songs were arranged on the album out of their intended order, certain songs were omitted, and even in the remaining songs the narrative progression is scarce. However, based on sleeve notes issued with the original release and various interview comments by Pearlman, it is possible to reconstruct the story to a great extent.
At the core of the story is a secret history
Secret history
A secret history is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars.-Secret histories of the real world:...
which Pearlman described thus: "an interpretation of history - an
explanation for the onset of World War I, or a revelation of the occult origins of it", in a September 1988 interview with Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine. Central to this history are "Les Invisibles", a group of seven beings worshiped by the natives of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
prior to the arrival of Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonists in the 16th century. The nature of Les Invisibles is left unclear, though it is hinted that they may be extraterrestrials, or beings akin to the Great Old Ones in the works of H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
. Some fans have identified them with the Loa
Loa
The Loa are the spirits of the voodoo religion practiced in Louisiana, Haiti, Benin, and other parts of the world. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles, in which are intermediaries between Bondye —the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity...
of the Voodoo religion. The star Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
is of particular astrological
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
significance to Les Invisibles, and it is during the so-called Dog Days
Dog Days
"Dog Days" are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the dog days of summer are most commonly experienced in the months of July and August, which typically observe the warmest summer temperatures. In the Southern Hemisphere, they typically occur in January and...
of August, when Sirius is in conjunction with The Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, that their influence over mankind is at its apex. By subtly influencing the minds of men, the beings are said to be "playing with our history as if it's a game," affecting events in world history over the course of centuries. For the three centuries after Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an discovery of the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, this game plays out as the desire for gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
is used to transform Spain into the dominant power in Europe, only to be usurped by England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and, later, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The principal story begins in August 1804, with the birth of a "modified child" called Imaginos, in the state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Because of the astrological significance of the place and time of his birth, Imaginos comes to be of particular interest to Les Invisibles, who begin investing him with superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
abilities while he is young. Unaware of his true destiny or nature, the young Imaginos comes to discover that he is able to change his appearance at will
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
and to see the future to an extent. As the child becomes an adult he finds himself affected by wanderlust
Wanderlust
Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.-Etymology:The loanword from German language became an English term in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering that may be traced back to German...
and, billing himself as an adventurer, sets out to explore Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the western frontier, finally arriving in New Orleans in 1829.
It is there that he has a vision imploring him to travel to Mexico, in search of an artifact "lost, last and luminous, scored to sky yet never found". Imaginos joins the crew of a ship traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
, but while passing through the Gulf of Mexico, the ship encounters a freak storm of which his visions failed to warn him. The ship sinks with most of its crew and Imaginos, half dead, washes ashore and is left for dead by the other survivors, who have come to regard him with suspicion.
As he lays dying "on a shore where oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
beds seem plush as down", Imaginos is addressed by a symphony of voices who identify themselves as Les Invisibles. Imaginos' true nature is revealed to him, and he is informed that the circumstances of his entire life have been manipulated to bring him to that specific moment in time. Having explained themselves to him, they offer him a choice - die as a human, or live as their servant. Imaginos accepts their offer, and is resurrected from the dead by the "Blue Öyster Cult", the human servants of Les Invisibles. He is inducted into the cult and given a new name - Desdinova, "Eternal Light".
From this point on, Imaginos becomes an instrument of Les Invisibles' manipulation of human history. For the next 63 years, he insinuates himself into the world of European politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, using his shapeshifting ability to take the place of high-ranking officials and use their offices to bring about Les Invisibles' will. By 1892, Imaginos is living in a mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and has a nine-year-old granddaughter, though it is not clear whether she is his biological grandchild or merely the grandchild of the mansion's original inhabitant. Having by this time spent several decades studying mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and astrology, Imaginos discovers that England's rise as a superpower in the 16th century coincided with John Dee's
John Dee (mathematician)
John Dee was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, imperialist and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. He devoted much of his life to the study of alchemy, divination and Hermetic philosophy....
acquisition of a magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
obsidian
Obsidian
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock.It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth...
mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
, said to have been "taken from the jungle by crime". This revelation in mind, Imaginos determines that the time has come to attempt again his aborted mission to Mexico.
On August 1, 1892, he sets sail aboard a "charmed ship" which, despite "storms on land and storms at sea", delivers him faithfully to Mexico. After spending several months exploring the jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
s of Yucatan he finds an undiscovered Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
pyramid. Following a long passage into the interior of the pyramid he discovers a chamber carved from solid jade, and within the chamber of jade he discovers the "Magna of Illusion", a twin of Dee's magic mirror. Stealing away with the artifact, he returns to Cornwall a year to the day of his departure, which happens to coincide with the tenth birthday of his granddaughter. Imaginos gives it to the girl as a birthday present, and for the following 21 years it sits collecting dust in her attic, silently poisoning the minds of Europe's leaders. Finally, in 1914, "World War I breaks out. A disease with a long incubation."
