THE RED AND THE BLACK (Buck Dharma) – 1988-90 album prev. unreleased [digitally remastered]

THE RED AND THE BLACK was a New York based power trio formed in 1988 by BLUE ÖYSTER CULT guitarist / vocalist Donald ‘Buck Dharma‘ Roeser, bassist John Rogers and drummer Ron Riddle – so the band’s personnel comprised three fifths of ex- Blue Öyster Cult musicians as it was then currently composed.
They composed many songs, recorded several demos and performed live in and around the New York vicinity, (sometimes as RONDONJON or ROESER, RIDDLE & ROGERS), and while a record company resulted interested, the band never got signed and all the material remained unreleased.
Alongside his 3 ‘Archive’ CD’s series of rarities, Buck Dharma remastered all THE RED AND THE BLACK demos and finally released THE RED AND THE BLACK lost recordings. The band’s sound is pretty commercial rock&pop / melodic rock with that sound production (very good sound quality) from the era including big electronic drums and synths.

Their recordings included versions of two B.Ö.C. songs; ‘Perfect Water’ which had originally appeared on ‘Club Ninja’, and ‘Harvest Moon’, which was later remade for the ‘Heaven Forbid’ album.
Much in the vein of a belated follow-up to Buck’s solo effort from 1982, ‘Flat Out’, with a contemporary sound, the songs recorded by THE RED AND THE BLACK were really commercial and accessible.
Now long out of print, the album was only available to purchase through Dharma’s website as the fourth CD of the ‘Buck Dharma Archive’ Series.
Highly Recommended

01 – Andrea
02 – Dawn Of The Living Dead
03 – Savage Garden
04 – Maiden Name
05 – Expressway To Your Heart
06 – Crime Of Passion
07 – Perfect Water
08 – What About Love
09 – Harvest Moon
10 – Gravity Hill
11 – River Of Dreams
12 – Speed Of Light
13 – Skin Tight
14 – Caroline
15 – People In Love
16 – Redline

‘Buck Dharma’ Roeser: Guitar, Vocals & Keyboards
John Rogers: Vocals, Bass (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, LISA BOUCHELLE)
Ron Riddle: Drums (BURNS SISTERS, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT)

out of print