#
From: tgannon@charlie.usd.edu (spideir)

         **"BOC's GREATEST RIFFS" (Blue Oyster Cult)**
           ======================
 For all those BOC fans out there--BOTH of yu' >:-}  --or for those
     just curious about "vintage metal": hey, Sabbath wasn't the only
     band that Metallica, et al. cut their teeth on. . . .

   --transcr./tabbed tcg, 197?[yeh, I'm old]-1994
   --fuzz box: all . . . [hell, I use TWO fuzz boxes]
   --regarding "key" names: major-minor distinction often meaningless,
       since rhythm guitar usually playing "chords" with no third
       ("power chords"), and the leads in the "major" keys are often
       Mixolydian mode or pentatonic minor. . . (In "straight" minor-key
       tunes, Buck Dharma shows a preference for the Aeolian mode
       [=minor pentatonic, plus "tasty" major 2nd and minor 6th steps].)
   --Disclaimer: these are hacker's versions, admittedly--above all,
       trust your ear . . .


 ====================
 **"TRANSMANIACON MC" (_Blue_Oyster_Cult_)                       --key: Am

   Intro riff
     D5                                [chord tacit]                 [repeat]
 |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 |o------7------7---|-------7------7---|------------------|-----------------o|
 |o--x-x-7--x-x-7---|---x-x-7--x-x-7---|----7-6---5-4-----|-----------------o|
 |---x-x-5--x-x-5---|---x-x-5--x-x-5---|--0-----7-----5-4-|-8-7-----7-6------|
 |------------------|------------------|------------------|-----8-7-----7-6--|
     1 & 2& 3 & 4&      1 & 2& 3 & 4&     1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &


  neat chromatic, "haunting" lead fill (end of Verse)
     [Am]                      [C]
 ---|-------------------------|-----
 ---|----8--7--6--5-----------|-----
 ---|----------------8--7--6--|-5===
 ---|-------------------------|-----
 ---|-------------------------|-----
 ---|-------------------------|-----
      1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &    1...


 ======================================
 **"CITIES ON FLAME WITH ROCK AND ROLL" (_Blue_Oyster_Cult_)    --key: F#m

   Intro/lead tacit riff
 |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 |o-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------o|
 |o-----------------|------------------|-----------4------|2-----2----------o|
 |----------0=======|------------------|-----0-3h4---3h4--|--3h4---3\2\0-----|
 |--2=======--------|-2===-------------|---2--------------|--------------2-0-|
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &   1 & 2 & 3   & 4 &


 ===========
 **"SCREAMS" (_Blue_Oyster_Cult_)                                 --key: Em

   Intro/Verse riff [right-hand muffle]
    [Em]     [G]          [F#m]    [Am]
 |----------------------|----------------------|
 |----------------------|----------------------|
 |o---------------------|---------------------o|
 |o--------2------------|---------------------o|
 |------2---------------|-----0--4--3=====x----|
 |---0--------3=====x---|--2-------------------|
     1  &  2  & 3 & 4 &    1  &  2  & 3 & 4 &


 ==========================
 **"THE RED AND THE BLACK" (_Tyranny_and_Mutation_)              --key: Am

    Intro/Verse riff [very fast]
     [A5]            v^*
   |--------------------------------|
   |--------------------------------|  *: quick up-then-down pick
   |o------------------------------o|
   |o------------------------------o|
   |-----------3~----3--------------|
   |-----5--5---------5--5--3--4----|
         1  &  2  &   3  &  4  &


 =======================
 **"OD'd ON LIFE ITSELF" (_Tyranny_and_Mutation_)                  --key: E

 Intro/Verse riff
 [E5]
 ----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
 ----|-----------------|-----------------|-lead gu.:---8b9-|-------------8b9-|
 ----|o----------------|----------------o|o----------------|----------------o|
 ----|o------.--.--.---|-------.--.--.--o|o------.--.--.---|-------.--.--.--o|
 --2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|==2-2--4--5--4-2=|
 --0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|==0-0--0--0--0-0=|
 4 &    1 &  2  3  4 &                                 4 &


 =====================
 **"HOT RAILS TO HELL" (_Tyranny_and_Mutation_)                    --key: E

  Intro/Verse riff
   E5                           G5              F#5
 |-------------------------|---------------------------|
 |-------------------------|---------------------------|
 |o------------------------|--------------------------o|
 |o------2--x--------2--x--|--------------------------o|
 |-------2--x--------2--x--|-----5--x--5--5--5--4--4---|
 |-0--0--------0--0--------|--0--3--x--3--3--3--2--2---|
   ^  .  ^  .  ^ .   ^  .     ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .


