The Brain Surgeons are the brainstorm of Albert Bouchard, whose
prodigious songwriting, arrangements and creative drumming drove
the legendary Blue Öyster Cult to platinum sales and arena
rock status. Contrary to the hilarious Saturday Night Live skit,
he's the dude who really put the cowbell in "Don't Fear
the Reaper." More important, his influence is acknowledged
by rock pioneers from the Minutemen (whose Mike Watt still covers
his "The Red and the Black" nightly) to Metallica,
whose version of his classic "Astronomy." went quadruple-platinum
in the U.S. alone. The rare artist whose shared stages with
both Jimi Hendrix and Sonic Youth, his vision, chops and giant
Godzilla mask burn brightly as ever with the Brain Surgeons,
who've released seven highly praised CDs on Cellsum Records
and built a devoted cult following over a decade of hard touring
and great word-of-mouth. The band also features Deborah Frost,
an ex-rock critic in the tradition of Patti Smith and Chrissie
Hynde on vocals and guitar. Their newest and perhaps most outrageous
weapon is lead guitarist Ross the Boss (Dictators, Manowar),
who's featured on the band's latest releases, the CD compilation
BLACK HEARTS OF SOUL (Bad Reputation) and DVD, TO HELEN WITH
LOVE: THE CONCERT. An album of completely new material written
and recorded with Ross before the Surgeons' whirlwind winter
tour of Europe is
now being released on Cellsum Records.One of the most
powerful and best-loved guitarists ever to emerge from the New
York scene, Ross the Boss has often made the band he's in sound
like a supergroup. With Bouchard, who's longed to collaborate
with him ever since the Dictators opened for Blue Öyster
Cult, he's really in one.
