Buck Dharma, A.K.A Donald Roeser, is the lead guitar player for hard rocking icons Blue Oyster Cult. In that band he has written and/or played on many of classic rocks most beloved songs including “Godzilla,” “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and “Cities On Flame.” He also composed one of the biggest BOC hits in “Burning For You.” That song, however, was never meant for a Blue Oyster Cult album, as Buck wrote that one for his solo album, Flat Out. His BOC band mates heard the song and decided it would be better on their album Fire of Unknown Origin.

So, Flat Out did not contain a hit single, however, it should have as “Born to Rock” has all of the key ingredients of a Buck Dharma classic tune. The guitar solo is killer and the rhythm blasts away taking a few cool turns here and there. Other standout tracks include “That Summer Night” and “Cold Wind.” These songs could have been on a Blue Oyster Cult album as well. Elsewhere Dharma leaves his BOC comfort zone and experiments with more pop oriented tunes as seen in “Five Thirty-Five,” “Your Loving Heart” and “All Tied Up.” The instrumental “Anwar’s Theme” is one of the albums best moments.

It’s a shame this album didn’t get more noticed back in 1982, as it would have been very interesting to see how Buck would have balanced a solo career with BOC. As it stands now, Rock Candy Records has made this diamond in the rough available once again for the seasoned BOC fan or the novice, just discovering this guy named Buck.