  "bridge" lead riff [--actually an amalgam of 1st & 2nd versions]
      --"neat" mixolydian . . . choke pick for "ragged" sound
   [A7]
 -|-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------|-
 -|-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------.-----|-
 -|--.---.---.------|---.-----------.--|--.--.-----.---.--|---.-------2-----|-
 -|--5---4---2--4-5-|---4--------2--4--|--5--4-----2---5--|---4-------------|-
 -|-----------------|-------3-4--------|-------3h4--------|-------3h4-------|-
 -|-----------------|------------------|------------------|-----------------|-
     1   2   3  4 &  1  & 2 & 3  &  4     1  2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &


  "bridge" lead riff--"neat" dorian
     [though string choices may be way off?!]     [gliss-slide up for
  [E5]                                             octave-higher riff |]
 -|--0-------------------------|-----------------------/---|          |
 -|--5\3--2--0--(2b)3r2--0-----|----------------------/----|          |
 -|-------------------------2--|--(4b)6r4---x-0------/-----|          v
 -|----------------------------|----------------2===/------|
 -|----------------------------|---------------------------|
 -|----------------------------|---------------------------|
     1 &  2  &      3 &  4  &         1 & 2     & 3 &   4

 |--12---------------------------------|---------------------------------|-
 |------15\14--12--(14b)15r14--12--10--|-(12b)14r12----------------------|-
 |-------------------------------------|--------------x-12--------12b13--|-
 |-------------------------------------|------------------14--14---------|-
 |-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|-
 |-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|-
     1   & 2    &        3  &   4   &          1  & 2      & 3 &   4  &


 ==================
 **"CAREER OF EVIL" (_Secret_Treaties_)                          --key: Am

  Intro/Verse riff
    A5         C5         D5
 |-----------------------|-------------------------|
 |-----------------------|-------------------------|
 |o----------------------|------------------------o|
 |o-------------5---x--5/|7--7--6-----5--4--------o|
 |---7---x--7---3---x--3/|5--------7--------5--3---|
 |---5---x--5------------|-------------------------|
     ^ . ^  .   ^ . ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .


 ============================
 **"DOMINANCE AND SUBMISSION" (_Secret_Treaties_)                --key: F#m

  Intro/Verse riff
       F#5     A5        F#5     B5        F#5     C5   F#5 G#5    C#7#9
 ----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
 ----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------5---x---|
 ----|o----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------4---x--o|
 ----|o--------2---x---|---------4---x---|---------5---x---|---------3---x--o|
 --4=|=4-4-x-x-0---x-4=|=4-4-x-x-2---x-4=|=4-4-x-x-3---x-4-/-6-6-x-x-4---x-4=|
 --0-h-2-2-x-x-------0-h-2-2-x-x-------0-h-2-2-x-x-------2-/-4-4-x-x-------0-h
   .   ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .   ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .   ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .   ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .


 =====================
 **"HARVESTER OF EYES" (_Secret_Treaties_)                        --key: E

  Intro/Verse riff [hold all "chords" (over e pedal point)]
  E5        F#5 G#5     F#5 E5         F#5 G5      F#5 E5
 ---|--------------------------|--------------------------|
 ---|--------------------------|--------------------------|
 ---|o-------------------------|-------------------------o|
 -2=|o=====--4--5======--4--2==|======--4--5======--4--2=o|
 -2=|======--4--5======--4--2==|======--4--5======--4--2==|
 ---|--0--0======--0--0======--|--0--0======--0--0======--|
  .    ^ .   ^ .   ^ .   ^  .     ^  .  ^  .  ^  .  ^  .


