Though Blue Oyster Cult has always been classified as a heavy metal outfit, the complexity and sophistication of the band's music have always set the group apart from purveyors of more straight-ahead metal. This excellent compilation gathers together material from 1972-1981, considered by many to be the band's most fertile period. Among the highlights of this collection are such early gems as "O.D.'d on Life Itself," "7 Screaming Diz Busters," and "The Red & the Black" (later covered by Mike Watt in the Minutemen and fIREHOSE) from 1973's TYRANNY & MUTATION. Blue Oyster Cult's two Top 40 hits are included ("Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Burnin' For You") in addition to one of hard rock's greatest anthems, "Godzilla," in which the big green guy gets a theme song worthy of his fierce reputation.