The chronology of the storyline is indefinite. Controversy about the correct order of the songs, as well as the free-form style of the narrative leave the correct sequence in doubt. The fact that some believe Imaginos can travel through time further complicates matters.
Side one
- "I Am the One You Warned Me Of" (Albert BouchardAlbert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
, Sandy PearlmanSandy PearlmanSandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
, Donald Roeser) – 5:04 - "Les Invisibles" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 5:33
- "In the Presence of Another World" (Joe BouchardJoe BouchardJoe Bouchard was the original bassist for Blue Öyster Cult. He grew up in Clayton, New York...
, Pearlman) – 6:26 - "Del Rio's Song" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 5:31
- "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 6:43
Side two
- "AstronomyAstronomy (song)"Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
" (J. Bouchard, A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 6:47 - "Magna of Illusion" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman, Roeser) – 5:53
- "Blue Öyster Cult" (Eric BloomEric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
, Pearlman) – 7:18 - "Imaginos" (A. Bouchard, Pearlman) – 5:46
Band
- Eric BloomEric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
– lead vocals on 1,3,4 - Albert BouchardAlbert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
– guitar, percussion, co-lead vocals on 8 - Joe BouchardJoe BouchardJoe Bouchard was the original bassist for Blue Öyster Cult. He grew up in Clayton, New York...
– bass, keyboards, vocals - Allen LanierAllen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
– keyboards - Donald "Buck Dharma" RoeserBuck DharmaDonald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
– guitars, lead vocals on 2,6,7, co-lead vocals on 8
Session musicians
- Kenny AaronsonKenny AaronsonKenny Aaronson is an American bass guitar player.- Early life and career :He started playing drums at the age of eleven, following in his older brother's footsteps. Kenny switched to electric bass at the age 14 after becoming enamored by the bass on Motown records and was strongly influenced by...
– bass - Thommy PriceThommy PriceThommy Price is a rock musician from Brooklyn, New York. He's played drums in numerous bands, including Billy Idol, Blue Öyster Cult, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and is an in-demand session drummer.-History:...
– drums - Jack Secret – additional vocals
- Tommy Morrongiello – guitars, arrangements, and vocals
- Jack Rigg – guitars
- Tommy Zvoncheck – keyboards
- Shocking U – background vocals on "In The Presence Of Another World"
- Joey CerisanoJoe CerisanoJoe Cerisano, , is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and President of Outta' the Woods Records. He is often referred to as "possibly the most famous anonymous singer in America".-Early life:...
– lead vocal on 5 ("The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria") - Jon Rogers – lead vocal on 9 ("Imaginos")
- Daniel LevitinDaniel LevitinProfessor Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D. is a prominent American cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, record producer, musician, and writer...
- backing vocals
Guitar Orchestra of the State of Imaginos
- Marc BiedermannMarc BiedermannMarc Biedermann is an El Sobrante, California based heavy metal guitarist, vocalist, bassist and songwriter. He is best known for as the driving force behind the progressive band Blind Illusion. He has also played on Blue Öyster Cults Imaginos and Heathens Victims of Deception albums...
was laying down a monstrous track for a Blind Illusion album, recorded and mastered at Hyde Street where manager of Blue Öyster Cult, Sandy Pearlman, overheard. Pearlman on the spot, went over, introduced himself, and invited Biedermann to be in the Guitar Orchestra of Imaginos. - Kevin Carlson (guitarist from Aldo Nova)
- Robby KriegerRobby KriegerRobert Alan "Robby" Krieger is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly."...
(lead guitar on "Blue Öyster Cult" and "Magna of Illusion") - Tommy Morrongiello (forward and reverse guitars)
- Aldo NovaAldo NovaAldo Nova is a Canadian guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and producer, Nova gained fame with his self-titled debut album Aldo Nova in 1981, and its accompanying single "Fantasy", which climbed to #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Career:Signing with Portrait Records, Nova released a self-produced...
- Jack Rigg
- Joe SatrianiJoe SatrianiJoseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
(lead guitar on "The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria") - Daniel LevitinDaniel LevitinProfessor Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D. is a prominent American cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, record producer, musician, and writer...
's custom designed guitar amplifiers were used for many of the rhythm and lead guitar parts on this record, as well as on records by Joe SatrianiJoe SatrianiJoseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
and Chris IsaakChris IsaakChristopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
. Pearlman overheard Levitin playing the main riff for "Astronomy" one day while Levitin, a co-producer of the album, was adjusting the distortion levels of the amp. "I didn't know you could play like that!" Pearlman is reported to have said, and thus he recruited him to play in the Guitar Orchestra.