 =============
 **"ASTRONOMY" (_Secret_Treaties_)                                --key: Em

  Lead tacit (before final Chorus)--slowly
   [Em]
 ||--15==hold=thru==|------------------|--12==============|------------------|
 ||-----------------|--13=========--15-|------------------|------------------|
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|--12=========--14-|
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
     1   2   3   4     1   2   3  4  &    1   2   3   4      1   2   3  4  &

                                    [   quarter    -    note     triplets   ]
 |----------------|----------------|-----------------14-|--15-17-14-15-12-14-|
 |--12============|----------------|--------12----15----|--------------------|
 |----------------|-------------11-|--12-14----14-------|--------------------|
 |----------------|--14=======-----|--------------------|--------------------|
 |----------------|----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
 |----------------|----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
     1  2  3  4      1  2  3  4  &    |---3---||---3---|   |---3---||---3---|

                      [ 16th  notes ]                  [  16th    notes  ]
 |--12==========-------12--------------|----------------------------12h14---||
 |----------------12-------15--12------|----------------------12h15---------||
 |---------------------------------14--|--12==========--12h14---------------||
 |-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
 |-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
 |-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
    1      2   3   &    4   &   &   &     1    2  3  &   &  &  4  &  &  &

                  [  16th    notes  ]                  [16th notes]   .
 |--12===========--14----14----14-15===|==15==========--15-/-17-17----17----||
 |--------------------15----15---------|------------------------------------||
 |-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
 |-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
 |-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
 |-------------------------------------|------------------------------------||
     1    2  3  &   &  &  4  &  &  &      1      2   3   &   &   &      4


 ==================================
 **"THEN CAME THE LAST DAYS OF MAY"(_On_Your_Feet_or_On_Your_Knees_)--key:Bm

  Lead Solo--slowly; heavy reverb, left-h. vibrato on "held" notes
         [--IMHO, Buck's most "transcendental" solo--]
     h=half note; h.=dotted half
     q=quarter note; q.=dotted quarter; q..=quarter+eighth+sixteenth
     e=eighth note; e.=dotted eighth; e3 e3 e3=eighth-note triplets
     s=sixteenth note; s.=dotted sixteenth
     t=thirty-second note
     [s],[e]...=sixteenth-note rest, eighth-note rest, etc.

   [Bm]    [A]       [G]     [F#7]     [chords sim. . . . . . . . . . . . .]
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 ||-7======---------|-7==========------|------------------|------------------|
 ||---------9=======|---------------9--|-7======--6=======|-4======--6=======|
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 ||-----------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
     h      h         h.        [e] e    h        h         h        h

                                                                  [slide up
 |-------------------------------------|----------------------------9/10\----|
 |------------------------------8\7====|===7==========------11-12------------|
 |--7p6==========----/9----------------|-------------------------------------|
 |----------------------9----9---------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
    s q..        [e]  s s   e3 e3 e3-------h          [e3]  e3 e3    e e

  and back]
 |-(\)9======---------9/10======-------|-----------------------------------9-|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------11----|
 |------------11-11--------------11-11-|--9-11================------11-------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
      q.       s  s   e  q        s  s    s  s--h                [s] s  e  e

 |-(9/)10--9--10/12--------------------|-------------------13/14-------------|
 |------------------12=========-----12=|==12--12-----------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
        e  e   s s   h          [s] s------e   q.           s q..

     [???????]                            [??????]
 |---15b16r15~~~------12-14-10-12-9-10-|--10b12r10----7------9---------------|
 |---------------------x---------------|------------------------11====-------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
  [s] s  q  e    [e]   s  s  s  s s  s    e   e  e    q      s   s--q

 |-------10--9--7----------------------|---10--9--7-------------------10--9--|
 |-----------------7==================-|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------9================-------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
     [q]  s  s  s  s---h                [e] s  s  s  s-h               s  s

 |---7---------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |--------------------------------/12==|===12========================------7h|
 |------7--9/11=============--9-7------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
     e  e  e  e--q            s s   e-------h.                       [e.]  s

  [ho/po trill]                                                     (no pick)
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |10p7h10p7===========================-|-----2--3--2h3p2==============-(/7)==|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
   t t  t t-e-h.                        [q.] s  s  t3t3t3-q.             e

 |-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
 |=7-7h10p7h10p7h10p7h10p7==========-------|------------------2=====(/7)---7h|
 |---------------------------------------7-|--9\4===========-----------------|
 |-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
 |-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
 |-----------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
   s. t t  t t t  t t  t t-h         [s] s    e  e-q          q       e.   s

                                                 (no pick)
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |10p7h10p7h10p7h10p7=7==========------|-----------------------------2h3p2h3p|
 |-----------------------------------9-|---9b10r9---(\6)===========----------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
   t t  t t  t t  t t-q          [s] s     e  q e     q.             t t t t

                                       sl
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |2h3p2h3p2===-3-----------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-----------------4=============---6--/--7=========================---------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
 |-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
  t t t t q    e   q.               e     h.                          [q]


 ===========================
 **"(Don't Fear) THE REAPER" (_Agents_of_Fortune_)               --key: Am

  Intro/Verse riff--legato
    A5          G              F           G
 |--------------------------|---------------------------|
 |--------------------------|---------------------------|
 |o-------2--0=========--0==|=========--0=========--0==o|
 |o----2--------------0-----|--------0-----------0-----o|
 |--0--------------2--------|-----0-----------2---------|
 |--------------3-----------|--1-----------3------------|
    1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &     1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &


 ==========================================
 **"E.T.I. (ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence)" (_Agents_of_Fortune_)  --key: E

  Intro/Verse riff
    E5           A    [  16th     notes  ]       [16th's]
 |--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
 |--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
 |o-------------------------|----------------------------------o|
 |o--2=====------2=====-----|----------------------------------o|
 |---2=====------4=====-----|--------------2-4-5-5-4---2--------|
 |---0=====------0=====-----|--x-0-2-0-3-4-----------------3\2--|
     1  &  2  &  3  &  4  &    1 & & & 2 & & & 3 & & & 4 & & &


 ============
 **"GODZILLA" (_Spectres_)                                      --key: F#m

  Intro/Verse riff
   F#5              B5 C#5 G#5   A5           D#5 E5  B5
 |-----------------------------|----------------------------|
 |-----------------------------|----------------------------|
 |o----------------------------|---------------3---4-------o|
 |o-----------------4---6------|---------------1---2---4---o|
 |---4============--2---4---6--|--7==========----------2----|
 |---2============----------4--|--5==========---------------|
     1     2     3  &   4   &     1     2   3  &   4   &


 ===================
 **"BURNING FOR YOU" (_Fire_of_Unknown_Origin_)                   --key: Am

  Lead Intro    [*: rhythm gu.: hold chord full two measures]
    [F5]                                                  [3 times]
 ||------------------------------|--------------------------------||
 ||--------------------------8===|====8---------------------------||
 ||o--*---/9-----7-h9p7---5------|----------/9-----7-h9p7---5----o||
 ||o-[3]-------------------------|-------------------------------o||
 ||--[3]-------------------------|--------------------------------||
 ||--[1]-------------------------|--------------------------------||
      1    2     3& & &   4  &        1      2     3& & &   4

  [G]                [Am]               [F]                [G]     |---3---|
 |------------------|---8-7---8--------|------------------|---------------7--|
 |---8==============|----------------8=|==8===------------|-----------10-----|
 |------------------|-----------9-10---|-------10-9==-----|------------------|
 |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
 |------------------|------------------|--------------10==|==10=====10-------|
 |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
     1   2   3   4    1 & 2 & 3 &  4 &    1  2  3 & 4  &      1  2  3   4

  [Em]               [F]          |--3--|   [Dm]               [G]
 |------------------|----------------------|-------8-12-------|----15=======||
 |--8========----8--|(8)/10----------------|----10------15----|-------------||
 |-------------9----|----------------7--9--|-10------------12=|=12----------||
 |------------------|-------10====10-------|------------------|-------------||
 |------------------|----------------------|------------------|-------------||
 |------------------|----------------------|------------------|-------------||
    1   2   3  4 &        1  & 2 & 3 & 4 &   |--3---||---3---|   1  & 2 3 4

  *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*
  | Thomas C. Gannon | tgannon@charlie.usd.edu | U of SoDak (Vermillion)  |
  * ------------------------------- _-^-_ ------------------------------- *
  | "--If I decide to practice a   / o )=\    slight movement from right  |
  *  to left . . . or from left   {   /===}    to right . . . it's        *
  |     nobody's business but my   \ (=o=/    own." (_A_Day_for_Eeyore_)  |
  *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===* ^-_=^ *===*===*===*===*===*===*===*===*